Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

Even the elite chat group fell silent for a moment. The realization that even deep underground shelters were no longer safe brought an uncomfortable truth: no matter how well-built, shelters might only ever be temporary havens, fragile as reeds in a storm.

Su Wu observed this quietly, his thoughts clouded. If digging deeper wasn't a viable solution, what could humanity's future hold?

"Earthquakes, extreme heat, radiation, and the eventual deep freeze..." Su Wu reflected on the disasters he had survived and the ones gleaned from official reports.

For a moment, he felt lost.

His gaze drifted to the silver walls of the control center, reinforced using survival points. While the added strength was marginal—just slightly better than high-grade cement—it symbolized a glimmer of hope.

If a material could match the thermal resistance and strength of kilometers of rock, it wouldn't matter if the shelter was on the surface or underground. Its location would become irrelevant.

However, developing such a material was a colossal undertaking. Even with survival points to accelerate progress, the challenge would remain daunting.

"Let's experiment," Su Wu decided. "It won't hinder the shelter's current development."

Under the perpetually dim skies and oppressive heat of the ruins, Yang Qi cautiously emerged from a half-collapsed building. After ensuring the coast was clear, he began moving toward a modified pickup truck parked nearby.

He didn't dare hurry. In this sweltering weather, even slight exertion could drain a person's strength, potentially costing their life.

"Two more minutes," he calculated, carefully pacing himself.

The city ruins were unfit for human survival, and without official enforcement of order, they were lawless. Any conflict that didn't create a large disturbance would go ignored, even if it resulted in death.

In just half a day of scavenging, Yang Qi had witnessed at least two or three robberies. One unfortunate scavenger, gravely injured, had been left to die in the rubble.

Fortunately, Yang Qi's route back was uneventful. Climbing into the pickup, he removed the damp cloth from his face and exhaled deeply.

The truck, reinforced with thick steel and rebar, deterred potential robbers. Few scavengers would risk attacking someone inside.

"Nothing good this time?" a companion who had returned earlier asked, noticing Yang Qi's empty hands.

"Who said I didn't?" Yang Qi smirked and pulled a small gold ornament from his pocket.

"Look—five or six grams of gold, at least."

"Lucky you," the companion said enviously. "That could trade for ten pounds of fresh lettuce."

Yang Qi grinned, pleased with his find. His companion, who had been scavenging just as long, had only collected heavy, low-value scrap destined for low-price buybacks at their shelter.

Meanwhile, Yang Qi's gold could be immediately exchanged for food and other critical supplies.

"When the merchant truck arrives, I'll trade this for lettuce," Yang Qi said. "After taxes, I'll turn the lettuce into dried earthworms back at the shelter and treat you to a feast."

Generosity was rare in the apocalypse, but Yang Qi was willing to share with his childhood friend.

As they spoke of the merchant truck, Yang Qi's mind conjured the image of a white cargo truck, two armed robot guards, and a mysterious young woman communicating through the robots. Her voice was soothing, her presence a rare beacon of stability amidst chaos.

Running such a business in these conditions hinted at immense power. Their shelter must be formidable.

As the large cargo trucks from Su Wu's shelter entered the ruins to trade rare resources with scavengers, his reputation spread rapidly.

Unlike Yang Qi, others were more informed. Soon, the origin of these trucks was identified: Huangshi Village Shelter.

Previously known only among larger shelters, this remote haven was thrust into public view for the first time.

However, notoriety inevitably attracted unwanted attention. Greedy individuals began eyeing Su Wu's resources, tempted to take them by force.

By evening, at the farmhouse ruins' second-floor control center, Su Wu reviewed the day's collection report forwarded by Chen Xin. The sheer volume of materials surprised him.

Excluding bulky items like steel, copper, and aluminum, the rare metals collected in a single day were seven times what Su Wu's scavenging teams had previously brought back.

"Is the income really this high?" Su Wu asked.

"Fresh vegetables fetch excellent prices," Chen Xin explained. "And fulfilling repair commissions for other shelters yields significant amounts of rare metals."

With engineering robots at his disposal, Su Wu rarely gave mechanical repairs much thought. To him, fixing broken equipment was as simple and natural as breathing.

But for small to mid-sized shelters lacking skilled technicians, repairing complex machinery was a monumental challenge, often costing as much as purchasing new equipment.

In this context, Chen Xin's decision to offer basic repair services using construction robots proved lucrative.

By day's end, resource exchanges for fresh vegetables accounted for only

half of Su Wu's income. The other half came entirely from repair commissions.

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