Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World

Chapter 159: Logistic & Preparation

A week had passed since the incident, and the construction of the small apartment complex had already moved into the next stage: the ground-floor columns and slab.

The foundation work was finished and buried beneath the earth, hidden from view but supporting everything above it.

Thick concrete columns now rose from the ground in orderly rows, with steel reinforcing bars protruding from the tops like exposed bones, a clear sign that the structure was still far from complete.

Some of the columns were wrapped in wooden formwork, while workers moved constantly across the site.

A few were tying steel reinforcement together with practiced hands. Others hauled materials from one corner to another, and several operated heavy machinery with the ease of long experience.

The noise never stopped.

Excavators rumbled, cement mixers churned, and men shouted instructions back and forth over the mechanical roar.

The first floor had not been poured yet, so there was still no concrete slab connecting the columns. Even so, the overall shape of the building was already taking form.

What had been nothing more than an empty plot of land less than two weeks ago was steadily transforming into a three-story apartment building.

Jacob and William were working together far better than Gideon had expected.

Jacob was a practical man. He didn’t care much for theories or detailed calculations, but he was willing to listen as long as the argument made sense. William, on the other hand, excelled at presenting clear and logical reasoning, which made the two unexpectedly compatible.

With the construction now progressing smoothly, Gideon’s attention shifted to the next major problem.

The Eternal Snow.

In larger settlements like Climber Rift, they relied on district heating systems that distributed warmth through insulated pipes connected to every building.

These systems were usually activated in the middle of winter to reduce fuel consumption, since the Eternal Snow typically began around that time and intensified until the season ended.

Gideon had no such infrastructure.

That was why he had gathered Jade, Delilah, Johan, and Piggy to discuss how they would survive the coming winter.

"Since we haven’t installed any heating system yet," Gideon began, "what would be the best alternative? And what temperatures should we expect during winter?"

The simplicity of the question visibly surprised both Johan and Piggy.

"Have you never experienced winter here before?" Johan asked, clearly curious.

Gideon simply nodded. "I lost my memory, remember?"

"I see." The old man stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Our traveler group is always on the move, but during winter we usually stay longer in Climber Rift. If we’re caught outside and can’t reach a settlement in time, we use oil-fired heaters. We replace the fuel with oil extracted from aberrant cores. It burns longer and produces more heat than ordinary fuel."

Delilah nodded in agreement. "Jade can supply those easily. If the apartment isn’t finished before winter arrives, medium-sized units can also be placed inside tents to keep them warm."

"It’s fine," Gideon said. "I can prepare the heaters myself."

"As for temperature," Delilah continued, her tone becoming much more serious, "the first month usually ranges around minus twenty degrees Celsius."

She paused briefly before adding, "At the peak of winter, temperatures can drop to minus seventy to minus ninety degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature ever recorded was slightly below minus one hundred."

The explanation sent a chill through Gideon. He was familiar with the deadly heat of deserts, but a world where temperatures could plunge below minus one hundred degrees Celsius was terrifying.

Even without the Eternal Snow itself, people could freeze to death in minutes.

Delilah offered him a small smile. "I already wrote all of this down for you. I trust you’ve prepared at least half of what we discussed?"

To Gideon, that smile felt less like reassurance and more like a warning.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Everything I can materialize directly is already taken care of: food, winter clothing, medical supplies, backup power, insulated piping, and a system to melt snow for water. None of that is a problem."

He exhaled and rubbed his temple. "The real issues are the oil-fired heaters... and manpower."

"What do you mean by manpower?"

Delilah asked immediately, while Jade sat beside her with a grin that showed she was clearly enjoying Gideon being put under pressure.

Delilah never joked about logistics. Anything involving supplies and survival was treated with absolute seriousness.

"The patrol teams, maintenance crews, and the people who will operate and guard the Defense Tower," Gideon explained with a sigh. "We simply don’t have enough hands."

