The food Tang Ye purchased with points was random, including noodles and rice. She had originally assumed that food processed like this would not taste particularly good, but to her surprise, the noodles were springy and the broth was rich and flavorful. The one she had was beef noodles, and she could actually taste large chunks of beef.
“These foods use a special compression technology from our planet, which preserves the original flavor and nutritional value,” the system explained.
Tang Ye had not eaten such normal and delicious food for a long time. Very quickly, the white container in her hands was emptied.
“All waste in the shelter is biodegradable and recyclable. When placed into the shelter’s recycling station, it can be processed and used to produce other useful items,” the system added. “Each room has its own designated trash bin, but the host will need to unlock the related facilities. The waste processing station requires five hundred energy points, and the recycling station requires five thousand.”
Tang Ye nodded. It seemed everything here was interconnected, and the energy requirements were substantial. She would need to bring in more people.
“So right now I just wait in the shelter for other survivors to come?” Tang Ye asked.
“Yes, host. You may also go out and recruit survivors, but since the shelter has just been established, its credibility is low. The chances of successfully recruiting people outside are minimal.”
That matched Tang Ye’s own thoughts. If she simply went out to pull people in, she would likely be treated as a scammer.
Thinking this, she took the elevator up. Outside was a large open area, now completely different from what she had seen before. The ground had been cleared, the dark stains and scattered bones were gone, revealing the original earth beneath.
“The host may first give the shelter a memorable name,” the system said.
Tang Ye looked up at the gray, overcast sky. After a long pause, she said, “Let’s call it Sunrise Shelter. I hope everyone can live to see the sun rise each day from now on.”
In the final moments before she lost consciousness, the last thing Tang Ye had seen was the sky outside the window and the sun still hanging high above.
To part the clouds and see the sunrise, that had been her hope every day since the apocalypse began.
She hoped it would bring luck to other survivors as well.
“Confirmed. Shelter name set as Sunrise Shelter.” As the system’s voice fell, a large signboard appeared at the original park entrance in front of the shelter. Bold characters were written across it: Sunrise Shelter.
The lettering was large, and the system explained that it used a special material that remained visible even at night.
Surrounding the sign was a perimeter wall that protected the shelter from zombies, mutated animals, and poisonous creatures.
The wall appeared to be made of metal, sturdy and newly built, giving off a strong sense of security.
Standing at the entrance, Tang Ye felt a surge of emotions. Just yesterday, she had been struggling on the brink of death. Today, she had become the administrator of this extraordinary underground shelter.
She looked down at her hand, spreading her fingers before slowly clenching them into a tight fist, her knuckles turning pale.
Wang Qiang. Zou Yu. She would personally take their lives.
“Host, two humans and a large group of zombies are rapidly approaching from the northwest,” the system suddenly alerted.
Tang Ye raised her eyes toward the gate. Sure enough, in the northwest direction, a cloud of dust was being kicked up by fast movement.
At the front were two humans. Behind them were zombies with pale, bluish faces and distorted movements. Most of them appeared to be at least Level 2, as they were not much slower than the humans and were chasing closely behind.
The two survivors at the front clearly saw the shelter’s sign and perimeter wall. They immediately changed direction and ran straight toward Tang Ye.
Tang Ye stood where she was and did not move forward to help. Ever since she had been betrayed, her heart had hardened. She would no longer risk herself to save others.
Only when the two drew closer did Tang Ye step forward to meet them at the entrance.
After running into the Sunrise Shelter’s range, the two continued forward for a few steps out of inertia. Then they realized that the zombies that had been chasing them relentlessly had stopped in front of the large signboard. It was as if they had suddenly lost their target, wandering aimlessly without entering.
The two were both girls, wearing protective masks and sporting short, practical haircuts. They were completely exhausted and sat on the ground, gasping for breath.
After a while, when their breathing had steadied, Tang Ye approached and asked if they were injured.
One of the girls helped the other up and shook her head before saying, “Thank you. Is this a newly built shelter? Those zombies, why…”
There was no gate beneath the signboard, yet the zombies had not entered, as if something invisible was blocking them. Her voice carried both curiosity and shock.
“This is the Sunrise Underground Shelter. Within its boundaries, zombies and mutated creatures are indeed unable to enter,” Tang Ye replied, without going into too much detail.
