The place where they were about to land was a vast stretch of land.

This land had originally been a mountain.

But this mountain was very different from the ones commonly seen.

It was a flat-topped mountain.

The summit was nearly indistinguishable from a plain.

Its cliff sides were almost perpendicular to the ground.

At this moment, it looked like a big square block of tofu floating on the water’s surface.

Base No. 1 was situated atop this mountain.

Lin Chu had to admit, this was the most suitable survivor base location since the flood had erupted.

Once the flood submerged vast lands, this once-tall but flat-topped mountain became an ideal refuge for survivors.

From above, looking west of Base No. 1, buildings of varying heights and styles could be seen—most likely hotels and guesthouses that had originally been part of the mountain resort.

In the central-east area, there was a neat cluster of newly built homes—perhaps several hundred of them.

To the far east, there was a tent area.

Although the tents were small, they appeared reasonably clean and organized.

Everything seemed to be progressing in a systematic and orderly fashion.

As the helicopter descended, Lin Chu roughly estimated that the water surface was about 50 meters below the flat mountain top.

That was about the height of an 18-story building.

There were yellowish-brown marks left on the bare cliff face from where the water had once risen.

Circle after circle—like the rings left behind by coffee cups.

Noticing Lin Chu observing the cliff wall, the man who had brought them back began to explain:

“During the first three months, the floodwaters once reached up to the highest yellow mark.”

Lin Chu followed his finger. That mark was around 20 meters below the current base level.

“If the heavy rains had continued for another three months, Base No. 1 would’ve been submerged too.”

His tone was calm as he said this.

But Lin Chu could sense the lingering fear and the relief in his heart.

“This damned heaven drove us to the brink—but left us one last thread of life.”

“Sometimes, you really don’t know whether to feel grateful or resentful.”

It was Assistant Wu who said that, propping himself up to look out the window.

His expression was calm, far more indifferent now compared to his earlier boredom—like someone who had already accepted life and death.

Lin Chu was not from this world.

Without experiencing those first six months herself, she couldn’t truly empathize with their ordeal, and didn’t know what to say.

Instead, Bai Wei beside her suddenly spoke:

“We’ve already been through the worst. What’s left to be afraid of?”

The helicopter slowly landed on the helipad of Base No. 1.

Bai Wei picked up Assistant Wu’s wheelchair, while the man who had brought them—Xia Zhengyang—carried him off the helicopter.

Once on the ground, Bai Wei pushed Assistant Wu as the three of them followed Xia Zhengyang toward a nearby shuttle bus.

“This used to be a resort, so there are quite a few of these shuttle buses. They’re all repurposed as base transport now.”

Xia Zhengyang explained, and the three merely nodded with little enthusiasm.

Seeing this, he just chuckled, “I’ll take you to lunch first.”

They had departed close to noon and hadn’t eaten yet.

It was now 1 PM—time for lunch.

The shuttle stopped in front of a massive building.

Outside was a large stone wall with recessed carvings spelling out the hotel’s name—Fansi Grand Hotel.

Due to the base’s high elevation, even when the water had reached its highest level, the buildings on the mountain remained untouched.

As a result, the hotel still retained its upscale appearance and full functionality.

“Fansi Grand Hotel was the largest hotel in the resort. After the government moved in, we repurposed it into our administrative offices and research institute.”

“We work, live, and eat here—very convenient.”

Xia Zhengyang’s introduction prompted Lin Chu to take a closer look at the hotel’s layout.

The hotel’s original scale was quite large, with buildings on both sides of the road.

Seeing Lin Chu glance across the road, Xia Zhengyang quickly added:

“That building is our research center, where we’ll be going later. But we don’t need to walk above ground—there’s an underground passage connecting the two buildings.”

The four of them entered the lobby, which still looked as grand as ever.

Xia Zhengyang led them to the first-floor cafeteria.

Lunch hour had just passed, and the place was nearly empty.

After greeting a few familiar faces, he led them to the food counter.

Lin Chu stared at the cafeteria, feeling as if she had been transported back to her university days.

Except this cafeteria had only one serving window.

And you couldn’t choose your food.

At the window, Xia Zhengyang pulled out a card and swiped it. The staff handed him a tray.

Lin Chu saw that the tray held a potato, a fist-sized serving of rice, a small portion of greens, a tomato scrambled egg dish, and a piece of meat from a canned meat tin.

Xia Zhengyang swiped the card three more times so each of them could get a tray.

“How luxurious,” Assistant Wu couldn’t help but smirk.

Xia Zhengyang nodded, “Only we can eat this well. The folks outside don’t get nearly as much.”

“Outside? You mean the people in the base who don’t live in the Fansi Hotel?”

Xia Zhengyang nodded.

Food was scarce. Though Base No. 1 had already established a sizable food production system, as the official central base, their responsibilities were heavy.

They not only had to feed their own 300,000 residents, but also regularly supply the survivor bases that relied on them.

Just having enough to eat was already considered good—meat was a rare luxury.

Lin Chu had never been a picky eater.

Though this was probably the plainest meal she had eaten since being dropped into this mission world, she still finished it earnestly.

After finishing, the four of them placed their empty trays in the return basket and followed Xia Zhengyang upstairs.

The hotel had a total of 20 floors.

Xia Zhengyang led them into the elevator.

Lin Chu keenly noticed that the buttons for floors 1 through 6 were all grayed out.

Seeing her glance, Xia Zhengyang smiled and explained:

“There are two power stations on the mountain—one runs on wind, the other on solar. They’re both still operational.”

“But with a larger population now and 500 more residential buildings in the east, electricity’s stretched thin. Floors below 6 can only be reached by stairs.”

Lin Chu had to admit—Base No. 1 was impressively complete.

Compared to the harsh conditions of the small hill base, life here was nearly indistinguishable from life before the apocalypse.