Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 61 I Couldn't Have It

At the Taimon base, Su Xun and others were also watching the live broadcast. After confirming that the new tokamak device could operate for a long time, Feng Zheng called immediately.

"Your contribution to the successful operation of this fusion reactor is paramount, but due to necessary protections, we may not be able to announce your name for a long time. Comrade Su Xun, can you accept that?"

"I only provided a material. There were many other comrades who completed the specific design and modification work. Without any one of them, we would not have been able to achieve this victory."

"How many people live in obscurity and anonymity? I am not one of the special ones."

Su Xun smiled, and then suddenly thought of the predecessors who went to the Gobi Desert one after another. So he said to Feng Zhengze, "It should be my honor to enjoy the same treatment as the old predecessors who planted apple trees. I would be more than happy to do so."

Feng Zheng was filled with emotion, but he did not continue the topic. At this point in time, for many people, even a brief moment of celebration was a luxury.

"I received a report from Luzhou saying that the device has been modified to some extent and is expected to continue to be used after the cataclysm. I would like to hear your opinion on this matter."

Whether it's a fusion reactor or a fission reactor, the reactor itself is not actually a very sophisticated or complex thing. What's truly complex are the various external sensors and control systems.

Su Xun had recently reviewed the relevant projects. After discarding many unnecessary functions, ASEAN has simplified the reactors in various locations in recent days, retaining only basic power generation and protection capabilities, and replacing many control systems with vacuum tube technology.

This was partly due to Su Xun's help, including but not limited to the new materials he provided. It can only be said that materials science truly deserves to be called the mother of industry; once a breakthrough is made, many problems that seemed impossible to solve in the past can be easily solved.

The body of the EAST superconducting ring, which is covered by its outer shell, is actually covered with many seemingly outdated control devices.

Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the relevant renovation work can only be applied to key areas, while facilities that affect the broader public's livelihood are difficult to transform.

When asked about Feng Zhengze's question, Su Xun only thought for a moment before replying, "My suggestion is to stay where we are and provide energy support to the nearby shelters. There's not enough time for us to relocate them."

"Moreover, a fusion reactor is actually just a power plant. What's more important is the technical data it contains. This data is now being collected by libraries around the world. As long as the data is available, we will not only have one fusion reactor in the distant future."

The construction data related to a fusion device is so vast that even transmitting and printing it takes a long time. After the first ignition experiment in Luzhou confirmed the results, some institutions that had established library storage facilities began to quickly print out these materials.

Upon hearing Su Xun's explanation, Feng Zheng frowned slightly: "Will we still have the ability to create such things after the apocalypse?"

"Don't underestimate superhumans... but it will definitely take some time."

After receiving an affirmative reply, Feng Zhengze nodded and ended the communication. The General Secretariat was now at its busiest time, and the whole society was almost at a standstill. After the fusion lighting ceremony, all ASEAN cities would enter a state of complete control.

In fact, this control has been gradually underway for some time and is now in its final stages. If it weren't for the need to boost morale with the news of the nuclear fusion test, the celebrations in various places today wouldn't have even begun. After the brief celebrations, all people will be evacuated, either returning to their homes, entering shelters, or being placed in some hastily established resettlement sites—ASEAN currently has more than enough housing, even a surplus, but most areas still don't meet the basic requirement of one room per person.

As a result, some unsold properties were urgently requisitioned to accommodate a large number of displaced people from high-density urban areas. In some areas where housing resources were extremely scarce, a large number of so-called "temporary housing" units were simply converted from shipping containers and placed directly on the roadside.

Regarding transportation, the most important thing is to stop all private car travel, clear all major roads in the city, and public transportation will also be suspended tonight.

Recalling the traffic jams that were completely paralyzed in his previous life, and the numerous car accidents wherever he went, Su Xun couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia.

Why does it feel like the post-apocalyptic world isn't quite the same anymore?

Shaking his head to dismiss these far-fetched thoughts, he knew that traffic control was necessary. Not to mention how much easier it was for rescue and escape if the roads were cleared, how many of those who happened to be on the road during the apocalypse died in the countless car accidents in that instant?

At noon, Su Xun, who was still eating, received a message that an online meeting was about to be held. He hurriedly took a box of white porridge that Jiang Yi had packed and went to the command hall of the Taimeng base.

In the hall, several screens lit up, displaying the names of the base commanders serving as hubs across ASEAN. Su Xun recognized some of these people, and could only name others, but they were all on the list.

Qin Chang is currently in charge of specific affairs at the Taimon base, but Su Xun, as the deputy commander of the Kuafu Project and likely the future commander, can be said to be responsible for all bases.

The Sun Chasing Project simply selected the Taimon base as its office. Although it is located within the base, the actual hierarchical relationship is reversed.

However, if the apocalypse arrives and long-distance communication cannot be established in the short term, then each day will have to settle down in this place.

This online meeting was the last one held at various hub bases under the coordination of the Daily Project Team. Feng Zheng also participated at a base in Yanshan. With him present, Su Xun basically just listened in and occasionally offered some of his own opinions.

"...Then, based on the previous discussion, after the apocalypse, we will divide the area into thirteen blocks, with each region's hub as the core."

To facilitate management, the council finalized this plan. Of course, the situation varies from place to place, the scope of each block is different, and the strength also varies to some extent.

For example, the Taimeng Block, centered on the Taimeng Hub, or the Yanshan Block further north, is a structure that coordinates multiple surrounding shelters around a third-line base.

Meanwhile, the Shiwan Mountain area in the southwest, or the Loulan area in the Gobi Desert, consists of multiple large base clusters that watch over each other, forming a grid.

Following this pattern, each region adopted a management model tailored to its local conditions in preparation for the end times.

(End of this chapter)