Wasteland Survivalist: A Scientific Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Survival

Gu Lang removed six hanging car tires from the tugboat.

These are common cushioning pads on ships, designed to prevent damage to the hull when it docks.

After hanging the tires on both sides of the yacht with ropes, it slowly sailed away from Dalu Island.

After adjusting its direction, it headed straight for the passenger terminal on land.

To save fuel, he maintained a low speed throughout the journey.

It was already evening, and the wind at sea was starting to pick up.

Fortunately, the sea conditions were relatively calm because the island is not far from the mainland.

He carefully controlled the throttle, keeping the speed at around 15 knots.

It saves fuel and makes it easier to deal with emergencies.

As they approached the berth, Gulang began to slow down in advance.

After observing the wind direction flag at the bow, we chose to moor in the crosswind direction, which would make it easier to control the boat's position.

Using inertia, the yacht slowly glided to the berth.

Upon hearing the sound of the buffer tires being crushed, Gu Lang shut off the engine.

He grabbed the rope, jumped ashore, and secured the bow and stern of the boat to the mooring bollards.

Without a moment's pause, he immediately walked back to the seafood processing plant.

The light truck that had accompanied me for over a thousand kilometers was now peacefully parked in a dark, cold storage room.

After using a drone to scout the surroundings and confirming that no one was around,

He drove the car out of the factory area and eventually docked it next to the yacht.

The next task was the arduous and tedious transfer of supplies.

He unloaded the transfer container full of supplies and piled it up next to the dock railing along with other large items.

Then, all the modular metal shelves inside the truck bed were disassembled.

They were moved into the yacht's recreation room and reassembled inside to maximize space utilization.

To prevent passengers from being injured by excessively large waves, the ship has installed numerous metal handrails.

Gu Lang then secured all the shelves to these locations using wire and rope.

Because the vehicles are quite bumpy when driving, these shelves originally came with guardrails.

However, considering that the rocking at sea would be even more intense, he removed the railing.

The fishing nets found on the shore were cut into net bags to secure supplies.

He was drenched in sweat after loading all the supplies onto the ship.

During a break, Gu Lang began searching the passenger terminal area again.

The primary target is the oil tanks standing next to the passenger terminal.

The result was still disappointing; a dozen empty oil drums were piled up next to the gas pump.

It silently tells a fact.

In the final moments of the evacuation, every last drop of diesel fuel was looted.

Looking at the light truck that still had some gasoline left, and then at the yacht's engine that could only "drink" diesel.

Gu Lang felt a wave of powerlessness; the two fuels were incompatible.

The diesel fuel he had painstakingly collected was already used to clear the landslide-stricken sections of the mountain road.

All of it was fed to the "oil guzzlers" excavators and bulldozers.

Gu Lang now only regrets his humble origins.

My ancestors didn't leave me any amazing little things.

It's like those treasures with accompanying spatial abilities or systems in post-apocalyptic novels.

Unfortunately, reality is cold, and he never heard the notification sound that only he could hear.

A variety of predicaments are emerging one after another.

Life was like Xiahou Dun looking at Louis XVI—it seemed endless.

Sitting on the mooring bollard, he began to evaluate solutions.

One is to modify the yacht and replace the marine gasoline engine.

He ruled out this idea first.

The project is enormous, not to mention whether one person can complete it.

Finding a device that matches the size is now extremely difficult.

Secondly, an electric motor is added, using solar panels and a range extender engine to generate electricity for propulsion.

This idea is also unreliable, as sunlight levels are so low during nuclear winter that power generation efficiency is completely insufficient.

The amount of electricity generated might not even be enough to maintain basic lighting inside the ship.

Furthermore, the yacht's gearbox looks extremely complex, and it feels like once it's taken apart, you can't possibly put it back together.

The third is to find diesel or alternative fuels.

Thinking of this, he slapped his thigh and stood up.

"Yes, we can use cooking oil to make biodiesel!"

He had done research before writing his online novel, "Survivalist: Doomsday Preparer".

The required materials are easy to obtain, and the production process is not particularly difficult.

The fuel problem can be solved as long as a large quantity of grease can be found.

It also yields a large amount of byproduct—glycerol.

He has potassium nitrate and sulfuric acid, which can be used to produce nitric acid.

Next, by simply nitrifying the glycerol, we can synthesize a deadly weapon.

Although the manufacturing and storage process is extremely dangerous, even a slight impact, friction, or vibration could cause a violent explosion.

Behind the Nobel Prize, the highest award in the scientific community, lies the loss of five lives.

However, using diatomaceous earth can stabilize nitroglycerin.

In addition to explosions, this substance has other uses.

When taken by the human body, it can dilate blood vessels and is used to treat and prevent coronary heart disease and angina pectoris.

Interestingly, the inventor Nobel suffered from severe rheumatic heart disease in his later years.

The doctor at the time recommended taking nitroglycerin, which he took as a joke or mockery.

He would rather have himself electrocuted than eat "explosives".

He ultimately died of a heart attack at the young age of 63, which can be considered a cruel joke.

Having thought this through, the next destination is already obvious.

Although Dandong City withstood the most intense nuclear attack, its central urban area was undoubtedly a high-intensity radiation hell.

But precisely because of this, both early survivors and later raiders avoided the area.

This means that warehouses, gas stations, and trading markets on the outskirts of cities may actually contain "treasures" that haven't been completely looted.

In contrast, Zanghe City had organized an evacuation and gathered a large number of refugees.

Competition for resources will inevitably be extremely fierce, and there may even be dangerous "berserkers," making the uncertainty too high.

After weighing the pros and cons, Dandong City, with its manageable risks and potentially higher returns, has become the only option at present.

As night fell, the sea breeze grew colder.

Gu Lang decided to spend the night on the yacht.

The environment inside the yacht's cabin is much more comfortable than in the car.

The radiation intensity at the seaside is low, and as long as ventilation equipment is not turned on, the enclosed environment can effectively isolate external radiation dust.

After pulling up the electric sliding gate of the dock, leaving an outdoor power source connected to the infrared alarm device.

Gulang anchored near the outer breakwater.

After finishing all that, he ate something simple.

I took a rare shower in the ship's shower room and then lay comfortably on the bed.

All I could hear was the mournful sound of the sea breeze whistling past the masts.

The yacht rocked gently in rhythm with the waves lapping against the pier.

Tomorrow, we will face that city of death.

He had already loaded all the empty oil drums he could find onto the truck.

Prepare to load any fuel that may be found.

Before going to sleep, he checked the action plan one last time.

Moving eastward along the coastline, try to be upwind of the southeast winds.

Start from the southern edge of Dandong City and look for oil storage facilities or grain and oil wholesale markets.