Chapter 29: The Shelter Overhaul

The supplies already piled up everywhere—every corner of the shelter was choked with the fruits of Chen Zhuo’s relentless hunting.

And now, with today’s unexpected haul added on top, the stack could easily form a small mountain.

“These materials—cotton, rubber, steel—they’re not urgent. They’ll last forever if left alone.”

“The real priority is getting food into storage.”

While sorting through the mess, he found some provisions buried beneath the bottom layer, already showing signs of mold. With a grimace, he tossed them out. It stung, even though hunting came so easily to him. Losing that much meat still hurt.

In a world like this, hoarding supplies wasn’t just smart—it was survival instinct. You never knew when the next storm would hit, or how long you’d be trapped inside. The last major freeze had only just ended, and another one might come any day. Who knew how long it’d take to go outside again?

“Then there’s all the stone and wood—plenty of it, but bulky. Doesn’t matter where they go; they each take up just one space anyway.”

“And medical supplies—though they don’t last as long as food, most are only effective for six months to a year. Better to stash them now.”

“Phew.” He exhaled, shoulders dropping.

“Finally done.”

“Now…”

Strengthening the shelter had been Chen Zhuo’s main mission since the acid rain ended. That obsession had delayed everything else—especially planting, which he hadn’t even started yet. Now, finally, he was about to cross a major milestone: building his own safe, comfortable sanctuary.

He summoned the system to analyze the shelter’s structure once more:

【Analysis Result: Structural instability detected. Recommend reinforcing walls and ceiling with rebar-reinforced concrete, adding load-bearing columns.】

【Repair Option One: Requires 375 Happiness Points, including Steel ×40, Concrete ×80, and construction upgrade fee.】

【Repair Option Two: Requires 95 Happiness Points. Steel ×40 and Concrete ×80 must be provided by host.】

“System,” Chen Zhuo said, “first, synthesize 80 units of concrete from these supplies. Make up the shortfall with Happiness Points.”

His backpack was full—river sand, water, rocks. All the ingredients except lime were practically free.

【Confirm: Spend 15 Happiness Points to cover lime shortage and produce Concrete?】

“Yes!”

【Concrete +80】

“Choose Repair Option Two. Initiate immediately!”

【……】

【Insufficient Happiness Points】

Chen Zhuo grabbed a chair, ready to sit back and enjoy the transformation.

Then the mechanical voice cut in.

He stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face.

“How can I be short? I’ve got 105 Happiness Points… wait—only 5 missing?”

Panic flared. He scratched his head frantically. He *really* didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to fix this.

His eyes swept the room—then landed on the meat skewers in his pack.

These were his go-to rations every time he went out. He’d just eaten lunch—half a pound gave him +5 Happiness Points.

“Fine. Might as well treat myself.”

He chewed quickly, swallowed without ceremony.

【Happiness Points +5】

Grease still glistening at the corner of his mouth, he declared, “Option Two—repair now!”

【Happiness Points -110】
【Steel -40, Concrete -80】

All his saved resources vanished in an instant.

As the system’s cold, precise voice echoed in his mind, Chen Zhuo felt a strange energy surge through the shelter.

Following the system’s analysis, the renovation began.

First, the walls. He ran his palm along the surface, and suddenly, he *saw* the weak points—cracks, thin spots, stress fractures. The system guided the rebar and concrete with surgical precision, flying toward the exact spots needing reinforcement. The walls thickened, hardened—like they’d been reborn.

He looked up. A flash of blue light passed through the ceiling. He saw the stress distribution map laid out in real time. The system placed support beams exactly where they mattered, dramatically improving stability.

Below, the ground trembled faintly. New load-bearing pillars were being driven deep into the earth, rising straight up to meet the ceiling—anchoring the entire structure like roots in stone.

No crack, no gap was left untouched. Every seam was sealed, every flaw filled. The shelter became seamless, impenetrable.

When the final piece was set, the whole place transformed.

Thick walls. Solid ceiling. Within two minutes, the shelter stood unshakable—like a fortress carved from bedrock.

Chen Zhuo stepped back, surveying his work. A satisfied smile spread across his face.

【Shelter Overall Happiness Value: 100】

“Another ten Happiness Points per day. Nice.”

He called up the shelter evaluation again:

【Basic Shelter: A cave-like refuge in the mountains, lacking any decoration or furnishings.】

【Stability: C —勉强能生存，但能否躲过地震等自然灾害尚待验证。】
*(Survivable, but uncertain whether it can withstand earthquakes and other disasters.)*

【Ventilation System: E — The only air vent is a 1x2 iron door. Long-term living here risks oxygen deficiency.】

【Living Facilities: E — None whatsoever. Not even enough for basic hygiene or bathroom needs.】

【System Evaluation: Slightly larger than a mouse nest.】

“……”

“This junk actually gives a rating?”

Chen Zhuo almost argued—but then thought better of it.

The system was just a grumpy, sarcastic AI that spat out nonsense. He wasn’t going to waste breath arguing with it.

Now that the shelter was finally secure, everything was on track. He didn’t have time to care about its petty insults.

First order of business: expand the newly reinforced shelter to make room for growing vegetables and fruit.

Then, build the kitchen, toilet, and shower.

Learning from past mistakes, he used the evaluation function first—checking which areas were safe to dig, which risked collapse.

The system’s recommendation: if planting area stays under 200 square meters, digging deeper into the mountain was okay—but must be done in sections. Four separate plots of 50 square meters each, with structural reinforcement later.

If over 200 square meters? Then it was time to go deeper underground.

Other facilities? As long as they stayed under 20 square meters, he could place them anywhere.

“Easy enough.”

The viable excavation zones now appeared in his vision.

Chen Zhuo picked up his shovel—the same old tool he’d used since the beginning—and got to work.

With his body now significantly stronger, his digging speed had skyrocketed.

Where it once took 7–8 minutes to clear one unit of rock, now it took just 3–5. By afternoon, he’d carved out space for the toilet, shower, and kitchen.

He didn’t forget the water supply—still just a pipe connected from outside. After another hour of labor, he’d built a reservoir nearly the size of the toilet room.

He opened the Survival Platform’s crafting interface.

The blueprint for a water tower—collected long ago—was finally ready to use.