Reborn in doomsday, I spent 80 million on the safest bunker—thought I’d survive quietly, but then… (YouTube Video Transcript)

(00:00:00) Your YouTube transcript will appear here (00:00:00) You think you can just call off the (00:00:02) engagement like that? How could it be so (00:00:04) easy? The B family must compensate us. (00:00:07) Why should our By family compensate you? (00:00:09) The Shu family is really dreaming. The (00:00:11) solemn study was filled with nearly 10 (00:00:13) men and women, clearly divided into two (00:00:16) opposing sides, seated on opposite ends (00:00:18) of the sofa. Neither side was willing to (00:00:21) back down, and the argument raged on. (00:00:23) The memories flooding her mind quickly (00:00:25) made Shu Axe aware of the current (00:00:27) situation. (00:00:29) As she took in the absurd and unfamiliar (00:00:31) scene before her, she couldn't help but (00:00:33) find it utterly ridiculous. Hmph, a cold (00:00:36) snort, neither too loud nor too soft, (00:00:39) instantly silenced the two arguing (00:00:41) parties. All eyes turned to the girl who (00:00:43) had been sitting quietly on the single (00:00:45) sofa the entire time without uttering a (00:00:47) word. Shuaken's calm gaze swept over (00:00:50) each person present one by one. A few of (00:00:52) them averted their eyes uncomfortably (00:00:54) upon meeting her stare, too uneasy to (00:00:57) hold her gaze. Ahem xen. (00:01:00) What do you think? One of the elders (00:01:02) spoke first, breaking the somewhat (00:01:04) awkward atmosphere. Grandpa, there's no (00:01:07) need to say more. I already understand (00:01:09) the purpose of your visit today. I agree (00:01:11) to cancel the engagement, and I don't (00:01:13) want any compensation. However, the (00:01:16) token my grandfather gave to your family (00:01:18) must be returned to me. Axer, this (00:01:20) engagement cannot be cancelled. this. (00:01:23) Upon hearing that no benefits were (00:01:25) demanded, Shu Leong Jun, who was (00:01:27) standing nearby, (00:01:29) urgently tried to intervene, "Uncle, (00:01:31) this is my own matter. Please don't (00:01:33) interfere. After I handle this, we can (00:01:36) discuss whatever you want to talk (00:01:37) about." Before the other person could (00:01:39) finish speaking, Shuin straightforwardly (00:01:41) expressed her thoughts, her eyes (00:01:43) unwavering as they met Shelyangjin<unk>s (00:01:45) gaze. Shuangjin felt as if he had been (00:01:48) seen through, his heart trembling (00:01:50) slightly. And in the end, he said, (00:01:52) "Nothing more. That's only fair. We've (00:01:54) brought the items today. As long as you (00:01:57) sign this agreement acknowledging the (00:01:59) enulment of the engagement between our (00:02:01) two families, you can take them away." (00:02:03) By Xiangi was pleased to see Shu Aan (00:02:06) agrees so readily without making any (00:02:08) excessive demands. A hint of (00:02:10) satisfaction flashing in his eyes, mixed (00:02:12) with a barely perceptible trace of (00:02:14) disdain. An orphan is just an orphan, (00:02:17) easy to manipulate, with a wave of his (00:02:19) hand. (00:02:20) The secretary standing behind him (00:02:22) immediately placed a preprinted anulment (00:02:24) agreement and a jewelry box on the (00:02:26) coffee table in front of them. The (00:02:27) agreement was brief, simply requiring (00:02:30) Shu Axan to acknowledge that her (00:02:32) engagement to Baijing Chu was hereby (00:02:34) dissolved and that she would have no (00:02:35) further ties to the B family. She picked (00:02:38) up the jewelry box on the table, (00:02:40) confirming it was indeed the token her (00:02:42) grandfather had sent back then. Without (00:02:44) hesitation, Shuaken signed her name on (00:02:47) the document. Axen. Although our (00:02:50) families have dissolved the engagement (00:02:51) today, the decadesl long friendship (00:02:53) between us remains. With your parents (00:02:55) gone, if you ever face any difficulties (00:02:58) in the future, don't hesitate to come to (00:03:00) Grandpa Bai. I'll stand up for you. With (00:03:02) the engagement termination agreement in (00:03:04) hand, the B family had achieved their (00:03:06) purpose for coming today. By