Chapter 131: A Bustling Mega Shelter

"Unbelievable."

"They actually managed to build a shelter on the surface here."

Casually browsing the forums, Su Wu couldn't help but feel a sense of broadened horizons. In Chongzhou City, a residential area on the scale of a small neighborhood had been constructed right on the surface.

Of course, due to limited time, most of the buildings in this residential area were old skyscrapers and malls that had been quickly repurposed. However, this didn't diminish their functionality. In terms of safety and comfort, they were on par with underground shelters.

In fact, thanks to the expansive views, this surface residential area had become the most bustling commercial hub of Chongzhou City and also the place with the highest property prices.

To move in, one had to either pay a contribution fee that an average person couldn't earn in a lifetime or provide materials equivalent to tens of millions in pre-apocalypse value.

On average, a 100-square-meter apartment in this area cost about as much as building a small underground shelter.

"If someone bought a place here and then faced a massive earthquake or windstorm..."

Su Wu shook his head, finding it hard to understand the mindset of the wealthy. If this expenditure improved one's chances of survival, it might make sense. But to pay such a steep price just for a view of the crumbling post-apocalyptic city? Madness.

At that moment, something on the forum caught his attention—a pinned commercial event mentioning gold. Without hesitation, Su Wu clicked on it.

What he found was a long list of acquisition details.

Apparently, a pre-apocalypse gold jewelry company was hosting a large-scale material exchange event. They were offering unlimited gold in exchange for medicine, cigarettes, alcohol, and other living and industrial supplies.

The exchange rates were decent. However, gold's utility in the apocalypse was limited, and its financial value had significantly diminished. People weren't confident that gold prices would hold up, so the event wasn't particularly popular.

"They're even accepting regular medicine and anti-radiation paint."

Comparing the list to his inventory, Su Wu did some quick calculations. With his mobile base vehicle, he could trade items for about 10 kilograms of gold.

Cost-wise, it didn't matter to him since his items weren't nearly as valuable as 10 kilograms of gold. That was more than enough for Su Wu.

With the golden scales from his daily mission as collateral, he foresaw that in the future, few resources would match gold and silver in value and utility.

"Let's give it a shot," he decided.

Speeding up his vehicle, he soon reached a checkpoint leading underground.

"You're coming from Jianghe City? That's quite far."

The checkpoint staff communicated with Su Wu through an intercom. After a basic scan and registration, they raised the barrier, allowing him access to the underground parking lot.

"How much is the parking fee?" Su Wu asked, wanting to understand all the rules in one go.

"There's no parking fee," the staff replied. "But the maximum stay is two weeks. Exceed that, and there's a fine."

The staff's friendly attitude surprised Su Wu. Before the apocalypse, cities tried to turn half their streets into paid parking zones. Yet here, where underground space was even more precious, parking was free. It was puzzling.

"Our director believes that vehicles traveling between cities in these times have it hard," the staff explained, with a hint of admiration in their voice. "It's inhumane to make things difficult over trivial matters. After all, we're all humans."

"By the way, your vehicle has weapons. Make sure not to bring them out of the parking lot. If you're caught later, they'll be confiscated."

The checkpoint also scanned for contraband. Normally, firearms and explosives were illegal, but in the post-apocalypse wilderness, traveling unarmed was even riskier. Thus, Chongzhou City allowed visitors to bring weapons into the parking area but prohibited them inside the shelter itself.

"Got it. Thank you," Su Wu replied.

After saying goodbye to the staff, Su Wu drove into the underground tunnel behind the checkpoint. Thankfully, the tunnels and parking areas were spacious enough. Otherwise, his massive mobile base might not have fit.

Finding a spot in the parking lot, Su Wu donned a bulletproof vest enhanced with survival points from his 3D printer. He packed a suitcase with medicine and anti-radiation paint, planning to head to the commercial district mentioned on the forum.

Before stepping out, he paused and adjusted the settings on his miniature mech in the living room, putting it in standby combat mode.

This way, if anyone tried to break into the base vehicle or if Su Wu encountered an attack, the mech could immediately respond or provide remote support.

Although Chongzhou City had left a good impression as an orderly and friendly hub, unexpected events could still occur. Being prepared was better than being caught off guard.

Following the signs, Su Wu walked through several long corridors and underwent another security check before entering Chongzhou City's official shelter.

"What a massive place," Su Wu couldn't help but marvel as he stepped inside.

Before him was a vast hall over 30 meters high and 15,000 square meters in area—roughly the size of two football fields.

The space here dwarfed Su Wu's own shelter, which he had painstakingly expanded over time. And yet, this hall was merely a logistics and personnel hub within the larger complex.

Around the perimeter of the hall were buildings with at least 10 floors, each bustling with people. Countless elevators tirelessly transported people and goods to different levels.

It was a spectacle of order and prosperity, unimaginable in the harsh post-apocalyptic world.

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