Countdown Day 12, 6:00 AM
When the first ray of early summer sunlight tore through the clouds and spilled onto the vast 1,000-square-meter rooftop terrace of Cloud Top Heavenly Palace Building One, the entire duplex was already in a frenzy of activity.
Eighty mercenaries from the Black Hawk Special Engineering Team had already been working at high intensity for days and nights straight. Yet, driven by the lure of the remaining five billion yuan final payment, they still worked like they were injected with adrenaline, showing no sign of fatigue.
Lin Qi wore a black windbreaker, holding a cup of freshly brewed strong tea, standing quietly at the center of the spacious rooftop terrace. The wind whipped her clothes violently, but her gaze remained as firm and cold as the steel and concrete beneath her feet.
Old Ghost had two heavy dark circles under his eyes. He hurried over with a complex electrical layout diagram in hand.
“Boss Lin, the fully enclosed bulletproof glass frame on the rooftop has been welded shut. We’re now ready to install the ‘photovoltaic matrix’ you ordered.” Old Ghost pointed toward dozens of extremely heavy wooden crates piled in one corner. Even he couldn’t hide his amazement. “Honestly… I’ve built underground shelters for oil tycoons in the Middle East, but I’ve never seen anything at this level.”
Lin Qi followed his gaze.
Several mercenaries were carefully prying open the crates, revealing inside dozens of dark gray panels with extremely fine textures etched across their surfaces.
These were not the flashy blue, bulky solar panels seen on the market.
“This is aviation-grade single-crystal silicon thin-film photovoltaic tile,” Lin Qi said, picking one up. Her eyes reflected a near-obsessive admiration for top-tier technology. “Its photoelectric conversion efficiency reaches an astonishing 38%, three times that of civilian-grade panels. And its surface has a special matte anti-reflective coating. From the air, it just looks like ordinary dark gray armored stone tiles—no glare at all.”
A cold smile curved her lips.
In the apocalypse, whether extreme heat or extreme cold, electricity would be more valuable than gold. If she installed ordinary reflective solar panels here, it would be like turning on a beacon in the dead of night—inviting raiders within dozens of kilometers.
“Make a fortune quietly. That is the ultimate survival rule in the apocalypse.”
She dropped the panel and issued a cold command:
“Cover the entire 1,000-square-meter terrace roof, plus the sloped roof of the duplex above it—nearly 2,000 square meters in total. Install all of these photovoltaic tiles with zero gaps and full concealment.”
“As long as there is even a trace of sunlight, this matrix will generate terrifying amounts of electricity. Combined with the ten military-grade ultra-quiet diesel generator sets in the basement, this fortress will never experience the word ‘blackout’.”
“Understood!” Old Ghost nodded heavily. “Rooftop team, harness up! Lay everything cleanly. All wiring must be hidden in channels—no exposure allowed!”
Dozens of mercenaries immediately climbed onto the five-meter-high steel frame like spiders and began precise installation of the photovoltaic matrix.
After securing the external energy system, Lin Qi turned and walked back indoors.
Outside sunlight was bright and blinding, but she knew better than anyone: this was only the last warmth before the apocalypse descended.
Once the 30-day countdown reached zero, the world would first plunge into a 50°C heatwave and catastrophic flooding—but immediately after that would come the true nightmare: a frozen hell of minus sixty degrees Celsius.
If bulletproof glass and reinforced doors were for surviving human threats, then what came next was for surviving the most terrifying force of nature—absolute cold.
“Interior team, is the geothermal system ready?” Lin Qi asked coldly as she walked into the center of the living room where another group was working.
“It’s all here, Boss Lin.”
A foreman rushed over and pointed at piles of complex piping and black rolls of specialized materials.
“This is the top-tier ‘triple-layer extreme cold defense floor heating matrix’ available domestically.”
“The first layer is insulation,” he said, lifting a feather-light white aerogel mat. “Aerospace-grade fireproof insulation aerogel. It ensures not even 0.1 degree of heat loss to the floor below.”
