Chapter 3: Lighting Up Half the Town
"With enough materials and robotic helpers, it's like entering the fast lane. The shelter will definitely be built smoothly. Even if something unexpected happens, it's no longer my problem."
Finally free from the chaos and anxiety, Su Wu found himself with time to think about the future. He didn't know much about the specifics of the impending apocalypse. From the Apocalypse Survival System, he only vaguely understood that it was related to extreme climate events—scorching heat, freezing cold, viral outbreaks, radiation, earthquakes, or floods. Whatever the disaster, it would lead to the extinction of surface life worldwide. The consequence of underestimating it would be annihilation under nature's wrath.
As for the timing, Su Wu only knew it would happen within six months. Whether it was six months, one month, or even a week or two away, he couldn't say. This uncertainty had once weighed heavily on him. Now, with the engineering robot handling the labor, he no longer had to worry about collapsing from stress before the apocalypse even arrived.
"The government must already know something about the apocalypse," Su Wu mused. "Maybe they know more than I do. Otherwise, why would they impose such strict material controls? Even buying sugar or rice requires a signed guarantee."
He recalled his failed attempt to stockpile supplies online, forcing him to purchase daily necessities from supermarkets and grocery stores. To his surprise, buying just 40 kilograms of sugar and ten bags of rice had drawn the attention of the local security administrator. The memory made his face darken. This wasn't a life ordinary people could sustain. Even with advance warning, stocking up on supplies or building a shelter was nearly impossible for the average person.
"At least the rice isn't an issue," Su Wu thought. "Ten bags, 500 kilograms, will last a long time. Once the shelter is built with soilless farming, food won't be a problem. Sugar, though, is trickier. It's incredibly valuable in the apocalypse. I'll need to find a way to get more."
He considered hiring people to buy sugar in small quantities, as individual purchases didn't raise alarms. High-sugar items like candy could also be stockpiled without drawing attention. Beyond sugar, salt, vitamin tablets, medicine, tobacco, alcohol, and seasonings would also be valuable commodities in the future. While these items weren't as tightly regulated, their prices were high, and his limited funds restricted how much he could buy. Still, he had enough to meet his own needs and conduct minimal trade.
Thinking about his shelter, Su Wu couldn't help but sigh. "The government is hoarding so many resources. I hope their shelters are well-prepared. Otherwise, countless people will die when the time comes."
He wasn't a particularly compassionate person, but the thought of being the last man on Earth didn't sit well with him. Humans are social creatures, after all. Emotional sustenance is just as important as physical survival.
As night fell, the quiet suburban farmhouse remained peaceful, save for the hum of the engineering robot's construction. Late into the night, a series of notifications appeared on Su Wu's system panel:
[Daily Survival Point Settlement]
[Survived one day: +1 survival point]
[Successfully manufactured a general light engineering robot: +2 survival points]
[Obtained the first fully automated tool, transitioning from manual labor to mechanical processing: +75 survival points]
[Current survival points: 78]
"Seventy-five points? That much?" Su Wu's eyes widened in disbelief. While he had anticipated a bonus for building the engineering robot, he hadn't expected such a massive reward. Previously, he had only earned a single survival point per day. This windfall was a game-changer.
"It seems I underestimated the importance of the engineering robot," he muttered, feeling a surge of gratitude for prioritizing its construction. With this unexpected bounty, the shelter's progress would accelerate significantly. A bright future was within reach.
The next day at noon, after more than 20 hours of work, the engineering robot completed a small drilling machine and a geothermal generator. Su Wu inspected them and found they matched the design blueprints almost perfectly, looking as though they had rolled off an assembly line.
[Incomplete Drilling Machine]
[Fitness: 85%]
[Evaluation: Lacking core components, this drilling machine cannot operate normally.]
[Upgrade options: 1 km level (3 survival points), 5 km level (20 survival points), 10 km level (60 survival points)]
[Unfinished Geothermal Generator]
[Fitness: 75%]
[Evaluation: A semi-finished generator missing critical components; functionally similar to a model.]
[Upgrade options: 300 kW/hour small geothermal generator (13 survival points)]
Neither piece of equipment was fully functional, but this was by design. While the engineering robot could theoretically create most parts, the time required for precision components was prohibitive. Pursuing perfection would have delayed the project by weeks, potentially leaving Su Wu unprepared for the apocalypse. By creating semi-finished products and using survival points to fill the gaps, he saved both time and resources—a cost-effective strategy.
After some deliberation, Su Wu gritted his teeth and chose to upgrade the drilling machine to the 10 km level. It wasn't an extravagant choice but a necessary one. Jianghe City, located in central China, lacked natural geothermal resources like volcanoes or hot springs. To power the geothermal generator, the drilling machine would need to reach extreme depths—a task far beyond the capabilities of ordinary equipment.
"Let's hope this is enough," Su Wu muttered, wincing as the survival points drained away. But he knew this step was unavoidable. Electricity was the foundation of survival. Without it, everything else would crumble.
The upgraded 10 km drilling machine was a behemoth, the size of a bus in its compact form and half a football field when fully expanded. Fortunately, it was highly automated, equipped with rollers and its own power source. Su Wu managed to activate it without much trouble, though his lack of experience made the operation clumsy and time-consuming.
By the following evening, after more than 20 hours of work (including breaks), the machine had drilled to a depth of over 9,000 meters. The data from the probe confirmed that this depth was sufficient for the geothermal generator to operate effectively. Satisfied, Su Wu stopped drilling and turned his attention to installing the generator.
After spending 13 survival points to upgrade the geothermal generator, its performance surpassed the design specifications, rivaling the best in the world. The installation process was straightforward, thanks to its user-friendly interface. Two hours later, the generator's green indicator lights flickered to life, signaling its successful operation.
"Perfect," Su Wu said, watching the real-time power output on the generator's display. "It's generating 300 kWh per hour. For the foreseeable future, electricity won't be a concern."
Three hundred kilowatt-hours per hour was no small feat—equivalent to the output of a small hydropower plant costing 20 million yuan. It was enough to power 10,000 household lights simultaneously, lighting up half a town at night. With this, Su Wu felt as though he had secured an infinite future.
(End of Chapter)