Chapter 13: Invincible Fortress

Master Liu swallowed, and Captain Chen’s jaw was about to drop. "The cost of tempered glass is too high! Why not consider composite glass or cement walls?" Safety in the apocalypse was paramount, and the key was saving time! Once the framework was erected, fitting the tempered glass would finish the job, like putting a giant cover over the villa. She simply didn’t have the time to waste! "For beauty," Jing Shu said after a moment’s thought. That reason was faultless, right? "Alright, the company has a batch of tempered glass that we haven’t been able to sell. I can give it to you at cost, but it will still be over a hundred thousand." Captain Chen swiftly jotted down the materials. "By the way, replace all the glass with triple-glazed insulating glass. It’s more upscale and provides better thermal and sound insulation." Jing Shu took out her design plans and began to discuss the ideas she had been considering lately. In the fourth year of the apocalypse, landslides and mudflows were common, with thunderstorms occurring almost daily but bringing no rain. Thunderclaps exploded right beside one’s ears, the sounds startling the heavens and frightening spirits. Sometimes the rumbling was so intense that the entire house shook. Sound insulation was necessary. The heavy snow in the fifth year was still fresh in Jing Shu’s memory; countless people had frozen or starved to death. Many died while digging for tree roots. Jing Shu had been covered in frostbite, which was itchy and painful. Once broken, the sores would ooze pus, then scab over, leaving large scars. Every day, there was an endless list of chores, and her labor only earned her a little tree bark and rotten food, never enough to stave off hunger. Clenching her fist, she resolved not to suffer full-body frostbite and disfigurement again. "I want to break through the back of the villa and add a boiler room, with the boiler connected to two stoves. That way, we can cook in the winter without lighting an open fire. Plus, we can add a kang, roast meat and nang inside, and at the very back, construct a coal storage room." Jing Shu pointed towards the rear corridor of the villa as she spoke, her mind drifting to the tantalizing thought of Nangkeng Meat. SLURP. In the north, homes typically used underfloor heating, and Jingshu’s villa originally had a wall-hung boiler system where you paid for the amount of gas consumed. However, from the second year of the apocalypse, gas and all other resources were dedicated to powering the Artificial Sun so the government could grow some food. Cooking or starting fires on one’s own was out of the question, as there was simply nothing to eat. Therefore, building a boiler room for self-sufficient heating was essential. In the future, they could cook using coal or charcoal, with both underfloor heating and air conditioning ensuring warmth. Step two of the fortress renovation: A dwelling warm in winter and cool in summer, with ample water and power, plenty of food, and a good life! "That’s easy. Just put a door in the corner of your kitchen." Captain Chen breathed a sigh of relief, hoping Jing Shu wouldn’t come up with any more outrageous ideas. Jing Shu led the two men to the front courtyard of the villa. "I had originally planned to plant flowers on both sides, but now I want to dig a small, slightly deeper pond on the left to raise lotuses and fish. I’ll install two rows of fluorescent lamps that mimic sunlight above the pond because I’m afraid of insufficient sunlight in winter." "Keep the middle passage as is. Underneath the right side, I want to install a water storage and circulation system, and we can continue planting things on top of it." Captain Chen, again swiftly jotting down the materials, said, "As long as the waterproofing is done well, there will be no problem. Don’t worry." The pond would be fairly small, about 8 square meters, while the water storage and circulation system would cover around 20 square meters. Jing Shu planned to plant vegetables on a plot of the same size above it. Jing Shu then led the two out to the entrance of the yard. "This area will be built into a storage and miscellaneous room, divided into four enclosed sections." It was actually meant for raising chickens and pigs. With the exterior plans settled, Jing Shu brought the two men back into the villa. Mr. Jing had used the finest materials and anti-theft doors and windows to outfit the villa, including a hidden basement with a security door. These did not need replacing. The first floor comprised a 40 sq.m living room (atrium style), a 15 sq.m kitchen, a 20 sq.m dining room, a 20 sq.m cloakroom, a 25 sq.m bedroom (with an en-suite bathroom), another 20 sq.m bedroom (with an en-suite toilet), and a 15 sq.m hall. "Move the dining room to the hall. Knock through the wall between the kitchen and the current dining room to create a large kitchen. Then, add another row of cabinets here. On that side, as you suggested, install another door connecting to the boiler room." This way, there will be plenty of space for the big freezer and the purchased supplies. Thinking about a super-large kitchen filled with various foods and supplies, Jing Shu felt a great sense of security. The second floor consisted of a large bedroom suite with a study, storage room, cloakroom, and bathroom. There was also another living room and an additional bedroom. "Convert the second-floor living room into a temperature-controlled flower room." This project would require a bit more work: modifying the water and electricity, changing pipes, adding insulation, building racks, setting up light fixtures, and more. Finally, Jing Shu reached the 40 sq.m terrace on the third floor. Unfortunately, it was already earmarked for various water storage tanks and solar power generation equipment. Jing Shu had initially wanted to farm there, but considering the severe water scarcity during the first year of the apocalypse, she decided it was better to install more water storage tanks for now, allowing for some farming in later years. "Install an elevator here, too. The people who install the water storage system are coming in a few days." Step three of the fortress renovation: Cultivate land, raise Domestic Poultry, and have eggs to eat and milk to drink. After spending an hour discussing their ideas, Captain Chen and Master Liu signed a contract with Jing Shu. The renovation of the villa was now officially in the hands of Master Chen’s team. "Guaranteed to be finished in fifteen days!" In the afternoon, Master Chen took Jing Shu to select various materials, which she then signed off on. All the materials were chosen in one day, with the total estimated cost exceeding 400,000—a figure that startled Jing Shu herself. During dinner at home that evening, Mr. Jing seemed hesitant, as if he wanted to say something. Seeing his daughter wolfing down her meal, he ultimately remained silent. His daughter had been smiling and talking less lately. She, who used to love dressing up and wearing different clothes every day, hadn’t changed her outfit in days now. What was happening? On November 7th, the quails in Jingshu’s space hatched. Jing Shu fed the ten newly hatched quails diluted Spiritual Spring water and assigned them numbers, while also marking new eggs. In the process, she collected another batch of chicken and duck eggs. Unfortunately, the chicken and duck eggs had not hatched even after five days of incubation. Jing Shu wondered if it would be faster to use eggs from hen number 1 for incubation. Hen number 1 had grown significantly larger and was now laying a whopping ten eggs a day. Considering the accelerated rate, it should have entered a period of decline, but it hadn’t. It remained the fighter jet of the hens. Jing Shu decided to observe for another seven days. If things remained the same, she could start consuming Spiritual Spring water in moderation. If there were no side effects after a while, she could give some to her parents as well. The cows, sheep, and pigs were thriving, and they were already half-grown. If progress continued at this rate, the sows, ewes, and cows would mature in a little over twenty days, while the males would need another month or so. It seemed that growth really was influenced by the Spiritual Spring water. These past few days, Jing Shu had been incredibly busy, barely having a moment’s rest. She had just managed to get the central air conditioning and solar power generation system installed. She told Captain Chen to deliver the remaining appliances after the kitchen renovation was complete. The four super-large water storage tanks almost filled the entire terrace. This finally eased Jing Shu’s fear of dying of thirst in the first year of the apocalypse, a time when she had only been able to lick her lips and rely on swallowing saliva to survive. The steel frames for the inverted-triangular tempered glass walls Jing Shu wanted were now fully erected. The design for the retractable roof was also complete. Tomorrow, the glass would be fitted, and the job would be done. Having half a day to herself, Jing Shu was about to go collect grains.