I'm playing Frostpunk in Arknights

Morning arrived as Wang Zhan breathed in the crisp winter air. He grabbed a freshly dried vest from the rack and darted to his computer to plan the day. The first task was to confirm the time for the next decree, scheduled for around 2 PM. Setting an alarm, Wang Zhan routinely powered down the Generator.

"The Generator is off! Everyone, get ready for your tasks!"

The quiet camp burst into activity. Enli and Sasha led the hunting team, carrying game past the Generator, while freshly awakened children followed Sasha, singing songs Alina had taught them.

"You joined the hunting team after all," Eno greeted warmly. "Did you get hurt? I can heal you if needed."

Sasha avoided direct eye contact, embarrassed. "No, no injuries. Just some elk—they're rather docile."

"Good, as expected."

Enli found Sasha's tone odd but couldn't pinpoint why. He awkwardly added, "Sasha will definitely be an excellent archer someday! You should've seen how clean and precise his shots are!"

"I wasn't talking to you, old man," Sasha retorted sharply.

"Enli..."

Enli frowned. This young Liberi looked agreeable but sure knew how to provoke people.

"Why are you all arguing so early in the morning?"

Alina, now up and having greeted the Generator, noticed the tension. She wanted to check on Sasha but was puzzled why Enli and Eno were at odds.

"Teacher Alina," Sasha greeted warmly. "I was just ensuring Enli took good care of Sasha. That's all."

"You know, Sasha is very important to me."

The two had been inseparable since Tallulah rescued them, but Sasha's decision to join the hunting team after arriving at the Generator camp baffled everyone. Alina couldn't understand his reasoning, but Eno's explanation seemed plausible.

"Alright, it's all sorted now, isn't it?"

Wang Zhan, observing the scene from his screen, was slightly disappointed. He had hoped for some drama... but harmony was better.

"Generator Master, you saw all that, didn't you? Why didn't you notify me?"

Alina pouted, but Wang Zhan pretended not to have noticed until she hesitantly called again, "Master Zhan...?"

"Hmm? Yes, Alina, what's up?" Wang Zhan tried to hide the smirk threatening to form—not that he needed to conceal his expression behind a screen.

"Oh, you weren't there earlier," Alina felt a pang of guilt. "Something happened, but I've taken care of it."

"Good. Seems I didn't misplace my trust in you," Wang Zhan praised. Alina beamed, her happiness as easy to spark as a flame in dry tinder.

"What's on today's agenda?"

With the textile mill complete, it became clear that to outfit everyone in cold-resistant clothing before the storm, another hunting cabin would be essential. The single cabin could not supply enough pelts.

Wang Zhan instructed Alina to retrieve the construction blueprint for another hunting cabin from the workstation.

"Compared to the textile mill, the hunting cabin's workflow is simple," Alina remarked. Hunting was second nature to the infected.

As Alina oversaw the construction, Wang Zhan assigned ten workers to the textile mill. Each day, they could produce about 20 sets of winter clothes—insufficient to cover everyone before the storm. He calculated that with overtime, production could increase to 28 sets per day. Even so, they'd still fall short. Building a second textile mill became the optimal solution.

Wang Zhan decided both mills would need to work overtime for one day, storing any excess clothing in the warehouse. Just as he was about to proceed, a sudden notification flashed across his screen:

[Our temporary patrol team has reached the canyon's summit. They report a gray horizon where once the clear blue sky stretched. Instead of drifting mobile cities, a snowstorm barrels forward—a storm carrying biting winds and snow! It will reach the Generator in three days!]

[The Storm Approaches!]

What?! The patrol team discovered the storm!

Wang Zhan cursed his oversight. He had planned everything meticulously but had overlooked the patrol team's findings. To make matters worse, he had reassigned Karl's patrol yesterday!

Frustrated, Wang Zhan closed the notification, only for another one to pop up:

[News of the storm spread quickly. Except for the workstation, all workplaces have halted operations. The infected demand answers from you!]

The camp's hope bar dropped sharply to 10%. Infected workers gathered below the Generator, their unease growing.

Karl raised his voice to try and maintain order. "Quiet! QUIET!"

He tried his best to control the crowd, but some infected were already packing up, intent on leaving the Generator. "Hey! Where do you think you're going? Tell me! Where can you even go?"

"Anywhere is better than waiting here to die."

Karl grew angrier. "And how do you know staying here means death?"

"How can you guarantee staying won't?"

Exactly. He couldn't guarantee it. Karl was a soldier, not a leader like Tallulah, with her unshakable conviction and daring plans.

"Silence!"

The sharp yet calm voice belonged to Alina. The usual warmth was gone, replaced by stern authority as she stood beneath the Generator like a blade ready to strike.

"I understand your decision to leave the Generator Master," Alina began. "But I ask you to reflect—what has life been like since arriving here? Think back to your first thoughts upon waking each morning."

Karl quipped, "I want to sleep more!"

Wang Zhan snorted, stifling a laugh. Was this really the time for jokes?

"Exactly. We don't wake up in fear because the Generator Master is here!"

"With him, everything is certain!"

Wang Zhan felt unexpectedly moved. His efforts hadn't been in vain.

"He already has a plan to face the storm!"

...Wait, what?!

4o