Chapter Summaries

Su Mo used a remote monitoring network and a virtual battlefield to direct an ambush on a dwarf convoy near Black Stone Camp. After the dwarves shut the camp gates in response, he prepared the Treant Team to attack when Li Hu returned.

• Su Mo confirmed that technicians had established stable camera feeds covering the roads and entrances around Black Stone Camp.
• Su Mo issued orders to his teams and contacted Li Hu, who was infiltrating the camp with a concealed communications device.
• Su Mo entered a simulated battlefield and used its live footage to spot concealment mistakes and guide Pei Shao's assault team.
• Pei Shao's team ambushed and defeated a dwarf convoy, while the transport group and Logistics Team secured the battlefield.
• The dwarves shut Black Stone Camp's gates after the alarm sounded, and Su Mo ordered the Treant Team to prepare to attack when Li Hu returned.

Su Mo used Li Hu and a Treefolk attack to frighten the Dwarves into abandoning their coal shipments, allowing the lowlands to take control of Black Stone Camp’s mines. The chapter ended with Su Mo learning that the camp’s stockpile held at least one hundred tons of coal.

• The Dwarves brought nine carts of coal to the lowlands, but Su Mo noted that the supply would last only a little over two days at full boiler power.
• Li Hu and the militia entered Black Stone Camp disguised as Dwarves, and Su Mo observed the camp’s defenses through Virtual Reality.
• Li Hu convinced the Dwarf leader that an unseen enemy had stolen the carts, while the militia gathered information inside the camp.
• Su Mo ordered the Treefolk to attack; they damaged the walls, killed three Dwarves, and retreated, prompting the Dwarf leader to identify them as the attackers.
• The Dwarf leader sent Li Hu to resume transporting coal and told him to abandon the shipments if the Treefolk attacked again, effectively relinquishing the mines.
• Su Mo visited the coal handover point, where the transport team reported that Black Stone Camp had at least one hundred tons of coal in storage.

Su Mo and Li Hu used staged attacks and deceptive coal transports to strip Black Stone Camp of most of its coal, carts, and Coolie Lizards. After the Dwarf leader agreed to trade the remaining twenty tons for Li Hu and the transport equipment, Su Mo’s plan stood to secure Wadi Village’s winter fuel.

• Su Mo monitored the staged robberies as Li Hu’s disguised teams repeatedly returned to Black Stone Camp and drew the Dwarf leader into sending out more transport crews.
• The Dwarf leader dispatched Ba Tum and Da Dan with hunting forces, but Su Mo’s Treant attacks and infiltrators caused both teams heavy losses.
• Li Hu persuaded the Dwarf leader to keep sending coal, while Wadi Village’s teams exchanged loads and recovered carts and Coolie Lizards.
• By 6:30 p.m., the transports had removed eighty tons of coal from Black Stone Camp, leaving twenty tons behind.
• Su Mo offered Li Hu, the carts, and the lizards in exchange for the remaining coal, and the frightened Dwarf leader agreed to the trade.

After the depression’s successful raid on Black Stone Camp, Su Mo planned to use the coming winter to build four modern production lines and strengthen the territory. He left the story envisioning a growing human settlement supported by food, clothing, construction, and vehicle factories.

• Su Mo gave ten Fairy Fruits to the Treant envoy, who accepted them and led the Treants away.
• Su Yuan and Shen Ke reported that the depression had obtained 104 tons of coal, while Chen Shen confirmed that Li Hu’s group had returned the carts and lizards to the dwarves.
• Su Mo ordered the villagers to eat a hot meal before returning home and arranged for King Kong to transport the coal before dawn.
• On the drive back, Su Mo recognized how heavily the managers were working and decided the depression needed broader economic development.
• Su Mo planned four production lines—a Food Factory, Clothing Factory, Construction Factory, and Vehicle Factory—to improve self-sufficiency and support expansion.

Su Mo inspected the village’s preparations for the approaching Heavy Snowfall and checked the rapid growth of the Rice Leaf, which had entered an unusual gestation stage. He left the chapter planning cautious research and further development while the territory report showed Hope Village nearing a civilization upgrade.

• Su Mo visited Lü Kuan, whose simulation of a new energy-utilization device failed before completion, and encouraged him to keep working on it.
• Su Mo surveyed Hope Village’s coal-powered heating, improved roads, and nearly completed monumental sculpture of Oreo.
• Su Mo inspected the Rice Leaf and found it would mature in six days, produce up to 64 leaves, and had begun gestating an unexplained change after exposure to Psionic Water.
• Su Mo pruned the Rice Leaf and decided to study its unusual development cautiously, mindful of the risks of researching secrets tied to a higher civilization.
• Su Mo reviewed the territory report, which listed 1,405 residents, a civilization-level progress of 97%, and a need for more housing and stronger authority for the Code.

