When things were in turmoil both in reality and on the Internet,
Central Dongzhou,
Suburban area of Jianghe City,
Su Wu stayed in the bedroom of his courtyard and still had the mood to browse various forums.
Perhaps the evacuation and resettlement of tens of millions of people occupied a considerable amount of official attention.
Information that was originally strictly controlled had now spread widely on the Internet.
Su Wu even saw several disaster investigation reports from within the federation.
According to the investigation reports,
It was certain that in the next one to one and a half months, the global average temperature would rise above 60 degrees and could reach a maximum of around 100 degrees. The surface would no longer be habitable for ordinary people.
"There's still at least a month left."
This wasn't exactly good news, but it wasn't bad either.
At the very least, knowing a clear deadline was better than knowing nothing about the future.
Su Wu thought carefully and calculated that, at the current construction progress, the second and third underground floors should be completed by then, making it possible to move in and live there.
This thought made him feel much more at ease.
After confirming there were no issues with the construction progress of the shelter,
Su Wu suddenly found himself somewhat idle.
The construction of the shelter was handled by the engineering team and the primary artificial intelligence, so there was no need for him to get involved. The only thing he could do was contact external parties for transactions or gather information.
After some thought, Su Wu opened the chat group.
At this time, the doomsday chat group was like an exploded ant nest, with dozens of new messages popping up every second. Any group member who was online couldn't help but say a few words, expressing their shock at the massive relocation of tens of millions of people along the coast.
However, after the initial excitement, the chat group was not entirely filled with meaningless chatter.
Su Wu noticed several wealthy individuals, who likely had shelters, trying to buy scarce resources.
Of course, now that news of the impending doomsday had become almost semi-public,
Few people used cash transactions anymore—most transactions were done through bartering.
"There is a large demand for excavators, electric pickaxes, and electric hammers in the area around Jianghe City."
"We can trade for steel, rubber, and food. Please discuss the details."
Scrolling through the chat history, Su Wu noticed a purchase request.
He was in Jianghe City and had the ability to manufacture excavators, which met the conditions for the transaction.
Steel, as one of the main raw materials for building shelters and manufacturing various mechanical equipment, was undoubtedly a strategic resource he could never have too much of.
With an idea in mind, Su Wu found the other party and started a private chat.
"Are you looking to buy a mini excavator?"
After asking, Su Wu also sent a few pictures of mini excavators, along with specific parameters.
"Yes."
"Twenty tons of primary processed steel in exchange for a mini excavator. I'll take as many as you can provide."
The reply from the other end was quick, and it was obvious the person was quite anxious.
According to the normal market price in the past, one ton of primary processed steel cost about 12,000 yuan.
Twenty tons were roughly equivalent to the value of eight mini excavators.
Now, he was only using it to exchange for one, which was obviously a significant concession.
But this was normal.
After all, steel was just a raw material. It took time to process, and not everyone could use it. Excavators, on the other hand, were survival tools in high demand, crucial for expanding shelter space.
For those who had received the news late but still wanted to establish a refuge,
It was completely worth paying a high price.
"Do you have any scrap iron?"
Su Wu did not rush to agree and continued to ask.
For him, there was little difference between scrap iron and primary processed steel. But their prices varied greatly, so every bit of savings counted.
"Yes, but not in large quantities."
"There are only two or three hundred tons of scrap metal in the warehouse. If you want it, you can exchange it for one hundred tons."
"But you'll have to arrange transport to pick it up from our factory."
The average truck had a load capacity of only about five tons. It would take at least dozens of trips to transport over 200 tons.
That wouldn't have been an issue in the past.
But now, every bit of manpower and fuel was extremely valuable.
This was not a service that could be given away lightly.
"Deal."
"I'll exchange three mini excavators for all the scrap iron in your stock. For the remaining amount, you can convert it into primary processed steel for me at a fair ratio."
After some thought, Su Wu decided to buy all the scrap iron.
As for the trade items, the mini excavators in the engineering team couldn't be moved—nothing could interfere with the shelter's construction progress.
Moreover, the transaction didn't require such an advanced version. A diesel-powered mini excavator, costing only two survival points, was enough to meet the demand.
With the deal struck,
It was agreed that deliveries would begin the next day.
Su Wu switched back to the console on his laptop.
He instructed the engineering robots to temporarily set aside their current tasks and prioritize the manufacturing of three mini excavators.
Then, he got up, went downstairs, and walked to the simple garage in the yard.
Even the wealthy individuals in the market who could afford to build their own shelters now lacked the means for transportation and delivery.
Su Wu, who was already short on resources, certainly couldn't afford to hire a driver and a truck.
If he wanted to solve the transportation problem, he had to find a way to get a truck and transport the goods himself.
There weren't any high-end vehicles in the garage.
Only a second-hand van for gasoline collection and a second-hand tractor for diesel collection.
After taking a look at the van, Su Wu quickly dismissed it.
The van had a load capacity of only one ton and limited space, making it unsuitable for transporting bulk goods.
In comparison, the second-hand tractor, with a large truck bed attached,
Was more durable and could carry a heavier load.
[Agricultural Two-Wheel Drive Tractor]
[Speed: 32 km/h]
[Fuel Consumption: 7 liters/hour]
[Load Capacity: 3 tons]
[Upgradeable Directions: Integrated Truck (Diesel Version) (3 Survival Points), Integrated Truck (Electric Drive Version) (5 Survival Points)]
[Upgradeable Sub-Options: Armor, Off-Road, Speed, Endurance, Thermal Insulation, Radiation Resistance, Purification, Electronic Information.]
Perhaps because it was large equipment, or perhaps because it was already a complete and usable finished product,
An additional row of upgradeable sub-options appeared in the attribute list that Su Wu hadn't seen before.
He could select one or more additional attributes to enhance the upgraded tractor's functionality.
Su Wu thought for a while and chose armor from the many sub-options.
This upgrade cost an additional three survival points and required an investment of about two tons of steel.
As for the primary upgrade option,
The electric-drive version of the integrated truck was undoubtedly the best choice.
Su Wu wasn't short on electricity, but he lacked diesel and gasoline.
If he relied on fuel-powered vehicles, they would become useless after just a few trips.
With an electric-powered vehicle, on the other hand, he could travel freely, and transportation costs would be virtually zero.