Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

Half a second later, the large screen on the control console displayed lines of real-time data alongside a live feed from the truck's front-facing camera.

"Cabin temperature: 62°C. Exterior temperature: 55°C."

Su Wu glanced at the data and couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and lingering fear.

With temperatures this extreme, he'd likely succumb to heatstroke if he went in person. Remote operation was unquestionably the wiser choice.

Activating the driving system, the truck's engine came to life.

The medium cargo truck noiselessly rolled out of the farmhouse courtyard and onto the road. Accompanying it was a trio of drones forming a reconnaissance squad in the sky. While the truck's on-board camera offered a limited view, the drones' aerial vantage points helped chart the optimal route and avoid potential hazards in advance.

Though Su Wu wasn't physically present, both the medium cargo truck and the construction robot were valuable assets. Exercising caution was undoubtedly the best course of action.

The journey was uneventful.

The truck cruised through an eerily quiet landscape that felt like an apocalyptic wasteland.

Everywhere, there were withered plants and sun-bleached gravel reflecting the searing sunlight. It wasn't until the truck entered the city limits that Su Wu occasionally encountered a few transport vehicles, though their numbers were sparse.

By now, the official evacuation efforts were nearing completion. Most of the city's residents had already been relocated to shelters.

"Doomsday."

Watching the desolate streets on the screen, Su Wu remained silent.

The stark desolation provided a direct and chilling glimpse of the apocalypse's impact.

For the first time, Su Wu began to question whether his shelter—only ten meters underground—was truly equipped to withstand the extreme heat that would inevitably come.

"The outer layer of the shelter is made of one meter of reinforced concrete, with a two-millimeter-thick steel plate embedded inside."

"Its insulation should be better than a standard basement or underground parking garage."

"Plus, the ventilation system and central air conditioning have been enhanced with survival points. Their quality should exceed that of most official shelters."

"With proper sealing…"

"Short-term resistance to surface temperatures between 200°C and 500°C should be manageable."

This conclusion provided Su Wu with some comfort.

No matter what, his safety was more or less assured. And considering the shelter was still being expanded deeper underground, even in the event of an emergency, he could retreat further into the earth.

In terms of scalability and margin for error, his shelter was not inferior to even the top-tier official shelters.

---

Twenty minutes later, the medium cargo truck passed through the city and entered a rural road near a small village. It finally stopped in front of a two-story house.

The construction robot, seated in the driver's seat, opened the door and stepped out, holding the loaded crossbow in one hand.

"No signs of life detected."

Switching to the construction robot's perspective, Su Wu directed it to circle the house, ensuring there were no threats before approaching the front door.

The house appeared ordinary on the outside, but its front door was secured with an uncommon electronic keypad lock.

However, possibly due to the extreme heat, the lock was sluggish. Su Wu had the construction robot try several times without success.

"What a piece of junk."

Growing irritated, Su Wu considered retrieving a hammer from the truck to smash the lock open.

Before he could act, the keypad lock finally emitted a faint "click" after several seconds of delay, unlocking at last.

The robot pushed the door open.

Inside, the house was nearly empty, with only a pile of disorganized tools stacked along the walls.

"Not here. Check upstairs."

Muttering under his breath, Su Wu patiently directed the construction robot to ascend the unguarded staircase to the second floor.

Eventually, in one of the bedrooms, they found a neatly stacked box of chips wrapped in plastic film.

"This should be it. Looks well-preserved."

Finding the target, Su Wu felt a bit relieved.

His gaze swept around the room, and just as he was about to order the construction robot to carry the chips downstairs, a photo frame on the bedside table caught his attention.

The frame held a photo of a beautiful young girl leaning against a middle-aged man, her slightly shy smile directed at the camera. Her pure, luminous eyes radiated happiness and hope for the future.

"This…"

Perhaps it was the girl's stunning smile. Su Wu hesitated before instructing the robot to take the photo frame as well. Something told him the photo might hold great significance to someone.

With the chips secured, Su Wu didn't forget to load the tools and materials from the first floor onto the truck as well. These were his self-imposed "delivery fee" and wouldn't go to waste.

---

Half an hour later, the medium cargo truck returned to the farmhouse courtyard.

After unloading the goods, Su Wu placed the agreed-upon ten pounds of lettuce and other requested items onto the truck.

Fresh lettuce spoiled quickly in high temperatures.

To ensure maximum freshness, Su Wu opted for this more troublesome direct delivery method rather than loading the goods beforehand and delivering them on the return trip.

For him, the extra electricity used in this approach was trivial, and it wasn't like he was driving the truck himself.

With no additional tasks, the delivery went smoothly.

From the moment the truck was loaded, it took just fifteen minutes for the construction robot to reach the shelter where the seller was located.

---

"Thank you. I really appreciate it."

A thin, middle-aged man emerged from the shelter's entrance. He was visibly surprised that a robot was handling the transaction, but his joy and gratitude at receiving the goods outweighed his curiosity.

Before this, he hadn't been confident Su Wu would honor their agreement and had mentally prepared to be scammed.

"Transaction complete."

Su Wu took a brief look at the man and had the robot wave dismissively before climbing back into the truck and heading home.

Watching the medium cargo truck drive off, the middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurried back into the shelter, carrying the bags of lettuce and other small items.

"Someone actually delivered the goods to you?"

The shelter's exit guard, an official worker, looked at the man in surprise, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Venturing out now meant braving not only the oppressive heat but also the ever-present threat of extreme heat storms—a life-risking endeavor.

Most people lacked the courage for such risks.

"Guess I got lucky and met a good buyer."

The middle-aged man chuckled sheepishly, deliberately omitting the detail that a robot had made the delivery.

"By the way, here's a small token of appreciation for your trouble."

Reaching into the bag, the man pulled out a few heads of lettuce and offered them to the guard with a hint of flattery.

Despite only a day or two having passed since most people entered shelters, the surface's crop failures and the lack of tools for planting were already impacting everyone.

Under su

ch circumstances, fresh green vegetables had become something of a luxury.

Even for government workers, it was a sincere and meaningful gift.