Xiangi led (00:03:09) his family as they stood up, offering (00:03:11) polite pleasantries while their (00:03:12) departing footsteps didn't pause for a (00:03:14) moment. (00:03:16) Shu Axen naturally didn't take his empty (00:03:18) words seriously. Wearing a perfectly (00:03:20) practiced smile, she saw them out (00:03:23) successfully sent off one group, there (00:03:25) was another waiting for her to deal with (00:03:27) just after transmigrating into this (00:03:29) scene. It truly was starting at a high (00:03:31) difficulty level. Shuaken took a deep (00:03:33) breath and turned to walk back. Dad, (00:03:36) Shuakai simply doesn't take you (00:03:38) seriously at all. She's treating the (00:03:40) engagement with the B family so (00:03:42) casually. (00:03:43) deciding to break it off without even (00:03:45) discussing it with us. It's<unk> (00:03:47) absolutely outrageous. Shu Hong Yen, who (00:03:50) remained in the study, complained with (00:03:52) dissatisfaction, skillfully throwing (00:03:54) shade at Shu Axian. Shu Yong Jun (00:03:57) remained silent with a dark expression, (00:03:59) not refuting Shu Hany<unk>s words. Shuak (00:04:01) Xian<unk>s attitude also made him very (00:04:03) uncomfortable, especially since he had (00:04:06) just been frightened by a single glance (00:04:07) from her, which made him feel (00:04:09) humiliated. However, since he hadn't yet (00:04:12) secured her shares, it wasn't the right (00:04:15) time to openly confront Shu Axai. Aer, (00:04:18) I've already given you the authority to (00:04:20) handle the matter of breaking off the (00:04:21) engagement yourself. Can we have a (00:04:23) proper talk now? Watching Shu Axen walk (00:04:26) in, Shu Yong Jun fixed his gaze tightly (00:04:28) on her. All right. I wonder what uncle (00:04:31) has come to discuss with me today. (00:04:33) Shuaken knew exactly why they had come (00:04:35) today. But on the surface, she played (00:04:38) the innocent role flawlessly. Xener, now (00:04:41) that your parents are no longer with us, (00:04:44) the shares you hold are just sitting (00:04:45) idle, why not hand them over to your (00:04:47) uncle to manage? And Wong Shu Hong had (00:04:50) long been unable to hold back and (00:04:51) couldn't wait to speak, looking at (00:04:53) Shuene as if she were a piece of greasy, (00:04:55) dripping fat. But even if I leave these (00:04:57) shares untouched, the dividends alone (00:05:00) would be enough to support me (00:05:01) comfortably for a lifetime. There's no (00:05:03) need to trouble Uncle Shuin replied. (00:05:06) Shusheen smiled and deafly deflected her (00:05:08) aunts words. The two went back and forth (00:05:12) in a verbal sparring match with Shuin (00:05:14) refusing to take the bait which made (00:05:16) Shuang Jin who was listening nearby grow (00:05:19) increasingly rushless. Exer, if you hand (00:05:22) over your shares to me, we can ensure (00:05:24) that the Shushi group remains in the Shu (00:05:26) family. Don't you want to protect the (00:05:28) legacy your grandfather and parents (00:05:30) worked so hard to build? Shu Leong Jun (00:05:32) truly lived up to his reputation as a (00:05:34) seasoned old fox in the business world (00:05:37) with just a few words. He used the (00:05:39) protagonist's most cherished family ties (00:05:42) to coers her. If this were still the (00:05:44) original Shu Aakai, it would have been (00:05:46) an absolute surefire tactic. (00:05:48) Unfortunately, the current Shu Axai had (00:05:50) long since changed at her core. Who (00:05:53) would end up at a disadvantage was still (00:05:54) uncertain. But the Shu Aakians face (00:05:57) showed hesitation. Axener, we are your (00:06:00) only family now. Aren't we more reliable (00:06:02) than outsiders? Uncle will never let you (00:06:05) down in the future. Seeing Shu Axian (00:06:07) hesitate, (00:06:09) Shu Leong Jun immediately pressed his (00:06:11) advantage by painting a rosy picture, (00:06:13) hoping to secure her agreement in one (00:06:15) fell swoop. All right. If uncle really (00:06:18) wants the 49% of shares I hold, I can (00:06:20) sell them all to you for 10 billion. As (00:06:23) soon as the money is in my account, I'll (00:06:25) sign the share transfer agreement (00:06:26) immediately. After calculating the (00:06:28) market value of the shares she held in (00:06:30) her mind, Shu Axian put on a reluctant (00:06:33) expression, but her words left Shu Leong (00:06:35) Jun stunned. It was true that he wanted (00:06:38) the shares Shu Axian held, but he had (00:06:41) never intended to pay for them. He had (00:06:43) planned to get them for free. heart. Shu (00:06:45) Yong Jun opened his mouth to say (00:06:47) something more, but the words that (00:06:49) followed from Shu Aaki and successfully (00:06:51) made him swallow whatever he was about (00:06:52) to say. Previously, the president of (00:06:55) Shinua Group contacted me offering 13 (00:06:58) billion to buy the shares I hold. (00:07:01) Considering that uncle and I are family, (00:07:03) I'll give you a round number. This way, (00:07:05) it won't seem like I'm taking advantage (00:07:07) of you. But if uncle wants them, you'd (00:07:09) better prepare the money quickly. Before (00:07:11) you came today, the president of Shinua (00:07:13) called again to ask how my decision was (00:07:15) going and urged me to give him an answer (00:07:17) soon. Shu Yang Juan<unk>s heart (00:07:19) tightened. The shares in Shu Xen<unk>s (00:07:22) hands absolutely must not fall into the (00:07:24) hands of their rival Shinua. He quickly (00:07:27) responded. Xaner, (00:07:29) if they call again, don't rush to reply. (00:07:32) I'll gather the money right away, the (00:07:34) morning after tomorrow. I'll bring the (00:07:36) funds and the contract to see you. All (00:07:38) right, but uncle, you really need to (00:07:40) hurry. The offer they're making is just (00:07:42) too good. I'm afraid I won't be able to (00:07:44) hold out much longer. Watching the (00:07:46) retreating figures of Shu Yong Jun and (00:07:48) his family, Shu Aakan slowly curled the (00:07:51) corners of her lips into a smile posted (00:07:53) in the author's note to ensure (00:07:55) visibility. (00:07:57) This book welcomes all readers for (00:07:59) friendly discussions. The author will (00:08:01) seriously consider accepting (00:08:02) constructive suggestions and also (00:08:04) accepts critiques and negative reviews (00:08:06) that aren't specifically meant to (00:08:08) nitpick or argue for the sake of (00:08:09) arguing. If you genuinely dislike it, (00:08:12) you can simply close the book and stop (00:08:14) reading. There are thousands of great (00:08:16) books on Fonier. Surely one will suit (00:08:18) you. There's no need to argue under (00:08:21) every sentence I write and make yourself (00:08:22) angry. Chapter 2. Activating the space (00:08:26) plus a post-apocalyptic safe base. The (00:08:29) three of them returned to the car and (00:08:31) Shu Hong Yan immediately confronted her (00:08:33) father. Dad, why did you agree to that (00:08:35) bitch's demand and spend money to buy (00:08:37) her shares? Those should have been ours (00:08:39) to begin with. Yes, honey. How could you (00:08:42) agree to her terms so easily? Wong Shu (00:08:45) Hong was also getting anxious. That was (00:08:47) 10 billion. How could they just let that (00:08:49) cheap woman's daughter get it so easily? (00:08:52) H, you women are so shortsighted. (00:08:55) I bought the shares from that orphan (00:08:57) girl with money. What difference does it (00:08:59) make if the money is in our hands? Once (00:09:01) we give it to her, we can always find a (00:09:03) way to take it back later. If she sells (00:09:05) the shares to Shinua, that's when real (00:09:07) trouble will start," Shu Leong Jun (00:09:09) explained impatiently. Not taking Shu (00:09:12) Axen seriously at all, he picked up his (00:09:14) phone to contact his assistant and began (00:09:16) gathering funds. After all, 10 billion (00:09:19) was no small amount. It wasn't something (00:09:22) he could just produce at will. Shu Yang (00:09:25) Juan<unk>s explanation eased the (00:09:26) expressions on both Wong Shu Hong and (00:09:28) Shu Hany<unk>s faces, especially Shu (00:09:31) Hong Yan, who had already started (00:09:33) fantasizing about what it would be like (00:09:34) to become the true young lady of the Shu (00:09:36) family. The mere thought of becoming the (00:09:38) Shu family's young lady in