NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Martial Law
"It shouldn't spread further."
After evaluating the burning buildings' surroundings and confirming that the fire wouldn't escalate, Su Wu shifted his attention to the adjacent streets.
The streets were lined with vehicles loaded with supplies and people, forming long queues headed toward various shelter entrances. Thanks to the government's meticulous coordination, while the scene looked chaotic and hurried, the overall order was maintained, and the evacuation proceeded efficiently.
Still, large crowds inevitably brought complications.
At one intersection, a commotion erupted.
Su Wu maneuvered his drone fleet, leaving one communication relay drone hovering in place while sending the other two closer to capture the scene.
A group of shirtless young men emerged from a dented van, angrily dragging out the driver and passengers of the vehicle they had collided with. The road, already narrow, was quickly blocked. Within minutes, the halted vehicles stretched into a traffic jam several kilometers long.
A squad of armed soldiers arrived, swiftly opening fire and killing the troublemakers without hesitation. They dragged the bodies and the damaged vehicles into a nearby greenbelt, clearing the road. Traffic resumed almost immediately.
"It seems martial law is now effectively in place," Su Wu mused. "Stability and efficiency take precedence over everything else."
This swift and uncompromising action hinted at the priorities of Jianghe City's leadership.
With the situation resolved, Su Wu continued his aerial survey of the city.
His upgraded drone fleet included three drones: two communication relay drones to extend signal range and a specialized reconnaissance drone equipped with high-definition cameras and terrain radar. This setup allowed the fleet to operate up to 30 kilometers away from the shelter, covering the entire Jianghe City area and its outskirts.
In a world on the brink of apocalypse, where network disruptions were imminent, these drones were invaluable tools for reconnaissance.
As he circled the city and analyzed the data with the help of his AI assistant, Su Wu gradually pieced together the state of Jianghe City.
In just half a day, combined with earlier evacuations, about half of the city's 2 million residents had been relocated to shelters. However, the rush and lack of adequate protective measures had led to a sharp increase in accidental deaths. Many elderly and frail individuals perished en route.
On the supply side, essential resources like food, medicine, and other necessities had largely been moved to the shelters. Nonessential bulk items were either being stored locally or slowly transported inside.
These actions suggested that the government anticipated an extended period where surface-level industrial production would be impossible.
This realization served as a sobering reminder for Su Wu to exercise even greater caution in any future surface activities.
As night fell, cloaking the city in darkness, the evacuation showed no signs of slowing. If anything, it seemed to accelerate under the government's urging.
Having gathered enough intelligence, Su Wu retrieved his drone fleet and resumed upgrading his shelter as planned.
No matter how chaotic the outside world became, his shelter remained his foundation for survival.
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[10 survival points spent: Hydroponic Farm upgraded to Full-Automation.]
[Farm productivity increased by 15%.]
[Added: Multifunctional Farm Management Robot.]
[New capabilities: Pollination, Pest Control, Harvesting, Low-Temperature Storage and Preservation.]
The upgraded hydroponic farm's advanced nutrient and light management systems significantly boosted crop yields. With the addition of the farm management robot, Su Wu was fully freed from manual labor.
Now, every step from seeding to harvest could be handled by the robot, all remotely managed from the control center. Su Wu's only task was to choose the crop types and collect the harvest from storage.
"Once this batch of vegetables is harvested, I won't need to replant all of it as food."
Looking at the farm's statistics on the monitor, Su Wu considered diversifying. Given the likelihood that the surface environment would soon render most plants and animals extinct, he felt a responsibility to preserve some biodiversity.
Growing flowers not only improved shelter aesthetics but also boosted morale, making life underground less oppressive.
With the hydroponic farm upgraded, Su Wu turned his attention to the mechanical manufacturing center.
The center, currently an empty shell, lacked equipment. With limited survival points, Su Wu decided to start by producing an engineering robot to serve as the foundation.
Engineering robots were the most expensive machines Su Wu could build aside from the extreme drilling rig.
Previously, his shelter had only one engineering robot, the very first machine he had built. Despite its scarcity, it had been instrumental in constructing the shelter and producing all other equipment.
By adding another engineering robot, the mechanical manufacturing center would immediately gain the capability to process most mechanical tasks, albeit at a slower pace.
[16 survival points spent: Added one Engineering Robot.]
[Shelter maintenance and repair capabilities enhanced. Increased ability to handle emergencies and risks.]
After these upgrades, the shelter's system interface showed a significant improvement. Its level progression rose from Standard Personal Shelter (27%) to Standard Personal Shelter (76%), bringing it closer to the next tier.
Exhausted from his day of upgrades and surveillance, Su Wu stood up, heading to the living quarters to take a shower.
As he relaxed in the shelter's cool, air-conditioned environment, he gradually drifted off to sleep.
Outside, the world was in turmoil, with desperate evacuations and ten
.se uncertainty. But within his underground haven, peace and tranquility reigned.