Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

This left Su Wu with no choice but to continue focusing on the Farmhouse Shelter as his core base for development plans.

Fortunately, with tens of thousands of tons of cement and steel replenished from Jingyuan Shelter, the expansion of the Farmhouse Shelter was set to proceed at a much faster pace.

It might not be long before Su Wu could turn it into the most livable location in Jianghe City.

"The main task ahead is to expedite the excavation of the eighth and ninth underground levels and complete the first phase of the Farmhouse Shelter's full-scale construction."

"Once that's done, the shelter should upgrade to the next level."

From his research into the doomsday system, Su Wu had learned that upgrading the shelter would not only bring survival points but could also unlock other benefits. What exactly these benefits were, he would only know after the upgrade.

"Also, Zhou Xiwu's matter shouldn't be delayed any longer. It's time to resolve it."

For Su Wu, dealing with Zhou Xiwu's shelter, another large shelter, was far simpler than tackling Jingyuan Shelter.

This wasn't just because Zhou Xiwu's population was only around 50,000 or that the shelter itself was smaller. The key difference lay in Su Wu's months-long trade interactions, during which he had managed to win over key personnel and plant traps in critical areas such as access control rooms.

If Su Wu wished, he could deploy a combat drone swarm to reach Zhou Xiwu's office within minutes.

In fact, given Su Wu's reputation and the overwhelming display of force he had shown during the Jingyuan campaign, he might not even need to act personally. There would likely be plenty of people willing to defect and handle the problem for him.

Events unfolded as expected.

Within just half an hour of Su Wu signaling his intent, Zhou Xiwu was overthrown in his office by his own deputy and team. The entire shelter transitioned to Su Wu's control without any major unrest.

Meanwhile, on the surface, long-gathering clouds began to release their first drops of rain.

At 8:00 p.m., torrential rain swept through every corner of Jianghe City. The streets that had only just come alive with lowered temperatures quickly grew quiet again.

Only a few trucks transporting supplies braved the downpour, their headlights cutting through the darkness as the sole light sources in the otherwise pitch-black world above ground.

But even this didn't last long.

About an hour later, a large number of workers and construction vehicles emerged from the exits of the official shelter.

Some stayed nearby to build higher-grade flood control systems, while others ventured into the countryside, braving the rain to repair long-abandoned railways.

Their efforts brought a new wave of activity to the once-desolate city ruins.

At 10:00 p.m., in the control center on the second underground level of the Farmhouse Shelter, Su Wu, still busy addressing unexpected issues from Jingyuan and Zhou Xiwu's shelters, received a message from Ye Luoshuanghua.

"You're saying this rain will last a long time?"

"It's not just me; that's the conclusion of the Science Academy," Ye Luoshuanghua corrected, her expression tinged with worry.

"This rainfall has already covered over 70% of the globe and shows no sign of letting up. According to the Science Academy, the worst-case scenario could mirror the planet's historical 'Rainfall Century,' lasting millions of years."

"Of course, with the Ice Age not far off, it's also possible that the rain will gradually freeze as temperatures drop."

Neither an endless downpour nor an Ice Age was good news. Both signaled that the environment above ground would only worsen from now on, leaving humanity no room to recover.

"So it seems I'll need to adjust my plans," Su Wu muttered, frowning in thought.

Initially, he had assumed the rain would pass quickly and had planned to launch broader expansion efforts afterward. But now it seemed unlikely that the rain would ever stop.

"As long as you're aware," Ye Luoshuanghua said softly. "You're responsible for tens of thousands of lives now. Preparing early can save many of them."

Ye Luoshuanghua had risked much to relay this information to Su Wu. She understood that without this intelligence, a single misstep in his decisions could cost not only his life but also the lives of everyone under his care.

From her understanding of the officials in charge of the official shelter, she knew they wouldn't lift a finger to help if Su Wu's people were in jeopardy.

"I didn't expect you to be this considerate," Su Wu remarked, surprised by Ye Luoshuanghua's empathy.

In his mind, she had always been a pampered bureaucrat's daughter. While not necessarily power-hungry, she had seemed to carry an air of superiority over ordinary people. He hadn't expected her to take risks for the sake of the common folk.

"People can change, you know. I'm not one of those cold-hearted types," Ye Luoshuanghua retorted with a pout, clearly displeased at Su Wu's underestimation of her character.

"By the way, why did your people deploy so many workers to repair the railways? Are they really planning to restore train transport?"

Su Wu dismissed her reaction and shifted the topic, asking a question that had been on his mind.

Given his current resources, even without actively monitoring the situation, surface movements often reached him through various channels. However, deeper details still required someone like Ye Luoshuanghua to clarify.

"It's no secret," Ye Luoshuanghua replied nonchalantly. "The railway repairs are a federal directive. Supposedly, they need to transport some vital supplies to the western highlands by rail. Beyond that, I'm not sure. They didn't elaborate."

"I see," Su Wu murmured, his thoughts diving deeper than Ye Luoshuanghua's casual explanation.

What kind of supplies required such an extensive effort to restore rail transport? Could it be part of a strategic relocation?

(End of Chapter)