Su Mo reviewed the territory’s growing potential and the rewards from his first territorial war, then announced that the settlement would soon have free electricity. Before he could begin upgrading the Energy Extraction Device, Lü Kuan arrived with news that his team had successfully developed an Energy Convergence Ring.

• Su Mo reviewed the territory’s attributes and survival-point rewards, noting that his territory had reached 22.1 potential and gained 210 Blue Survival Points.
• Su Mo told the managers that the settlement would have free electricity by the next day, prompting their excitement and disbelief.
• Su Mo assigned work on transplanting an Excellent-grade plant, building a greenhouse, and preparing for the Heavy Snowfall.
• Su Mo sent Chen Shen and Shen Ke to oversee their responsibilities, then headed back toward the shelter with food for Lü Kuan and Su Chan.
• Lü Kuan rushed to Su Mo and reported that the Energy Convergence Ring worked, using Energy Stones efficiently while reducing transmission loss to nearly zero.

Su Mo watched Lü Kuan demonstrate the Energy Convergence Ring, a new method for directing energy from energy stones that could enable wireless transmission at the speed of light. After learning that wired transmission could power the village with about eight hundred kilograms of stones, Su Mo hurried to organize the mining needed to begin electrification.

• Su Mo followed Lü Kuan to the Underground Shelter, where Lü Kuan demonstrated how energy-stone powder could gather and channel energy through an Energy Convergence Ring.
• Lü Kuan explained that the invention could support long-distance wireless energy transmission, though a ten-kilometer system would require far more energy stones than the territory had.
• Su Mo realized that Survival Points should serve as a safety net while researchers like Lü Kuan pushed the territory’s technology forward.
• Lü Kuan calculated that a wired system would need about eight hundred kilograms of energy stones to supply electricity to the village.
• Su Mo ordered the villagers to mine eight hundred kilograms that day and hurried off to organize the work.

Su Mo examined the Storage Flower and discovered that its seed pouch was made from Ancient Treant excrement, then appraised a Land Flower seed and found several ways to modify it. Unhappy with the seed’s random fertility bonus and long growth time, he began spending Survival Points to reroll its modification.

• Chen Shen reported that six hundred miners were ready, and Su Mo watched them begin mining Energy Stones.
• Su Mo planted a Storage Flower, harvested its petals and seeds, and appraised its pouch as Ancient Treant excrement with protective and preservative properties.
• Lü Kuan identified a seed as a Land Flower, whose growth could greatly increase soil fertility, and grew eager to experiment on it.
• Su Mo appraised the Land Flower’s random Pao Ze modification and found upgrade options for a Fertility Flower, a Sweet Rain Flower, or a randomized attribute.
• Su Mo rejected the first two upgrades because he needed the plant ready sooner and spent 100 Survival Points to reroll its modification.

Su Mo used the new transformation system on three Land Flower seeds and two Great Emperor Flower seeds, gaining powerful abilities that could improve ore purity, multiply plants, and instantly ripen a chosen plant. He left the chapter with the transformed seeds saved and planned to use the Great Emperor Flower’s sacrifice ability to overcome the Land Flower’s long growth time.

• Su Mo learned that transformations changed a plant’s gene points, with deeper transformations producing rarer and stronger abilities, then used 100 Survival Points to transform the first Land Flower seed.
• The first seed gained Reverse Growth, allowing it to mature immediately and enrich soil for six months before returning to seed form, so Su Mo saved it.
• Su Mo transformed the second and third Land Flower seeds, gaining Clone, which could produce up to 99 mature plants, and Turning Stone into Gold, which could increase ore purity by up to 50%.
• Su Mo appraised a Great Emperor Flower seed and rejected its Life Link ability because it offered only a small growth-speed boost to plants of the same grade.
• Su Mo rerolled the Great Emperor Flower seed and gained Sacrifice, which would kill the mature flower to instantly ripen one designated plant of Rare grade or lower.

Su Mo modified the Treant Tribe seeds, revived six specialists, and arranged for new research facilities as the shelter grew busier. That night, the experts assembled an energy extraction device and began building its supporting equipment, working until morning.

• Su Mo spent Survival Points modifying the Treant Tribe seeds, preparing Great Emperor Flowers with Offering, Reversion, and Wild Division for future cultivation.
• Su Mo chose Jiyang, Zhuo Junfan, and Su Deben for the next revivals, then revived Yan Xiaqing, Ouyang Guo, and Ai Jianqiang first.
• Yan Xiaqing, Ouyang Guo, and Ai Jianqiang adapted to their new bodies, while Su Mo revived Jiyang, Zhuo Junfan, and Su Deben with the remaining points.
• Su Mo decided the specialists needed dedicated laboratories and living quarters, and the returning villagers delivered the energy stones Lü Kuan needed.
• Lü Kuan and Ji Yang assembled the first Energy Extraction device, then joined the others in building demodulation equipment as Su Mo watched and helped through the night.

