He cleared his throat and spoke in a deep, solemn tone:
"Your Majesty, I will now report on the foundation of our survival—our food supply, and industry. Let us begin with agriculture…"
The agricultural zone spans a total area of only 3 square kilometers, making up more than half of the available land.
This zone is home to 3,650 residents, representing 36.5% of the total population, who work tirelessly in the fields every day.
They are responsible for cultivating crops such as rice, wheat, corn, potatoes, and carrots, utilizing high-density planting methods to maximize land usage.
However, the annual yield of these crops is barely sufficient to sustain the daily meals of all residents, leaving no room for reserves.
Within the agricultural zone, there are also small-scale livestock farms raising limited numbers of chickens, ducks, and rabbits.
Unfortunately, the quantity of livestock is far from adequate to provide a sufficient source of protein.
Even with fish farming conducted in the surrounding marine areas, the protein intake gap remains unfilled.
Currently, each resident's daily protein intake is less than half of the recommended value, posing a growing risk to public health over time.
Agricultural production relies on basic machinery and extensive manual labor, with a low level of mechanization that limits efficiency improvements.
Irrigation water, fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield seeds are entirely dependent on supplies from Alaya.
This dependence is absolute; any disruption in the supply chain would cause the entire agricultural system to collapse instantly.
The Prime Minister’s voice was low and steady:
"Your Majesty, the agricultural zone can currently only maintain the existing balance, with no emergency reserves.
Soil degradation, protein deficiencies, and low mechanization levels are problems that have accumulated to a critical point.
But the most fundamental issue is the heavy reliance on Alaya.
If Alaya’s capabilities were to weaken, the entire agricultural system would collapse."
Elo frowned. Although these issues gave him a headache, they were exactly what he most wanted to understand.
He clearly recognized that agricultural issues were of utmost importance, but his attention was drawn even more to the state of industry.
He understood deeply that without agriculture, society would collapse;
but without industry, the nation would be impoverished, weak, and at the mercy of others.
Industrial development supports agriculture; with a strong industrial base, agricultural problems could be resolved effectively.
Of course, this is the norm under ordinary circumstances, but the situation in the Ark is exceptionally unique.
However, Elo remained more concerned with industrial development.
He said in a deep voice, "Tell me about the industrial sector."
He immediately added, "Be detailed. I want to know what you can produce and what you can’t."
Hearing this, the Prime Minister’s expression grew more solemn. He spoke in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, I will begin with the fundamental situation of the industrial sector, so you can fully understand our current capabilities and limitations."
The city of the Ark covers an area of 1.5 square kilometers, with the industrial zone situated within it.
This zone is home to 3,050 residents, accounting for 30.5% of the Ark’s total population, who work diligently every day in factories and maintenance facilities.
Their tasks include repairing agricultural equipment, producing construction materials, and manufacturing basic tools.
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The industrial zone is divided into three functional areas:
- Equipment Maintenance:
- Repairing agricultural equipment such as irrigation pipes and seeders.
- Maintaining infrastructure, including water treatment systems, power facilities, and urban buildings.
- Conducting routine inspections of transportation tools, including a small number of electric vehicles and compact fishing boats.
- Simple Manufacturing:
- Producing construction materials, such as bricks and cement, for repairing and expanding residential areas.
- Manufacturing basic tools, including hammers, screwdrivers, and wrenches.
- Producing light industrial goods, such as simple furniture, water storage tanks, and basic tools for agriculture and fishing, including fishing nets and hoes.
- Producing a very limited quantity of chemicals, such as fertilizers and cleaning agents, which are far from meeting demand.
- Storage and Resource Management:
- Managing industrial raw materials, such as iron, copper, and aluminum.
- Handling chemical materials, including fertilizer precursors and fuel, for agricultural and essential goods production.
- Storage capacity is limited, capable of sustaining production needs for only three to six months.
The Prime Minister continued without pause:
"Your Majesty, our current manufacturing capabilities are severely limited, allowing us to perform only basic repairs and a small amount of simple production.