“The second layer is deep-well liquid geothermal micro-circulation.” He pointed at dense titanium alloy pipes. “We’ve broken through internal walls and connected these pipes to the building’s deep groundwater heat pump system, then rerouted it into your basement diesel heating boilers. Even in minus eighty degrees, this system will keep indoor temperature above five degrees Celsius.”
“And the third layer—the most critical.”
He held up a thin yet metallic black mesh emitting a dark sheen.
“Graphene carbon nano heating grid. Once powered, it heats up in three seconds with extremely uniform radiation. It’s basically a super electric furnace.”
Seeing this triple-layered extreme cold defense system, the coldness in Lin Qi’s eyes finally melted slightly, replaced by an almost distorted sense of security.
In her previous life, she had huddled like a dog in an icy basement, fighting others for a used heat pack, ribs broken in the chaos. That bone-chilling pain—she would never forget it.
“Install it all. Every inch of the 1,200-square-meter interior plus the rooftop terrace floor—every surface must be covered.”
“I want to be able to wear a silk slip dress barefoot in a blizzard outside and still eat chilled watermelon indoors at 25°C. If the temperature isn’t stable at that level after completion, you won’t get a single cent.”
“Yes!!” the foreman trembled and immediately ordered full-speed installation.
Time passed amid the roar of drills and welding.
Countdown Day 12, evening
The setting sun poured through the single-direction bulletproof glass, casting light over the smooth self-leveling concrete floor (the geothermal system was already sealed beneath it).
Old Ghost walked over to Lin Qi, covered in dust and sweat, holding an advanced smart control tablet.
“Boss Lin, both the photovoltaic matrix and geothermal system are fully wired and integrated. They are now connected to the basement generator system.”
He took a deep breath and handed her the tablet.
“Please… press the heart-start button yourself.”
Lin Qi took the tablet. On the screen was a highly complex energy topology map.
On the left: ten red engine icons representing diesel generators.
On the right: a golden sun representing the solar matrix.
In the center: a network covering the entire house.
Without hesitation, she pressed the green activation button.
“Beep—!”
A crisp electronic tone echoed through the empty space.
Then—
“Buzz…”
A faint current sound spread across the entire building, like something awakening deep underground.
The rooftop photovoltaic tiles greedily converted the last rays of sunlight into electricity, rushing through hidden lines into the storage system.
At the same time, the graphene heating grid beneath the floor activated instantly.
Within five seconds—
“Hiss…”
Old Ghost and the mercenaries inhaled sharply.
Even through thick boots, they could clearly feel a wave of warmth rising from beneath their feet—like standing on a massive heated floor.
The indoor temperature climbed rapidly:
15°C… 20°C… 25°C!
“This is insane…” Old Ghost muttered, sweat forming on his forehead. His gaze toward Lin Qi had completely changed.
With this system, even if an ice age returned, this fortress would remain a warm paradise suspended in the sky.
At that moment—
A system notification exploded in Lin Qi’s vision.
[Ding! Photovoltaic matrix fully operational!]
[Ding! Triple-layer geothermal defense matrix fully deployed!]
[Energy system (2/2) — Natural solar matrix: ACTIVATED!]
[Dual energy cycle closure confirmed… SUCCESS!]
[Current fortress Lv1 unlock progress: 95%!]
[All physical armor, fossil energy, solar energy, and extreme cold defense systems completed.]
[System self-check in progress…]
Hearing the triumphant system voice, Lin Qi’s heartbeat quickened.
95%!
Only the final step remained.
She turned her gaze toward the empty rooftop terrace, now fully sealed with glass and solar tiles.
There, the final piece of her apocalypse puzzle awaited—
Food self-sufficiency.
“Old Ghost.”
She removed her windbreaker and tossed it aside, feeling the perfectly balanced indoor warmth.
“Tomorrow, countdown Day 11.”
“Install the highest-grade water purification system.”
“And bring in 200 tons of fertile black soil from Northeast China to fill that terrace.”
“My apocalypse Eden… it’s time to plant seeds.”