Chapter 5: Micro Excavator

The three upgrade options for the mini excavator made Su Wu's eyes gleam with interest. The diesel version, undoubtedly similar to the standard models on the market, was the cheapest option. For just two survival points, he could exchange it for a brand-new mini excavator worth over a million yuan—a bargain compared to the second-hand models that cost thousands. If used wisely, this could be the ladder to wealth for Su Wu. However, in the face of an impending apocalypse, the allure of becoming rich seemed almost trivial.

"No rush," Su Wu muttered to himself. "Currency is practically worthless now. It's better to focus on practical value. I can always trade it later if needed."

He pushed aside the temptation and turned his attention to the other two options: the battery version and the unmanned version. Both were more aligned with his current needs. Diesel was scarce, but with the geothermal generator now operational, electricity was abundant. The unmanned version, however, was the most appealing. It included battery power, autonomous driving, and automated construction capabilities—features that addressed Su Wu's most pressing concerns.

As the sole person working on the shelter, Su Wu couldn't hire laborers without risking exposure. The unmanned version of the excavator would solve this problem, allowing him to dig the underground shelter efficiently and discreetly.

"Upgrade to the unmanned version," Su Wu decided without hesitation. The 29 survival points he had earned the previous day gave him the confidence to splurge a little.

In an instant, the upgrade was complete. Before him stood a sleek, sci-fi-inspired mini excavator, just 1.5 meters long, with no driver's seat. Su Wu inspected it closely and discovered that his laptop could wirelessly connect to the excavator's onboard computer. Through the laptop, he could remotely issue commands and assign tasks to the machine.

"Total weight: 1.5 tons. Power consumption at full capacity: 2 kWh per hour. Battery capacity: 40 kWh, with a maximum charging time of 2 hours," Su Wu read from the system's data. "These specs are impressive—easily a generation ahead of anything on the market."

The battery capacity and charging speed were twice that of comparable models, making the excavator a significant upgrade despite its higher cost. In a stable society, reverse-engineering this battery technology could have made Su Wu a regional tycoon. But in the current climate, such ambitions were futile.

After satisfying his curiosity, Su Wu returned to the bedroom and connected his laptop to the mini excavator. He pulled up the shelter design drawings he had acquired from the second-hand trading market and transferred them to the excavator's onboard computer. After a brief data-matching process, the system confirmed a successful connection.

The mini excavator in the yard roared to life, its mechanical arms digging into the soil according to the design plan. On Su Wu's laptop screen, a detailed virtual model of the underground shelter appeared, complete with surface structures, geological data, and the excavator's real-time location. The system even displayed the project's progress and estimated completion time.

"This level of automation is incredible," Su Wu murmured, feeling almost like he was playing a simulation game. He glanced out the window, watching the mini excavator carve a downward slope into the flat ground of the yard. For a moment, he felt detached, as if the machine's efficiency had rendered his involvement unnecessary.

But there was no time to waste. Su Wu headed downstairs to the yard, where he picked up an electric hammer and began smashing a hole in the rear wall. The farmhouse was located in the suburbs, with the main entrance facing the road and the back opening onto a rocky, deserted beach. While the yard wasn't large, it wasn't small either. Traveling from the main entrance to the rocky beach required a long detour, so Su Wu planned to create a new exit near the beach for the transport trucks to dump soil and rocks.

This was one of the few tasks where he could contribute directly to the shelter's construction. However, the job proved more physically demanding than he had anticipated. After three hours of exhausting labor, Su Wu had only managed to create a gap two to three meters wide in the wall. He was drenched in sweat, his arms trembling from the effort.

"Never doing this again," Su Wu muttered, regretting his underestimation of the task's difficulty. He leaned against the wall, catching his breath, and downed a can of Coke to rehydrate. After a brief cleanup, he returned to the yard, where the engineering robot was nearly finished assembling the mini transport vehicle.

Su Wu waited patiently, and as soon as the robot completed the vehicle, he spent five survival points to upgrade it. The upgraded mini transporter resembled an oversized toy, less than two meters long, with no cockpit—just a tracked chassis and a truck bed capable of carrying two to three cubic meters of soil and rocks.

[Maximum speed: 20 km/h]

[Load capacity: 5 tons]

[Battery capacity: 40 kWh]

[Maximum operation time: 40 hours]

As a transport vehicle, its speed was laughably slow, hovering between a tool and a large toy. But Su Wu was satisfied. He had specifically designed it with a tracked chassis for stability, not speed. As long as it could navigate muddy and rocky terrain to transport soil and rocks over short distances, it would serve its purpose.

The load capacity, however, was impressive. Thanks to the sturdy chassis and powerful engine, the transporter could handle up to 5 tons of weight without issue. Even when fully loaded with rocks, it operated smoothly.

Without hesitation, Su Wu integrated the newly upgraded transporter into the construction team. Soon, the sound of rotating metal bearings filled the air as the transporter began its slow journey to the construction site. Working in tandem with the mini excavator, it transported the growing piles of soil and rocks from the yard to the rocky beach outside.

(End of Chapter)