BEFORE THE WORLD FROZE, I BUILT MY OWN KINGDOM

Chapter 10: Scouting the Hot Springs

From the news reports, Ethan pieced together Professor Whitmore's temperament and personality.

To his delight, he discovered that the old man was also a doomsday thinker. He urged people at every opportunity to protect the environment, and he had even taken part in building the National Doomsday Seed Vault.

It was wonderful news. Ethan had actually lived through the apocalypse. Who in the world understood it better than he did?

He had worried that he would have nothing in common with such a great scholar. This was like a pillow delivered to a sleepy man.

His thoughts raced, and soon an idea took shape. He began typing the email.

After careful consideration, an hour later, he clicked send.

Now all he had to do was wait for a reply.

By the time he was finished, it was noon. He ate a quick lunch and drove back to Oakridge.

Oakridge had several geothermal sites, and he couldn't just sit around waiting for the professor's answer. He could scout locations in the meantime. And if the professor agreed to help, he could have him inspect them.

That afternoon, his first stop was a small town under Oakridge's jurisdiction, home to a well-known hot spring resort.

As he drove closer, the distinctive smell of sulfur drifted through the air. It was especially strong in winter, giving people a warm, relaxed feeling.

The town was full of quaint buildings, and the trees along the streets were coated in thick frost, creating a one-of-a-kind winter scene.

He parked in the resort's lot, bought a ticket, and walked in.

First he came to an open-air pool, its water clear and steaming. Even though it was a Monday, plenty of tourists were soaking leisurely.

Ethan stood at the edge, feeling the warmth, and couldn't help feeling a little excited. He had already started daydreaming about soaking in a hot spring in the middle of a frozen apocalypse. That would be the ultimate luxury.

He quickly pushed aside the fantasy. Business came first.

Though he was standing in a hot spring resort, he had no interest in bathing. Instead, he began studying his surroundings. Where would high walls go? Where could he build the bunker?

In that frozen post-apocalyptic world, hot springs would be treasures that everyone wanted. Without strong defenses, he could never hold on to one.

And the place was actually quite good. It was ringed by mountains on three sides, and the terrain would be enough to build a base. He liked it at first sight.

The only drawback was that it was a popular tourist spot. Without enormous funds, he could never buy it and build a power plant there.

His only hope was the jackpot on December 2nd. He had been so envious of that $220 million prize before. But now it seemed like nothing more than a drop in the ocean. It was enough to build a bunker, but not nearly enough to build a power plant.

Supplies weren't a problem. He had his extradimensional space, and he could get what he needed practically for free.

He wished he could win an even bigger prize. But sadly, he remembered only that one winning ticket from his past life.

Looks like I'll have to find other ways to make money, he thought.

Just then, two young women in their early twenties came storming toward him.

"You shameless creep! Have you no shame at all? Get out of here right now, or don't blame us for what happens!"

The sudden outburst jolted him out of his thoughts. He understood immediately what was going on, and he didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.

Yesterday at the Riverglen Power Plant, he'd been mistaken for a spy. Today at the hot spring resort, he was being mistaken for a pervert. Did he really look like a bad guy?

Then again, when he thought about it, it made sense. Who stood around a power plant admiring the scenery for no reason? And he had driven around it again and again. At the hot springs, he hadn't soaked at all. He had wandered around staring at things in deep thought. Anyone watching would naturally think the worst.

Though maybe, just maybe, his eyes really had wandered a few times to things they shouldn't have.

But Ethan was a gentleman, and with so many people watching, he couldn't let his name be dragged through the mud.

So he tried to explain. "Miss, I think you've misunderstood."

"Misunderstood? I saw you staring at us for ages with that disgusting smile! I warned you with my eyes, and you didn't stop at all!" said the short-haired girl angrily.

"I was lost in thought. I didn't even notice you. If you don't believe me, check the security footage!" Ethan said helplessly.

"Where are the cameras here? You're just being unreasonable!"

"I'm not. I was looking at the cliff behind you," Ethan argued.

The short-haired girl laughed in disbelief. "So we're just imagining things?"

Ethan didn't answer. He stood tall and proud, looking aloof.

That made her even angrier. She turned to her friend. "Claire, call the police! I'm going to teach this pervert a lesson!"

Claire hesitated, looking troubled. "Sis, forget it. He doesn't seem to be lying. And besides, he's so handsome, you..."

"Shut up! Whose side are you on?" the short-haired girl snapped, cutting Claire off.

"Fine, fine. Whatever the reason, I apologize, all right? I'll leave now."

Ethan didn't want to argue with them any longer. They had already decided he was a creep, and the angrier they got, the more it seemed that everything was his fault no matter what he said.

Instead of fighting over something so petty, it was better to apologize and get away as fast as possible.

The short-haired girl watched his retreating back and wanted to say something, but Claire stopped her.

Having escaped, Ethan reached another part of the resort and lit a cigarette, irritated.

Just then, a young man walked up to him, looking at him with open admiration.

"Brother, that was brilliant! I truly admire your strategy of stepping back to win! If I'd met you two years ago, I could've avoided so many beatings!"

Ethan glared at him. "Get lost. I'm not one of you."

The young man only grinned sheepishly. He wasn't angry at all. He acted as if they were kindred spirits.

Ethan felt a little helpless. To cut ties with this little hooligan once and for all, he stated his purpose bluntly.

"I'm here to invest in a factory. I'm surveying the geography."

"Tch! You came all this way to inspect hot springs for a factory investment?" the young man said, unimpressed.

"What, I can't build a geothermal power plant?"

"You think I don't know anything about geothermal plants? The water at this spring's outlet is only 46 degrees Celsius. What kind of power plant are you going to build with that?" the young man laughed.

Ethan frowned and couldn't help asking, "Is that really true?"

"Of course. How can you generate electricity if the water doesn't even boil? To get power from geothermal energy, the outlet temperature has to be at least 90°C," the young man explained.

There was a trace of pride in his voice, as if showing off his knowledge made him very happy.

Ethan nodded slightly. He had overlooked that point. He understood the basic principles of geothermal generation, but he had never paid attention to the outlet temperature requirements. And that the spring here was only 46°C was something he hadn't expected at all.

It was only 46°C before the apocalypse, and it would probably be even lower once the extreme cold arrived. But Ethan wasn't discouraged.

He smiled and asked, "May I ask your name?"

"Finch. Tyler Finch."

"Tyler, what did you study in college?"

"Couch University, Department of Staying Indoors," Tyler said irritably.

"Ahem."

Ethan coughed twice in embarrassment.

He had hoped the man had a professional background that might come in handy. Instead, he turned out to be a self-taught dropout.

"What, you looking down on me? Let me tell you, I know of an underground water outlet that's 120°C, and it's my secret hideout.

"You wanted to build a power plant, right? Why don't we team up?" Tyler said with a hint of amusement. Naturally, he didn't believe for a second that Ethan could really build a power plant.

But Ethan's eyes lit up. "Could you take me to see it?"