A cold droplet of rain landed on Su Wu's face.
He looked up, frowning. At some point, the sky had darkened without him noticing.
It seemed he had overlooked something.
"We need to build a rain shelter for the generator first," he muttered.
"And we also need to raise the base where the cement bags are stored to improve drainage."
The geothermal generator had a degree of waterproofing. But in a heavy downpour, its chances of failure would increase significantly.
As for the cement, keeping it dry was even more critical.
Engineering in the Storm
Fortunately, this wasn't a difficult task.
With a simple command—
The engineering robot immediately got to work. It began selecting materials from the scrap metal pile, its sharp cutting tools and laser transmitter effortlessly melting and reshaping iron and steel.
Bit by bit, the prototype of the rain shelter took shape.
Late at night—
The storm finally arrived.
Su Wu watched from the second-floor bedroom window as rain poured down in sheets, drenching the yard.
Beneath the temporary canopy, the geothermal generator hummed steadily. The dark green indicator lights, signaling ample electricity, were a comforting sight in the stormy night.
Next to it, the engineering robot continued working tirelessly, just as planned.
It was assembling a micro excavator and a micro transporter—the first steps in forming a basic construction team.
Once completed, they would begin excavating an underground space large enough for a small shelter.
"The progress is even faster than expected," Su Wu noted.
"When it's finished, if the survival points required for upgrading aren't too high, I might even consider selling a few."
His gaze fell on the half-finished crawler and chassis in the robot's hands.
His mind began calculating materials, production time…
And potential profit.
Opportunity in Crisis
It wasn't greed driving him.
It was simply that the profit margin was insane.
A micro excavator, under normal circumstances, would cost 30,000 yuan.
But when Su Wu first arrived in this world and tried to buy one—
The price had skyrocketed fiftyfold, reaching two million yuan.
And even at that price, there was zero supply.
The demand was far greater than the supply.
If he could sell just two units, he could multiply his material reserves.
He would become a powerhouse in the apocalypse.
Of course, for now, selling was just an idea.
The end could arrive at any moment.
His shelter came first.
Trade could only be considered after securing his foundation.
For now, he simply observed the engineering robot's progress for a while longer.
Eventually, realizing there was nothing he could do to help, he turned away, sat at his desk, and opened his laptop.
Signs of the Apocalypse
Browsing the news, he found that mainstream media continued reporting on insignificant daily affairs.
But independent sources told a different story.
A few reports hinted at increasing market regulation in recent days.
However, prices for essentials like firewood, rice, oil, and salt remained stable.
For the average person, life still felt normal.
No one seemed aware of what was coming.
Then—
A certain headline caught his attention.
"All toy factories in Dongzhou have reportedly shut down, with workers being recruited into government construction teams."
Su Wu quickly clicked the article.
Error. Page not found.
He frowned.
"Again?"
The federal government of this world strictly controlled information.
If they didn't want something publicized, it didn't matter if it affected millions of people—it would simply disappear from the internet.
The only traces of truth existed in private chat groups.
But those were full of rumors, making it impossible for the average person to separate fact from fiction.
Without the Doomsday Survival System, Su Wu would probably still be like everyone else—
Living inside a web of carefully curated lies.
Blissfully unaware of the impending disaster.
And the fact that this news had been erased only confirmed its credibility.
He leaned back, recalling the headline.
His mood darkened.
The shutdown of toy factories seemed insignificant on the surface.
But in reality, it meant that the government could no longer afford to waste resources on non-essential industries.
The economy had reached a breaking point.
They were now prioritizing only survival-critical operations.
Which meant—
The final step before total government control was an official public announcement.
Engineering the Future
Su Wu shook off his thoughts and refocused on the micro excavator.
A panel popped up.
[Micro Excavator – Status]
Power System: Insufficient
Compatibility: 90%
Evaluation: Nearly complete, but slight defects in power and material quality. Craftsmanship is excellent.
[Upgrade Options]
Diesel Version – 2 Survival Points
Battery Version – 5 Survival Points
Unmanned Version – 7 Survival Points