Chapter 257: Biological Printer

At this size, if it were entirely used to construct standard dormitories, it would be enough to accommodate over 800,000 people. Considering that the daily population transferred to the farmhouses is less than 120,000, such a vast disparity indicates that the most crowded periods in the underground shelters of the farmhouses are now completely over. There is ample space to begin constructing recreational facilities, alleviating the oppression and dullness brought on by monotonous work and long-term living in cramped underground spaces.

On the surface, amidst the ruins of the city, the engineering vehicles responsible for recycling concrete waste still number around 4,000. However, due to the extensive use of heavy demolition tools and explosives, the efficiency of recycling has greatly improved. The daily recycling volume has increased from over 7 million tons to nearly 10 million tons. This terrifying recycling efficiency has caused the once seemingly endless urban ruins of Jianghe City to shrink at a visible rate. The day of complete digestion is not far off.

In terms of technology, with the continuous influx of Spirituality brought by millions of people, although there have been no revolutionary breakthroughs for the time being, there have been several relatively ordinary research achievements that have clearly distanced themselves from the civilian sector.

Firstly, a new type of multi-wing drone, based on courier-level drones and referencing the Twin-Winged Helicopter structure, has been successfully developed. This new multi-wing drone has a payload comparable to the initial agricultural drones at 50 kilograms, while its other performance metrics completely surpass those of the latter. Its maximum flight speed reaches 100 kilometers per hour, which is several times that of agricultural drones. The materials used for the body are lighter and more resilient, capable of withstanding a certain degree of bullet impacts while protecting various internal components to operate normally in low-temperature conditions. The high payload also means it can carry larger weapons, possessing more powerful firepower.

Su Wu has designed several derivative Combat Drones using the multi-wing drone as a weapon mounting platform, elevating the Combat Drone Swarm, which was previously only capable of supporting roles on the front lines, to a main force position on par with ordinary Spider Robots.

Secondly, there has been significant progress in the reverse engineering of electromagnetic shields. Although it is still impossible to replicate them completely, Su Wu has also developed another defensive device through analogous reasoning: the Arc Defense Array. In terms of performance, the Arc Defense Array can essentially be seen as a lower-tier substitute for the electromagnetic shield. It is powered by electricity and can create an active arc zone with a radius of 2 to 5 meters. It can automatically track and destroy all high-speed approaching objects within the active zone by detonating rockets in advance.

Due to the high manufacturing cost of the exciters in the array and the enormous amount of electricity required to maintain its operation, the Arc Defense Array is only suitable for installation on Icebound-class Land Battleships and Heavy Main Battle Spider Robots. Nevertheless, its existence is enough to provide Su Wu with a significant advantage in military confrontations with super cities.

Then, regarding the reverse engineering of the anti-gravity engines on Miniature Mech reconnaissance drones, there has also been a notable breakthrough. Su Wu has even managed to design a large device capable of slightly reducing gravity to a certain extent, which he named the Anti-Gravity Array. Its birth has made the realization of the once purely fantastical larger land vehicles, the Pioneer-class Land Destroyers, a possibility.

Of course, there are still a series of design challenges to overcome before the Pioneer-class Land Destroyers can be constructed. However, after the Anti-Gravity Array has resolved the most difficult and fundamental structural issues, everything else is merely a matter of time.

In addition to the research led by Su Wu himself, the Chen sisters, Chen Xin and Chen Yue, have also made a series of advancements in the field of biomedical research. These studies originated from Chen Yue's compassion after seeing some tragic situations of disabled individuals online. Their ultimate culmination is the biological printer, capable of printing human organs and bionic nerves at will, allowing most physically impaired individuals to regain their completeness through surgery.

Moreover, it is not just the disabled; others suffering from severe illnesses, organ failure, or even cancer can also find healing through this method. In terms of research difficulty, the biological printer is far less complex than controllable nuclear fusion. However, in terms of its significance for all humanity, it is not much less impactful than the latter.

"If this were in the peaceful era before the apocalypse," "the emergence of the biological printer would likely face fierce suppression from medical giants and the vested interests behind them." "It might not be able to be successfully birthed and promoted." "But in the current state of collapsed order after the apocalypse," "it can instead gain an unprecedented environment for free growth." "This can be considered one of the few benefits brought by the apocalypse."

Regarding the biological printer, Su Wu does not intend to exploit the lower class. The wealth of those people is limited, and with Su Wu's current highly centralized rule, he could easily devise countless ways to strip them of all their wealth with just a thought. There is no need to go to such lengths. On the contrary, if he promotes it as a low-cost or even basic welfare guarantee, Su Wu can not only transform a large number of originally subpar laborers under his rule into normal laborers but also bring hope to the outside world, where there are still estimated to be at least a million physically impaired individuals, giving them the motivation to survive until the day Su Wu comes to save them.

Outside Jianghe City, Su Wu has used Survival Points to further reinforce the original 12 communication towers, enabling them to truly have the capability to lay down a network within their signal coverage area. This action has resulted in an increase of over 30 million internet users for Su Wu. However, compared to the nearly 500 million total population covered by the network, 30 million is not a large number and is even relatively small.

The reasons for this are somewhat complex. There are issues with some shelters imposing communication controls, as well as ordinary people losing or damaging their phones after nearly half a year of the apocalypse. Following this trend, if the apocalypse continues and humanity does not go extinct, it is likely that within one or two generations, a significant portion of humanity will lose the ability to use most technological devices, regressing towards a primitive tribal state.

