The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten with a grayish hue.

Pang Dahai, along with his two wives, embarked on an unprecedented culinary revolution in their newly renovated kitchen.

He used the finest flour, added oils obtained from exotic beasts and a naturally fermentable mushroom powder, and kneaded it to create an unprecedentedly soft and elastic dough.

When the first batch of golden-brown bread, fragrant with the aroma of wheat and milk, and as soft as clouds, was taken out of his modified oven, an overpowering aroma that could awaken one's most primal appetite instantly swept through the entire shelter.

On this day, everyone in the shelter no longer had hard flatbread for lunch, but soft bread, chewy noodles, and thick, smooth dumplings cooked in broth.

People eat with almost reverence.

They savored the delicate texture and felt the pure aroma of wheat blossom on their taste buds.

They knew that this was not just a change in food, but a revolutionary leap in their quality of life.

When material abundance brings a feast for the taste buds, a transformation of the spiritual world also quietly begins.

A technological revolution was quietly brewing in Lin Feng's mind.

The success of "Thunder Mill" allowed him to fully validate the shelter's current industrial manufacturing potential.

His focus began to shift from "heavy industry" to "light industry," and from solving "production" problems to solving "livelihood" problems.

One snowy afternoon, he watched women by the cold riverbank, washing mountains of discarded clothes with their hands, their hands red from the cold and their joints swollen.

Even though we now have running water and no longer need to fetch water from the river, washing clothes is still an extremely painful task, especially in winter.

"We already have electricity and rotating machines, why do we still need to use our hands?"

The thought flashed through his mind.

So, just one week later, with the concerted efforts of Li Xiangbin and Pang Dahai, the first "washing machine" on this planet was born.

Its structure is also full of Lin Feng's simple and crude pragmatism.

It is a huge, horizontal roller made of thick wooden planks and sheet metal, and thoroughly waterproofed.

Inside the drum, several wooden protrusions mimicking the hand-washing motion of clothes are fixed in place. A small motor, through a simple belt drive system, drives the drum to rotate slowly and continuously at a constant speed.

When the first batch of dirty clothes, mixed with a primitive "soap" made from wood ash and animal fat, were thrown into the drum, filled with clean water, and the motor started, the women gathered around, watching curiously as the big thing whirred and turned on its own.

Half an hour later, when the motor stopped, the sewage was discharged, and the clean clothes covered in white foam were taken out, all the women gasped in disbelief.

The washing effect is even better than if they scrubbed with all their might all day!

From washing machines to electric circular saws capable of rapidly cutting massive logs, and then to true "shower heads" controlled by water tower pressure and simple valves...

In the following months, one after another, "household appliances" and "convenience facilities" that seemed commonplace in the old days but were like miracles in this world were created under Lin Feng's design.

The shelter has completely shed the word "primitive".

It transformed into a self-sufficient, steampunk-style, miniature industrial civilization that had achieved initial electrification and automation.

People's lives became more comfortable, convenient, and dignified than ever before. Everyone performed their duties, producing, learning, and training, and the entire shelter was filled with vibrant life and high morale.

However, just as everyone was immersed in this unprecedented happiness and peace.

Lin Feng, the creator and supreme leader of the shelter, was more clear-headed and more worried than ever before.

One autumn evening, he stood alone on the highest watchtower of the shelter, looking down at the "Shangri-La" he had created.

Smoke curls from chimneys, and lights twinkle brightly.

Everything seemed so beautiful and so orderly.

But there was no satisfaction in Lin Feng's eyes.

His gaze passed over the sturdy walls and landed on the vast, unknown, and dangerous land in the distance, shrouded in twilight.

He saw how small and fragile this "Shangri-La" was.

The entire shelter had fewer than twenty people at most.

What can such a small number of people do?

When the industrial revolution began, even Lin Feng felt an unprecedented excitement.

The essence of the Industrial Revolution was expansion and reproduction.

Once the idea of ​​expansion takes root, it spreads like wildfire and can no longer be contained.

Lin Feng's decision caused a minor stir within the shelter's core decision-making body.

"Actively going out to conduct a large-scale search for survivors?"

In the brightly lit research room, Qin Lan's brows were tightly furrowed.

"Sir, the risks of this plan are simply too great. Our understanding of alien planets is limited to the area within a few dozen kilometers of our shelter. What kind of terrain lies further away? What terrifying alien beasts lurk there? What unknown dangers exist? We know nothing."

She walked up to the huge animal hide map and drew a large question mark outside the known area with her finger.

