After gathering his thoughts, Lin Shi proceeded with the original plan to upgrade his space. As soon as he opened his palm, the interface of the Treasure Basin began to transform. In a blink, the dimensions of the space in his consciousness doubled, and its volume increased by eight times!
Treasure BasinFunction: Storage Space 12*12*12
Upgrade Cost: 4000 Wealth Points
Function: Item Duplication *1
Upgrade Cost: 10000 Wealth Points
The cost for the next level had doubled. Without hesitation, Lin Shi picked up four gold bars and continued upgrading the space. Then eight, then sixteen. After using thirty 1000g gold bars, and after four consecutive upgrades, the storage space had become:
Treasure BasinStorage Space: 96*96*96
Upgrade Cost: 32000 Wealth Points
Function: Item Duplication* 1
Upgrade Cost: 10000 Wealth Points
The area of the space had expanded to over 9,000 square meters, with a volume close to 900,000 cubic meters—equivalent to the size of a museum. In terms of standard shipping containers, it was like stacking together more than 29,000 containers. This vast space was now sufficient for his needs.
With ninety 1kg gold bars and three 500g gold bars left, Lin Shi took ten of them, his heart filled with anticipation. "Upgrade item duplication," he said, and the gold bars vanished from his hand. The numbers on the interface rapidly changed until they stabilized.
Treasure Basin Storage Space: 96*96*96
Upgrade Cost: 32000 Wealth Points
Function: Item Duplication *4
Upgrade Cost: 20000 Wealth Points
It really did increase, and not just once, but three additional times! This meant that with further upgrades, he could obtain even more duplications. Lin Shi's eyes sparkled. If he could repeat this process of buying gold from the bank, wouldn't he be able to infinitely upgrade the Treasure Basin? But he quickly calmed down. Buying and selling gold bars at the bank might go unnoticed once, but doing it again would surely attract suspicion. Moreover, duplicated gold bars couldn't be used for upgrades and were difficult to sell. Every citizen's account in Xia Country was under government surveillance, and any large unexplained inflow of funds would quickly trigger an investigation. Besides the initial 25 million, any additional money couldn't see the light of day, let alone be spent. Upgrading the Treasure Basin was to prepare for the coming extreme cold apocalypse. Wasting precious time accumulating supplies for the sake of upgrades would completely contradict his original intention. And the best time to collect gold would be right after the apocalypse!
Within a month of the apocalypse, most of the world's flora and fauna would die off, drastically reducing the human food supply. At that time, a few loaves of bread could be traded for a kilogram of gold. No one would care about jewelry or precious metals when basic survival was at stake. Understanding this, Lin Shi placed his hand on the remaining gold bars and continued to upgrade the item duplication function. As the gold bars disappeared, the numbers on the Treasure Basin's interface kept changing, until finally, it showed:
Treasure Basin Storage Space: 96*96*96
Upgrade Cost: 32000 Wealth Points
Function: Item Duplication *22
Upgrade Cost: 58500 Wealth Points
Lin Shi was elated, a smile spreading across his face. Each upgrade granted twice the number of duplications as the previous one, plus the remaining one. That equaled 1+3+6+12, totaling 22 duplications! According to the current pattern, the next upgrade would grant him 24 duplications! But that was for after the apocalypse. For now, the most important thing was to stockpile supplies. With 320,000 yuan left, he needed to sell the replicated gold bars to recoup some of his investment. Considering the gold bars had just arrived, Lin Shi decided to wait two days before selling them back to the bank, which seemed safer. Meanwhile, he needed to dispose of another batch of gold bars that couldn't be accounted for. Lin Shi first found someone online, a typical internet addict living in Hai City. He offered 20,000 yuan to lure the person into purchasing a small gold melting machine from a manufacturer in the outskirts of Hai City. Next, he enlisted two other individuals to buy crucibles and molds from different factories. He instructed them to leave the items in remote locations with minimal surveillance, and then he, disguised, went to retrieve them. He knew the authorities were still watching him, but what could they do? Even if they discovered he had purchased these items, there was no evidence linking him to the robbers. Besides, the case involving Chu Xiaodie should have been exposed by now. He believed the authorities would follow this lead to uncover the origins and motives of the robbers. After retrieving the items and bringing them back to the warehouse, Lin Shi began to work. Melt, pour, mold. By 3 AM, all sixty 1kg gold bars had been transformed into 180 smaller and larger bars. Lin Shi had already planned what to do with these gold bars. There was a pawnshop in the eastern suburbs of Hai City. On the surface, it was a pawnshop, but it was actually a hub for trading various contraband. They accepted anything and sold everything. Lin Shi knew this because the shop survived even after the apocalypse. It was rumored that someone had once exchanged several hundred pounds of rice for a Type 54 pistol. Lin Shi decided to take five kilograms of gold to have a test tomorrow. If the rumors were true, he could also exchange the gold for cash. Storing the gold bars and tools in the space, Lin Shi ended his day and fell into a deep sleep.
...
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh." With rhythmic breathing, Lin Shi slowly stretched his body, then suddenly struck out with a powerful palm, retracting it gently. His movements were sometimes still as a maiden, other times swift as a hare. His actions flowed like clouds and water, similar to Tai Chi, yet distinctly different. This exercise method, known as "Resonance," was designed by scientists of the former Xia Country to help humans survive in extreme cold. It required a certain level of physical fitness to begin. After a few days of basic training, Lin Shi felt a significant improvement in his flexibility, strength, and endurance. He started practicing the "Resonance" technique. Scientists in the past speculated that after geomagnetic storms, a mysterious substance appeared in the air. When absorbed by living organisms, it greatly improved their physical condition. Evidence suggested that plants and animals that survived the first three years of the apocalypse underwent mutations, containing this mysterious substance. Surviving animals grew larger, and some plants thrived in sub-zero temperatures. However, the effect on humans was minimal, except for enhancing their resistance to extreme cold. Thus, in the sixth year of the apocalypse, scientists and martial artists collaborated to develop this exercise method, which was popularized among survivors in the seventh year. The exercises accelerated the absorption of the substance. After practicing for over a year, Lin Shi could stay outdoors for hours in extreme cold without a down jacket. He heard that some people in the military could even unlock genetic potential, though he wasn't sure if it was true. Completing the set, Lin Shi felt a warm sensation. He took a shower, enjoyed a hearty breakfast, and drove towards the eastern suburbs.