Chapter 345: Head East!

“My goodness, what’s this? Looks incredibly powerful.”

“Is this the snowplow the production team sent? It’s truly a massive beast!”

“Can Xiao Shen really operate something this huge? I think he’s blowing smoke this time.”

“Since Xiao Shen brought this up with the production team, he must have confidence and ability—after all, he’s Xiao Shen.”

“No wonder it’s a heavy-duty snowplow—it moves through one-meter-deep snow as if walking on flat ground!”

“I’d love to drive one of these beasts across an open wilderness—it must feel amazing.”

……

……

In fact, it wasn’t just Xiao Yi who noticed the two large snowplows arriving.

Even the drone, upon hearing the “clank-clank” sound from afar, turned its camera toward the two snowplows.

Soon after, the livestream audience’s attention was instantly drawn to these two snowplows.

In truth, many cities don’t see a single snowfall in a year, and even when it does snow, it’s just light flurries—no snowplow needed.

So most viewers in the livestream had never even seen a snowplow before, let alone one of these massive machines.

After all, only regions that have experienced super blizzards would ever deploy such heavy-duty equipment.

Perhaps in China, only the northernmost provinces have ever witnessed such super blizzards in history.

Soon, the two massive machines slowly arrived not far from Xiao Yi’s tent.

When the lynx and the rough-legged hawk spotted the snowplow approaching, both little creatures were stunned with fear.

The lynx immediately darted to Xiao Yi’s feet, seeking a sense of safety.

As for the rough-legged hawk, it kept gliding in the sky, too frightened to land.

Seeing this, Xiao Yi paid it no mind—he was waiting for someone to get out of the snowplow.

Sure enough, soon a Chinese man and two Canadians stepped down.

Before the Chinese man could speak, one of the foreigners blurted out in broken Mandarin.

“Xiao! You’re Xiao! I’m Kemi, very, happy, to meet you—you’re a hero.”

Seeing this, Xiao Yi was momentarily baffled, his mind flooded with questions—what was going on here?

“Hello, I’m Xiao Yi!”

Though the foreigner’s Mandarin was halting, Xiao Yi still responded politely.

“Oh my God! I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you, Xiao! Can you sign something for me later? My whole family is so grateful to you.”

“Signature? Fan?”

Hearing this, Xiao Yi was baffled again, silently wondering in his mind.

Fortunately, someone stepped forward to clarify things for him, preventing him from staying confused.

“Master Xiao, I’m Pan Chen, a staff member from the production team. We’ve come here primarily to deliver the heavy-duty snowplow to you.”

“These two gentlemen beside me are Uncle Kemi and Uncle Sam—they’re residents of Maple Leaf Country and the best snowplow drivers around. The production team went through great effort to get them here.”

“Moreover, Uncle Kemi is your most loyal fan—he only agreed to join the rescue mission after learning you were involved.”

“And both gentlemen can communicate in basic Mandarin—out of hundreds of snowplow drivers, only these two were selected.”

“My fan? I have fans in Maple Leaf Country?”

Xiao Yi had always lived in this isolated world; even though his name had already become famous in Maple Leaf Country, he himself was unaware.

Perhaps he did know!

After all, some netizens in the livestream had mentioned he was trending in Maple Leaf Country.

But Xiao Yi had never truly grasped the idea that he was popular there—he thought they were just joking with him!

Now he realized: apparently, he really was popular in Maple Leaf Country—even had grown-up fans.

“Xiao, hello, I’m Sam, a snowplow driver from Carion Town.”

“You’re the hero in the hearts of all the towns around our Orlin region. When we heard the killer doctor entered this wilderness, everyone in the surrounding towns lived in constant fear—we felt God sent you here to drive away that demon.”

At that moment, Sam softly spoke up beside him.

Hearing this, Xiao Yi instantly understood—this entire scene was a direct consequence of the “Killer Doctor” incident.

Clearly, that man had instilled boundless terror in Maple Leaf Country.

Now that he understood everything, Xiao Yi smiled and said:

“It’s what I had to do—I’m no hero. That man tried to harm me, and I merely defended myself.”

“No! No! No! No! Xiao, to you it might be a small thing, but to us residents, it’s a monumental event worth celebrating—we owe you our deepest gratitude.”

Before anyone else could speak, Kemi immediately protested.

Seeing Kemi’s reaction, Xiao Yi could only feel slightly exasperated.

This must be what a fanatic fan looks like.

Afterwards, Xiao Yi invited the three men to stand before his pot of meat.

“Wow! What a plump reindeer!”

When Sam saw the four reindeer carcasses lying on the ground, he exclaimed.

They were all residents of small towns on the edge of this wilderness, with regular jobs but also skilled hunters in their free time.

Hearing this, Xiao Yi merely shrugged and said:

“The super blizzard yesterday forced them to die helplessly. If you like, after the rescue is over, each of you can pick one to take home.”

Xiao Yi felt a pang of sadness over the reindeer’s deaths—but only sadness.

He had no intention of burying them; in fact, he’d just been worrying about how to dispose of the four carcasses.

This wilderness operates on survival of the fittest—since they’re already dead, let their value be maximized.

“Really? Thank you so much, Xiao!”

“Thank you!”

Upon hearing this, both Sam and Kemi eagerly expressed their gratitude.

After all, one reindeer was an unexpected windfall—sure to bring joy to their families for days.

Hearing this, Xiao Yi merely smiled faintly, then turned to Pan Chen and asked:

“How is the production team planning the rescue? How am I supposed to proceed?”

Hearing Xiao Yi’s question, Pan Chen smiled and replied:

“Before the rescue, may I confirm one thing—can you really operate a heavy-duty snowplow? We can have Uncle Sam or Uncle Kemi watch and guide you.”

