Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Gu Lang pushed open the warehouse door and the staff break room.

Unfortunately, the interior was also completely empty.

He angrily kicked the overturned box on the ground, and a cylinder with a handle rolled out of it.

I picked it up and examined it closely, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a hand-cranked pump used for oil extraction.

Continuing the search, they found two matching plastic hoses.

He walked quickly to the open space next to the refueling island, his eyes sweeping rapidly across the concrete ground.

Ultimately, a heavy cast iron dome was chosen.

That's not an ordinary manhole cover; it has a rotating handle locking mechanism.

Gu Lang put on his gloves and gripped the handle with both hands.

Use all your strength to rotate counterclockwise.

With a crisp "click," the internal latches finally snapped open.

Next, he inserted a crowbar into the gap at the edge.

With the help of his weight, he pressed down hard and the heavy manhole cover was finally lifted.

They pushed it aside forcefully, revealing the oil tank maintenance well underneath.

For safety reasons, gas stations store gasoline and diesel fuel in double-walled steel tanks several meters underground.

Tanker trucks are filled with oil through independent unloading ports, while fuel dispensers draw oil from the tanks through their own pipelines.

Gu Lang jumped down into the maintenance well, his feet landing on the cold cement platform.

The headlamp illuminated the bottom of the well, revealing a thick, dark red metal pipe.

There are three distinct interfaces above the pipe.

In the very center is a thick steel plate with a diameter of 60 centimeters.

This is the highest level of sealing for a manhole cover, which is clearly not his target.

The manhole cover was unusually heavy, and the dozen or so fastening bolts were difficult to remove due to years of corrosion.

For Gu Lang, who was all alone.

Without specialized tools and help, opening it would be an almost impossible task.

Even if he miraculously opened the manhole cover, it would have been extremely dangerous.

This is equivalent to completely exposing the interior space of the underground oil tank to the air.

The large opening will cause the oil and gas accumulated inside the tank to gush out instantly.

Even the slightest spark, whether it's a tool falling or static electricity generated by clothing rubbing together, can cause a fire.

These are enough to ignite the high concentration of oil and gas in the well, causing a devastating explosion.

This opening looks like a submarine hatch, but it is actually a personnel passage for cleaning and maintenance.

Turning it on without purging the oil and gas is tantamount to defusing a bomb.

Gu Lang turned his gaze to the left, where he saw a threaded cap, 10 centimeters in diameter.

It also comes with a set of yellow locks, making it particularly eye-catching.

What's protected below is the oil gauging hole, which is also the target he's looking for.

On the right side is a more complex device.

A thick steel pipe extends out, with a flange with a groove at the end.

Above the tube is a bright red T-shaped handle.

Gu Lang had already guessed that it was the unloading pipe and its emergency shut-off valve.

Although this is also an entry point, it usually has an overflow prevention valve design inside.

This made it impossible to insert the hose, let alone extract gasoline from it.

Therefore, the only way to "steal oil" is through the gauging hole that goes directly to the bottom of the tank.

Although small in size, it is large enough to allow a dipstick or oil suction hose to pass through.

Using a crowbar to break the latch, Gu Lang used an adjustable wrench to hold the ridge of the gauging port cover in place.

With a metallic scraping sound, the lid was slowly unscrewed.

The gauging hole is routinely used for measuring oil level and taking samples, so it is not difficult to open.

That's why it has an anti-theft lock on it.

Gu Lang found a small stone and tied it to one end of the hose.

Then carefully drop it into the oil tank through the measuring hole.

The weight of the stone ensured that the pipe opening could sink below the oil surface.

All of this knowledge and skills, he learned from a "friend".

In practice, it's not difficult at all; there's only one real challenge.

"After doing all this, why weren't you arrested?"

In his memory, the released prisoner showed a look of remorse.

Next, Gu Lang connected the outlet hose to an empty oil drum.

With preparations complete, he began to rhythmically and forcefully crank the handle of the oil pump.

Initially, there was no response after dozens of attempts; the pump body was dry and unable to generate negative pressure.

He didn't give up; beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his arms began to ache and go numb.

Just as he was about to exhaust himself, he heard a "glug" sound.

A jet of oil suddenly gushed out from the outlet hose and poured into the oil drum with a whooshing sound.

The strong smell of gasoline instantly filled the air.

"It's a success!"

Gu Lang excitedly switched to his other hand and continued shaking.

After spending some time pumping up a large amount of 92-octane gasoline, the light truck's fuel tank was refilled.

He changed to a different refueling station and used the same method to open a manhole cover marked with the letters "ULSD".

The goal this time is to extract some diesel fuel.

Compared to gasoline, which is flammable, explosive, and volatile.

Diesel fuel is much more stable, with many advantages such as a high flash point, a high ignition point, and low volatility.

Regular gasoline typically has a shelf life of only 6 months, while ethanol gasoline has a shelf life of only 3 months.

Diesel fuel can be stored for at least a year, or even longer.

Therefore, Gulang does not intend to stockpile too much gasoline.

As the gasoline gradually became less effective, he prepared to switch to a diesel generator to charge his light truck.

Turning the handle again, this time the oil was not successfully pumped up.

"Hey, I guess the oil tank is almost empty and the hose isn't long enough."

Gu Lang sighed and pulled out the flexible tube.

Arriving at the gas station restroom, I tried to find a longer plastic pipe.

After searching for a while, he was unable to find what he was looking for.

"So it really isn't that easy?"

After hesitating for a while, Gu Lang decided to risk going to the main building where the shopping and dining area was located.

In addition to pipes, we also need to find some suitable containers to hold the oil.

There's still some space in the vehicle, so we must collect as much fuel as possible.

If we miss this rare opportunity, we don't know when the next supply will come.

While he was working at the gas station, he kept an eye on the main building.

More than an hour has passed, and there has been no movement from that side, so it seems that there really is no one there.

But after learning his lesson once, Gu Lang learned his lesson.

Before this expedition, he made thorough preparations.

Secure the holster to your right lower back with a belt to prevent it from falling off while running.

The scabbard of the dagger was secured to the left lower back in the same way.

Crossbows and homemade guns were worn diagonally across the body with gun straps.

The boar spear and entrenching tool were secured to the straps on both sides of the backpack.

The net bag contained two Molotov cocktails, which were secured twice with a quick-release knot tied with paracord.

The gas mask obstructed his vision too much, so he only wore an N95 mask and goggles.

Once the headlamp is attached to the helmet, the protective gear is complete.

Gu Lang now looks like a humanoid Gundam; he's only missing a shield to reach his full armor form.

Previously, due to the "grey man principle," he disliked that tactical carrying gear was too conspicuous and therefore did not purchase it.

I never imagined that order would collapse to this extent in such a short time.

This was completely unexpected for Gu Lang.

With the situation changing drastically, he has now added tactical backpacks and tactical vests to his search list.