Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

In modern society, ordinary people lacking basic education can hardly qualify as competent workers.

In Su Wu's shelter, where artificial intelligence and automation were highly integrated, such individuals had even less value. It might be more cost-effective to raise a pig than support an uneducated human.

Thus, from a future development perspective, allocating a small portion of resources to provide basic education for children under 12, who couldn't yet contribute much value, was essential.

Of course, this education was limited to fundamental knowledge. Higher education was reserved for a select few, chosen for their aptitude and potential. The rest were better suited to fulfilling basic roles in the shelter's workforce.

In terms of healthcare, Su Wu discovered significant reserves of medical supplies in Jingyuan's warehouses. While they weren't suitable for treating major illnesses, they were more than adequate for addressing minor injuries, colds, and other small ailments.

Additionally, the shelter's population of over 300,000 included numerous healthcare professionals. Rebuilding a medical system was relatively straightforward.

Su Wu also noted that producing certain common medications was not particularly challenging or costly. All that was needed were specialized manufacturing equipment and space for cultivating raw materials—both of which he could provide.

With this in mind, Su Wu planned to establish a pharmaceutical production line in Jingyuan Shelter. This would not only supply their internal needs but also produce valuable goods for external trade.

The pharmaceutical industry had long been a coveted opportunity for Su Wu. With minimal resource consumption and high product value, it was akin to mining gold. Even if overproduction caused market prices to plummet, it would still remain immensely profitable.

However, such plans required time to realize. Jingyuan Shelter, along with its vast population, had only recently come under Su Wu's control. Reforms and improvements were still in their infancy.

That evening, at 7 PM, everyone logged into Su Wu's network received a news notification. Curiosity piqued, many clicked to watch.

"This is the Arid Stone Shelter Evening News."

"Today's surface temperature averages 15 degrees, with ongoing heavy rainfall."

"In Jianghe City, some streets are experiencing water depths of up to 1.2 meters."

A calm and soothing female voice accompanied aerial footage of a rain-soaked urban wasteland, offering viewers their first comprehensive look at the surface's current state.

"This afternoon, Arid Stone Shelter restarted its education system, establishing 12 elementary schools and a comprehensive higher education institution."

"All children aged 6 to 12 within the shelter's jurisdiction are required to attend nearby schools for basic education."

"Here is an interview with Principal Liu Hao of the First Elementary School."

"Arid Stone Shelter's Jingyuan Division has launched a large-scale expansion of its vegetable farms and chicken farms."

"Plans include the construction of 20 massive vegetable farms covering 42,000 mu, with an estimated monthly output of 18,000 tons of vegetables."

"Additionally, 40 large chicken farms will be built, housing 8 million white-feathered chickens. Each 42-day cycle will yield approximately 20,000 tons of poultry."

"Arid Stone Shelter is advancing its healthcare system, implementing universal basic medical coverage across the shelter."

The entire broadcast was brief, with only three key announcements, but each carried significant weight.

Ordinary viewers marveled at the thriving and promising image of the shelter, while the city's elite were struck by the staggering scale and ambition behind the announcements.

At the No. 9 Official Shelter in Jianghe City, within the 023 District dormitory building, Du Tao and his wife huddled over their phone, watching the broadcast.

"They've even opened free elementary schools!"

Du Tao's wife nestled into his arms, her tone tinged with envy. Their child was nearing six years old, the typical age for starting school in the pre-apocalyptic world. However, the official shelter had no schools, leaving the couple to shoulder their child's education alone.

"Maybe the official shelter will follow soon," Du Tao reassured her. "This Arid Stone Shelter seems impressive, but it's still just a civilian operation. Official shelters have far more resources. They won't fall behind for long."

Married with a child, Du Tao felt fortunate to have a small family dormitory within the official shelter, a privilege denied to many. Grateful for their situation, he instinctively defended the officials.

However, when the broadcast shifted to Arid Stone Shelter's healthcare initiatives, showing ordinary citizens receiving treatment in newly opened clinics, Du Tao fell silent.

The official shelter also had hospitals, but these were strictly guarded and accessible only to the elite. Ordinary citizens were excluded and had no hope of gaining access. As resources tightened, this exclusivity was unlikely to change.

By comparison, Arid Stone Shelter's policies were undeniably more inclusive.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away, the director of the No. 9 Official Shelter, Ming Runshan, watched the same broadcast from his office. Unlike ordinary viewers, who focused on education and healthcare, Ming fixated on the agricultural expansions.

As a leader overseeing tens of thousands of people, Ming understood the challenges of achieving a monthly vegetable output of 18,000 tons and a similar scale of poultry production. The electricity, fertilizers, and management costs alone were astronomical.

Even Ming's shelter, with its superior population and resources, would struggle to reach such figures.

When considering that Arid Stone Shelter operated without the constraints of government oversight, unlike Ming's shelter, which answered to higher authorities, Ming's envy turned into outright jealousy.

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