Six days remained until the apocalyptic flood.
A presence near his bed jolted Thomas awake. Instantly, a pistol materialized in his hand, pointed towards the intruder. He found Eight Lop staring back, frozen in terror, one hand outstretched.
"M-Mr. Boss... T-Tessia made breakfast... she sent me to wake you!"
Thomas's mind cleared. He glanced at the trust levels in his staff management interface before relaxing his grip. The pistol vanished. Rubbing his eyes, he said, "Eight Lop, I'm still getting used to having you both here."
After washing up, he entered the kitchen where Tessia emerged, carrying a pot of steaming oatmeal.
"Where did this come from?" Thomas asked, surprised.
"I saw plenty of food supplies in the warehouse, so I made some. Try it!" she replied. "Also, a large batch of weapons and equipment appeared in the warehouse last night."
Thomas knew the grenades he'd stashed in the trading center were responsible but simply nodded.
A dining table, placed there by Thomas, now held several dishes: seared lamb chops, toast with jam and cheese, canned salmon, and the freshly made oatmeal. While simple, the aroma made Thomas's stomach rumble. The lamb chops, apparently made from leftover mutton, were a particularly enticing touch. Tessia's Gourmet talent is definitely showing, he thought.
By the end of breakfast, Tessia's culinary skills had earned Thomas's full approval, and Eight Lop was singing her praises.
After the meal, Thomas assigned their tasks. "Eight Lop, your management talent is exceptional. You'll be in charge of managing and categorizing all hideout supplies. This includes organizing the output of the crafting facilities and replenishing their raw materials."
"I'd like a daily report on the hideout's resource status. Can you handle that?"
Eight Lop's eyes widened at the responsibility, then he nodded earnestly. "No problem, Mr. Boss. But…"
"But what?" Thomas prompted.
Eight Lop gestured towards the indoor hydroponics bay on the second basement level. "Mr. Boss, that hydroponics bay is empty. Could I cultivate it?"
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Thomas beamed. "Absolutely! The fertilizer and seeds are in the warehouse. The water supply is already connected; just turn it on for irrigation."
"Understood, Mr. Boss!" Eight Lop replied, clearly excited.
Thomas remembered the Dividing Pothos. "Eight Lop, check the living room later. There's a rare plant undergoing division. If you see any successful offshoots, plant them separately."
"Yes, Mr. Boss!" Eight Lop hurried off to begin his tasks.
Thomas led Tessia to the newly upgraded Level 2 Intelligence Center. The room was transformed. The single rickety table and laptop had been replaced by three computer monitors, a laptop, dedicated headsets, and comfortable chairs. Lines of code scrolled across the screens, reminiscent of a stock trader's setup.
The Level 2 Intelligence Center's information appeared on Thomas's interface:
[Intelligence Center] Level 2
* Type: Hideout Facility
* Effect 1: Provides one random intelligence report daily. Additional reports can be purchased with Apocalypse Coins (price varies based on value).
* Effect 2: Consume 10 Calamity Coins to obtain information on the next calamity. (Current Calamity Coins: 9/10)
* Effect 3: Grants access to one high-value intelligence report. Cooldown: 72 hours. (Current uses: 1/1)
* Effect 4: Enables Big Data Support, currently covering Sparrow City.
The Intelligence Center also unlocked new crafting options: confidential reports, blue folders containing materials, hard drives, flash drives, encrypted USB sticks, and other electronic devices, including upgraded communication devices similar to cell phones, surveillance cameras, and listening devices. However, these required advanced materials like high-definition lenses, Nokia phones, and wireless transmitters.
Thomas's eyes gleamed. The upgraded intelligence gathering capabilities were a significant boon. While it didn't refresh the free calamity prediction, the option to purchase the information with Calamity Coins was a game-changer, transforming it from a one-time use to a recurring strategic advantage. Calamity Coins were precious, but this was a price worth paying.
The ability to purchase specific intelligence reports was equally valuable, giving Thomas a degree of control over information acquisition. With 13 million Apocalypse Coins from the Butcher's hideout, he could afford to be liberal with his spending.
He had some ideas for the Big Data Support function but needed to experiment. Setting that aside for now, he approached another new facility:
[Calamity Coin Mine]
* Type: Hideout Facility
* Effect: Utilizes graphics cards' processing power to generate Calamity Coins. With all slots filled, produces one Calamity Coin every four hours.
* Available Graphics Card Slots: 10
Thomas produced ten graphics cards and inserted them into the slots. The Calamity Coin Mine whirred to life, a progress bar and timer appearing on the screen.
Tessia, following behind, recognized the Calamity Coin Mine. Its presence here, so early in the apocalypse, reinforced her awe of Thomas's capabilities. She had heard that only survivors who had weathered three or four calamities typically possessed such a facility. Just who is he? she wondered, the mystery surrounding Thomas deepening.