Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

In front of the open space is a large body of water, roughly the size of a football field.

Gu Lang told He Ping to stay in the car, and then he picked up his rifle, jumped out of the car, and went to the lakeside.

He saw a dam being built on the opposite bank of the lake. The dam was not high, about seven or eight meters high by his eyes.

The water from the overflow outlet is rushing downstream, making a continuous sound.

Next to the dam is a single-story factory building with faded light green paint on the exterior walls.

Several oil drums and a roll of cable were piled up at the entrance of the factory.

About 100 meters away from the factory, there is a three-story dormitory building.

The exterior walls are covered with new and old tiles of different colors, but the windows are made of thermally broken aluminum, which looks like they were just installed.

On other open spaces around the hydroelectric power station, some simple buildings can be seen, which appear to be facilities for planting and breeding.

Gu Lang carefully observed the structure of the dam and the layout of the factory buildings, then turned and swept his gaze around the perimeter wall and the surrounding mountain slopes.

The hydroelectric power station is in an excellent location, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the only entrance and exit being the man-made road.

The factory area was enclosed by a wall built along the foot of the mountain, forming a closed pocket around the entire factory area.

The dam to the south serves as both a water source and a barrier; below the dam lies a steep valley that is difficult for humans to climb.

Even without the suspension bridge and trench, this terrain alone already possesses a natural defensive advantage.

He had only guessed from Bai Lang's few words that the conditions at this refuge were good.

But it was only after seeing it with my own eyes that I truly realized the weight of the words "refuge".

Gu Lang stood on a rock by the lake, his mind racing with information about the small hydroelectric power station.

According to the standards set by China in the 1990s, hydropower stations with a single installed capacity of 50,000 kilowatts or less are classified as small hydropower stations.

In the past, when the power grid was not well-developed, village collectives in remote mountainous areas would often pool their money to build reservoirs in order to solve their electricity problems.

It can both irrigate farmland and generate electricity independently.

Over the decades, more than 40,000 small hydropower stations have been built across the country, widely distributed in remote mountainous areas that are difficult for large power grids to cover.

Located in the mountainous region of southwest China, Shiwanshan is rich in water resources and has a large elevation difference.

It's perfectly normal to have a small hydroelectric power station, which is one of the reasons why Gulang chose to settle here.

In his mind, the small hydroelectric power station was the only ready-made facility in the world that could be called a post-apocalyptic survival fortress.

Although most small hydropower stations have a generating capacity of no more than one megawatt, some are so pitiful that they only have one generator unit.

However, any small hydropower project will inevitably have a complete engineering system.

A fence to protect wildlife, a factory building, a reservoir enclosed by a dam, a hydroelectric generator set, and supporting office and dormitory buildings.

Taken together, they form a base capable of sustaining independent operation for a long period.

On the other hand, in peacetime, small hydroelectric power stations are also places that truly fit the definition of a "villa".

To qualify as a villa, it must first be distinct.

A house that a large family uses as their main residence doesn't deserve to be called a villa at all.

At best, it's a detached house; most of them are just like self-built houses in rural areas.

Especially after the "villa restriction order" was issued, real estate developers built a large number of substandard "townhouses" and "stacked villas".

Not only are the prices outrageously high, but the living experience is also extremely poor.

Including property management fees, maintenance fees, and utility expenses, the annual holding costs are surprisingly high.

The primary function of a villa should be to assist daily living and enhance the living experience.

Used for vacations and leisure, winter shelter, and as a refuge in emergencies.

Small hydropower stations in mountainous areas perfectly meet all of the above conditions.

Although hydroelectric power stations are often located in extremely remote areas, a road connecting them to the main road will always be built during construction.

The specific road conditions vary depending on the construction date and funding.

No matter how bad the road is, at least it's passable for off-road vehicles.

Since it is itself a power generation facility, hydropower is supplied almost without limit.

The electricity that isn't used up can be sold online for money.

In recent years, the government has been gradually regulating small hydropower and deliberately lowering the on-grid electricity price.

After being nationalized through policy measures, the dam was dismantled and the ecology restored.

This means that while larger-scale small hydropower stations still have commercial development value, small-scale micro-power stations can no longer make money.

Even so, the revenue from selling electricity is real and sufficient to cover the maintenance costs of the turbines and the power station itself.

If used as a villa or refuge, there are virtually no holding costs.

In conclusion, small hydropower stations are a model of combining peacetime and wartime functions, integrating peacetime leisure and recreation with wartime escape and survival.

Gu Lang only considered the ruins of a bandit stronghold because he was short of money.

If he had the money, his first choice would also be a small hydroelectric power station like this.

"This hydroelectric power station looks pretty good, huh? When did you buy it?"

Seeing Bai Lang approaching, Gu Lang smiled and turned around to ask.

Bai Lang bent down, picked up a pebble, and threw it forcefully. The pebble bounced three times on the water's surface before sinking.

He patted the sand off his hands and began to tell the story of the small hydroelectric power station.

It was winter one year when Bai Lang brought his family to Fangcheng Port in the south for a winter vacation.

Feeling bored, I drove into the mountains and wandered around aimlessly.

While playing in the river downstream, he unexpectedly saw the dam of the hydroelectric power station.

Out of curiosity, I decided to go and visit.

The factory gate was open at the time, and after entering, he encountered the previous owner of the hydroelectric power station.

The original owner was a businessman from Hu Nan who bought the hydroelectric power station from the local village collective a few years ago.

At that time, Longguo Power Group had completed the power grid coverage project for all inhabited villages.

In addition, almost all the young people in the village have gone out to work, leaving behind mostly elderly people.

After the power grid was connected to every village, there was neither the energy nor the technology to maintain this small hydropower station, which was no longer of much use.

After seeing the listing for sale, the original owner bought the place for 200 million yuan.

They then set up hundreds of mining machines in the factory to mine the virtual currency "Bitcoin" for profit.

Since water and electricity are free, the only costs are the depreciation of the mining machines and the cost of internet broadband.

After making a fortune in a few years, cryptocurrency prices have crashed repeatedly.

Mining profits have plummeted to the point where they can't even cover the maintenance costs and labor costs of hydroelectric power stations.

The original owner dismantled the mining machine and sold it, replacing it with "Chia Coin" mined using a hard drive.

As a result, after only a few months of mining, the price of hard drive virtual currency also plummeted.

When Bai Lang went inside for a visit, the man was busy dismantling and selling hard drives, preparing to dump the hydroelectric power station.

So he immediately seized the opportunity and decided to take over the place.

Wielding the Dragon Slayer Sword, he slashed the price down to 150 million yuan.

They bought the small hydroelectric power station for the price of an ordinary apartment at the time.