He turned toward Piggy.

"That’s why I invited her here. I want her advice on how to balance supply and demand during the winter and keep the territory stable."

Piggy chuckled at first, as if Gideon had just made a joke. But when she realized everyone at the table was staring at her with complete seriousness, the amusement quickly disappeared from her face.

"What do you mean by ’stable supply and demand’?" She shook her head slowly. "There’s never been any supply and demand here to begin with."

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"I’ve been here for a week, and I haven’t seen a single normal transaction." Her eyes moved between Gideon and Jade. "And no, the two of you don’t count."

"And?" Gideon asked, unfazed. "What’s your opinion?"

Piggy let out a long sigh before gathering her thoughts.

"What you’re doing right now is basically a war between supply and money." She shrugged. "Honestly, it’s kind of insane. You’re burning through resources with almost no economic structure to support it."

Her fingers tapped lightly against the table as she organized her explanation.

"This territory is essentially a neighborhood run by the community. Everything comes from only two sources, and both are effectively free." She raised two fingers. "First, you, Chief. Second, nature."

Piggy looked directly at Gideon. "If you want this place to become self-sustaining, then agriculture needs to be your first priority."

Gideon listened closely.

"Lend land to residents who are willing to farm it. Provide them with seeds and tools, then buy their harvest or allow them to sell it directly."

Her hand moved in a small circle as if building the structure in the air. "Use the same model for housing. The apartments shouldn’t be gifts. They should be part of a rental system."

"And hunters need a proper market. Give them a place to sell whatever they bring back. You’ll also need to decide on a currency, startup capital, and how credit will work. Seeds, farming equipment, tools, small loans, all of that has to come from somewhere."

She tapped the table again for emphasis. "Since you’ve already established jobs and wages, the next step is policy. Taxes. Fixed prices for essential goods. Incentives for small businesses."

"Once the apartment is finished and the agricultural project starts producing, you can open a government-owned store. Something like a supermarket where people can buy food, tools, clothing, and daily necessities."

A faint smile crossed her lips. "That’s when your local economy actually begins."

Gideon absorbed every word, mentally arranging each step into a larger framework.

He nodded slowly. "I understand what needs to be done."

Piggy relaxed slightly when she saw that Gideon had understood her reasoning.

"Good. Still, it’ll be difficult to spread the workload while everyone is focused on finishing the apartment. I know that building is your top priority, so for the person stationed in the Defense Tower, it’s better to choose someone you trust. Someone close to you."

Gideon folded his arms. He had been thinking the same thing.

The problem was that only one name came to mind, and he had no intention of letting that person spend long hours alone in the tower.

He glanced around the table. "That structure can also function as a watchtower. It has a built-in sound system, so we can warn everyone about approaching threats, including the Eternal Snow."

"I volunteer."

Delilah raised her hand immediately. The offer caught Gideon completely off guard.

He blinked and turned toward her. Ironically, she was exactly the person he had thought of, and exactly the one he did not want to place there.

"What?" he asked, genuinely surprised. "Why?"

Delilah met his gaze without hesitation. "Because I’m the best candidate."

"Winter brings aberrants we know very little about. Observing them directly would allow me to record their names, behavior patterns, and weaknesses."

She took a slow breath before adding, "You also told me that the Geysemire is gradually approaching this territory. If you let me work in the tower, I can monitor its movement, study its behavior, and estimate when it will arrive. That would give everyone time to prepare."

She was absolutely right. Delilah was an ecologist. Observation and analysis were her specialty, and no one in the territory was better suited to studying dangerous creatures.

And yet...

Gideon disliked the idea immediately.

After a brief silence, he shook his head. "No."

Delilah blinked once, clearly not expecting such a direct refusal.

"I’ll ask Charlie and Percy to handle it instead," Gideon said, leaving no room for argument.

Delilah opened her mouth as if she wanted to protest, but Gideon was already standing.

"The meeting is over for now."