152: Boss, there's a situation.

Looking at this list, Tian Ming had a clear idea. The main materials missing were rebar and some high-molecular materials for waterproofing.

Rebar was easy to solve; he just needed to extract iron elements directly from the rock layers and then mix and proportion the materials. Waterproof coatings weren't very difficult for Tian Ming either.

They were basically some resin materials, fillers, additives, diluents, and so on. Common resin materials like acrylic resin and epoxy resin could all be synthesized directly. As for fillers like silicates, talcum powder, and titanium dioxide, Tian Ming could get as much as he wanted.

Architectural Expert Lu stood by, hesitant to speak. These past two days, when the Ability Users were digging the Underground City, they had to rest every three or four hours. Controlling their abilities was very mentally exhausting for them. The amount of these construction materials needed was enormous. If his boss had to handle everything alone, Architectural Expert Lu was afraid that such a workload would be too much for him.

Architectural Expert Lu tentatively asked, "Boss, these things have complex compositions and need to be synthesized. And the quantities are huge, so you need to be mentally prepared for the mental energy consumption."

Tian Ming smiled and waved his hand, "Architectural Expert Lu, do you think I'm the same as other Ability Users? I barely need to expend any mental energy to deal with these things. Give me one day, and I'll get you three months' worth of the materials you need."

Architectural Expert Lu was overjoyed at this and quickly replied, "That's great! With Boss here, the construction speed of our Underground City will definitely reach a new level."

"Then I won't bother you. I'll go prepare the materials for you. They'll all be piled in the shed, and you can come collect them tomorrow."

Architectural Expert Lu nodded, "Okay, thank you, Boss."

"Shen Yuan, come with me. Let's go produce rebar for them," Tian Ming said.

The two emerged from the underground base. The materials excavated from the Underground City were transported to the surface through vertical shafts. Some were processed into cement, while the rest were piled in the giant shed where the city walls were originally built.

These vertical shafts would later be converted into underground ventilation shafts, serving two purposes.

Tian Ming and Shen Yuan arrived inside the shed, which was filled with various rocks excavated from below.

Tian Ming looked at the rocks in front of him, then at Shen Yuan, "How about I extract, and you transform?"

Shen Yuan smiled and said, "Boss, my efficiency isn't as fast as yours. By the time I'm done transforming, you'll have mountains piled up."

Tian Ming nodded. The iron elements in the rocks were extracted by Tian Ming. Iron in nature exists in compound forms, such as rust, which is iron oxide, or as iron chlorides.

While extracting elements, by-products would also be derived, such as oxygen.

Tian Ming wouldn't let these by-products go to waste either; he would directly make some oxygen cylinders and store them in liquid form.

Most rebar used in construction is carbon steel. He had replicated it before, so it was basically effortless now.

Twenty-meter long rebars appeared one after another in the large shed, clattering as tons upon tons of steel emerged.

The other rocks were either transformed into cement by Tian Ming or used for industrial purification, such as silicon, aluminum, copper, and zinc. All these common metals were extracted and turned into metal ingots. For more chemically active ones, Tian Ming would even form a protective film on the outside.

These things were raw materials for the future development and manufacturing of the Shelter. Whether they were needed or not, he produced them all. This was also a strategic resource.

After a full day's work, almost all the excavated stones had been transformed into cement and construction steel by Tian Ming. The engineering team also sent people to transport them. The rest of the work was left to his subordinates.

With rebar and cement in hand, and a whole warehouse full of waterproof coating replicated, Tian Ming nodded with satisfaction at the day's achievements.

Just as they finished, Shen Yuan ran over, panting, and said, "Boss, there's, there's a situation?"

"What situation? You seem so excited?" Tian Ming asked with a smile.

"Our radio has been receiving a message for some time now. It's an encrypted message. Our information experts decrypted it and discovered a super-large Apocalypse base. I estimate there are a large number of survivors there, and it's probably related to the government."

Tian Ming's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Let's go, take me to see."

The two quickly arrived at the communication room in the underground base, where specialized personnel guarded the radio. This shortwave radio was also newly built by the Shelter and could basically receive signals from all over the world.

This extremely primitive communication method was also suitable for the current world. Besides ordinary people, various countries had prepared for the Apocalypse in advance. Therefore, the actual situation should be much better than Tian Ming had imagined.

If 10% of the survivor population remained, that would still be seven or eight hundred million people. If bases were built in advance and the industrial system was strong enough to produce food, then even more people might have survived.

The Shelter's radio almost constantly received radio messages from various places. However, there was usually an encryption method between bases. Without a codebook, it was impossible to know what the other party was communicating.

Although everyone spoke loudly, only bases recognized as allies could understand each other's communication. Other receiving terminals could also receive the messages sent by both parties, but they didn't know the specific content of their communication.

To decipher what others were saying, experts in that field were needed.

Shen Yuan held the decrypted information and said to Tian Ming, "Look, it's this."

Tian Ming took the paper, his brows slightly furrowed. It was a transcribed version of a conversation. The identities of Party A and Party B were completely unknown; their codenames were A and B respectively.

A: The current machine has completed its initial setup. Next, a test will be conducted, after which it can be put into use.

B: Have you identified the target?

A: Fully confirmed.

B: That Underground City is their most important stronghold at the moment. They will likely dispatch a considerable amount of troops.

A: There's no need to worry about that. Our current strength is sufficient to wipe out all their forces.

B: Very good. Then we'll trouble you. Please send the coordinates.

A: Coordinates cannot be exposed. Please assemble 158.6 hours after receiving this message, at noon in the ninth time zone when the sun's angle is....

...

Tian Ming frowned, "What is this stuff? I don't understand it at all?"

"Hehe!" Shen Yuan couldn't help but laugh, seeing Tian Ming frown.

"Don't gloat here. Quickly translate it for me."