Chapter 55: Equipment Aging and Decommissioning—The Crumbling Xuanwu Base!

Whoosh!

The bitter cold wind howled, darkening the sky.

Frightening gusts carried ice-crystallized clouds and smashed them violently against the outer walls of Xuanwu Base.

The scene was almost apocalyptic.

The outside temperature had plummeted to -200°C—and was still dropping.

Even the air had thickened to an unbearable degree.

Crack, crack, crack.

The steel walls of the base emitted ominous fracturing sounds. If the situation continued unchecked, these advanced steel structures might collapse from the extreme cold.

If that happened, everyone inside would be fully exposed to the deadly cold, frozen solid in an instant.

It wasn’t that the base was weak.

In fact, Xuanwu City, built from the last remnants of human ingenuity and resources, was designed to withstand nuclear bombardment, survive raging infernos, and even endure centuries underwater.

But the power of time was terrifying.

For 300 years, the base had weathered countless natural disasters and human conflicts.

Repeated sieges by mutant beasts had left scars on its structure.

Now, faced with this unprecedented cold—approaching absolute zero—the base’s walls were starting to disintegrate.

The situation was dire.

Inside the base, temperatures were also dropping fast—already below -40°C.

Thankfully, Gu Man had supplied seawater containing enough nuclear fuel to generate some heating for the city’s residents.

She had also sent cotton clothing, shielding children from the cold and preserving the body heat of soldiers and some citizens.

“City Lord, some of the heating equipment has already burst from the extreme cold. Around eight households have lost heat—if we hadn’t discovered it in time, they might have frozen to death.”

“The rate of equipment failure is accelerating. At this pace, within a day, at least half of it will be destroyed.”

“The steel in the outer walls is severely lacking in carbon. Our reserves are depleted. If we don’t replenish it soon, the aging steel walls will crumble to dust, leaving us completely exposed to the ice.”

Bai Shuang was on the verge of panic.

This cold snap had struck too suddenly, at the worst possible time.

There was no preparation.

Song Lufeng acted decisively.

“Move everyone into the blast-proof hall for centralized heating.”

“Set up boilers inside to cook porridge and prepare meals, ensuring a steady food supply.”

“Recruit repair workers to fix the pipelines. Each participant will receive a set of cotton clothing, a sack of rice, and 30 pounds of vegetables as a reward.”

“The harsher the conditions, the more we need to stay vigilant. Be on guard for mutant beasts that are immune to the cold and may attempt to attack.”

Orders were issued swiftly and efficiently.

The warriors executed them strictly.

Residents were quickly evacuated.

No one brought anything—saving lives came first.

Inside the blast-proof hall, bright lights shone, and warm air flowed steadily. The aroma of food filled the air.

Bags of grain, meat, and vegetables were carried in one after another.

People finally felt a little more at ease.

In the conference hall.

The gathered generals and high-ranking officials exhaled in relief.

“Thank the Savior for providing food, clothing, and seawater. Without them, we would have been completely helpless.”

Everyone agreed.

Starvation and freezing would have left them incapable of saving themselves.

Now, though food, clothing, and fuel couldn’t stop the cold, they gave people the confidence to endure it.

“City Lord, the most urgent need is to request at least three tons of coal from the Savior. The carbon element in the coal is essential to reinforcing the city walls against the cold and preventing the steel from shattering.”

The elder professor, Chen Huayuan, spoke solemnly.

The crowd felt a pang of shame.

They had done nothing to help the Savior, yet they had to ask for assistance again.

At that moment—

Professor Li Kan, who had been silent all this time, stood up.

“City Lord, we can’t just take the Savior’s help for free.”

“I’ve studied the agricultural history of the Golden Age. Although resources were abundant back then, our ancestors lacked certain technologies to utilize them efficiently, leading to massive waste.”

“Moreover, despite achieving food self-sufficiency, arable land was actually quite limited.”

“I have a ‘Marine Farming Plan’ here, which utilizes nutrient-rich seawater for cultivation. Not only can it absorb excess nutrients from the ocean and maintain ecological balance, but it can also improve the marine environment, making the ocean healthier while enriching our ancestors’ diet.”

Professor Li Kan’s eyes shone with excitement.

Her ancestors had attempted this plan before, but back then, the theory and technology weren’t mature enough for large-scale implementation.

By the time the technology was ready, the oceans were gone.

It was her greatest regret.

Now, she had the chance to revive and perfect this technology—at the best possible time for Huaxia!

It was her dream, her lifelong pursuit!

And it could also be traded for coal to resolve their immediate crisis.

To her, it was worth it.

Everyone agreed that this was a great plan and looked to Song Lufeng expectantly.

Song Lufeng naturally agreed.

If they offered this technology, the nation would surely do everything in its power to protect the Savior.

His Song family had held great influence in ancient Huaxia.

Surely… they would protect her, right?

Song Lufeng transmitted the Marine Farming Plan.

He explained their crisis and the materials they needed.

Thinking about Gu Man’s current struggles, yet knowing she would still make time to send them supplies—

His heart ached.

He feared she would overwork herself.

So, he also sent two tons of gold.

He had nothing left. Truly.

But if these offerings could make her a little happier, help her get through her own difficulties—

He was willing to give much, much more…

Meanwhile.

Gu Man hadn’t even started sending anything yet.

A Marine Farming Plan suddenly appeared before her.

A plan for national food abundance and diversification—A Marine Farm!

Gu Man skimmed through it, her entire body trembling with excitement!

And that wasn’t all—

The moment she heard Song Lufeng’s request, three tons of gold landed in her warehouse.

Gu Man: “……”

Gold was very shiny.

Two tons of gold were already dazzling, but three tons—

It glittered, blindingly bright, illuminating the entire warehouse!

No, no, no.

That wasn’t the point.

The point was—the apocalypse needed coal!

Three tons of coal!

Three tons of coal in exchange for two tons of gold and a priceless, epoch-defining Marine Farming Plan!

Gu Man didn’t hesitate.

Coal?

She’d send it!

Not just three tons—300, 3,000, no—30,000 tons of coal!

She secured the plan and rushed to the coal plant.

As for the gold—

She’d come back for it later!

She dared anyone to steal from her warehouse!

Before leaving, she called Mu Baixuan.

Straight to the point:

“I need your father to contact Commissioner Song for me—immediately!”

She couldn’t reach him herself.

But the Mu Group’s leader could.

With the future of nuclear-powered vehicles in his hands, he was bound to become a pillar of the nation’s industry. The government wouldn’t ignore him.

And the Song family wouldn’t dare dismiss him.

Sure enough, within five minutes, the hidden-number call came through again.

“Miss Gu, have you changed your mind? Do you need my help suppressing the rumors?”