Chapter 6: Heading to the Shelter

It was getting late.

Although there were still six hours left until the Great Reckoning, it didn't mean that this time was absolutely safe.

A few hours before the Great Reckoning, alien creatures had already started crawling out of the abyss one after another.

Lin Cheng looked at his parents, who were still sitting on the couch watching the news, and urged, "Dad, Mom, it's time to go to the shelter."

"Shelter? Didn't you say we weren't going to the shelter?"

Seeing the puzzled expressions on his parents' faces, Lin Cheng smiled and explained, "We're not going to the one in the city center. We're going to the shelter I built."

Lin Cheng's parents exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

What kind of shelter could an 18-year-old boy possibly build?

They had noticed Lin Cheng stockpiling supplies and running around lately, but they still didn't think much of the shelter.

Before leaving, Lin Cheng's mother planned to pack some luggage.

Lin Cheng didn't stop her. Although the shelter had clothes, these were things with sentimental value.

The three of them drove off, and along the way, they ran into a few acquaintances.

When asked where they were going, Lin Cheng quickly answered, "Just wandering around, seeing if we can buy some food."

Lin Cheng's father soon realized that Lin Cheng didn't want others to know about the secret shelter, so he played along, becoming more intrigued by the shelter.

But when they actually saw the 800-square-meter shelter, the couple was truly stunned.

In the corner, supplies were neatly stacked, with everything arranged in an orderly fashion.

The public space was spacious enough, and the private areas were well-organized.

The most striking feature was the steel walls around the edges, which gave off a strong sense of security!

It was hard to believe that such a massive shelter had been built by an 18-year-old boy.

"Xiaocheng, did you build this shelter all by yourself?"

Lin Cheng nodded and then shook his head. "In a sense, yes, but I hired people to help."

Lin Cheng's father furrowed his brow. "Building such a large shelter must've been expensive. How did you, a kid, come up with that much money?"

Lin Cheng smiled slightly, not intending to explain to his parents how he'd planned and gathered the funds.

Because it was no longer necessary.

The internet in the shelter was still operational. In the early stages of the Great Reckoning, the city's power grid hadn't collapsed, so they could still stay informed without leaving the shelter.

As his parents familiarized themselves with the shelter, Lin Cheng lay on his bed, counting on his fingers, planning the upcoming food distribution.

Although the food was abundant, he still had to be careful. Wastefulness was out of the question.

During the Great Reckoning, every bit of food would become incredibly precious.

With their current appetites, if they wanted to fill up on instant noodles, each person would need at least two packs.

That meant each person would consume six packs a day, and for the family of three, it would be 18 packs per day.

Even though Lin Cheng had stockpiled dozens of boxes of instant noodles, at this rate, it wouldn't last six months.

Not only that, but he also had to consider nutrition. Eating instant noodles as a main food source for an extended period would leave the body severely lacking in essential nutrients.

Illness would become inevitable, and during the Great Reckoning, people struggled just for food, let alone healthcare.

The medicine Lin Cheng had stocked could only treat common ailments like colds and fevers. Anything more serious...

They would have to leave it up to fate!

Freeze-dried vegetables and canned foods he bought online could supplement their nutrition a bit.

But the quantity of these items was limited, only enough for short-term consumption. For long-term survival, the daily intake would be far too little.

Even if he were the only one eating, it wouldn't be enough, let alone for a family of three.

In the 800-square-meter shelter, Lin Cheng had specifically set aside two 50-square-meter storage rooms.

One was for storing various daily necessities, lighting tools, and seeds for crops.

The other was for storing food and water.

Including online shopping and supplies looted from supermarkets:

The shelter now held 50 boxes of instant noodles, 60 boxes of bottled water, 35 boxes of compressed biscuits, 10 boxes of luncheon meat, 10 boxes of freeze-dried vegetables, 20 boxes of milk, and 20 boxes of sausages.

He had also stocked some regular ingredients like rice and long-lasting vegetables for cooking.

But those weren't the main focus. His primary goal was to store emergency food.

Occasional cooking was possible, but long-term cooking would leave traces of human activity.

In the early stages of the Great Reckoning, it was crucial to stay hidden. The fewer people who knew about the shelter, the safer they would be.

He had also stocked up on toiletries like shampoo, body wash, and facial cleansers, though not in large quantities, as they didn't consume much.

But he had stored more candles, flashlights, and batteries, since lighting tools would be essential for emergencies or power outages.

Aside from ventilation, the shelter was almost entirely sealed off.

In this situation, no light could penetrate, leaving the place pitch black.

Just in terms of candles, Lin Cheng had bought nearly 30 boxes, with about 100 candles per box.

He had also stored plenty of flashlights and batteries, as portable lighting would never be too much.

These supplies were enough to keep the family alive for months in the shelter. Whether they could last six months would depend on future plans.

But stockpiling supplies wasn't a permanent solution. The shelter would become Lin Cheng's stronghold.

Even if he awakened his second gene later, he would still need a place to live.

This massive shelter was undoubtedly an excellent choice.

Lin Cheng glanced at the pile of seeds in the corner, thinking about how to grow crops from them.

It would require fresh soil, light, and specific conditions, making indoor farming extremely difficult.

He could only wait until after the first wave of the monster surge during the Great Reckoning before returning to the surface to figure out how to grow crops.

According to Lin Cheng's memories, the Great Reckoning's monster surges came in twelve waves, with breaks in between each one.