Su Mo and the researchers completed testing the Energy Extraction Device, proving it could deliver stable power. After resting, Su Mo discovered Oreo’s completed wonder had created a healing phenomenon and changed the statue internally, suggesting humans might access powers beyond technology.

• Su Mo watched the Energy Extraction Device pass its data checks, then directed the team to test its output stability and maximum power.
• The device passed every test by eight o’clock, and the team began laying wiring so the settlement could receive power before the Heavy Snowfall disaster.
• Su Mo slept until the afternoon and woke feeling unusually refreshed, then found a cloud and rainbow above Oreo’s statue releasing crystals that healed his skin and restored his cellular activity.
• Su Mo went to the village, where Shen Ke and the researchers showed him the statue and reported that its ordinary materials had gained vitality and its interior was changing.
• Su Mo recognized the statue’s transformation as a rare opportunity rather than a danger.

Su Mo learned that Oreo’s statue had become a wonder granting powerful benefits to the territory, then turned to prepare a greenhouse and plant seeds ahead of the coming Great Cooling. He left the chapter with the greenhouse ready and a plan to grow land flowers and the Great Emperor Flower for fertility and seed production.

• Su Mo learned that Oreo had transformed into a cloud above her statue and would return after a day.
• Su Mo appraised the completed Oreo Statue and discovered its Ice and Snow Kingdom and Ice and Snow Grace abilities.
• Su Mo decided to save the wonder-upgrade opportunity and went to inspect the greenhouse.
• Su Mo praised four villagers’ special fertilizer and named them the first members of the new planting department.
• Su Mo prepared seeds and planned to use land flowers and the Great Emperor Flower to improve fertility and produce seeds before the Great Cooling.

Su Mo planted Land Flower and Wild Division seeds to improve the greenhouse soil, then visited Hope Village’s Liaison Department to investigate the expedition led by Wang Yuanshuai. With no news from the Ten Thousand Mile Mountains and other signals also disrupted, he began scanning international radio frequencies and heard a flood of calls.

• Su Mo planted a Reverse Growth Land Flower with fertilizer and Psionic Water, and it rapidly matured and began nourishing the greenhouse soil.
• Su Mo planted the two remaining Wild Division seeds, instructed the militia to guard the gate, and went to the village’s External Search-and-Rescue Information Department.
• Zhang Biao told Su Mo that neither Wang Yuanshuai nor Liu Peiqiang had replied to an emergency transmission sent seventeen hours earlier.
• Su Mo considered whether the expedition had been destroyed, persuaded to betray Hope Village, or cut off by interference, while Zhang Biao reported that signals from surrounding areas had also grown scarce and intermittent.
• The information officers described developments across the New Continent, including trade, settlements, Prehistoric Ruins, and extraordinary items, but could not verify the stories.
• Su Mo tuned the receiver to the international frequency of 145 MHz, and the headset suddenly filled with a torrent of shouts.

Su Mo learned how Zhang Biao’s team used three radio channels to collect information and decided they should keep the channels running while concealing his identity for now. Worried about Marshal Wang’s disappearance in the mountains, he sent a second group to investigate, then heard Su Deben suggest that ruins left by Earthlings might be worth excavating.

• Su Mo listened to public radio channels and learned that Zhang Biao’s team had built three channels for combat, farming, and territory-development information.
• Zhang Biao proposed revealing that the channels belonged to Su Mo’s territory, but Su Mo said the timing was wrong and promised to appear if an opportunity arose.
• Su Mo told the team to monitor unusual channel activity and gather information about the Ten Thousand Mile Mountains before going to the Armed Forces Department.
• Su Mo ordered Li Hu to send a second group in the Earth Tiger to investigate the mountains and return before heavy snowfall the next night.
• Su Deben suggested that excavating ruins left by Earthlings could yield better results than the ruins others had found, prompting Su Mo to consider a bold idea.

Su Mo and Su Deben discussed unopened ruins, winter preparations, and reforms to Hope Village’s military and administration. As electricity came on across the village, Su Mo looked ahead to the final day before the disaster and the coming airdrop rewards.

• Su Deben told Su Mo about his father’s unexplored research base and identified two possible ruins, including one they could investigate after winter.
• Su Mo, Su Deben, and Li Hu reviewed Hope Village’s 150-person Armed Forces Department and discussed clearer responsibilities and staffing.
• Su Mo explained his Four Great Factories plan, and he said machinery could later be obtained from Ma Fei’s Liangfang Town.
• Su Mo and the others went outside to see sixteen streetlights illuminate the village, arranged in the shape of the Su Character.
• Su Mo reflected on Hope Village’s progress and resolved to face the coming disaster while pursuing authority and rewards.

