At the end of the twelfth lunar month, the base began setting off fireworks and firecrackers to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The snow had once again blocked the roads, and travel remained difficult for the residents.
That day, a message came back from the team sent to find a salt mine. They had located one in Oakhaven, but heavy snow had blocked the mountain passes, immobilizing their vehicles. With supplies running low, they had no choice but to request a rescue from the base.
According to Rhys Chase, the deposit contained nearly ten thousand tons of salt. The team consisted of two hundred people, including drivers and mining personnel, with a convoy of fifty vehicles.
After they sent the distress call, their telegraph machine likely malfunctioned in the extreme cold, and Rhys Chase lost all contact with them.
