Chapter 350 : Surprise or Not?
That afternoon, after everyone had rested, Zhang Yi began assigning tasks.
The top priority now was building a solid defense line.
He gathered everyone together; after all, nobody could slack off when it came to this kind of work.
Lu Keran had already drawn up the plans. The defense line would encircle the shelter and surrounding villas, forming a circular wall with a radius of 500 meters, standing 20 meters high, and 10 meters thick!
The main construction materials would be steel beams and large ice blocksâresources they could easily acquire with strong defensive qualities.
The ice blocks had the added benefit of self-repair, thickening further in the cold weather.
With ten-meter-thick solid ice, they could withstand substantial firepower.
Zhang Yi assigned everyone their roles.
Lu Keran, a genius in mechanical engineering, hadnât specifically studied architecture, but her knowledge of mechanics far exceeded everyone elseâs, making her the natural leader for the construction.
Fatty Xu was in charge of gathering materials.
The most commonly used material for the wall was massive ice blocks, which they could easily collect from the Lu River.
Then, Zhang Yi would use his spatial abilities to transport them back.
Liang Yue would process the ice, shaping them into suitable building blocks.
Uncle You took charge of the heavy lifting, assembling the steel beams and massive ice blocks.
Over time, the ice blocks would naturally fuse, and the steel framework would meld into the structure, forming a virtually indestructible ice-and-steel barrier!
This would be the first line of defense around the shelter.
While not as fortified as the shelter itself, its primary purpose was to prevent surprise attacks and buy everyone time to retreat into the shelter.
Having acquired a significant stockpile of weapons and ammunition from West Hill Base, including heavy artillery and combat vehicles, Zhang Yi made some last-minute upgrades to the wallâs design.
Several openings were carved along the wallâs kilometers-long stretch, where they mounted artillery barrels, connecting these weapons to the shelterâs control system.
Thirty heavy machine guns, five large-caliber autocannons, six additional artillery guns, plus two tanks and four armored vehicles were also stationed on the wall.
Zhang Yi held back part of the heavy weaponry in his dimensional space for emergencies.
This plan thrilled everyone on-site. Once completed, this firepower-packed defense line would give them the confidence to withstand even a massive assault.
âAll right, letâs get started! This wall is our safety line, so no slacking!â Zhang Yi clapped his hands, grinning as he encouraged everyone to get to work.
As for Zhou Keâer, Yang Siyah, and Zhou Haimei, since they didnât have powers to help directly, they would prepare hot drinks and assist Lu Keran.
With assignments given, everyone headed to Lu River and got to work.
Despite the scale of the project, everyone here had some kind of superhuman abilityâno one was short on skills.
What usually required a full construction team could be divided among just a few.
Fatty Xu pressed his hands to the riverâs ice, and with a loud cracking sound, the surface split into large fissures.
Soon, an enormous, rectangular ice block rose from the ground, slowly levitating.
Zhang Yi quickly opened the Dimensional Gate and stored it in his spatial storage.
Fatty Xu, going all out, extracted ten huge ice blocks in one go.
The intense work soon left him out of breath.
âGrab a snack and rest up! Weâve got time,â Zhang Yi reassured him before taking the ice blocks back to the shelter.
The large, irregular ice blocks, each the size of a small house, lay on the ground.
With her blueprint in hand, Lu Keran directed the work, guiding Liang Yue as she shaped the ice into perfect blocks.
Without a word, Liang Yue pulled out her Tang Sword. The bright blade flashed, cutting through the air, leaving a large ice block perfectly squared.
Then it was Uncle Youâs turn.
He lifted one of the large ice blocks and slammed it firmly into the ground!
The giant, rectangular block, nearly thirty meters long, sunk deep into the earth like a wooden stake.
Due to frequent explosions, the ground around Cloud Manor was soft, so the foundation work went smoothly.
Uncle Youâs first task was setting the foundation, then he reinforced it with steel bars along the inner wall.
After the frame was ready, they would add a second layer of ice blocks inside, creating a double-layer defense.
This setup could withstand heavy artillery without shattering the structure.
They packed soil around it for stability.
The whole team worked tirelessly, even enjoying the labor.
In the sub-zero temperatures, with everyone bundled in thermal suits, the activity kept them warmâa rare luxury in the apocalypse.
