Su Wu grew tired of playing games and decided to cook himself a hearty meal to unwind.
Before closing his laptop, he glanced at the screen and noticed a private message from a netizen named Chen Xin, expressing gratitude. It seemed the person had made an important decision based on Su Wu's reminder.
A faint smile appeared on Su Wu's face. His mood improved considerably.
Shelter Construction Accelerates
In the following days, the excavation of the underground shelter progressed rapidly. After adding a cement mixing and pouring machine to the engineering team, the work efficiency significantly improved.
The entrance passage, leading 10 meters underground, was fully completed. Additionally, the first underground chamber—spanning 50 to 60 square meters—had been successfully excavated.
According to Su Wu's plan, the completed first floor of the shelter would be a rectangular structure measuring 30 meters in length, 20 meters in width, and 6 meters in height.
The ceiling and outermost walls would be reinforced with one meter of concrete and steel to form a durable protective shell. The floor, connecting to the second level below, would be 30 centimeters thick, as it was an indoor section that required less reinforcement.
At first glance, the space might not seem enormous. However, Su Wu couldn't help but compare it to the coastal city apartment he had sold for 6 million yuan—a cramped 100-square-meter unit with a ceiling height of less than three meters.
In contrast, just one floor of the shelter was equivalent to six such apartments in area. Factoring in the height difference, the usable space was more than ten times larger.
This wasn't just a survival bunker—it was a true underground fortress.
Even if more than a dozen people lived there, it wouldn't feel cramped.
Challenges in Material Supply
However, as construction advanced, new problems surfaced—ones that Su Wu hadn't fully anticipated due to insufficient prior planning.
"You only realize it once you start building—a proper shelter is a bottomless money pit."
On the afternoon of May 15, Su Wu watched as bags of cement were fed into the mixer through his laptop's remote monitor.
A headache crept over him.
Despite maximizing resource efficiency—such as reinforcing the shell with scrap steel and construction waste instead of using pure cement—material consumption was still far beyond expectations.
At this rate, the first floor wouldn't even be finished before they ran out of cement and sand.
Sand was easier to source, but… Cement was now a controlled material, unavailable from regular suppliers.
I need to find a workaround.
Lacking local connections in Jianghe City, Su Wu turned to the online second-hand trading market to search for cement suppliers.
After filtering out scammers and resellers, he finally found a legitimate merchant selling 1,000 bags of cement (50 tons)—but at a staggering price of 300 yuan per bag, nearly 15 times the normal rate.
To make matters worse, the seller was located over 400 kilometers away, and delivery wasn't included.
"It's practically highway robbery."
When Su Wu confronted the seller about the price, the response was blunt:
"Don't complain about the cost—we're all in this business, you should understand."
"Cement is now a restricted commodity. Most of the stock has been confiscated by the authorities."
"Newly produced bags are seized the moment they leave the factory."
"These are my hidden reserves. Take it or leave it."
Realizing he had no better options, Su Wu sighed.
"Fine. I'll take all 1,000 bags."
He arranged for two large trucks to pick up the shipment, even though freight costs were high. The priority was speed, not savings.
As he finalized the transaction, a sense of unease settled in.
"I just hope there won't be any problems on the road."
Government Interest in the Cement
On May 16, Su Wu received an unexpected call.
"Mr. Su, we're hoping you can support us."
The voice on the other end was polite, neither aggressive nor forceful.
Su Wu immediately understood—the government wanted his cement.
"I'm sorry, but this batch is crucial for my shelter. I can't give it up."
The official didn't press aggressively but tried another approach.
"We're not asking for free requisition."
"In exchange, you'll receive contribution points."
"This will benefit you significantly in the future."
It was a veiled offer—promising better treatment in official shelters in return for the cement.
But Su Wu had already decided.
"I appreciate the offer, but my project depends on this batch."
There was a brief silence.
"I understand. I wish you success in your construction."
The call ended.
Su Wu set his phone down, exhaling.
Some might call me selfish…
But I'm just an ordinary person trying to survive.
I can't save the world—I can only ensure my own survival.