Retreat Means Defeat: Fight to the End!

[Shelter Special Note]: Starting from Shelter Level 5, each upgrade has a certain probability of success.

When Mike saw this newly appeared message, he couldn't help but feel a sinking sensation in his heart.

What does this mean?A certain probability of success?Does that mean upgrades might fail?Damn it!The system really doesn't understand human struggles. The requirements for upgrading to a Level 6 shelter are incredibly high, and after putting so many resources in, it might still fail!

In that moment, Mike realized a key point: "This damn system is testing humanity again!"

When survivors reach a Level 5 shelter, they'll face this new, special mechanism, and they'll definitely curse. But while cursing, they'll also have to consider another critical issue: Should they keep upgrading the shelter, or focus on strengthening the weak points of the Level 5 shelter?

Looking at the material requirements for upgrades after Level 5, most people would likely choose to stop at Level 5 and work on improving the shelter's overall strength. But, of course, there will always be a handful of crazy gamblers willing to take the risk of upgrading further!

Especially since some special talents are tied to the shelter's level, with higher levels offering greater rewards. These people won't easily give up any chance to upgrade their shelter. Even if it might fail, they won't be deterred.

"And I'm one of those people," Mike muttered, narrowing his eyes. He knew that blindly cursing or complaining about the situation wouldn't help.

Mike needed to face the problem head-on: should he continue to gather resources for the Level 6 upgrade, or take a pause?

"This system might be setting a trap," he thought.

"If I blindly collect resources for the upgrade and fail two or three times, I could spiral into a resource shortage, entering a vicious cycle of failure.""But if I don't upgrade, while I can stabilize my current strength and influence, I'll also give those lagging behind a chance to catch up."

"Without a doubt, national-level achievements for the first upgrade are huge, the Level 5 shelter's first upgrade rewarded an SSS-class talent—what about Level 6? Level 7? The rewards will surely only get better!"

"I need to secure my position as the first to upgrade and maintain my level advantage, but I can't be too reckless."

Mike squinted as he calculated. "I need to find the right balance. After all, improving my foundation will also influence the probability of success for upgrading."

The probability of success here wasn't just about the upgrade itself; it referred to how many opportunities he'd have to attempt the upgrade. His shelter's foundation—territory, population, and overall strength—could directly influence how many resources Mike could access. And the more resources he had, the more chances he'd have to try again if he failed an upgrade.

Mike didn't know what others would think when they reached Level 5 shelters, but right now, he had a clear sense: the whole world seemed to be pushing him to grow stronger!

The national military had entrusted him with great responsibility, enemies were always lurking, and the people's demand for better living standards was rising in this post-apocalyptic world... all these pressures added up, and Mike realized: should he fight for more?

Mike never had any ambitions of conquest. He was originally just a geek-turned-survivor, one of the many in the world.

When the apocalypse broke out, all he cared about at first was securing his own little patch of land and surviving. But with the implementation of the commander system, his own rapid strength growth, and his worldview evolving, Mike naturally developed thoughts of helping others.

He wasn't trying to save the world; he just wanted to do what he could to make a difference. But as his influence grew, Mike realized that he was already in a situation he couldn't reverse.

The wheels of fortune were pushing Mike forward—he couldn't stop now. As his foundation grew, so did the number of places he had to take care of. Mike had to keep getting stronger. He had to fight for resources, to ensure both himself and his people wouldn't be hurt. If he hesitated, everything could collapse.

"What Xiaoci said was right. Once I step onto this path, everything after that won't be in my hands anymore," Mike muttered with a soft sigh.

The new mechanism for Level 5 shelters forced Mike to confront a question he had been avoiding: if he didn't make a decision soon, time wouldn't wait for him.

No fight, no future.

Mike had no choice.

"I..."

Mike looked up at the national map on the wall of his room, his gaze settling on the area of Jinling.

After a moment of silence, Mike sighed deeply, "...Then it starts from Jiangnan. Not just to fend off enemies, but to boldly fight for control!"

"No excuses. No hypocrisy. I'll fight because I can offer my people better protection than anyone else."

"I'm the most suited! No one else but me!"

Mike clenched his fist, suddenly feeling a surge of clarity, as if the fog had cleared. There was a sensation of enlightenment, as if everything had just clicked into place.

This feeling… it must be the moment every ruler goes through.

No one is born a leader—it's in the growth and transformation that they become the new version of themselves.

Why are men often seen as the world's leaders and conquerors? Because their maturation and transformation happen in the blink of an eye!

Just like Mike now.

Yesterday, he was still thinking about how to resist the hidden forces threatening him. Today, he was planning how to take the entire Jiangnan region and turn it into a stronghold.

"He wanted Jiangnan, didn't he?" Mike's eyes glinted as he looked at the map, a smirk playing on his lips. "Then I'll take Jiangnan for myself and trap him in the coastal region!"

"Want to enter the mainland? Dream on!"

Mike took a deep breath and quickly closed the shelter interface. He opened the survival points store interface, now available after the Level 5 upgrade. Mike still had over a million survival points left.

This million points might not be enough to upgrade to Level 6, but it was better spent now.

The old saying goes: money is earned, not saved.

Survival points were the same.

Who has the time to collect millions of points by sitting around? Spending a hundred thousand points now to become stronger will help him get the millions later!

"Let's see what new things are available now."

Mike glanced at the store. Due to his talents, Mike had never really cared for the items available in the shop. They were expensive and didn't offer much compared to the passive rewards from his abilities.

But now, Mike saw things differently. Guangling's actions had proven the shop's value. While the items were pricey, they were a stable source of basic resources, making them a worthwhile option for most people.

They couldn't match the quality of Mike's talents, but they could still help Mike grow in certain areas. And the speed at which his strength grew with these items was far faster than waiting for passive rewards. This was the key to taking action.

"Although I still have plenty of points, I shouldn't waste them on random items."

"Those million survival points should be spent wisely. According to Jinling's current strategic plan... if I don't want to make any drastic changes, the most important project for Jinling is the city-wide tech base development."

Mike continued to browse, mentally calculating. "Guangling's tech heart base is good, but it's still too small to meet my needs."

"To build a larger tech base and restore industrial manufacturing capabilities from the peaceful era... even leveraging the system's power to achieve more advanced assembly line production!"

"This is the third main power source, besides talent units and gifted individuals!"

"The power of industry has already been fully proven in human history. I don't need to blaze a new trail; I just need to replicate the success of the past."

Mike narrowed his eyes. He was done with focusing on city defense as the main tech base.

He was going for a large-scale industrial production base, covering Jinling, Xinchang, and even Danhu and Guangling regions!

City-level scale was too small!

To conquer, one must aim high!

Mike was setting his sights on regional domination, establishing the most comprehensive tech power base and unifying Jiangnan. Only then would he be able to stand above all competitors!