After recording their passports and other identity information as collateral in the gun shop, Ye Chen and the others left the store with the selected guns, and the rent was not expensive, mainly the cost of ammunition plus a small amount of rent. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Because there was a lot of snow in the place he was going to, Tom brought two camcorders with him in his backpack. The three men walked up the hillside behind the town with a camera and some food.

There are a large number of snowmobile sleds parked in a clearing, and some tourists are picking up sleds here.

Snowmobiles, also known as snowmobiles, are a very useful means of transportation in ice and snow. It is engine-driven like a motorboat, with tracks placed on the bottom of the snowmobile, allowing the snowmobile to move freely here.

Of course, there are still people in the local area who use dog sleds, but for Ye Chen, it is more convenient for them to use motorcycle sleds.

"It's just a bit of a stretch for the rest of the journey, it's like driving a jet ski, it's a cool feeling." Experienced Tom knows a thing or two about everything. In the decades he has worked, it cannot be said that all places, at least most of the areas that the earth can rarely reach, have experienced.

Snowmobiles are called snowmobiles because they are similar to motorcycles in that they are powered by an engine that turns the handlebars to steer the snowmobile. It's just that the tires on the bottom have been replaced with rotating skis and tracks. And like motorcycles, snowmobiles are equipped with springs and shock absorbers, which greatly improve driving comfort and stability.

However, you should not underestimate the snowmobile, thinking that it is easy to handle, after all, the friction on the snow is still very different from that on land.

Kurt tried for a long time but still couldn't master the tricks of snowmobiling, and no matter how much Tom tried to guide him, it didn't work. With his fine control, Ye Chen was able to drive freely after only two laps of riding.

"People are more popular than people." Tom couldn't help but sigh at Ye Chen's talent, "If I could have a partner like you, it would be much easier." ”

However, they had no choice but to rent two snowmobiles, which Tom drove with Kurt.

Along the mountain road, the snowmobile drives by quickly, and it seems that there are many tourists who come here now, and there are already several traces of snowmobile on the mountain road.

Ye Chen learned from Tom that the target of the trip was the Svalbard Seed Bank, a granary used to store crop seeds. After it was put into use in February 2008, it received seed "backups" from national, regional and international seed banks in many places around the world, and it can be said that it is a "Noah's Ark" of global agriculture.

Perhaps it is the sense of crisis of humanity, some organizations believe that if the earth suffers a global catastrophe that causes food to be contaminated and destroyed, then humanity will face the catastrophe of global hunger. So in addition to the seed banks established by various countries, they chose Svalbard, a place where they naturally had an advantage, to establish a new seed bank.

The seed bank, built in permafrost 130 meters above sea level, can be located at minus 18°C even in the event of a total power outage, a condition that could save the seed bank from the apocalypse.

The seed bank is set up on the hill of Spitsbergen, north of Longyearbyen, and they have to pass through many dangerous areas along the way, including areas inhabited by polar bears, so Ye Chen and his team need to carry guns to protect themselves.

Tom was originally a workaholic, and he dared to face polar bears for photography, coupled with Ye Chen, a skilled and bold master, the two hit it off and set off on a snowmobile, without considering Kurt's feelings at all, in fact, Kurt wanted to say: "The baby doesn't want to go".

I don't know if it's their luck, there were no accidents along the way, only once I saw a polar bear in a mountain col in the distance. The polar bear appeared to have just finished eating, and there was still a trace of blood left on its mouth. It was lying lazily on the snow scratching its belly, its fat body looking a little cute, but under such an appearance was hidden the heart of a fierce beast.

This is a full-fledged carnivore, the absolute hegemon of the Arctic region, and polar bears, which can weigh up to 700 kilograms, have almost no natural predators here.

If it weren't for the rest of the trip, Tom would have had to go down to the col to take a closer look.

"Actually, we moved a little faster, we had time to go down and shoot, and then we were riding fast and we would definitely be able to get back in the evening." Tom was still a little sorry.

"Head, tomorrow we have to go to the research ship with Professor Cooper, and if we don't make it back tonight, we won't be able to get on board. You must know that polar bears can be found at any time, and research ships are not so easy to find. Finally under Kurt's persuasion, Tom's idea was dispelled, and it seemed that Kurt had worked hard enough to follow Tom along the way.

On February 26, 2008, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault was officially opened, built to withstand earthquakes and nuclear weapons to withstand earthquakes and nuclear weapons, so it was built on permafrost deep in the mountains of Svalbard, and the natural topography of the warehouse will help protect tens of thousands of crop seeds from any natural or man-made disasters.

Ye Chen was standing at the door of the seed bank at this time, and an ice sculpture in the shape of a polar bear stood beside him. As one of the world's most famous seed banks, many tourists come here.

Exposed to the ground is a narrow shipping container-like gate, and the metal front door looks sturdy, inserting directly into the mountain and tightly connecting with the mountain.

However, because they arrived in a hurry, Ye Chen and the others did not have the interior to enter, so they could only look at the fortress from the outside like tourists.

According to Tom, the seed bank is durable to withstand earthquakes and nuclear weapons; It is built on a mountain 180 meters above sea level, and even if the sea rises because of global warming, it will not be affected; In addition, a warehouse buried deep in the permafrost will be able to keep it below -5 degrees Celsius even if the power is cut off in the event of an emergency. In addition, it is not as difficult to reach as Antarctica, so it is an ideal seed store.

To enter the Svalbard Seed Vault, you need to pass through five heavy steel gates and then go through a long tunnel to reach the room where the seeds are stored. Like a bank vault, the storage room is protected by barriers, and seeds from all over the world and regions are stored here.

It's like a magical place, like the last refuge of humanity in the movie "The Terminator", and it's full of mystery.

"Beautiful building!" Tom stroked the sign at the door of the warehouse and complimented.

Although they did not agree to Ye Chen and their entry, the guards at the door still agreed that they watched freely at the door, and even took a photo with Ye Chen. The cold air froze the guard's cheeks red, and standing in front of the camera, he tugged on the strap of the rifle on his back with both hands.

Associating it with the end of the world may seem absurd, but who's to say that it might be a miracle.

Unable to enter the seed bank, Ye Chen and the others still have a lot of time to return to their place of residence.

"I said I should shoot the white bear, but now it's okay, I haven't photographed anything." A depressed Tom muttered about starting the snowmobile.