"Moreover, even if we find survivors, how do we determine their character? Are they good or evil? Will they pose a threat to us? Accepting strangers, especially a large number of them, will be a huge blow to the existing stability and security of the shelter."

Qin Lan's concerns are reasonable.

"I also think it's fine as it is now."

Li Xiangbin said in a deep voice, scratching his head, expressing his most basic thought: "Everyone has food and clothing, electric lights at night, water when they go out, and machines to work with. It's very safe. Why do we have to go out and risk our lives?"

Lin Feng listened quietly to their opinions without refuting them.

After they finished speaking, he slowly opened his mouth. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power.

"You're all right. Staying put is indeed the least risky option."

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze becoming sharp as a knife.

"But the lowest risk also means the lowest hope. Have you ever thought about what we, fewer than twenty people, can do? We can hold onto this small shelter, but can we hold onto it for a lifetime?"

"Nobody knows what the future holds."

He stood up, walked to the two men, and said, word by word, "We must plan ahead. For a civilization to continue, it must expand. And expansion requires a most basic prerequisite—population."

"Everything we have now—electricity, running water, automated mills—is just 'hardware.' What drives this hardware and develops it to a higher level is 'software,' people—enough people who are thoughtful and creative."

"As for danger," Lin Feng's lips curled into a confident sneer, "where in this world is there no danger? Is it really safe to hide behind walls? An unknown plague could wipe us all out. An even more powerful horde of alien beasts could break down the walls we thought were sturdy."

"True security never comes from holding on, but from strength. It comes from having greater power, being able to explore a wider world, control more resources, and have a larger population to share and resist unknown risks."

His words struck Qin Lan and Li Xiangbin's hearts like heavy hammer blows.

They couldn't refute it. Because they knew that what Lin Feng said was a truth concerning the life and death of the entire race.

"I've made my decision." Lin Feng made the final conclusion: "This time, I will lead the team personally. Li Xiangbin, you will come with me. Qin Lan, you and Pang Dahai will stay behind. The security and daily operation of the shelter are all entrusted to you. This is an order."

"Yes!" Qin Lan and Li Xiangbin immediately straightened up and had no further objections.

Since you've decided to travel far, you must have a suitable means of transportation.

There are only two White Moonlight and White Jade. Although Wind Chaser and Moon Chaser can be used as flying mounts, they are essentially hunters.

Lin Feng turned his gaze to a group of special creatures being raised on the back mountain of the shelter.

It was a creature similar to a wild horse on Earth, but blue in color, more robust, and with hooves covered in a thick layer of keratin, like iron plates.

They have exceptional endurance and are adept at running on complex terrain.

Now, they will embark on a new mission.

Over the next two weeks, Lin Feng personally took charge, using his knowledge of animal behavior and domestication to conduct a scientific and efficient domestication of the alien creatures named "Ironhoof Horses".

He did not use violence, but rather quickly established his dominance through the guidance of food, conditioned reflexes, and the bloodline suppression of the herd by the White Moonlight.

Meanwhile, Li Xiangbin's forging workshop and Pang Dahai's leather goods workshop were once again operating at full capacity.

Saddles, stirrups, reins, horseshoes... these mature horse tacks that have been developed on Earth for thousands of years were perfectly replicated one by one under Lin Feng's drawings.

Next, Lin Feng and Li Xiangbin, each with three horses, prepared to move forward.

"Wangcai" and five other of the most agile horned wolves will serve as their mobile sentinels and battle partners, accompanying them on their expedition.

"After we leave, follow Qin Lan's orders." Lin Feng gave his final instructions to the people who came to see him off.

After saying that, he didn't say anything more and suddenly pulled on the reins.

"drive!"

With a loud neigh, the White Moonlight spurred its hooves and sped off like a white lightning bolt toward the gates of the sanctuary.

Li Xiangbin followed closely behind, while the six-horned wolf moved silently around them like a ghost.

Alone on horseback, they shattered the peaceful daily life of the shelter and plunged into the vast, boundless, icy wasteland, full of unknowns and opportunities.

Their journey was tedious and arduous.

During the day, they braved the biting wind and galloped across the boundless snowfield.

The Ironhoofed Horses displayed astonishing stamina, traveling a hundred miles a day without showing any signs of fatigue. The Horned Wolves, meanwhile, were scattered around, using their keen sense of smell to shield them from countless direct confrontations with powerful beasts.

At night, they would find a sheltered rock face or cave and light a campfire.

Li Xiangbin would take out dried meat and a water pouch to replenish his strength silently. Lin Feng, on the other hand, would take out a simple map he had drawn, on which he would record the day's route, as well as the terrain, water sources, and traces of strange beasts along the way.