We are highly dependent on existing modern equipment, nearly all of which is provided by Alaya.
For instance, agricultural machinery, communication devices, and surveillance systems—while we can conduct basic maintenance, we are entirely incapable of independently upgrading or replacing them.
Once these systems degrade or fail, we will lose the ability to produce alternatives, leading to complete paralysis."
Elo quietly processed the information. After a brief moment, he nodded and said concisely, "Continue."
Without hesitation, the Prime Minister immediately moved on to explain Alaya’s crucial role in industrial operations.
Alaya is a vital pillar of the Ark, providing us with the majority of resources:
- Metal Resources:
- Basic metals such as iron, copper, and aluminum are supplied by Alaya for the repair and production of tools and machinery.
- Advanced Materials:
- Stainless steel, aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, heat-resistant alloys, composite materials, and so on.
- Chemical Raw Materials:
- Basic chemicals (e.g., fertilizers and cleaning agents) and advanced chemicals (e.g., industrial catalysts and specialized coatings).
- Non-Metallic Minerals:
- Raw materials for construction, such as cement and lime, as well as basic materials for glass and ceramic products.
- Modern Electronic Devices:
- All modern electronic devices, including computers, smartphones, communication terminals, as well as refrigerators, display screens, and other electronic equipment.
- Polymeric Materials:
- The industrial zone cannot produce polymeric materials such as plastics or cable insulation, which are entirely supplied by Alaya.
- Energy Supply:
- All electricity in the Ark is supplied by Alaya, utilizing highly efficient and clean energy sources.
- Fuel Supply:
- Fuels such as diesel and ethanol are entirely dependent on Alaya and are used for operating agricultural machinery and industrial equipment.
- Infrastructure:
- All critical infrastructure in the Ark—including residential areas, water treatment plants, medical centers, small power stations, industrial facilities, and transportation networks—are directly supplied by Alaya. We only perform maintenance.
- Complex equipment such as generators and water purifiers are also provided by Alaya.Similarly, we only perform maintenance.
- Communications and Data:
- Communication networks, monitoring systems, data storage, and ecological management are entirely reliant on Alaya's equipment.
- The central database also preserves thousands of years of humanity's precious heritage.
- Security Equipment:
- Police equipment, military firearms, and surveillance cameras are all supplied by Alaya.
- Essential Goods:
- Some clothing, bedding, and medical supplies are provided by Alaya, and nearly all medicines are entirely dependent on her.
- While the agricultural zone meets staple food needs, protein intake remains insufficient. Alaya supplies limited high-protein foods such as meat, canned goods, and protein powders.
Alaya's support is omnipresent, from basic resources to critical infrastructure, from energy supplies to essential goods. She is an indispensable foundation for the Ark's continued operation.
The Prime Minister took a deep breath and concluded:
"Your Majesty, nearly all our production processes are directly dependent on Alaya—whether it’s raw materials, industrial equipment, precision instruments, or energy support.
If Alaya were to cease supplying us, we would collapse rapidly. Agriculture and infrastructure would also fail just as quickly.
And this is our greatest predicament."
Elo frowned deeply, the dissatisfaction on his face unmistakable.
He wanted to say: Ten thousand human elites, five years and three months—this is your answer?
But in the end, he didn’t voice it.
He knew that among these 10,000 elites, apart from his mother and Vian, everyone was more capable than himself.
He clearly understood that the situation had reached this point because of one core issue:
These 10,000 elites cannot leave the Ark Little World, nor can they obtain resources from the outside.
Thus, they had to rely on Alaya to survive these five years and three months.
If they could leave and find a suitable place to survive, the situation would never have become this dire with Alaya’s support.
But the problem was precisely this: they couldn’t leave. Leaving the Ark Little World required Elo’s personal permission.
And outside…
When Earth was destroyed, Elo had been in Tokyo.
Now, Earth was shattered into pieces; who knew what condition Tokyo was in?
If they exited the Little World directly, death would come in milliseconds, leaving not even a body behind.