They did not consider anything fantastical, instead guessing that something had been applied near the entrance.
Even so, the information alone was shocking. If it spread through the apocalypse, it would likely cause a sensation. After all, even repellents for poisonous insects had yet to be fully developed.
“We came from E City. Our family owned a small supermarket with a hidden warehouse behind it, so we’ve been hiding there these past years. Recently, our food has been running out, so we came out to find a place to settle,” one of the girls explained. “But we have also been training our strength, speed, and combat skills against zombies.”
“I could tell,” Tang Ye nodded. When chased by such a large group of zombies, they had still been able to run quickly and even turn back to kill two that got too close. Their speed and reaction time were impressive.
“So, can we stay? Don’t worry, we will pay whatever mutated crystals are required.”
Before arriving, the two girls had heard that shelters required monthly payments in mutated crystals, so they had saved up for a long time.
“Of course. Our shelter is newly established, and what we need most is fresh blood,” Tang Ye replied, welcoming them.
“Are you the administrator?” As they walked toward the entrance, the other girl spoke. “My name is Jiang Qing, and this is my sister Jiang Hong. We’re twins.”
Perhaps because Tang Ye was also a woman, they unconsciously lowered their guard. If she had been a man, they would not have so quickly proposed staying.
“My name is Tang Ye, the administrator of Sunrise Shelter.”
“How many mutated crystals do we need to pay?” Jiang Hong asked.
“At present, one bed along with water and electricity costs one Level 2 mutated crystal per month. For the two of you, you can pay twenty Level 1 crystals or two Level 2 crystals.”
Jiang Hong paused as she reached for a Level 5 crystal, then instead picked up a smaller Level 2 crystal.
She could not help but think that the living conditions here might not be very good, given how cheap the cost was. Before arriving, they had encountered several groups of survivors and learned that in some shelters, even when ten or more people shared a space, each person had to pay five or six Level 2 crystals. The better the conditions, the higher the price.
But as soon as they stepped into the shelter, they encountered their first surprise. There were so many disinfection facilities.
Moreover, the disinfection process also cleaned their clothes. Although they had not worried much about food while hiding in the warehouse, washing clothes with water had still been a luxury.
The two stood inside the semi-circular glass chamber, feeling the fine mist falling over them. Through the glass, they looked at each other. Even though they could not clearly see each other’s faces, they could feel the shared joy in their hearts.
After disinfection, the bloodstains and dirt on their clothes were gone, and they felt much fresher.
Tang Ye waited outside. When they came out and removed their protective masks, the two girls indeed looked very similar.
Tang Ye led them toward the end of the corridor. Upon seeing the elevator there, their eyes widened even more. Their emotions were now completely overtaken by shock. It was not just that there was an elevator, even in the corridor earlier, they had already wanted to say that the electricity here was functioning normally, and it could even support such high-power equipment.
The three of them took the elevator down to Basement Level 1. As they stepped out, they saw corridors on both sides. The lights along the corridor lit up automatically upon detecting movement, clearly illuminating all the room doors.
Just as Tang Ye had said, everything here looked newly built. There were not many rooms yet, but all the facilities appeared brand new.
Tang Ye led them to the eighteen-person dormitory. As soon as they entered, their gaze was immediately drawn to the large window directly ahead. The scene outside matched the time and weather. At that moment, it showed bright sunlight and blooming flowers. Unlike the real world, where even with sunlight, the sky always seemed dim and obscured.
They unconsciously walked toward the window, feeling the warmth of sunlight. Almost at the same time, they reached out to touch it, but only felt cold glass.
“What is this…” Jiang Hong turned to Tang Ye.
“You can think of it as a 5D digital landscape display,” Tang Ye said after a moment, choosing a term that would be easier to accept.
After recovering from their shock, Jiang Hong and Jiang Qing carefully examined the space. Bathrooms, toilets, and a kitchen were all fully equipped, clean and tidy. Aside from necessary equipment, the area still felt spacious. There were three bedrooms in total.
“You are the first pair of survivors to move in. You can choose any room here,” Tang Ye said.
Jiang Hong and Jiang Qing exchanged a glance, then opened the door closest to the window. Inside were three sets of bunk beds arranged side by side. Along the opposite wall were six desks, chairs, and cabinets for personal belongings.