the future (00:09:40) filled her heart with immense delight. (00:09:42) Once upon a time, Shuaken was the eldest (00:09:45) daughter of the Shu family. Despite (00:09:47) being of similar age, she always lived (00:09:50) under Shuakai<unk>s shadow. Wherever Shu (00:09:53) Aakan was present, she would never be (00:09:55) noticed. All the attention would be (00:09:57) snatched away by Shu Aakai, she resented (00:10:00) it, believing those people only (00:10:01) flattered and fawned over Shu Aakai (00:10:04) because of her family background. She (00:10:05) was convinced that everything was due to (00:10:07) her own inferior family status compared (00:10:09) to Shuakaiens. If not for Shuakaien (00:10:12) superior family background, how could (00:10:14) she possibly compare to herself? Now, (00:10:17) Shuakaien's parents were dead. Once her (00:10:21) father successfully seized the shares (00:10:22) from Shu Axai and took control of the (00:10:25) shoe corporation, she too would enjoy (00:10:27) the same privileges, she would be able (00:10:29) to trample Shuene underfoot, making her (00:10:31) wag her tail and beg for mercy like a (00:10:34) stray dog. After everyone had left, (00:10:36) Shuene slowly let out a sigh and (00:10:38) collapsed onto the sofa, staring blankly (00:10:41) at the ceiling above, her mind (00:10:43) completely empty. Shuene was extremely (00:10:45) frustrated. How had she suddenly (00:10:47) transmigrated into a book? Did (00:10:50) transmigration no longer require a (00:10:52) reason these days? Was it really this (00:10:54) casual? Can you imagine the terror and (00:10:56) social anxiety of one moment being (00:10:58) curled up in a warm bed, happily reading (00:11:00) a novel, and the next moment finding (00:11:02) herself in such an unfamiliar place, (00:11:05) having to face a bunch of strangers, not (00:11:07) even giving her a moment to prepare. If (00:11:09) she hadn't reacted quickly, having just (00:11:12) transmigrated and immediately facing (00:11:14) such a pack of wolves and tigers, (00:11:16) she would have been devoured by those (00:11:18) ill-intentioned people without even a (00:11:20) bone left. Now she just resented (00:11:22) herself. Why didn't she read a different (00:11:24) genre of novel before bed? Why did she (00:11:26) have to pick a post-apocalyptic (00:11:28) stockpiling novel to satisfy her late (00:11:30) night hoarding obsession? If only she (00:11:32) had read something about the (00:11:33) entertainment industry or aqing dynasty (00:11:36) time travel story. Even a cultivation (00:11:38) novel would have been better than the (00:11:39) apocalypse. (00:11:41) This apocalyptic novel doesn't just (00:11:43) feature various terrifying natural (00:11:45) disasters, but also flesh rotting (00:11:47) zombies where a single misstep could (00:11:49) cost you your life at any moment. The (00:11:51) more Shu Axan thought about it, the more (00:11:54) suffocated she felt. Life isn't easy. (00:11:56) Even fairy sigh, the only thing that (00:11:59) still brought her some comfort was the (00:12:00) timing of her transmigration into the (00:12:02) book. Not only did she successfully (00:12:05) retrieve the spatial jade pendant, her (00:12:07) golden finger, but she also managed to (00:12:10) preserve the massive inheritance left (00:12:12) behind by the original body's parents. (00:12:14) Shuakai carefully reviewed the plot she (00:12:16) had read and realized how tragic the (00:12:18) original owner of this body was. Merely (00:12:20) a minor canon fod or character mentioned (00:12:22) in passing with a single sentence in the (00:12:24) book. If not for the fact that the (00:12:26) original owner provided the female lead (00:12:28) with the most significant spatial cheat, (00:12:31) she might not even have been given a (00:12:33) name. In the book, the original owner (00:12:35) initially refused to break off the (00:12:37) engagement. Later, the By family forced (00:12:40) her to do so through underhanded means (00:12:42) and never returned the betroal token (00:12:43) given by her grandfather. This allowed (00:12:45) Bhing Chu to take it and use it to curry (00:12:48) favor with the female lead, turning it (00:12:50) into her greatest cheat and even (00:12:52) securing