Grand Technological Blueprint: The Perfect Mechanism for Jinling!

Mike meticulously selected items in the Survival Points Shop, constantly purchasing a large number of tech-related projects. After upgrading to a Level 5 shelter, the shop unlocked a slew of technology-based purchasing options, which could only be accessed by tech-oriented shelters. This meant that only other Level 5 tech shelters with plenty of Survival Points and gifted individuals could potentially catch up to Mike's lead in this area.

But Mike wasn't just buying items from the shop. He was also checking out the new research projects that had appeared in the shelter's research rooms. It's worth noting that whenever Mike upgraded his shelter, he also upgraded crucial rooms like the research facilities. The difficulty of upgrading these rooms was minimal, requiring only sufficient Survival Points, something Mike had no shortage of.

After reaching Level 5, Mike was surprised by a new feature in the research room: "You can now purchase complete research materials for projects at a lower point cost without directly acquiring the full technology capabilities!"

Under normal circumstances, purchasing a technology from the research room was expensive, but it would immediately be available for full use without the need for additional research. The new feature, though seemingly insignificant, was actually perfectly suited to Mike's situation. By buying research data at a fraction of the cost and assigning researchers to study the information, Mike could save valuable Survival Points and invest them in even more tech projects.

The key to research, as anyone knew, was time and talent. It wasn't something one or two specialists could handle—it required large teams working in sync, learning and innovating together. Luckily, Mike had an abundance of talent. He may not have had many top-tier scientists, but his ranks were brimming with A-level research specialists.

Led by Li Ya, Chen Qiuren, and Zhao Siqi, his research team had grown to an elite 500-person squad spanning a range of advanced fields. Beyond that, an additional 2800 gifted individuals, experts from various peaceful-era disciplines, were contributing their expertise. Together, the Jinling Research Institute had developed capabilities rivaling those of pre-apocalypse research teams.

Upon seeing the new feature, Mike couldn't help but smile. "This is the perfect mechanism for Jinling!" he thought. "Finally, something that fits my needs!"

Excited, he dove into the research project catalog and immediately began making purchases for his grand plan to build a technological powerhouse. Quantum Computing, AI and Machine Learning, Holography, Intelligent Robotics, Military Mechanized Applications, High-Speed Drones, Laser Weapons, Bio-Tech, Nanomaterials—the list went on. Mike blew through the remainder of his Survival Points in one go.

By the end of it, Mike had purchased 255 new tech projects—all of them low-cost research data sets that required his talented personnel to delve into over time. Take the "Application and Militarization of Intelligent Machinery" project, for instance. If Mike bought the finished product, it would cost him 200,000 points, but if he opted for just the research data, it would only set him back 5,000 points.

The price difference was staggering, akin to buying raw materials instead of finished products. Even though Mike could afford the finished goods, they wouldn't be immediately useful. Manufacturing large-scale industrial products required steel, materials, machines—an entire industrial platform. Building that platform would take time, as would learning and mastering the technology. With the new system, Mike was investing in the long-term.

Mike felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. "I was right! Upgrading to a Level 5 shelter has allowed me to massively boost my strength!"

After making the purchases, all the data and materials were immediately sent to the research teams. Before Mike could savor his victory, his special communications frequency buzzed.

It was from Li Ya.

"Hello?" Mike answered, a smile on his face.

"Commander! What have you done?! Where did all these new research materials come from?" Li Ya's voice was almost a shriek. "My god, there's so much! The research area is almost overflowing!"

Mike chuckled, hearing the excitement in her voice. "I figured we'd need a lot of tech for the science park, so I bought a few relevant projects for you all to work on."

"You mean 'a few'?!" Li Ya squealed. "I love you, Commander!"

Li Ya, a research enthusiast at heart, was thrilled. She had been overseeing the Jinling Research Institute, but recent months had been somewhat quiet. The institute hadn't been able to make a major impact on projects like dealing with the flesh-eating fungi or the poisonous fog. Fortunately, the public was understanding, but Li Ya had been frustrated by the lack of tangible results.

Now, with over 200 new high-tech projects from Mike, she was overjoyed. Many were cutting-edge technologies from the peaceful era, with a few even looking ahead to the future. If they could master these technologies, the Jinling Research Institute would soon be capable of producing the most advanced tech in the world.

"I'm glad you like it," Mike replied, before adding, "Li Ya, how long do you think it will take to go through all these projects? And can you prioritize some to kick-start the science park?"

Li Ya was confident. "We can't absorb all of it immediately, but for the science park, we can definitely process the first batch within ten days."

"Ten days?!" Mike raised an eyebrow, impressed.

Li Ya was serious. "We'll work overtime if we have to. We can handle it, Commander!"

"Good. Don't overstrain yourself, though," Mike warned. "The science park is just getting started. We don't need everything done in ten days. Just focus on the basics for now."

After some further instructions, Mike ended the call.

"That's done," he murmured to himself, a satisfied look on his face. "The main work is finished now. The rest can wait."

He checked his plans one more time. "The foundation's been laid. Let's wait and see how it all plays out. These seeds should give me a huge advantage when the time comes."

Mike then snapped his fingers, remembering something. "Right, how's the situation in Guangling? Jiāng Xiàocí should have already led the rescue, right?"

He quickly connected with Chen Dāfēng's viewpoint, knowing no one could move faster than him. As soon as he made the connection, though, Mike was stunned by what he saw.