Owen Shelter
The same process was repeated, and time gradually faded into the night.
The thick darkness slowly swallowed everything.
When the two special transport vehicles from the cleanup team turned a corner and disappeared behind a skyscraper, the open ground, now covered in fertilizer, fell into silence as if abandoned by the world.
Only a gun-wielding construction robot remained, standing guard.
At that moment—
A drone silently flew over from high above, using its infrared camera to capture everything on the ground.
Owen Shelter, Ground Control Room
"Director Sun, the people from Huangshi Village Shelter have dumped all the supplies they obtained from the government onto the surface."
"The preliminary estimate is at least two to three hundred tons."
An employee, monitoring the drone feed, reported to his supervisor.
Because of the competition for rankings in the cleanup task, the entire control room had been keeping a close eye on the Huangshi Village Shelter. It was easy to recognize their truck.
"It's them again."
Sun Yaoyang walked over and looked at the monitor.
The infrared images showed a massive pile of woven bags scattered across a cleared section of the street. However, due to the camera's limitations, the exact contents were unclear.
"They only left a single robot on guard."
"Should we take it?"
A deputy director standing beside Sun Yaoyang asked.
"A robot?"
Sun Yaoyang was intrigued but didn't answer immediately. He narrowed his eyes, carefully studying the image. That so-called robot appeared to be holding a gun.
His expression grew more serious.
Robots signified high-tech equipment. Guns meant they were violating federal weapons control regulations. The combination of the two indicated that this wasn't a mere civilian organization but a well-armed, highly disciplined faction.
"First, check with the official shelter. Find out exactly what they're transporting."
With caution in mind, Sun Yaoyang decided to gather more information before making a move.
The task wasn't difficult.
In the confined space of the official shelter, the transfer of hundreds of tons of materials couldn't be completely concealed. A simple inquiry with a warehouse worker would reveal most of the details.
As expected, just a few minutes later, Sun Yaoyang received a detailed report.
To avoid government confiscation, the Huangshi Village Shelter was urgently moving hundreds of tons of steel and fertilizer from the official warehouse.
More importantly, they weren't using human labor. Nearly ten robots—agile and highly coordinated—were handling the transport.
"Steel and fertilizer..."
Sun Yaoyang felt a tinge of disappointment. These supplies weren't valuable enough to justify a conflict. Even if Huangshi Village Shelter ended up claiming first place in the cleanup task and taking the 20,000 contribution points, it still wasn't worth the risk.
Ten armed robots posed a significant threat, even if their combat capabilities were underestimated. Picking a fight recklessly would only lead to trouble.
"For now, just keep watching."
"The chairman wants us to stay low-key and avoid unnecessary conflict."
Sun Yaoyang concluded the matter.
As a mid-level manager, he had heard some rumors—something unusual was happening behind the scenes. The shelter leadership was conducting special research, and they didn't want to attract official attention.
If he stirred up unnecessary trouble, it could cost him his position.
Beneath the Ruins of the Farmyard
Su Wu sat in the control center on the second underground level of his shelter, unaware that a potential threat had just been averted.
His mood, however, was quite good.
The transportation process was progressing smoothly. At the current rate, it would take only two to three more hours to clear out the remaining supplies from the official warehouse.
By then—
The freed-up construction robots could team up with the K2-series agricultural drones, forming a fully armed defensive force to guard the materials on the surface until the large trucks could slowly transport them back.
"Time is on my side."
"As long as I don't directly clash with the official shelter..."
"The further this goes, the less likely accidents will occur."
He shifted his gaze to the cleanup task's progress.
At this point, his contribution score had surpassed Owen Shelter's, firmly securing first place. The 20,000 contribution points were practically in his hands.
"The cleanup task is almost over."
"Might as well stay up all night."
"Just in case something unexpected happens at the last minute."
Su Wu decided to hold on a little longer.
After all, ten construction robots were still operating outside. If anything went wrong, the potential loss would be unacceptable.
That being said—
Even though he planned to stay up all night, there wasn't much for him to do personally. Route planning, disaster monitoring, and other management tasks didn't require much of his time or energy.
For the most part, he was left with nothing to do.
To stay awake, Su Wu opened the official chat channel, hoping to find someone to talk to—or maybe even a trade opportunity.
Official Chat Channel
"So boring."
"I just finished playing Homeland and now I have nothing to do."
The username Heavy Knight complained in the chat.
This guy had suffered major losses in a storm—several buildings in his shelter had collapsed, even blocking his exit. Yet, he still had the energy to play games. His mental resilience was truly impressive.
"Just play something else."
"It's not that hard."
Master Zhuang happened to be online and chimed in.
As a once-wealthy playboy now trapped in his shelter, Master Zhuang found his new reality unbearable.
But what frustrated him most was the lack of fresh food.
His daily meals consisted only of frozen and canned goods—no vegetables, no fruit. The monotony was driving him insane.
"That won't work."
"The number of games is limited."
"If I don't pace myself, I won't have anything to play in the future."
Heavy Knight sighed.
In the apocalypse, even entertainment had to be rationed carefully.
After all, no one was making new games anymore.
(As if 🙄)