the scumbag a spot as the third (00:12:54) male lead. Now, with a year left before (00:12:56) the apocalypse begins, (00:12:59) she can use this time to make thorough (00:13:01) preparations, ensuring she survives (00:13:03) longer and more comfortably in the (00:13:05) post-apocalyptic world. After organizing (00:13:07) her thoughts, Shuene stood up, casually (00:13:10) putting the jade pendant she had (00:13:11) retrieved from the B family around her (00:13:13) neck and headed toward the kitchen. Such (00:13:16) an existence, akin to a cheat in (00:13:18) post-apocalyptic novels, is best claimed (00:13:21) as one's own as soon as possible. (00:13:23) Otherwise, who knows what accidents (00:13:25) might occur? What if, just like in the (00:13:27) book, it ends up benefiting someone else (00:13:30) for nothing? That would surely make her (00:13:32) sick with regret. Finding a fruit knife (00:13:35) she often used, she made a cut on the (00:13:37) index finger of her right hand. Bright (00:13:39) red blood immediately gushed out. (00:13:41) Shusheen quickly pressed her finger (00:13:43) against the jade pendant. All the while (00:13:45) mentally complaining about the cliche of (00:13:47) blood recognition trope, the blood (00:13:50) dripped onto the pale jade pendant. (00:13:53) Slowly being absorbed as the entire (00:13:54) pendant began to emit a red glow, (00:13:57) growing increasingly dazzling. Shu Axian (00:14:00) couldn't suppress an overwhelming sense (00:14:01) of exhaustion and fainted directly onto (00:14:03) the sofa, completely unconscious. By the (00:14:06) time Shu Axian woke again, the sky (00:14:09) outside had turned completely dark, (00:14:11) blinking a few times, Shu Aakan propped (00:14:14) herself up slowly, rubbing her sore neck (00:14:16) from the awkward position she'd been in (00:14:18) for so long by the light filtering in (00:14:20) from the street lamps outside. (00:14:23) I fumbled to turn on the lights at home. (00:14:25) Only after sitting back down did I have (00:14:27) the chance to sense the extra space that (00:14:29) had appeared in my mind, "Huh? How is (00:14:31) this completely different from the space (00:14:33) described for the female lead in the (00:14:35) book?" Staring at the scene within the (00:14:37) space, Shuene murmured in surprise. Upon (00:14:40) clearly seeing what was inside, she (00:14:42) sharply drew in a breath of cold air. (00:14:44) Unable to utter a single coherent word, (00:14:46) "H this is." As the female lead's (00:14:50) greatest cheat in the novel, the author (00:14:53) described this space with exceptional (00:14:54) detail. The entire space is shrouded in (00:14:57) a gray haze, roughly the size of nearly (00:15:00) 10 football fields, with time standing (00:15:02) still, incapable of storing living (00:15:04) creatures. Yet, the space before her (00:15:06) eyes was divided into three large zones, (00:15:09) each clearly labeled with its function. (00:15:11) The first area is likely the one the (00:15:13) female protagonist saw, where time (00:15:15) stands still. Anything placed inside (00:15:18) remains exactly as it was when taken (00:15:20) out. The second area consists of an (00:15:23) entire grassland and a mountain capable (00:15:25) of sustaining living creatures with the (00:15:27) mountain suitable for cultivation. The (00:15:29) final area was truly astonishing yet (00:15:31) comforting because it wasn't empty. (00:15:34) Instead, it contains something (00:15:36) resembling a real estate model displayed (00:15:38) in a sales office lobby. Compared to the (00:15:40) first two areas, the space occupied by (00:15:43) the model is almost negligible. (00:15:45) As it appears to be only about 1 cubic (00:15:47) meter in size, it was precisely the (00:15:50) function described on it that made (00:15:51) Shusheen unable to remain calm, an ultra (00:15:54) tech safe haven in the apocalypse. (00:15:56) Equipped with a protective shield, and a (00:15:58) comprehensive defense and living system, (00:16:00) offering a sanctuary of one's own even (00:16:02) in the end times, ownership can be (00:16:04) obtained upon meeting the required (00:16:06) conditions. Shuene forcefully suppressed (00:16:09) her excitement and trembling hands, (00:16:11) trying not to get too carried away as (00:16:14) she continued reading the ownership (00:16:15) conditions. Unlock condition provide (00:16:18) activation energy. 