Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

As Duan Lei continued his rant, he felt more convinced of his own speculation.

At that moment, a streak of white lightning cut through the dark clouds, briefly illuminating the pitch-black world.

A deafening clap of thunder followed, drowning out the voices of Duan Lei and Yang Ming.

Duan Lei looked up, using the brief flash of light to take in the distant world shrouded in darkness.

It was a vast, desolate city ruin. Apart from the pale rubble and crumbling structures, there were no signs of human life—an empty, eerie silence prevailed.

For a fleeting moment, Duan Lei was gripped by a sense of awe and dread, a primal fear of the unknown.

A thought crossed his mind: If I were dropped alone into this wasteland, with no other humans in sight, how despairing would that feel?

The mere idea sent chills down his spine. He quickly turned away, his gaze falling on the steady, bright lights under the rain shelter and the workers drinking hot water nearby.

The familiar sight calmed his nerves. Behind him lay a vast, city-like shelter that could shield him from the chaos outside.

No matter how flawed the shelter might be, it was still a haven amidst the storm.

---

Meanwhile, deep within the ruins of the city, truck driver Hu Xuan carefully maneuvered his modified vehicle through a large puddle. His offline map indicated he was 12 kilometers away from his destination.

Hu Xuan exhaled deeply, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The truck's headlights illuminated the rain-soaked, desolate buildings around him.

For a moment, a doubt crept into his mind: What if there's nothing at the destination—just another empty wasteland?

It wasn't an unfounded fear.

As a first-time driver venturing into the post-apocalyptic surface, Hu Xuan had seen no other humans since leaving his small shelter.

The once-familiar sights of towering skyscrapers and bustling shops had been replaced by shattered ruins, all soaked in icy rain.

The alien landscape unnerved him.

"How could everything change so drastically in just two months?"

Just as Hu Xuan was beginning to wonder if he might be the last person alive in the world, a cluster of lights emerged through the rain ahead.

Hu Xuan's eyes widened in surprise. A long convoy of vehicles was approaching.

The vehicles were unusual—no cabs and mounted on tracks instead of wheels.

The lead vehicle let out a loud honk, snapping Hu Xuan out of his daze. Realizing he was blocking the road, he quickly steered his truck onto a nearby patch of relatively flat ground.

As the convoy resumed its journey, Hu Xuan sat in his cab, curiously observing the strange vehicles through the side window.

The convoy was massive, each vehicle seemingly loaded to capacity. Hu Xuan estimated that they were collectively carrying hundreds of tons of cargo.

After encountering the convoy, Hu Xuan's luck seemed to improve.

Along the way, he passed a few more scattered vehicles, reassuring him that people were still active on the surface.

By the time he neared his destination, he even saw construction vehicles clearing debris and widening the roads.

The sight made him feel as if he were witnessing a post-disaster reconstruction effort.

"Maybe the surface world isn't so terrifying after all," Hu Xuan thought. His earlier anxiety had completely dissipated.

---

August 20th, Morning

The rain showed no signs of letting up.

When Su Wu woke up with Chen Yue still nestled in his arms, he quietly got up, had breakfast, and returned to the control center.

The control console's logs were flooded with reports waiting for his review.

Overnight, significant progress had been made across all his shelters.

The fastest advancement was seen at the Jingyuan Shelter's exit platform.

Thanks to the collective efforts of 70,000–80,000 workers, the platform had taken shape within a single night, with only the roof left to be completed.

However, the damp and chilly conditions on the surface meant that the concrete used in construction would take an additional two to three days to fully cure.

"Two to three days shouldn't be a problem," Su Wu thought.

"Jianghe City is situated on an inland highland. Flooding won't happen so quickly here."

Satisfied with Jingyuan Shelter's progress, Su Wu turned his attention to the others.

The Zhou Xiwu Shelter and the Li Rong Shelter were lagging slightly behind. With fewer workers available, their projects wouldn't be completed until later in the afternoon.

The worst off was Qingning Shelter.

Its structure had already been severely compromised during the previous earthquake, and repairs were far from finished.

Not only was it incapable of reinforcing its entrance, but the entire shelter was riddled with vulnerabilities, much like a leaky ship.

If floodwaters reached it, the shelter would likely collapse.

"Even if it's a medium-sized shelter, it's too valuable to abandon," Su Wu muttered.

Though he briefly considered giving up on Qingning Shelter, he ultimately decided to try and salvage it.

The shelter's population of just over 3,000 wouldn't be able to rebuild it on their own. The best solution was to send reinforcements from Jingyuan Shelter.

"Five thousand additional workers should be enough to stabilize the situation," Su Wu calculated.

"The streets aren't too flooded yet. Those buses and SUVs sitting idle in the garage should still be functional."

After studying the latest maps drawn by his transport convoys, Su Wu made his decision.

Within minutes of his command, 5,000 workers from Jingyuan Shelter, along with nearly as many logistics personnel, were mobilized.

The workers lined up to receive raincoats, tools, and emergency medical kits before boarding hastily inspected buses and SUVs.

The convoy then ventured into the stormy darkness, heading toward the distant Qingning Shelter, 20 kilometers away on the far side of the ruined city.

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