Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

Su Wu commanded a construction robot to haul over a pile of scrap metal and began the upgrade process.

Soon, with 8 survival points deducted from his system, the transformation of the secondhand tractor was complete.

The upgraded tractor bore no resemblance to its former self. It had expanded in size, now resembling a medium-sized truck with a rugged metallic exterior. Its speed and payload capacity had tripled. Thanks to the armor upgrade, its tires were replaced with solid cores, and the driver's cabin became heavily reinforced, featuring bulletproof glass capable of withstanding attacks from knives, hammers, and even light firearms.

"Safety shouldn't be an issue now," Su Wu thought, feeling a newfound sense of security.

However, defense alone wasn't enough. Real security came from having the ability to counterattack.

After some thought, Su Wu returned to his bedroom, pulled up a design for a hand crossbow on his laptop, and sent it to the construction robot for immediate production.

This particular crossbow design, downloaded by Luo Tianyi from a niche website, was a rare three-shot model with an effective range of 50 meters. Under federal law, owning or distributing such blueprints was illegal, and carrying the finished product was strictly prohibited.

Under normal circumstances, Su Wu wouldn't have risked it. But with the apocalypse looming and law enforcement likely preoccupied with bigger issues, a discreetly crafted crossbow seemed like a reasonable precaution.

The next day, armed with the newly manufactured metallic crossbow and a quiver holding 30 bolts, Su Wu loaded three freshly upgraded diesel mini-excavators into the truck bed. Accompanied by a construction robot as his assistant, he climbed into the reinforced driver's cabin and set out for the steel mill, about 30 kilometers away.

The construction robot wasn't just for loading and unloading the scrap metal. Its humanoid design made it capable of carrying heavy loads and even functioning as a makeshift bodyguard if needed, providing additional security for the trip.

The electric truck, with its silent and smooth operation, drove like a dream. Su Wu quickly reached the city center.

The situation in the city was slightly better than expected.

While the news of the apocalypse had spread rapidly in the past day, leading to widespread closures of shops and a noticeable decrease in pedestrian traffic, order remained intact. Government-mobilized trucks were busily transporting supplies to official shelters, creating an atmosphere of tension but not chaos.

This relative stability was largely due to the government's timely announcement of evacuation plans and shelter allocations, which kept the populace calm enough to avoid riots.

Blending in with the convoy of supply trucks, Su Wu made his way across the city and reached the steel mill on the outskirts.

The handoff went smoothly.

After delivering the three mini-excavators, Su Wu received a key to a warehouse containing 260 tons of scrap metal and 4 tons of partially processed steel plates.

But as he inspected the materials, Su Wu realized he had encountered an unexpected logistical problem.

Although his newly upgraded truck could carry close to 10 tons, the irregular shapes of the scrap metal significantly reduced the usable capacity of the truck bed. Even when fully loaded, he could only transport about 5 tons per trip.

This meant that transporting all the materials would require 50 to 60 trips. Factoring in the time needed for loading and unloading, it seemed unlikely he could finish before the apocalypse fully unfolded.

Left with no choice, Su Wu turned his attention to the truck's Electronic Systems upgrade option.

This upgrade bundled features like autonomous driving, remote communication, and terrain radar scanning. The cost was 3 survival points.

Once upgraded, Su Wu would be able to control the truck remotely through his laptop and Luo Tianyi. The truck could then autonomously drive to the steel mill, where it would serve as a communications hub for directing the construction robot to load the scrap metal, enabling fully automated operations.

Not wanting to personally run dozens of trips, Su Wu quickly decided to proceed with the upgrade.

To minimize suspicion, he also applied a one-way film to the truck's windows, concealing the absence of a driver.

Although this approach skirted the edges of legality, with the apocalypse looming, Su Wu figured no one would bother enforcing minor regulations.

The newly autonomous truck blended seamlessly into the busy traffic of supply vehicles, making round-the-clock trips between Su Wu's farmhouse and the steel mill. Slowly but steadily, the scrap metal was transported to his base.

A Few Days Later

In the days that followed, Su Wu kept a low profile in his farmhouse. He spent his time scrolling through news updates, chatting in forums and groups, and occasionally playing games. Despite the dire context, life felt oddly relaxed.

If not for the occasional apocalyptic updates, Su Wu might have mistaken the situation for the peace of his previous life.

One notable development from the steel mill trade was that Su Wu's demonstrated capabilities earned him a new status within the doomsday prepper group: he was promoted to group administrator.

He was also invited to join a smaller, exclusive group called the Jianghe City Doomsday Survival Alliance.

This group, with only about 20 members, consisted of private and corporate shelter owners from Jianghe City and neighboring areas.

The group's purpose was to facilitate local resource exchanges and share critical intelligence among shelter operators.

Through this network, Su Wu began to access information unavailable to the general public, providing him with a clearer understanding

of the situation and an edge in navigating the unfolding apocalypse.