Late at night, a hush fell over Li Family Village. Li Xiang went to the back mountain alone to soothe Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, personally using his Spiritual Power to check on Yuanyuan’s condition. Thankfully, everything was normal.

Although the three embryos were small, they were brimming with vitality—truly befitting the offspring of an Extraordinary Panda.

Li Xiang gave Tuantuan some instructions, telling it to protect Yuanyuan. Afterward, he picked up Huanhuan to check on its training and enjoy its soft fur before heading back to bed.

Besides Tuantuan, Huanhuan was one of only two Exotic Beasts among the five giant pandas.

Back in his bedroom, Li Xiang scrolled through his phone. "Top Aunt" had sent a barrage of messages: "What’re you up to? Why are you being so cold and aloof, ignoring me?"

"Now that your account’s taken off and you’re making money, you don’t care about your Little Aunt anymore?"

"Hurry up and call me Little Aunt, send a voice message! Otherwise, your Little Aunt is going to be heartbroken. I’ve been supporting you since you were a nobody. I’m your undisputed number-one fan!"

Li Xiang thought for a moment before replying, "How could I not respect you? I’ve always held you in high regard and am grateful for your constant support, Little Aunt."

He meant it sincerely. When he first started, he had no popularity to speak of; it was Top Aunt and a few others who had built him up. Top Aunt deserved most of the credit.

He had assumed she would be asleep this late, but to his surprise, Top Aunt replied almost immediately.

"Good, as long as you haven’t forgotten who helped you. Your aunt is very pleased. Now, call me ’Little Aunt’ a few more times for me to hear. Send voice messages, okay?"

’This Little Aunt probably doesn’t have many relatives, which might explain this... hobby of hers,’ Li Xiang mused. He recorded himself saying it a few times and sent it over.

On the other end, Luo Feifei let out a honking laugh.

After a moment’s thought, Li Xiang initiated a voice call, but it was immediately rejected.

Top Aunt: "Why are you calling me so late?"

Li Xiang: "I wanted to thank you properly. I’ve never even heard your voice."

"No thanks. This old aunt’s voice isn’t pleasant to listen to." Luo Feifei covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

Li Xiang said, "Little Aunt, let me send you some special medicine, the kind that can extend your life. If you’re willing to train, I can also teach you a few Breathing Techniques and Body Techniques. If you master them, you could look many years younger and preserve your youth."

Having been propped up by Top Aunt for so long, Li Xiang felt it was time to give back. ’When the Apocalypse comes, I’ll definitely have to go rescue her. If she has nowhere else to go, I can bring her to my base. My mother passed away early, and I don’t have any aunts, only an uncle. I’ll just think of her as my mother’s sister,’ he thought.

He thought she would be thrilled by the offer and gladly accept. Instead, Top Aunt replied, "No training. I’m too old, I don’t want the hassle. And I don’t need that special medicine either. If you really want to thank me, just send me a voice message calling me ’Little Aunt’ three times a day. That’ll make me perfectly happy."

Li Xiang: "..."

...

The weather was good. The plans for the third phase of the underground Shelter project had been finalized, and construction was about to begin.

Although Chinese New Year was still about a month away, they wanted to get as much done as possible, and the construction company was very eager.

Li Xiang had become their biggest client.

As for the second phase, they had temporarily given up on the interior finishing. Since it was a long way from being habitable, there was no rush. Li Xiang planned to have all the phases finished at once after they were built.

He also received news from Xu Xuan that the Sichuan Province government had begun construction on its first phase of Shelters. The province had selected ten cities, building the Shelters either beneath or on the outskirts of them. Some other provinces had also secretly started construction, while others were still in the planning and design stages, but none were far from breaking ground.

It was worth noting that the government, with its vast resources, was also planning to dig deep subway lines connecting these Underground Cities. This was something that hadn’t existed in his previous life.

In his past life, everything had been too rushed, and every base had its hands full just trying to survive.

Li Xiang saw the confidential blueprints. One of the subway lines would pass through the Li Family Village area and include a station.

Li Xiang expressed his gratitude. He had originally planned to build underground tunnels to connect to other Underground Cities, but since the government was now taking care of it, he wouldn’t have to dig them himself.

With subways being built, an underground communications network would naturally not be a problem.

Numerous related research projects, such as underground agriculture, were also being secretly initiated.

High-yield hybrid rice would be the top choice for grain seed. It was a life-saving crop; taste and texture were secondary.

As for Li Xiang, although he had large stockpiles of Thai Fragrant Rice and Indian Fragrant Rice, those were just reserves. One couldn’t just consume without producing, so he would also follow suit and plant hybrid rice.

The third phase of the Shelter project included plans for an underground farm.

Additionally, during a meeting with Yao Yao and the others, Yao Yao proposed a fun detail: designing the Underground City’s ventilation shafts in the shape of panda paw prints. When air was expelled, it would create a whistling sound like a bamboo flute, highlighting the area’s unique feature of having wild giant pandas.

The suggestion received unanimous approval. Since it was a minor change, it wouldn’t take much time to implement.

In truth, this was a global catastrophe, and everyone on Earth should be preparing in advance. But just like when he reported it to the country, the time was not yet right. He had to find the right opportunity to announce it to the world.

Besides, now that the government knew, it surely had its own strategies in place.

This kind of international cooperation and exchange was not something Li Xiang needed to worry about. Perhaps the government would use this information to leverage certain benefits.

Furthermore, there were still nine years to go, so there was enough time. China needed to at least get a head start, to secure a lead of a year or two before anything else.