Chapter 3: Building a Shelter (I)

Zhao Ming stood like a wooden stake on the desolate street. The howling wind, like an enraged beast, whipped up sand and dust, battering his pudgy body so violently that he began to sway. The once bustling and technologically vibrant Xihai Bay Science and Technology City now resembled a colossal tomb, utterly lifeless. The aftermath of the virus's ravage was a horrifying spectacle. The broken windows of the villas creaked precariously, the floors had gaping holes, the stairs were fractured, and the shards of glass glinted eerily in the setting sun, as if they were the city's despairing visage.

Zhao Ming's gaze pierced through the suffocating silence and finally landed on an American-style two - story brick and wood - structured villa. This villa, like an aged elder, silently recounted its past glory. It was at least nearly a century old, and the passage of time had etched mottled marks on its red - tiled roof and wooden doors and windows. In the glow of the setting sun, it looked even more desolate and forlorn. It was precisely because one could see at a glance that the interior was empty that the villa had remained relatively intact.

Since that unexpected time - travel, Zhao Ming had secretly explored the other world several times during his off - work hours. To his surprise, there was no sign of "Coke" in this other world, at least nothing related to it that he could see so far. This discovery convinced him that this was indeed a different world, not a mere replica of his old one.

Every time he visited, he would get infected, and a high fever would rage through his body like a wildfire. Although "Coke" could temporarily relieve the symptoms, it couldn't give him any antibodies or immunity. So, he made up his mind to build a shelter of his own in this perilous other world.

"Just start doing it," Zhao Ming murmured to himself, like a solitary cry in the silent world, and then exited the other world.

"Ding." The notification sound from his phone broke the brief silence. Zhao Ming quickly opened the WEEchat group. Three minutes ago in the group, Li Yuan had posted, "Zhao Ming, where are you? You disappeared after work." "Why aren't you replying to messages?" "Is the report ready? It has to be submitted today." "Okay, I'm working on it," Zhao Ming replied in a hurry, his tone tinged with helplessness and exhaustion.

He parked his electric bike in the charging shed, plugged it in, and rushed back to the office. Sitting at his desk, while using the full-version depthseek AI network to polish the report, his mind had already flown to the other world. That old villa was about to become his new home and a fortress in his battle against the unknown virus.

The villa, though seemingly simple, was full of the imprints of time. On the first floor, the south - facing room was a bedroom, and the north - facing one was a storage room. On the second floor, the south - facing room was also a bedroom, and the north - facing one was the kitchen. It was compact yet well - organized. The attic and the balcony were covered in thick dust. The red tiles on the roof and the tarpaulin underneath were as tattered as an old man's mended autumn pants.

Zhao Ming knew that the road ahead would be tough, like climbing an endless mountain. There was no stable electricity supply, and he only had twenty thousand yuan in his pocket. His budget was far from enough, and he couldn't ask for help. He had to do everything on his own. The only thing he could rely on was his electric bike, which could only carry a maximum load of 200 kilograms. It was foreseeable that every trip to transport materials would be a race against time and the weight limit.

Nighttime was the best time for him to work. During the day, he had to endure the grueling overtime work schedule for a living. The extra two - hour round - trip time for each visit to the site was like an invisible shackle, binding him tightly.

However, Zhao Ming wasn't easily defeated. He was as calm as an overweight person who had never given up on life for decades. He carefully made a procurement list and designed a work schedule. He spent every cent wisely, as if the money in his hand was a life - saving medicine. He was eager to learn and had strong practical skills, and he was full of confidence. He planned to use discarded items to make up for the shortage of materials, not only to save money but also as a gesture of respect for that resource-scarce world.

Zhao Ming's renovation plan was like using a hammer and a screwdriver to manually build a precision instrument. It was impossible to make every step perfect; he had to make do with what he had. He aimed to seal the windows and modify the ventilation system, with every step centered around the core goal of preventing the virus. He gave priority to equipment and materials that required little or no electricity, taking into account the limitations of transportation and construction and arranging his time reasonably. He was going to be like a handicraft expert, carefully building his first shelter in the other world. He named this operation "Operation Owl".