Cave Refuge

Dong Tianyu looked at the cab of the small truck and thought about the bulky cold resistant clothing. He wouldn't even be able to get into the cab if he put that on, let alone drive.

He was a bit confused at first, but it all became clear when he realised that his civilian truck would likely be useless once the outside temperature dropped to tens of degrees below zero.

In his previous life, during the onset of the harsh winters, the vehicles used by the officials to transport food were probably special vehicles, something ordinary people wouldn't even have access to.

With that thought, Dong Tianyu stopped pondering. He checked the power generation equipment in the Refuge Center, refueled it and then prepared to leave.

Right before he was about to leave, an idea flashed across his mind. He went back to the Cave Mansion, gathered some long-lasting supplies, moved some of them into the truck, and then sent the truck into the Shadow Space.

Dong Tianyu was not sure if the Refuge Center, which had now been transformed into something mysterious, could withstand the electromagnetic pulse attack. So, it was safer to keep the truck in the Shadow Space.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead from the recent moving work, Dong Tianyu thought to himself, that it would be nice if he could use the Shadow Space at any time. Unfortunately, he could only use Shadow Space freely in his Cave Mansion and was unable to use it once he left.

Dong Tianyu leisurely left the Refuge Center on the small e-scooter, previously parked in the manor. On his way, he happened to run into the village chief.

"Little Dong, how is that maze thing you were working on in the mountains? I used to see vehicles going up and down, but none recently."

In response to the village chief's question, Dong Tianyu replied helplessly, "With the virus outbreak, the cars were going to transport equipment that wasn't moved in time. Now, the base in the mountain is just built, I am arranging for the layout and dealing with all the messy procedures."

The village leader pondered for a moment before speaking again, "Those procedures are complex indeed. But if the construction at the mountain has completed, why haven't I seen the utility workers coming to connect water and electricity?"

"I went to ask, to get utilities to the mountain, we have to have a separate route, which is too expensive. So, for the initial stage, we'll buy bottled water, and for electricity, we'll use a generator."

After hearing Dong Tianyu's solution, the village leader was upset, "Little Dong, this is not right. Using a generator is dangerous. Storing fuel on the mountain could lead to a significant accident. You should contact the power company to run a line up."

"The mountain definitely needs electricity, but you know my costs are high, so I'll put it on hold for now, until I make enough money to afford it."

Hearing what Dong Tianyu said, the village chief knew he couldn't say much more. After all, Dong could just say he was out of money, which would put an end to the conversation unless he decided to use village funds.

Seeing the village chief leave unhappily, Dong Tianyu scorns, although at first, he didn't understand the village chief's intentions.

However, after Dong Tianyu openly discussed the matter with others, a knowledgeable friend saw the real matter from the lease term and aroused Dong's alertness.

The friend also suggested several solutions. Unfortunately, nobody knew Dong Tianyu's real purpose, so the issue was eventually dropped.

Looking at the circled dates on the calendar drawing nearer, Dong Tianyu considered sending his parents on a trip to Kyoto. During the second disaster, his parents would be in Kyoto, where they could directly enter the Refuge Center in Kyoto.

After careful consideration, he abandoned the idea. As the saying goes, a person's worth diminishes when they are away from home. Being bullied in Kyoto without any relatives is probably worse than staying in Pengcheng, where the whole family can stick together for safety.

It's also about time to discuss this with his parents, to ask what they prefer during the disaster, whether to stay with him or go to the official Refuge Center.

He glanced at the date marked on the calendar and immediately called home, telling his parents that he would be coming home for dinner.

As Dong Tianyu frequently comes home for meals, the dinner was as usual, three people and four dishes, which also included a big stew left over from yesterday.

"When you call home to have a meal by yourself, there must be something to be said. Tell me, are you out of money because of a girlfriend, or are you simply broke?" As the saying goes, a father knows his child best. Mr. Thompson set the situation straight right off the bat.

Mrs. Thompson also added, "When you bring a girlfriend to meet us, we can give you 2000 a month. For the rest, talk to me about the money."

Listening to his parents' words, Dong Tianyu was a bit speechless, but he said, "I came home today to discuss something serious with you."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Thompson immediately retorted, "I can't think of anything more serious than having a child."

"Alright, let him speak and don't interrupt," said Mr. Thompson.

Seeing that they had set down their chopsticks, Mrs. Thompson started tidying up the kitchen, as it was next to the dining table she could hear what Dong Tianyu was saying.

"Dad, a friend told me that there will be more control periods similar to the virus outbreaks, and they will last longer. I've made some preparations and I'm back today to ask about your thoughts," said Dong Tianyu.

Mr. Thompson didn't ask for details upon hearing this. Instead, he asked Dong Tianyu seriously, "Is the source reliable?"

Dong Tianyu became serious, "The message is not only reliable, but the situation is also much worse than a few years ago."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Thompson thought for a moment before speaking again, "If it's that serious, should our family be stocking up on more food?"

To his surprise, Dong Tianyu shook his head, "No need to stock up on food, I've set up a small Refuge Center outside. If you're willing, we three can live there. If you don't want to, I've prepared a backpack of instant noodles for you. There's no use carrying anything else."

Hearing this, Mr. Thompson, who had previous experience, immediately understood what Dong Tianyu meant when he said there was no use taking more things, and then couldn't help asking, "Is it really so serious?"

"It's worse than you can imagine."

Upon hearing Dong Tianyu's words, Mr. Thompson's face changed dramatically. At this point, Mrs. Thompson had finished cleaning up the kitchen. Seeing Mr. Thompson's changed expression, she quickly grabbed one of his hands, then said, "Let our son explain in detail first."