Red House

In the underground military facility, there were a total of six entrances, but four of them had been blocked due to collapses or explosions. Thanks to his enhanced strength, Dan could move larger stones, allowing him and Anna to seal three entrances. They chose these carefully, ensuring they were well-hidden and equipped with sturdy security gates. This strategic decision guaranteed both their escape routes and the base's defense.

Finally ridding himself of immediate concerns, Dan soothed Anna to sleep and lay down on a camp bed, pondering their next steps in silence.

Studying the system interface, he read the task description: "Survive thirty days successfully and build a safe shelter."

The resources they had on hand wouldn't sustain them for 30 days, let alone ensure complete safety. At best, they could hope for relative safety.

When considering safety, Dan's first thought turned to weapons. Having a means to fight back was essential, not only to deter potential intruders but also to prevent them from plundering the base. Even in this post-apocalyptic wasteland, makeshift firearms were still available. As for standard firearms, they were rare but not entirely extinct. While major cities might have them, such remote locations were unlikely to possess such resources.

Currently, water wasn't a pressing concern, but food remained a paramount issue. After completing the basic defense setup for the base, Dan had to devise a plan for procuring an adequate food supply.

With these thoughts in mind, Dan opened the map interface and surveyed the vicinity. The nearest location, known as the "Red House," appeared to be a small town with a supermarket, precisely where the red house was situated.

Upon analyzing the map markers, Dan observed that the red house didn't have a substantial number of food markers. Furthermore, many of the markers seemed to be mobile, suggesting they could be live animals or items under human control.

As a result, the Red House didn't seem to be an ideal search area for food. The terrain around the base, particularly the area toward the back mountain, provided a more extensive selection of wild food resources. However, it was fraught with danger due to the overlapping territories of mutant beasts and predators, making it a precarious option.

After all, the original owner had died there before, so he had to be cautious.

If something happened to him now, Anna would really be in danger!

Dan was upset, so he decided to go out for some fresh air. He saw Anna was asleep, so he quietly went out to breathe.

He didn't dare to go far when he came out, just stood near the door, trying to calm his irritable heart.

But at that moment, Dan seemed to hear rustling sounds. He didn't dare to make a sound but hid in the grass, peering outside. There was still moonlight, but for some reason, a dark cloud had appeared from the northwest. There was a sudden feeling of oppression in the air.

"What kind of place is this? The boss told us to find supplies, but what kind of supplies can be found in such a ghost place?"

As the footsteps got closer, Dan could hear the conversation clearly.

"Forget it, forget it, don't complain. If we don't want to eat wild grass roots, let's honestly look for something. I remember there's a household in this area. It seems he lives in a tin can with a little girl. Let's go around for a while and take a look. If things don't work out, we can grab that little girl and exchange her for something to eat."

"I see! That's a good idea."

These were bandits, Dan knew as soon as he heard them. Usually, only bandits did this. Looters were more savage, either killing or eating.

Of course, Dan was angry, but the bandits definitely had guns. Even if not everyone had one, at least these two would. Dan couldn't fight them yet. First, it would reveal his location, and second, it would expose the base's location.

Thinking of this, Dan decided to stay silent and hidden. He didn't want the bandits to find him.

He waited for the two people to move away, then cautiously found a slightly higher spot where he could observe them from a distance.

But at that moment, he also noticed that the sky in the distance was covered with dark clouds, and the wind in the air became humid.

It's going to rain, and it looks like a heavy one!

Heavy rain or a torrential downpour could be deadly.

The heavier the rain, the more radiation it brought. If there was a thunderstorm, and if they were really in the oil storage tank at that moment, Dan was afraid they would die inside it.

Boom!

A flash of lightning split the sky, and Dan immediately retreated into the hole. When he was about to close the door, he noticed an indicator light in the lower right corner of the door.

"Is this door powered? Is it an electronic security door?"

Dan inspected the door. After coming in, he locked the door with an iron rod. He found that the door could indeed be electrified because he saw wires beside the threshold.

If the main power could be restored, the door could be locked through the electronic control switch!

While Dan was contemplating this, he heard thunder cracking continuously in the sky. Then a torrential rain fell sharply. The oil storage tank would definitely not withstand such heavy rain, as it was riddled with holes. Dan didn't know what would happen to the two bandits, but with such heavy rain, their situation wouldn't be good!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The heavy rain outside fell sharply, the raindrops hitting the hillside with a muffled sound. The bursts of thunder seemed to wake Anna up. She woke up and found her father wasn't there, so she hurriedly ran out to find him. It turned out her father was standing at the door, listening to the rain.

The little girl rubbed her eyes and asked, "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"It's raining outside, heavily. Let's go and have a look."

"No, no, we'll get sick from the radiation in the rain."

"Silly girl, there's an observation post up there. Let's go!"

Dan took the little girl to the top using a small staircase on the side. In the dark fort, Dan could see the outside through thin crenels. The dark surroundings were drenched in heavy rain, and Dan could see sporadic firelights flickering under the mountain.

Anna looked at the firelight curiously and asked, "Dad, what's that?"

"Those are predators. They're trying to avoid the rain. After the rain, many of them will probably die." Dan smiled and touched Anna's little head, saying, "But we have nothing to worry about. Let's go, let's sleep peacefully. With this place, we can sleep soundly, waiting for those people outside to meet their fate. Tomorrow, we can search to see if we can find something useful!"