The problem with the grid-tied photovoltaic inverter must be resolved, and it must be resolved as soon as possible.
The battery cannot last that long.
Therefore, Li Yu and his group needed to depart quickly, but because the weather was too cold and the City Center was tens of kilometers away, they had to make ample preparations.
For this trip, the most crucial issue was the vehicles; if a vehicle stalled in the icy, snowy conditions outside, it would be a major problem.
For this outing, the engine oil also needed to be replaced with 0w-50 fully synthetic oil, as at temperatures of negative thirty to forty degrees Celsius, the oil would become exceptionally viscous, leading to very poor fluidity, which would prevent it from providing proper protection to the engine.
If the engine encountered any major problems outside, repairing it in such cold conditions would be one issue, but more importantly, whether they could endure such a long time outdoors was the real concern.
Besides engine oil, they also needed to prepare some high-quality antifreeze coolant and windshield washer fluid, etc.
In addition to vehicle issues, they also needed to prepare some cold-weather clothing, which wasn't a particularly big problem, as Li Yu had already purchased some professional cold-weather gear much earlier.
Snow chains, snow shovels, lighters, power banks, alcohol, and so on.
They brought everything they could think of that might be useful.
On the base wall, Li Yu stood, looking at the thick snow piled beneath the wall, his brows furrowed.
"Brother, we're going out, and I think our vehicles might need some simple modifications; the snow outside is too thick and must be cleared," Li Hang said from beside him.
"What are you thinking?" Li Yu asked, hearing the implication in Li Hang's words.
"I think we can convert one vehicle into a snowplow; it doesn't need to be too complicated. Just install an inverted triangular sheet metal on the front to help push the snow from the middle of the road to the sides," Li Hang said.
Li Yu nodded: "That works. Da Pao and that former construction worker, Xie Weishan, both know how to fix cars. Let them work on it together."
"Okay, I'll go tell them now," Li Hang said.
Suddenly, Li Yu thought of something else and said, "Never mind, have them come over for a moment."
A short while later, Da Pao and Xie Weishan arrived at the guard room.
Li Yu got straight to the point and asked, "The snow outside is about 1 meter thick right now. Xiao Hang and I just went out and looked, and it's pretty much that thick on the road outside as well."
Da Pao and Xie Weishan listened. Before entering the guard room, they had also seen from the wall that the snow outside was indeed very thick.
"Xiao Hang has an idea: convert one or two of our existing vehicles. Put an inverted triangular plow on the front to clear snow and widen the road. What do you two think? If we go out, which vehicle do you think would be better to convert?"
Da Pao and Xie Weishan exchanged glances.
Finally, Da Pao spoke first: "From a modification standpoint, it's not difficult; it can be done in a few hours. The key is which vehicle to convert. I think the Unimog would work; that vehicle has high survival capability outdoors."
Xie Weishan, standing nearby, also added, "Yes, modification isn't a big problem. It's just that if it's to be converted into a snowplow, the vehicle's power must be sufficient, otherwise, it won't hold up. Right now, besides the Unimog and the riot control vehicle, only some trucks have sufficient power."
"Hmm, right. It's so cold now, vehicles like new energy cars are pretty much out of commission," Da Pao said.
"One Unimog and one truck. Is that what you mean?" Li Yu asked directly, understanding their opinion.
"I think that works. Do both vehicles need to be converted into snowplows?" Da Pao asked.
"I think both can be converted into snowplows. We can make them flexible, so they can be disassembled," Xie Weishan said.
"Hmm, modify both then. Modify both vehicles in case of any unexpected issues; that way, there'll be a backup," Li Yu said after thinking for a moment.
"Okay, when are we leaving? I'll check the time," Da Pao said.
"The sooner the better. It's noon now. We'll leave tomorrow morning at eight o'clock when the sun comes out. Although it's less than a hundred kilometers, we should go early and return early. We shouldn't spend the night outside; spending the night outside would definitely be very troublesome. Is there enough time for the modifications?" Li Yu asked.
Da Pao and Xie Weishan chatted for a couple of sentences, then said to Li Yu, "No problem, we can get it done tonight."
"Okay, then you can start now. Have Xiao Hang and Haoran go over and help you. If you need any materials, have them help you find them."
"Understood."
"Okay, Boss Li, then we'll get to it now."
Li Yu nodded, watching them leave.
For some reason, Li Yu's right eyelid kept twitching during this outing, and he felt a persistent unease in his heart.
He always felt that something wasn't perfect enough, but according to their current discussions, all necessary preparations had been made, and all matters to be dealt with had been handled. Why did he still feel so unsettled?
This feeling made him very uncomfortable, so he called for his second uncle.
His second uncle came to the guard room, saw Li Yu's furrowed brows, and stepped forward to ask, "Xiao Yu, is something on your mind?"
"Second Uncle, I always feel uneasy, as if there's something I haven't thought of, but I can't remember what it is."
His second uncle sat on a stool, thought for a moment, then walked to the wall, looked at the weather, and said, "It's so cold now; going out is indeed worrying. But let's think again and see if there's anything we've missed. However, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Hmm... How about this: you all drive out first and take a look, go to the Gas Station and get a feel for it.
After all, it's been so many days, and besides moving that zombie, we haven't been out."
Hearing his second uncle's words, Li Yu said, "This morning, Xiao Hang and I just went out. We looked at the road outside, and there weren't any major anomalies, just that the snow was very, very thick."
"The snow is very thick? Didn't you have Da Pao and the others modify the snowplows?" his second uncle asked.
"Yes, ah, hmm, maybe I'm overthinking it. It's fine, Second Uncle, we'll depart tomorrow. We'll know when we get there. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It's not far, we can be back in a day." Li Yu suppressed his inner worries, speaking with a relaxed expression.
He couldn't quite pinpoint what felt off, but this task had to be done. Just as he had said, do it first, and once they knew what the problems were, they could adapt and solve them then.
His second uncle saw Li Yu's expression and knew he was still somewhat worried, saying, "If you go out, you don't need to worry too much about the base. Your father, your third uncle, and I will handle it. Also, leaving tomorrow, won't that be too rushed?"
"It's fine. The sooner we go, the sooner we fix it, the more at ease I'll feel."
Hearing Li Yu say this, his second uncle didn't say anything more.
