Chapter 21: Information Island and Master Songs

Beyond the network outages, numerous chemical plants, unable to complete their transfers, experienced leaks and explosions, further degrading the surface environment. Detailed information became impossible to obtain online.

Su Wu checked the chat group, finding even the shelter owners' group silent. He sighed and closed the chat, returning to the camera feed from his farm's roof.

The light outside was even dimmer than before, with a fine, ash-like dust falling from the sky – condensed smoke from the fires. The only positive was the absence of flames on the distant mountains, perhaps extinguished by the ash or obscured by the dust storm.

"Just wait it out," Su Wu decided. In the current environment, he was powerless. Drones were grounded, and the truck's camera offered limited information. If the city fires were still raging, they might stumble into danger before realizing it.

While Su Wu waited, the engineering team continued excavating the third underground floor. They worked tirelessly, shattering, excavating, and transporting rock, expanding the shelter's space. The heat, toxic gases, and falling ash couldn't hinder them.

Evening arrived, and the ash fall finally subsided. The temperature dropped slightly, stabilizing around 58 degrees. Su Wu launched the drone formation towards the city.

A devastated cityscape appeared on the drone's cameras. Only skeletal building frames remained, burned and twisted. Doors, windows, and furniture were unrecognizable, reduced to ashes. The flowerbeds were shattered, and the cars were empty shells. Some were burned to skeletons, others crushed by falling signs.

Fortunately, some shelter exits remained, along with intact ambulances and fire trucks. Signs of human activity were visible. The city-wide fire hadn't eradicated everyone hiding underground.

Su Wu silently surveyed the city before recalling the drones.

The next day, the intermittent network connection failed completely, isolating Su Wu's shelter. This wasn't due to worsening conditions, but because the signal towers' backup power had run out.

However, broadcasts still functioned. Su Wu tuned into a nearby official transmission, which provided more information than the previous day.

The official shelters in Jianghe City had suffered minimal damage in the fire, with almost no casualties and only minor material losses. Conversely, private shelters, lacking proper construction and emergency equipment, had experienced high mortality rates. Several private shelters in the worst-affected areas had been completely destroyed by fire.

Additionally, the surface power plant had been damaged, and without repair equipment, public electricity in Jianghe City was suspended. The city's shelters would have to rely on self-generated power for the foreseeable future.

"No water, no electricity, no network," Su Wu noted. "Many people are going to have a rough time." He felt pity for the smaller shelters around Jianghe City, as not all were as self-sufficient as his. Without public utilities, even simple tasks like lighting a bulb or getting water would be a challenge.

However, these issues were beyond Su Wu's control. He was just an ordinary person, and worrying about others' fates wasn't his priority.

After the broadcast, Su Wu, with nothing else to do, went to the entertainment room. He turned on the TV, playing a nature documentary, and started exercising on the treadmill. In the end times, a healthy body was paramount. Su Wu tried to exercise daily.

After an hour, having run eight kilometers, Su Wu stepped off the treadmill, drenched in sweat. He showered, then settled on the sofa with a plate of fruit and a cold cola, playing video games. The immersive world of the games made time fly.

The day passed quickly.

The next day, Su Wu spent his time reading downloaded novels and watching short videos. The AI had downloaded a vast library of content before the internet went down, enough to last for years. The only regret was that unfinished works might never be completed.

Day three. While listening to music, Su Wu discovered that a particularly good cover song was by a netizen named Chen Xin. He was impressed and wanted to hear more, but the network outage made it impossible.

That night, the system provided its settlement.

[Current Territory: Livable Personal Sanctuary (0%), fixed daily survival point +3.]

[Listening to the master song "Fairy Tale on the Pillow," spiritual healing, survival point +2.]

[Current remaining survival points: 67.]

"A reward for listening to music?" Su Wu exclaimed, surprised. He had assumed that the three daily survival points were fixed.

"Living, song, spiritual healing—" he muttered, focusing on the keywords. "Is it because songs increase the livability of the shelter?" He wondered.

(End of Chapter)