"It shouldn't spread."
After assessing the situation around the burning buildings and confirming that the fire wouldn't escalate uncontrollably, Su Wu turned his attention to the streets below.
At this moment, vehicles loaded with supplies and personnel stretched in long queues, moving steadily toward the entrances of various shelters.
Thanks to the authorities' full mobilization, the evacuation, though rushed and tense, remained largely orderly. The efficiency was unexpectedly high, given the circumstances.
However, with so many people on the move, accidents were inevitable.
A commotion broke out at an intersection.
Su Wu adjusted the drone formation, leaving a communication relay drone in position while sending the other two lower to capture footage.
Near the intersection, several young and middle-aged men—bare-chested and aggressive—stepped out of a crashed van. They yanked the driver and passengers from another vehicle, shouting indistinctly.
The already narrow street was instantly blocked.
In just half a minute, the halted traffic extended into a five- to six-kilometer jam.
Then, without hesitation, a team of armed soldiers rushed in.
No warnings. No negotiations.
They shot the troublemakers on sight and dragged their bodies and vehicles to the roadside green belt.
The road was clear again.
"It seems we've officially entered martial law," Su Wu mused.
"Stability and efficiency above all else."
The decisive, ruthless enforcement hinted at the mindset of Jianghe City's leadership.
With the incident swiftly resolved, Su Wu resumed patrolling the city with his drones.
Currently, his formation consisted of three upgraded drones.
Two served as communication relay units, acting as mobile signal transfer stations to extend the operational range.
The third was a professional reconnaissance drone, equipped with high-definition video capture and terrain radar scanning.
Together, the formation could cover up to 30 kilometers, effectively monitoring the entire urban area and surrounding suburbs.
In an apocalyptic scenario where internet access could fail at any moment, these drones were invaluable.
After circling the city and analyzing the collected data with AI assistance, Su Wu gradually pieced together a clearer picture of Jianghe City's situation.
In just half a day, including those transferred earlier, around half of the city's two-million population had been moved into shelters.
However, due to insufficient protective measures, the casualty rate during the evacuation had surged.
Many frail elderly individuals collapsed on the transport vehicles, never to wake again.
As for supplies—
Essential resources like food, medicine, and daily necessities had largely been secured.
Meanwhile, large-scale non-essential goods were either sealed in place or being transported in small batches.
Judging from these official actions, they clearly believed that industrial production on the surface would likely remain suspended for a considerable period.
This served as a reminder for Su Wu—future activities on the surface would need to be more cautious.
As evening fell, the night blanketed the sky.
Yet, the city's evacuation showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, under official pressure, it had intensified.
Su Wu, having gathered the intelligence he needed, stopped monitoring. He recalled the drone formation and shifted his focus back to upgrading the shelter according to his original plan.
No matter what happened outside, the shelter was his foundation.
[10 survival points have been consumed to upgrade the hydroponic farm.]
[The semi-automatic hydroponic farm has been upgraded to a fully automatic hydroponic farm.]
[Expected farm output +15%.]
[A new multifunctional farm management robot has been added.]
[Added pollination, pest control, harvesting, and low-temperature storage and preservation functions.]
With the transition to full automation, the hydroponic farm's output improved significantly due to more precise nutrient and light management.
At the same time, the farm management robot completely freed Su Wu's hands.
From this point on, he wouldn't even need to step foot inside the hydroponic farm. Everything—from seedling cultivation to growth and harvest—could be managed remotely through the control center.
His only task was to select the crops and collect the yield from storage.
"We're about to harvest a batch of vegetables."
"There's no need to keep planting more in the empty plots."
"Maybe I should add some flowers."
As he examined the updated farm statistics, a new idea took shape.
Given the extreme conditions on the surface, it was highly likely that all plant and animal life would soon perish. With survival already secured, cultivating flowers seemed like a meaningful step—not just for preservation but also for improving the quality of life in the shelter.
Fresh flowers could brighten the living space, making it feel less oppressive.
After upgrading the hydroponic farm, the next priority was the mechanical manufacturing center.
For now, the facility was little more than an empty shell. With his remaining survival points, Su Wu could only afford to modify an engineering robot to serve as its foundation. The rest would have to come later.
Engineering robots were among the most valuable assets in the shelter, second only to the extreme drilling machine.
Until now, he had only one such robot.
Its limited quantity did not diminish its importance—on the contrary, it was the cornerstone of the entire shelter.
From constructing the underground base to fabricating almost every mechanical component inside and outside the shelter, everything depended on the engineering robot.
With one stationed at the mechanical manufacturing center, the shelter would gain immediate mechanical processing capabilities, significantly improving efficiency.
[16 survival points have been consumed. An engineering robot has been added.]
[Shelter equipment now undergoes automatic daily maintenance. Repair capabilities have improved, increasing the shelter's resilience to emergencies and unforeseen risks.]
After a series of upgrades, the shelter's level experience increased from standard personal shelter (27%) to standard personal shelter (76%).
The next upgrade was within reach.
Having spent all his survival points, Su Wu felt a wave of exhaustion.
He took a shower in the living area before lying down in the perfectly climate-controlled shelter.
Outside, the world was in chaos. But down here, in his domain, all was quiet and peaceful.