Chapter 151: Shelter Renovation |
Bai Mu took out the Solar Panel from his inventory. He had drawn this item as a reward from the Deserted Island Survival Script. It had been gathering dust in the corner of his inventory ever since, but today it would finally be put to good use.
Back when he first obtained it, he had complained about how hard it would be to find a practical application for it. However, facts proved that as long as you stayed in Paradise long enough, even the most useless trash would eventually have its moment to shine.
Using this panel was not as complicated as setting up a factory-produced one. Since it was essentially an item from Paradise, it required neither complex wiring nor an instruction manual.
All he needed to do was connect it to whatever required power, and it would work. Of course, it only functioned when exposed to sunlight. Moonlight could not generate electricity. In principle, moonlight was just reflected sunlight, but for this Solar Panel, it only recognized the sun's direct rays and absolutely nothing else.
Bai Mu spent a little time digging out some old, discarded wires from the underground warehouse. He brought them up to the roof next to the Solar Panel and tapped "Use Item." Immediately, the wires connected to the panel all on their own.
Early the next morning, as the sun rose, the lights in the warehouse actually flickered on.
After blinking a few times, the long-dormant bulbs stabilized, casting a steady glow.
The children and Anton looked up at the electric lights with bright smiles, as if what shone down upon them was not just illumination, but hope itself.
The presence of light brought everyone a sense of security. The temperature in the basement was also much cooler than up on the surface, making the overall environment quite comfortable.
He spent two days throwing all the useless junk outside, and then another full day thoroughly sweeping the place. Water was strictly limited, so mopping the floor was out of the question. Still, thanks to their dedicated efforts, the warehouse was completely transformed.
The lingering smell of mildew and dust that had plagued the area for so long was finally gone. Leon, Sam, and Katie carefully swept away the dirt and debris on the floor, while Bai Mu found a feather duster to knock down all the cobwebs and dust from the higher spots.
The shelves, once overflowing with garbage, were completely cleared and restocked with their food supplies. This included compressed biscuits, canned fruit, potato chips, instant noodles, and the military ration packs Bai Mu had scavenged from the Gas Station.
The four water buckets were also placed next to the shelves, with one resting on a water dispenser that the former factory workers used to use.
Five mattresses were spread out in the open space. They rummaged through the bedsheets and pillows left behind by the workers, picking out the five cleanest sets.
Anton lay on his mattress, his gaze gentle as he watched the three children. A few days had passed, and he had practically integrated into the group.
He was much better at interacting with children than Bai Mu. If Bai Mu played the role of a strict father, then Anton was like a cheerful older brother.
After experiencing life and death, his pale blue eyes were filled with a sense of solace. He was incredibly patient with the children's words and actions, and held a deep gratitude toward Bai Mu. He did not just express this with words; he did his utmost to avoid being a burden to anyone.
Whenever they ate, he insisted on taking smaller portions than the others. He reasoned that since he was just lying in bed and not doing any manual labor, he did not deserve as much food.
But Bai Mu told him that a full stomach was necessary for a fast recovery, and he could simply make up for the missed work in the future.
Anton accepted this reasoning. "Sir, you do not look that much older than me, but I can always sense the wisdom of an elder from you. You must have been through a lot."
"It is alright," Bai Mu replied. "I just lived alone for a long time, so I learned how to solve my own problems." Everything seemed well-organized. With two men and three children living in this space, it actually felt as warm as a real home.
They managed to catch snippets of news about the outside world through the radio. However, due to the sheer distance, the signal was incredibly weak. There were only a few fleeting moments each day when they could hear anything through the static.
It seemed the war in the city was still raging. The military and the Doppelgangers were locked in continuous combat, trading blows back and forth.
But the death toll was massive. Every day, they could hear orders to burn the bodies. The military command required all fallen soldiers and dead civilians to be incinerated right on the spot.
It was easy to imagine the horrific scenes within the city. It was absolutely a purgatory, covered in the scars of roaring fires. Once-pristine streets and houses would be reduced to charred ruins, with burnt corpses likely scattered everywhere. The homes of innocent citizens were undoubtedly riddled with bullet holes and blasted apart by artillery strikes.
Just listening to the broadcast was terrifying enough.
Fortunately, Bai Mu had made the decisive choice to escape the city.
If he had stayed there, even as an E-Grade Player with capabilities far beyond ordinary humans, he would have had little say in a warzone of that magnitude. An individual was profoundly insignificant in the face of war. He merely possessed a bit more strength, the ability to summon a Charger that mindlessly bulldozed forward, and a Witch. Aside from that, he only had a pile of items that were somewhat useful but ultimately incapable of turning the tide of battle.
Either the Doppelgangers or the military could easily put him to death. They were two massive factions. They would not even need to target him directly; just the sheer collateral damage from their clashes could kill him for no apparent reason.
The danger of a C-grade Script was immense. At best, it had only given him around ten days of time to prepare and scout the area.
Compared to the hellscape of the city, this Abandoned Factory was practically a utopia.
With Bai Mu here—or, more accurately, with Lucy here—their food and water supplies were more than sufficient.
On the second day after finishing the cleanup of the underground warehouse, they simply started playing cards in the basement.
Anton's injuries had improved slightly. He still could not stand up on his own, but his unshot right hand could move freely. Because the scorching heat outside severely limited what they could do during the day, they played cards to pass the time.
Little Katie sat next to Bai Mu, peeking at his cards. She had taken a strong liking to following him around recently, as if doing so provided her with a profound sense of security.
The group's biological clocks had fully inverted; they now slept during the day and stayed active at night.
The Solar Panel also served as a power bank, capable of storing a portion of the electricity gathered during the day, allowing them to use power at night. Just like this, time slowly ticked by.
Fifteen days later, the entire basement had been renovated into a fledgling mini-fortress.
The doors were reinforced with steel plates and heavy nails. Anton's injuries had mostly healed, allowing him to stand on his own feet once again.
The battle reports broadcasting from the radio grew fewer and farther between, often replaced by a deathly silence.
Bai Mu could not help but form a grim deduction: the human military had ultimately collapsed under the Doppelgangers' assault. It was highly likely that the monsters had even hijacked the human broadcasting system. They were using the radio channels to broadcast a deceptive message, seemingly directing survivors to the Emergency Center for supplies, but in reality, they were dangling false hope to lure humans into a deadly trap.
Then, after twenty-five long days of extreme weather, the sky on the twenty-sixth day was finally blanketed by dark clouds.
The long-awaited rain poured down like a flood, roaring and splashing as if a massive floodgate had been flung open.
Bai Mu had built rainwater collectors and filters well in advance. The torrents falling from the sky rushed into the reservoir he and Anton had dug out together. Although the water carried some muddy sediment, watching the pool slowly fill up brought everyone a deep sense of gratification.