Seeing this, Xiao Yi understood—the production team still doubted his ability to drive the snowplow.

He nodded and said, “Of course. I’ll get in right now and give it a try.”

Saying this, Xiao Yi headed straight for one of the snowplows.

Only when he reached the vehicle did he truly appreciate its sheer size.

Just one wheel was nearly two-thirds his own height.

That’s precisely why this beast could plow through one-meter-deep snow.

“Uncle Sam! Uncle Kemi!”

Seeing Xiao Yi approach the snowplow, Pan Chen called out to the two bearded men.

“I’ll go! I’ll go! I want to see Xiao’s driving skills!”

Hearing Pan Chen, Kemi immediately spoke up and ran toward Xiao Yi.

Pan Chen knew that having Kemi climb aboard might annoy Xiao Yi—it was a lack of trust—but he had no choice.

Though the wilderness was open, what if Xiao Yi mishandled the machine and crashed into them?

With snow this deep, they couldn’t dodge quickly enough.

So as Xiao Yi prepared to board, Pan Chen insisted one of them accompany him as a safety precaution.

“Xiao, Xiao, I’ll ride with you!”

Just as Xiao Yi was about to climb aboard, he heard Kemi calling from behind.

Seeing this, Xiao Yi paused briefly—he understood Pan Chen’s reasoning—and waited.

Then the two of them climbed into the snowplow together.

Budebushuo ， Zheliangdaxingchuxuecheneibudekongjianhaifeichangda ， Erqieyeyouzhuzuofuzuolianggeweizi 。

Of course, the most important thing was the view from inside—it felt wide open and remarkably pleasant.

“Xiao, first we…”

“Clank! Clank!”

Kemi was about to explain how to operate the snowplow.

But before he finished, Xiao Yi immediately started the machine.

Xiao Yi’s target was clearing the snow within five meters around his camp.

Watching Xiao Yi’s slightly clumsy but correct movements, Kemi said nothing more.

He even thought to himself, “No wonder he’s Xiao!”

Clumsy as he was, his correct operation proved he knew how to drive a heavy-duty snowplow.

His awkwardness could only mean he hadn’t driven one in a long time—give him some time to get used to it, and he’d become skilled.

Soon, the snowplow began working. Pan Chen, watching from the side, was surprised, then quietly exhaled in relief.

Now he could confidently hand the snowplow over to Xiao Yi on behalf of the production team.

“Xiao, I heard your show ends after this rescue—can I invite you to my home afterward? My son adores you.”

At this moment, Kemi was also in good spirits, casually chatting with Xiao Yi.

As for Xiao Yi at this moment, he too had relaxed; yet, the instant he stepped onto the large snowplow, a flicker of unease had crossed his mind.

Once everything began running smoothly, that unease vanished completely.

Hearing Kemi’s invitation, Xiao Yi paused briefly, then smiled and said:

“I’m genuinely looking forward to it, but I can’t give you a definite answer—I may need to return to China with the production team, and their return date is still uncertain. If the chance arises, I will definitely visit.”

Upon hearing Xiao Yi’s reply, Kemi felt a tinge of disappointment, but quickly recovered, smiling as he said:

“I hope the opportunity comes! My whole family is also eagerly looking forward to your arrival.”

Yet, as viewers watched Xiao Yi climb onto the large snowplow, they began buzzing with discussion in the live stream.

“No way—I thought Xiao Shen was just joking, but he’s actually driving this giant snowplow!”

“Exactly! And look at his technique—he’s clearly a seasoned driver!”

“I worried for nothing—Xiao Shen really is multi-talented; there’s nothing he can’t do!”

“We should start digging deeper into Xiao Shen’s other skills from now on.”

“That’s true, but thinking about it makes me a little sad—after all, Xiao Shen announced he’s leaving the show. Who knows when we’ll see him on stream again?”

……

……

As Xiao Yi cleared the snow around his camp, viewers in the live stream enthusiastically commented.

They were mainly astonished that he actually knew how to operate the large snowplow.

Soon, Xiao Yi had cleared nearly all the snow near the camp and parked the snowplow in place.

“How’s that?”

After getting off the vehicle, Xiao Yi walked straight over to Pan Chen with a smile and asked.

Pan Chen chuckled and said, “Impressive!”

He continued, “Originally, Mr. Li planned that if your driving skills were truly clumsy, one of Uncle Sam or Uncle Kemi would accompany you on the search.”

“But if your driving is truly skilled, the base will quickly dispatch another snowplow—more vehicles mean more chances. Now I think it’s time for Mr. Li to send another one over.”

Seeing Pan Chen say this, Xiao Yi merely smiled.

Pan Chen went on, “The blizzard came from the north, so there’s no need to search there. Of the remaining three directions—east, west, and south—which one would you prefer?”

Clearly, the snowplows would be split up. With the one soon to arrive, there would be exactly three—each direction would get one.

Hearing this, Xiao Yi fell into thought, then said, “I’ll take the east.”

In truth, Shen Mengsan and the others were most likely still in the south, since Shen Mengsan had fled directly southward.

Thus, the main focus of the rescue team arriving from base was still on the south.

At this point, whether or not Xiao Yi joined the southern search mattered little—there were already too many people there.

But Xiao Yi had a gut feeling—he believed he would find something in the east.

Moreover, Xiao Yi had learned that Shen Mengsan had separated from the main rescue force; he suspected the two might be in the east.

Also, the east was the route he had taken to arrive here—he was very familiar with everything in that direction.

If possible, he even wanted to climb over that mound of earth to take one last look at his wooden cabin.

Seeing Xiao Yi choose his direction, Pan Chen said nothing more.

“Then you head east, Xiao Shen! I’ll report to the base. Here’s your communication device—if you find anything, contact us immediately. A helicopter will be dispatched to locate and rescue you right away.”