Chapter 409 - 187: Underground Shelter

Chapter 409: Chapter 187: Underground Shelter

It was a truly functional, fully-equipped underground survival space spanning five entire floors.

"The first floor is the living area. This is where I usually live," Li Rui explained. "I sometimes go up to the surface for a walk, but it never feels safe, so..."

Li Rui led Xu Mo along, explaining as they went, while Xu Mo observed his surroundings.

It was a normal living area, with bedrooms, restrooms, and shower rooms. There were even decorative paintings hanging on the corridor walls.

"This floor is mainly for living," Li Rui continued, noticing Xu Mo sizing up the surrounding rooms. "I have over a dozen rooms. I originally planned for my family to live here too, but now it’s just me, so most of them are empty."

Xu Mo looked at the vacant rooms. ’Just how many people did Li Rui plan to house when he built this shelter?’ he wondered. ’Living space for dozens... The amount of money this guy must have spent was surely no small sum.’

After passing through the first floor, the two arrived at the second, which was the amenities floor.

Here, Xu Mo saw a kitchen, a dining room, a recreation room, and a gym. In the rec room, he even spotted a TV, a sound system, and various gaming consoles.

"This floor is for living," Li Rui said. "A person can’t just survive; you need some entertainment too. Otherwise, you’d go crazy after a while."

Xu Mo nodded in understanding. In the apocalypse, the mental strain was harder to endure than material scarcity. Having a place to be active and blow off some steam was indeed very important.

The third floor was the storage area, and Xu Mo felt it was the largest level in the entire shelter. It was divided into several independent storerooms, their rows of shelves piled high with all sorts of supplies.

"If I’m frugal, the supplies on this floor are enough for me to live on for several years," Li Rui said.

Xu Mo remained silent, utterly shocked by such an obscene amount of supplies. ’This isn’t enough for one person to live frugally for a few years,’ he thought. ’This is a stockpile that could support more than ten people for many years!’

Xu Mo was even more surprised when they reached the fourth floor: the cultivation area. Rows of grow lights were mounted on the ceiling, illuminating several long planter boxes below, filled with various vegetables. Next to the planters were several large water tanks with fish swimming inside.

"This is an aquaponic ecosystem," Li Rui explained to Xu Mo. "The water is recycled, and the fish waste serves as fertilizer. I had this system custom-designed. Since it’s just me, a large part of the space isn’t even being used yet."

Xu Mo stared at the lush green vegetables, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

Beyond the fourth floor was the final level. Li Rui led Xu Mo through a heavy, blast-proof door, and the space opened up before them.

The first thing that caught his eye was the equipment area, where several large generators stood in neat rows, surrounded by various auxiliary systems.

Li Rui explained that this was the core of the shelter’s power system. It had diesel generators and hookups for solar panels and wind turbines, ensuring the shelter had uninterrupted power year-round.

Not far from the power systems, a water purification system was running. It could purify groundwater or collected rainwater, guaranteeing a supply of drinking water.

In addition, Li Rui also showed Xu Mo the ventilation system, the climate control system, and various backup facilities. In short, this shelter was a truly self-sufficient, closed ecosystem.

After the tour of the infrastructure, they came to the armory. Xu Mo saw a wall covered with all kinds of firearms, while shelves next to it held case after case of ammunition.

"I got all this through various channels," Li Rui said. "Gun control was really strict before the apocalypse. It wasn’t easy to get your hands on real firearms."

Xu Mo nodded in agreement.

In the deepest part of the armory were five modified vehicles, clearly suited for the apocalypse. Xu Mo even saw an armored car.

Seeing the armored car, Xu Mo froze for several seconds.

It was a real armored car, its military-green body, heavy plating, and massive tires signaling it was no ordinary vehicle.

"This one’s my proudest acquisition," Li Rui said, a hint of pride in his voice. "The engine is bulletproof, the tires are run-flats, the windows are bullet-resistant glass, and the body can withstand rifle rounds. If you want it, you can take it."

Xu Mo fell silent for a few seconds after hearing Li Rui’s offer, then finally shook his head.

"No thanks. That thing is too conspicuous, and it’s a gas-guzzler."

Li Rui nodded in understanding.

In the end, Xu Mo chose an SUV. It had a black body, rugged tires, and was retrofitted with protective mesh and a searchlight. The vehicle was in excellent condition.

After choosing the vehicle, Xu Mo asked Li Rui if he had any Cold Weapons.

Li Rui said he did and led Xu Mo to another corner of the armory.

There stood a row of weapon racks displaying a wide variety of neatly arranged Cold Weapons of every shape and size.

Li Rui explained that he had them all custom-made from special-grade steel, so their quality was absolutely top-notch. However, he didn’t really know how to use them himself, so they were mostly for display. He told Xu Mo to take his pick.

Xu Mo took two Mountain-Cutting Sabers from a rack. Both were the same model, with broad, sharp blades and anti-slip grips that felt very natural in his hand.

After choosing the Mountain-Cutting Sabers, Xu Mo also picked up a Two-Handed Sword. This sword had a long, slender blade. He gave it a few practice swings, and the blade cut through the air with a faint whoosh.