On the final day before the long winter disaster, Su Mo confirmed that his health had improved and chose not to spend the day entering ruins. He investigated an anomaly at the Candlelight Village Time Ruins and finalized Hope Village’s new system of eight departments, leaving the territory poised to begin its restructuring.

• Su Mo appraised his body, saw that his physical age had returned to thirty-eight, and learned that Su Chan had hoped the ruins would appear.
• Su Mo noticed that the Candlelight Village Time Ruins had not opened, recorded the anomaly, and resolved to keep notes to track changes and protect his memory.
• Su Mo assessed Chen Shen’s strengths and weaknesses and considered Wang Yuanshuai as a possible deputy village chief if he returned safely.
• Su Mo assigned proposed leaders and staff for the Material, Task, Information, Supervisory, Villagers’ Union, and Science Departments.
• Su Mo finalized Hope Village’s eight-department structure, with himself retaining ultimate authority and the departments set to supervise and assist one another.

Su Mo organized the village’s responsibilities, visited its trade fair, and continued studying ways to restore cellular vitality while waiting for the platinum airdrop. He opened the first of three reward bags and received a large supply of meat and fresh vegetables, leaving the other two bags unopened.

• Su Mo decided to announce the village’s new organizational framework at the National Disaster Resistance Meeting and considered how the three official coupons were affecting local trade.
• Su Mo visited the village trade fair, bought several small items from Sun Di, and arranged for Su Chan to settle the payments.
• Su Mo studied research on alien abilities and considered ways to restore his cells’ vitality as the airdrop timer counted down.
• The platinum airdrop arrived at the village entrance, and Chen Shen carried its chest to Su Mo.
• Su Mo opened the first reward bag and received five tons each of mutton, beef, chicken, and fish, along with ten tons of fresh vegetables.

Su Mo opened three Platinum Airdrop bags and gained large supplies of meat and vegetables, construction materials, and a futuristic vehicle blueprint. He left the blueprint for Ai Jianfeng and the others to study, then went out to celebrate with the waiting villagers.

• Su Mo opened the food resource bag and received twenty tons of fresh meat and ten tons of fresh vegetables.
• Su Mo opened the materials bag and received Precision Screws, reinforcing steel bars, sand, and high-quality logs.
• Su Mo chose futuristic technology for the third bag and received an All-Terrain Small Climbing Vehicle blueprint from the Medium-Short Interstellar Age.
• Su Mo claimed the blueprint and found that it included production instructions for the vehicle and its related technology chains.
• Su Mo decided Ai Jianfeng and the others should study the blueprint and went to join the villagers waiting outside the village.

Su Mo revealed that the airdrop contained twenty tons of meat and ten tons of vegetables, lifting the Lowland's spirits as residents prepared for a hot pot feast and the coming Heavy Snowfall. As the evening meeting approached, Su Deben wondered whether humanity could truly be rebuilt, and Su Mo reassured him that they were doing well.

• Su Mo teased the administrators as they guessed what his airdrop contained, then announced that it was supplies.
• Su Mo claimed the airdrop at the village gate, where twenty tons of meat and ten tons of vegetables fell from a rift in the sky.
• Su Mo told the villagers to store the supplies and promised an unlimited hot pot feast, while Shen Ke and Su Yuan celebrated the replenished warehouses.
• The Lowland's residents prepared the meeting venue and carried out their detailed Heavy Snowfall preparations until evening.
• Su Mo urged Su Deben, Lü Kuan, and the others to get ready for the meeting, where he would announce new administrative positions and plans for the Four Great Factories.
• Su Deben asked whether they could restore humanity, and Su Mo told him not to overthink it because they were doing well.

Su Mo announced sixteen reforms that renamed the Lowlands the Tian Yuan Territory and established new governing, economic, and land-lease systems. After the villagers celebrated with a hot-pot banquet, they prepared to face the first wave of disaster arriving at midnight.

• Su Mo led Lü Kuan, Su Deben, and the others to Hope Village’s third general assembly, where Chen Shen announced the territory’s new name and Su Mo’s authority as its lord.
• Chen Shen introduced administrative departments, village planning, four factories, future trade and recruitment plans, and other reforms.
• Chen Shen announced that citizens could lease land cheaply for terms of five to one hundred years, prompting a great commotion among the villagers.
• Su Mo explained how land leases could encourage development, personal initiative, and a stronger sense of belonging, and the assembly concluded after sixteen policies were announced.
• Su Mo and the villagers ate together, then dispersed to collect their equipment and take up their assigned positions before the midnight disaster.