These professional-grade suits, once reserved for specialized workers, were nearly impossible for ordinary people to afford.
Zhang Yiâs efficient team coordination sped up the work, and within hours, they had a hundred meters of the wall structure in place.
But as they worked, Zhang Yi noticed something out of the corner of his eye across the river.
Squinting, he recognized a vaguely familiar figure sneaking around.
It seemed like one of the students he had seen beforeânot familiar by name, but the face rang a bell.
Perhaps the large-scale ice extraction caught the attention of some in Xu Family Town.
Zhang Yi crossed his arms and smirked, barely caring what those people thought.
Those little weaklings? He could wipe them all out singlehandedly if he wanted.
Yet, something about the studentâs sneaky behavior piqued his curiosity.
Nearby, Fatty Xu, still panting, continued chipping away at the ice.
Since Zhang Yi couldnât do much to help at the moment, he pulled out a high-power telescope and observed the other side of the river from the embankment.
From this vantage point, he could see Xu Family Town clearly.
In the freezing temperatures, the town was dead silent. With so many able-bodied people lost at West Hill Base, few villagers remainedâmostly women, the elderly, and children.
But as he looked closer, Zhang Yi noticed something interesting.
The sneaky student wasnât alone; a young woman followed behind him.
The two of them slipped into a snow house, one after the other.
A faint, amused grin crossed Zhang Yiâs face.
These rich kids, still unable to resist their baser urges even now.
After working tirelessly to extract another ice block, Fatty Xu squatted on the ice, watching Zhang Yi curiously.
âBoss, what are you looking at?â
Zhang Yi lowered his telescope. âNothing. Take a break.â
He took the ice blocks back, and after Liang Yue finished processing them, Zhang Yi retrieved some food from his dimensional storage.
âGetting late. Take this food to your students,â he said, handing a bag to Liang Yue.
As she took it, Zhang Yi suddenly added, âBy the way, I wanted to apologize to you about something.â
Liang Yue looked puzzled. âApologize for what?â
Zhang Yi met her gaze sincerely. âI used to think your students were all selfish. But just now, I saw one of them helping a poor girl, and I feel I owe you an apology.â
Liang Yue found his words odd, as if there was some hidden meaning she couldnât quite grasp.
Zhang Yiâs mouth curved into a mysterious smile as he gestured toward Xu Family Town. âOver there, in the house on the east side of the village, your student is helping someone in need!â
Liang Yueâs expression changed instantly, realizing her student might be exploiting Xu Family Townâs vulnerable women and elderly!
As a teacher, she couldnât stand by and let her students do something so immoral!
âIâll go check it out!â she said, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder as she ran toward the river.
Meanwhile, inside the snow house, Wu Chengyu dragged a wooden plank, blocking the door.
These semi-underground snow houses were great for keeping out the cold, though the temperature still made it difficult for his body to react as heâd like.
Sighing as he looked at the pale, haggard woman before him, Wu Chengyu couldnât help feeling disappointed.
Back in Tianhai City, he was used to dating only the best women.
If he had any other options, he wouldnât have chosen someone like her.
But he had gone too long without, so heâd make do.
He pulled out half a meal box from his coat and threw it on the table.
When she saw it, her eyes brightened.
âHurry up. I donât have time to waste here.â
The woman gulped, reluctantly shifting her gaze from the food and crawling toward him.
By the time Liang Yue arrived, Wu Chengyu was already engaged in his sordid business.
Outside the snow house, she could hear the sounds coming from withinâsounds that made her cheeks flush.
She was in shock, unwilling to believe that the person inside was one of her students.
In the apocalypse, Xu Family Townâs women had lost their protectors and were barely surviving.
It was clear that the woman inside wasnât with Wu Chengyu out of love.
Either sheâd been coerced or forced to trade her body for something.
Regardless of the reason, Wu Chengyuâs actions enraged Liang Yue, her body shaking with fury.
As a woman, she could not tolerate the thought of her students, whom she worked so hard to protect, exploiting other women like this!
Author's Note
Hey "Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies" fans! The BOTI Translator Team hopes youâre enjoying the chapters. Please rate us 5 stars on NovelUpdates to keep the translations coming! đ