NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Powering Half a Town
"With enough materials and a robotic assistant, I'm effectively on the fast track. The shelter is bound to be completed without a hitch. If something still goes wrong, that's no longer on me."
Freed from the constant busyness and anxiety, Su Wu finally had a moment to think about the future. He didn't know much about the details of the apocalypse, only that it was vaguely related to extreme climate conditions, as hinted by the Apocalypse Survival System. It could be intense heat or freezing cold, or perhaps viral radiation, earthquakes, or floods.
Regardless of the type, the common denominator was the extinction of surface life on a global scale. Underestimating such a catastrophe would mean turning to ash beneath nature's wrath.
As for when the apocalypse would arrive, Su Wu only knew it would be within six months. Whether it was precisely six months, one month, or just a couple of weeks away was left up to speculation. This uncertainty had been a major source of pressure on him. If not for the fact that he no longer needed to perform manual labor, his body might have already collapsed from constant worry before the apocalypse even arrived.
"The government must already know something about the coming apocalypse. They probably have more information than I do. Otherwise, there wouldn't be such strict resource controls. Even buying extra sugar or rice requires signing a guarantee form."
Su Wu recalled his initial struggles to stockpile supplies. Unable to shop online due to restrictions, he had resorted to raiding supermarkets and grain stores for essentials. However, buying more than 40 kilograms of sugar and ten bags of rice in one go had drawn the attention of the local security administrator, who personally visited him.
Just thinking about it made Su Wu's face darken. "They're leaving ordinary people no way to prepare. Even if you get the news early, there's no way to hoard enough supplies for survival."
"Rice isn't a big deal—ten bags, or 500 kilograms, will last a long time. Once the hydroponic farm in the shelter is up, I won't even need to worry about that."
"But sugar is trickier. That stuff has so many uses in an apocalypse. I'll need to find a way to stockpile more."
Su Wu had already been working on this. Though buying sugar required ID registration and was limited by quotas, most people didn't consume much. By hiring a few individuals to make small, staggered purchases and reselling it through intermediaries, it wasn't too hard to amass several hundred kilograms. Plus, sugar wasn't the only high-sugar product—sweeping up unsold candies was something no one would pay attention to.
Besides sugar, other valuable commodities included salt, vitamin tablets, common medicines, alcohol, cigarettes, and condiments. These were slightly less restricted but still expensive, and Su Wu's limited funds meant he couldn't buy them in large quantities. Nonetheless, for personal use and minimal trade, what he had was more than sufficient.
After sorting out his plans for his own shelter, Su Wu couldn't help but sigh. "The government is controlling so many resources. I hope their shelters are well-prepared. Otherwise, who knows how many people will die when the time comes."
Su Wu wasn't particularly soft-hearted, but imagining a future where he was the only survivor wasn't a pleasant thought. Humans were social creatures, and the importance of mental stimulation was no less significant than physical sustenance.
As night fell, the farmhouse in the desolate suburbs remained as quiet as ever, save for the hum of machinery from the engineering robot. By midnight, a new set of information quietly appeared on Su Wu's system panel.
[Survival Points Calculation for the Day]
- Survived one day: +1 Survival Point.
- Successfully created a Universal Lightweight Engineering Robot: Survival ability slightly increased, +2 Survival Points.
- Acquired the first fully automated tool, marking a transition from manual labor to mechanical processing: Apocalypse survival probability significantly increased, +75 Survival Points.
[Current Survival Points: 78.]
"Seventy-five points? That much?"
Su Wu's eyes widened, momentarily wondering if he had misread the numbers. Although his prior understanding of the system's rules had led him to suspect he might receive a substantial bonus, he hadn't anticipated a windfall of 75 points.
Before this, his daily earnings had been a meager 1-point base income.
"I guess I underestimated the importance of the engineering robot," Su Wu thought, marveling at his decision to prioritize its creation.
With this unexpected fortune, the pace of shelter construction would undoubtedly accelerate. A promising future was now within reach.
---
The following day at noon, after 20 continuous hours of work, the engineering robot completed a small drilling rig and a geothermal generator. Su Wu inspected them and found their designs closely matched the schematics, looking as though they had rolled off an assembly line.
[Incomplete Drilling Rig]
Compatibility: 85%
Evaluation: A drilling rig missing key components, unable to operate normally.
Upgrade Paths:
Small Drilling Rig (1-kilometer depth): 3 Survival Points.
Large Drilling Rig (5-kilometer depth): 20 Survival Points.
Extreme Drilling Rig (10-kilometer depth): 60 Survival Points.
[Unfinished Geothermal Generator]
Compatibility: 75%
Evaluation: A semi-finished generator lacking critical internal components, practically indistinguishable from a model.
Upgrade Path:
Small Geothermal Generator (300 kW/hour): 13 Survival Points.
Both pieces of equipment were incomplete and non-functional, which didn't surprise Su Wu—it was by design.
While the engineering robot could theoretically create most components, precision parts took significantly more time. Striving for perfection would have required at least ten days to complete the rig and generator, by which time the apocalypse might already have arrived.
Instead, Su Wu opted to produce semi-finished products and fill in the gaps using survival points. This method saved both time and resources, achieving maximum cost-efficiency.
After some hesitation and research, Su Wu gritted his teeth and upgraded to the 10-kilometer Extreme Drilling Rig. It wasn't a luxury but a necessity. The central inland region of Jianghe City lacked volcanic and geothermal hotspots. To operate the generator, the pipes had to reach deep into the Earth's crust. This monumental task was beyond the capabilities of standard rigs.
"Let's hope this works."
Watching his survival points dwindle, Su Wu couldn't help but grimace, but he knew this step was inevitable. Electricity was the foundation of construction and survival. Without it, everything else would be a pipe dream.
The upgraded 10-kilometer Extreme Drilling Rig, compacted, was the size of a bus. Fully extended, it could cover half a football field. Despite its massive size, its high level of automation and built-in power made it easy for Su Wu to operate.
However, his lack of experience led to a clumsy start. It took him over 20 hours, excluding breaks, to lay pipes nearly 9,000 meters deep. Fortunately, data from the drill's probe indicated this depth was sufficient for the geothermal generator to function. Satisfied, Su Wu stopped just short of the 10-kilometer limit and began installing the generator.
The 13-point-upgraded geothermal generator exceeded its original specs, reaching the pinnacle of contemporary technology. Its user-friendly design made installation surprisingly smooth.
Two hours later, a row of green indicator lights lit up on the generator's panel. Su Wu's personal power plant was officially operational.
"Not bad," he muttered, watching the real-time power output on the small display. "Generating 300 kilowatt-hours per hour—enough to power a small town at night."
The fatigue of prolonged work evap
orated as Su Wu's mood soared.
With this generator, he had effectively secured his future.