For Su Wu, those shelters imposing network controls provide him with a perfect excuse for military intervention. There is no need to distinguish which shelters have overly brutal rulers; he can simply find them one by one through the network backend according to the blocked addresses. After all, while the rulers of those shelters can block the internet access of ordinary residents, they themselves are unlikely to refuse the internet. They will inevitably be unable to resist their curiosity and enter the network to seek information. This entry will inevitably leave traces on the network. Combined with reconnaissance drones conducting on-site investigations, their addresses will no longer be a secret to Su Wu.

Thus, centered around the most chaotic Shanghe City, the original three merchant teams, along with an additional team that increases on average every day, began to engage in continuous and frequent battles, capturing seven to eight shelters daily on average, constantly expanding their occupied territory. The vast amounts of finished resources hidden in those shelters are then continuously transported to Jianghe City through merchant teams, Twin-Winged Helicopters, and transport drones, becoming the nourishment for Su Wu's development and expansion.

On the outskirts of Jianghe City, the howling cold wind swirled up a flurry of fine snowflakes from the hills, dancing wildly in the air. At one moment, a petite figure, dragging a poorly made sled, staggered out from the depths of the hills.

"Daddy, just hold on a little longer, we're almost there," the small figure murmured to herself in a voice so faint that only she could hear it, her tone tinged with a hint of sobbing.

Mi Xue came from a small shelter near Jianghe City. Due to the recent depletion of supplies and subsequent riots within the shelter, she and her father had no choice but to escape in a modified off-road vehicle amidst the chaos. With nowhere else to go, they ultimately decided to head to the legendary Jianghe City, as the local television station had been broadcasting about accepting refugees. They hoped that if they went there, they would find a place to stay.

However, the dangers along the way clearly exceeded their expectations. They faced low-temperature cold waves, fell into snow-covered crevices, and got lost in blizzards. By the time they reached the outskirts of Jianghe City, not only had their off-road vehicle disappeared without a trace, but her once strong father had also been severely injured while protecting Mi Xue and had remained unconscious until now.

Staggering as she dragged the sled, Mi Xue took a few steps forward when she suddenly heard a faint sound in her ear. She turned around and found that her father, who had been lying on the sled, had awakened.

"Daddy," Mi Xue hurriedly approached but dared not cry out loud. In the freezing cold of forty to fifty degrees outside, tears would freeze quickly, delivering a heavy blow to her already poor physical condition.

"Mi Xue, where is this?" Mi Ang struggled to turn his neck but could only see a desolate expanse of white hills, stark and devoid of anything that could be used for food or warmth.

"This is the edge of Jianghe City. Just a few more kilometers, and we'll reach the city," Mi Xue said urgently. She had a map, and although the surroundings had changed somewhat due to snow accumulation and earthquakes, it was still not too far off.

"A few kilometers?" Mi Ang felt bitter, knowing that Mi Xue was trying to comfort him. In their current state, not to mention whether they could reach the city for treatment after walking a few kilometers, even if they could, it was unlikely they would be able to hold on.

His gaze dropped to his thigh, which still had no sensation. It was evident that it had completely necrosed. Even if he survived, he would only become a cripple, and in the apocalypse, a cripple had no right to exist.

With a resolve to die, Mi Ang quickly made a decision. "Listen to me, Mi Xue. Put me down, take the sled and your belongings, and go on your own. You need to learn to live well on your own from now on."

Mi Ang's body was very weak. Even these few short sentences took him many attempts to barely finish.

"No," Mi Xue stubbornly shook her head, her voice choked. Having relied on her father all her life, losing this only family member would feel like the sky had fallen for her. She could not accept it no matter what.

"Be obedient." Mi Ang tried to appear stern, ready to say more when he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. He quickly lost consciousness.

"Daddy!" Mi Xue lunged forward, only to find that her father seemed to have lost his breath. The pillar of support in her heart collapsed at that moment, and she could no longer suppress the exhaustion that had accumulated over the days. After her body swayed once, she fell down alongside him in the snow.

The father and daughter lay in the snow, and it was unclear how long had passed when a pitch-black drone silently appeared nearby.

"Life signal detected. Target locked. Preliminary identity judgment: refugee. Current status: hunger, hypothermia, bodily harm, nearing death. Commencing emergency rescue. Connecting to hospital emergency department—"

A silver metallic box dropped from the drone. Upon reaching the snow, it automatically unfolded, forming a small inflatable tent that enveloped both Mi Xue and her father. The tent's interior began to heat up, and the temperature quickly rose from minus forty to fifty degrees to above zero.

Then, a miniature Spider Robot crawled out from the metallic box and approached Mi Xue. After checking her and finding that she was temporarily out of danger, it ignored her and turned to inject emergency medication into the deeply unconscious Mi Ang.

Meanwhile, far beneath the Jianghe City urban area, in the emergency department of a certain hospital, an urgent call rang out.

"Doctor Han Zhendong, please report to the logistics department immediately to collect Exoskeleton Armor for an outdoor rescue mission."

A doctor in a white coat was bandaging the wounds of an injured worker when he suddenly heard this unusual call. He looked surprised but did not dare to delay. After handing over his task to a colleague, he hurriedly followed the instructions of the Artificial Intelligence to the logistics department.

At that moment, there were several other doctors and nurses in the logistics department also collecting Exoskeleton Armor to wear. It seemed they had received the same mission as him.

"Director Wang," he greeted a familiar older doctor among them. With a mix of curiosity and nervousness, Han Zhendong donned the Exoskeleton Armor he had just received.

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