53: Build a heating system

Tian Ming wouldn't care about the lives of one or two people, but if the entire Shelter had problems, he would definitely intervene.

The temperature was already below zero; if he didn't do something, everyone in the Shelter would freeze to death, and then what would be the point?

Soon, Gouzi called Aunt Lin and Zhang Hao over.

Zhang Hao had just finished arranging the newly arrived personnel, and Gouzi had also explained some of the Shelter's rules to him.

He accepted it very quickly; as long as it was for survival, he didn't care who the boss was.

As for the women they brought, they couldn't even protect themselves now, so they wouldn't care about those women's lives at all.

Tian Ming glanced at Gouzi and said, "The temperature has dropped very low, so I'm going to provide heating for the dorms.

We don't have enough warm clothing right now, but tomorrow, I'll get them all together, and you can come collect them then.

However, it will be on account; you'll pay it back later with food tickets and supply vouchers."

As Tian Ming's words fell, some square iron blocks appeared on the ground; these iron blocks were the raw materials Tian Ming used to forge heat sinks.

Soon, hundreds of heat sinks were manufactured by Tian Ming.

"Have someone distribute these heat sinks to every occupied room."

Gouzi, Aunt Lin, Zhang Hao, and others quickly went to gather people.

Everyone started to move, while Tian Ming walked along the dormitory building; wherever he walked, insulating pipes quickly generated as if drawn by a line.

Tian Ming's heating system was very simple: pipes connected all the heat sinks, forming a circuit.

This way, the heated oil would flow through one-way valves, bringing heat to every room.

Each building would have a boiler room in the management office below on the first floor.

Currently, the Shelter has over 1,100 people, occupying four dormitory buildings for both males and females.

The dormitory area currently uses 4 buildings and will be expanded in the future.

Tian Ming filled the heat exchange pipes with heat-conducting oil from transformer oil, which is a hydrocarbon and simple for Tian Ming to synthesize.

The reason he didn't use water was because when water boils, it would create steam pressure in the sealed pipes, which would be too dangerous.

Transformer oil is the same as the oil in oil heaters; its freezing point is minus 45 degrees.

Additionally, a manual pump is configured at the front end.

When heating, the oil is first pumped up with the manual pump, and once it's hot, it automatically forms a return flow under the action of a one-way valve.

Simplified diagram of the heating system, this is the principle, please don't take it too seriously.

By the time the four dorm buildings were finished, it was already dark.

As the boiler rooms were lit, the dormitories became warm, just like the heating in the north.

To isolate the danger, Tian Ming placed the hydrogen storage tanks outside the dorms, first vaporizing it with an evaporator, then directly piping it to the boiler rooms of the four dorms.

This rapid and miraculous method left the newly arrived personnel from yesterday dumbfounded.

They had already heard that their boss here possessed supernatural abilities, but who would have thought that in just four or five hours, heating would be provided to everyone's dorms?

After all this was done, those who had been warming themselves outside by the fire returned to their dorms, where it was no longer cold but warm as spring.

"The boss is truly amazing!" everyone exclaimed.

With heating, they no longer had to worry about freezing to death in this cold winter.

Tian Ming handed the keys to the boiler rooms to Aunt Lin and Zhang Hao, saying, "When lighting the fire, someone must be present to watch.

There must be at least two people watching, and I will send a patrol team to supervise.

If anyone dares to fall asleep in the boiler room, I will stop heating for the entire building."

Aunt Lin nodded repeatedly and said, "No, they absolutely won't fall asleep.

I will arrange for people to work in shifts."

Although Zhang Hao had just arrived, Tian Ming's displayed divine skill had already completely subdued him.

The burly man patted his chest and said, "If anyone dares to fall asleep while on duty, I'll choke them to death."

Tian Ming looked at Gouzi and said, "Heating starts at 8 PM every night and stops at 6 AM.

Starting tomorrow, I will make a batch of cold-proof clothing.

Everyone in the Shelter must go out and help me repair the city wall.

Since I am your boss, I will ensure you don't freeze to death.

But if you're lazy and court death, then don't blame me for being impolite."

Gouzi nodded repeatedly and said, "Don't worry, Boss.

If anyone dares to break the rules, I, Gouzi, will be the first to deal with them."

Whether men or women, everyone now greatly admired Tian Ming.

They had no choice but to admire him; with such heating, they could successfully get through this winter.

Walking out of the dormitory area, it was already late at night, and the accumulated snow outside was already above their calves.

Gouzi walked unsteadily behind Tian Ming.

"Boss, how much does the heating cost?" Gouzi asked.

"The heating cost is three hundred kilograms of food tickets per day, divided among each person," Tian Ming replied.

The daily heating cost per person was 300 grams of food tickets, while working to repair the city wall paid 2000 grams of food tickets per day.

After eating three meals and paying for heating, they could still save a few hundred grams.

Anyone with a brain would do the math themselves; Tian Ming wasn't afraid they wouldn't work.

Gouzi pondered for a moment and said, "This price is reasonable, roughly 300 grams per person when converted.

What if someone doesn't pay?"

Tian Ming smiled faintly and said, "They can put it on account.

Have them sign the ledger and write an IOU.

Heating cannot be cut off for one person individually, so let them owe it for now."

Upon hearing this, Gouzi suddenly felt that the boss seemed to have become much more lenient.

Before, the boss would never personally engage in infrastructure construction.

Today, not only did he set up heating, but he also, for the first time, allowed those people to owe for it.

"Boss, I find you very benevolent.

You'd best not be benevolent to these people.

They might take an inch and ask for a mile," Gouzi reminded him.

"Anyone who owes 50 kilograms of food tickets, no matter who they are, will be expelled from the Shelter and left to fend for themselves," Tian Ming said coldly.

There was always a limit to freeloading on food, drink, and heating.

Now that the cafeteria provided centralized supplies, they no longer directly supplied materials to survivors.

To eat, one had to work and earn food tickets.

You could owe, but if you didn't work, you would owe more and more.

Once the limit was reached, you would be expelled from the Shelter, which meant death.

Upon hearing this, Gouzi shivered; so that was the boss's fallback plan.

"Boss, this limit you've set is a bit high.

With food and heating, they could freeload for two months.

How about a ten-kilogram limit so they feel a sense of urgency?" Gouzi suggested.

Tian Ming shook his head slightly: "Some people get sick.

Building city walls is heavy physical labor, and injuries are common.

Some people may not have good physical strength, but they have a good attitude towards work, so they might earn a little less.

Giving them a higher limit allows these people to adjust themselves."

Food tickets and supply vouchers were equivalent to currency in the Shelter.

Those who worked hard could do a little more and earn a little more.

They could then rest properly when they felt unwell.

This way, Tian Ming wouldn't have to force them to work; they would naturally cooperate.

This was the basic operating system of society.

In a Shelter during the Apocalypse, the driving force was even stronger, because if one didn't work and was lazy, they would face the threat of death.