Chapter 7: The Cement Dilemma

That evening, after tiring of playing games, Su Wu decided to treat himself to a sumptuous meal. As he was about to shut down his laptop, his eyes caught a private message from the netizen named Chen Xin, thanking him for his earlier advice. It seemed Chen Xin had made a decision based on Su Wu's warning. A small smile crept onto Su Wu's face, lifting his spirits.

Over the following days, the excavation of the underground shelter entered an accelerated phase after Su Wu added a cement mixer and irrigation machine to the engineering team. The entrance passage, reaching 10 meters underground, was fully completed, and the first floor of the shelter had begun to take shape.

According to the plan, the shelter would be a rectangular structure measuring 30 meters in length, 20 meters in width, and 6 meters in height. The ceiling and outer walls would be reinforced with a one-meter-thick shell of concrete and steel bars. Since the floor would connect to the second level below, it was considered an interior section and required less protection, with a thickness of only 30 centimeters.

At first glance, the space might not seem enormous, but considering Su Wu had sold his 6-million-yuan coastal apartment—a mere 100 square meters with a ceiling height of less than three meters—the shelter's first floor alone was nearly six times larger in area and over ten times in volume. It was more than enough for a dozen people to live comfortably, let alone just Su Wu.

However, as the project progressed, unforeseen challenges began to surface.

"I didn't realize it until I started building," Su Wu muttered, rubbing his temples. "A standard shelter is like a gold-devouring beast. It's nothing like the self-built houses in rural areas."

On the afternoon of May 15th, Su Wu watched through his laptop as bags of cement were fed into the mixer. A headache was brewing. Even with the help of survival points, which allowed him to cut corners—using construction waste like scrap steel and broken cement blocks for the shell's core and only a thin layer of cement for reinforcement—the consumption rate of materials was far beyond his expectations. At this rate, he would run out of cement before the first floor was complete.

"Sand isn't a problem, but cement…" Su Wu sighed. "I can't buy it from regular suppliers anymore. I'll have to find another way."

As someone who had grown up on the coast, Su Wu had no connections in Jianghe City. But that didn't mean he was out of options. He opened an online second-hand marketplace and searched for keywords like "cement" and "building materials." After sifting through countless fake listings, he finally found a seller who could supply what he needed.

"300 yuan per bag of cement? No delivery?" Su Wu's eyebrows shot up. Even with some prior mental preparation, the price—15 times higher than normal—was staggering. To make matters worse, the seller was located over 400 kilometers away, meaning Su Wu would have to arrange transportation himself.

"Don't think it's expensive," the seller replied. "You should know how things are now. Cement is a nationally controlled material. Most of the inventory has been seized by the authorities, and new production is being diverted as soon as it leaves the factory. What I have is leftover stock. If you don't want it, someone else will."

The seller's tone was polite but firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Fine," Su Wu said after a moment of hesitation. "You have 1,000 bags, right? I'll take all of them. I'll arrange for someone to pick them up."

With that, Su Wu decided to clear out the remaining funds in his account. Money was becoming increasingly meaningless, and if he needed more later, he could always trade an excavator or two.

After finalizing the deal, Su Wu hired two large trucks to transport the cement. The shipping fees were higher than if he had used personal connections, but he was willing to pay for the convenience and speed.

"I just hope nothing goes wrong on the way," Su Wu muttered, feeling a twinge of anxiety. But there was nothing else he could do except wait and hope.

On May 16th, the sky turned gloomy, and a heavy downpour began without warning. The two trucks carrying the cement were inevitably delayed. Su Wu sat in his second-floor bedroom, breathing in the damp air wafting through the window. He repeatedly checked the map, calculating the trucks' remaining distance, hoping they would arrive soon.

Instead of a call from the drivers, however, Su Wu received a call from an official number.

"Your cement has been requisitioned," the voice on the other end stated.

"Is this a mandatory order?" Su Wu's heart sank. He hadn't expected his private purchase to attract official attention.

"Not mandatory," the voice replied calmly. "But we have an emergency project underway in the city, and we're short on cement. We hope you can support us."

The official's tone was polite, without a hint of arrogance or coercion.

"I'm sorry, but this cement is crucial for my shelter. I can't give it up," Su Wu replied firmly.

"We're not taking it without compensation. You'll receive contribution points once the project is completed. You won't regret it in the future," the official assured him.

"I understand, but my shelter can't proceed without this cement. I really can't compromise," Su Wu said, his voice steady.

There was a brief silence on the other end before the official responded, "Understood. I wish you the best of luck."

The call ended, and Su Wu stared at his phone, a mix of emotions swirling within him. He knew his decision might seem selfish, but he was just an ordinary person trying to survive. He couldn't change the world—he could only do his best to secure his own future.

(End of Chapter)