Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

On the enlarged main screen, Su Wu's youthful appearance resembled that of a university student.

He lacked the steady and authoritative demeanor typical of a seasoned leader.

Yet, behind him, the futuristic, seamless silver walls of the bright and spacious control center exuded an unmistakable air of technological sophistication.

It was a subtle yet powerful statement of strength.

In the context of an underground shelter—where every square meter was precious—a space this expansive and advanced symbolized unparalleled resources and capability.

Su Wu glanced at the video meeting participants, each occupying a small frame on the screen.

Though there were only around thirty attendees in this virtual gathering, the collective influence of these individuals determined the fate of millions.

Taking a deep breath, Su Wu steadied his thoughts and spoke with crisp precision:

"Our shelter can produce 5,000 radiation detectors per day.

"The price will be approximately 2.5 times the official rate.

"We accept payment in contribution points, rare materials, or electronic and metal scrap collected from urban ruins."

His price, though significantly higher than the government's, was far from exorbitant.

Unlike the official pricing, which was partially subsidized to support smaller shelters, Su Wu's rate reflected the true cost of private production, coupled with market dynamics of high demand and limited supply.

After delivering his statement, Su Wu stepped back, ceding the main screen to Ou Shihua.

Yet, the expressions on many participants' faces lingered on Su Wu's profile.

On the surface, Su Wu's words were a simple offer to supply radiation detectors.

But the implications behind them were staggering.

In the same way a nation's industrial capacity underpins its global power, a shelter's production capabilities are a measure of its strength in the apocalypse.

To modify production lines and achieve a daily output of 5,000 detectors at such short notice was an extraordinary feat.

Even more impressive was Su Wu's open call for electronic and metal scrap—materials that most shelters lacked the facilities to process.

This signified something monumental: Su Wu's shelter had a complete industrial ecosystem, from recycling and smelting to manufacturing and assembly.

With raw materials, his shelter could produce nearly any mechanical or electronic device.

For the others present, this revelation was nothing short of terrifying.

In the apocalyptic world, such industrial power wasn't just a symbol of prosperity—it was a potential weapon. Su Wu's shelter could theoretically manufacture armaments capable of overwhelming most of their defenses.

Respect for strength came naturally.

In this moment, Su Wu firmly established himself as a rising force in Jianghe City's new order.

"Thank you, Mr. Su, for stepping forward to address this critical shortfall," Ou Shihua said with a smile.

"On behalf of the millions of residents in Jianghe City, I extend our gratitude for your contributions."

As a government official, Ou Shihua had little reason to fear Su Wu's growing influence.

What mattered to him was alleviating pressure on the official shelters, and Su Wu's production capabilities did just that.

A daily output of 5,000 detectors, carefully allocated, could cover 80 to 90 monitoring zones—a significant relief for the city's logistical challenges.

Relieved, Ou Shihua offered an enticing guarantee:

"Rest assured, Mr. Su, we'll handle all sales arrangements for your detectors.

"If your detectors meet the standards, we'll purchase as many as you can produce.

"Furthermore, for transactions in contribution points, the government will provide immediate payment to eliminate any delays."

This assurance of instant payment through contribution points was a major boon for Su Wu.

With the looming radiation storm likely to disrupt logistics, securing early payments in contribution points allowed Su Wu to exchange them for critical resources while transportation was still feasible.

Following Su Wu's announcement, several other large shelters also pledged to contribute to detector production.

However, unlike Su Wu, their offers were limited to contribution points and rare materials—eschewing the acceptance of urban scrap.

For these pre-apocalypse industrial giants, processing waste metal was a losing proposition. Their focus was on efficiency, not cost-cutting.

With these additional commitments, the detector shortage was largely resolved.

The meeting soon transitioned into task assignments before concluding with Ou Shihua's swift departure.

As the session ended, Su Wu noticed a flood of private messages from other major shelters.

Instead of addressing them immediately, he poured himself a glass of ice-cold soda, savoring the fizzy drink as it revitalized him.

The meeting had concluded, but it marked only the beginning of an intense period of preparation.

With less than 48 hours of relative safety remaining, Su Wu needed to finalize negotiations, coordinate transactions, and arrange resource deliveries.

Beyond that window, environmental hazards would make such operations significantly more challenging.

The true scale of the impending disaster remained uncertain.

Even with the Federation Academy's data, Su Wu couldn't fully trust their predictions.

All he could do was prepare as thoroughly as possible—stockpiling resources and refining contingency plans.

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