0/100 (00:16:21) 0 0 (00:16:24) Friendly reminder. Zombie cores can (00:16:26) provide the necessary energy. The (00:16:28) enormous energy demand was like a bucket (00:16:30) of ice water poured over Shuaken's head, (00:16:33) instantly snapping her out of her dream (00:16:34) and back to reality. If she remembered (00:16:37) correctly, the original owner of this (00:16:39) body hadn't awakened any special (00:16:41) abilities after the zombies appeared. (00:16:43) Before she transmigrated, her upbringing (00:16:46) was quite similar to the original (00:16:47) owners, a pampered girl who couldn't (00:16:49) lift a finger or bear any burden. Not at (00:16:52) all like other transmigrators who know (00:16:54) self-defense techniques, martial arts, (00:16:56) or ancient combat skills. Nor does he (00:16:59) have the experience and deadly moves (00:17:00) honed by reincarnators surviving the (00:17:02) apocalypse. His greatest strengths might (00:17:04) just be his good looks and (00:17:06) clear-headedness. If being able to act (00:17:08) cute and cocketish counts, then that (00:17:11) could be added to the list, but none of (00:17:13) these are of any help when it comes to (00:17:15) fighting zombies. Shu Aakan felt (00:17:17) extremely uncomfortable, as if someone (00:17:19) had dangled a carrot in front of her (00:17:21) that she could see but couldn't eat. The (00:17:23) frustration of seeing yet being unable (00:17:25) to reach it was unbearable. A sudden (00:17:27) flash of inspiration struck Shu Aakan, (00:17:29) and she remembered a character from the (00:17:31) book. If she could somehow win this (00:17:33) person over, what would she have left to (00:17:35) worry about? Chapter 3. 10 billion in (00:17:39) hand. The person Shu Axen had in mind (00:17:41) was Yanim Mo, the second male lead in (00:17:44) the book. According to the book's (00:17:45) description, Yan Mo<unk>s appearance is (00:17:47) on par with the male lead. And many (00:17:49) readers even speculate that his strength (00:17:51) surpasses that of the male lead because (00:17:53) he has never revealed his true strength (00:17:55) in public. What he is shown on the (00:17:57) surface alone is enough to rival the (00:17:59) male lead. Many readers also say that if (00:18:02) it weren't for his lack of interest in (00:18:03) the female lead, he might have replaced (00:18:06) the male lead altogether. For Shu Axan, (00:18:09) the fact that he doesn't like the female (00:18:11) lead is a good thing. This way, she (00:18:13) wouldn't feel any psychological burden (00:18:15) about bringing someone back herself, nor (00:18:17) would she have to compete with the (00:18:19) female lead for the person, avoiding any (00:18:21) harm from the protagonist's halo. Most (00:18:23) importantly, the author of this book had (00:18:26) once released an anime style image of (00:18:28) the character Yanmo. And that picture (00:18:30) instantly struck a chord with (00:18:31) Shuakai<unk>s heart. Although she hadn't (00:18:34) finished reading the novel before (00:18:36) transmigrating from the part she had (00:18:38) read, the gentle yet cool and aloof (00:18:40) personality displayed by Yan Mo made her (00:18:42) fall in love at once. The combination of (00:18:44) the manga and the character's (00:18:46) personality made Shuakai's fondness for (00:18:48) Yanmo greater than the sum of its parts. (00:18:51) Not only would she gain a golden, (00:18:53) shining support, but she'd also have a (00:18:55) boyfriend who perfectly matched her (00:18:57) ideals. This deal was nothing but (00:18:59) profit. He he as expected of her. What a (00:19:03) clever little devil she was. Shuakai (00:19:05) silently gave herself a mental pat on (00:19:07) the back. Once summer break ended and (00:19:09) she returned to school, she would take (00:19:11) action immediately. She had to trick him (00:19:13) into being hers. If anyone dared to (00:19:16) compete, she'd make them regret it. At (00:19:18) this moment, Shuene had no idea that the (00:19:21) person she had sought out was the (00:19:22) biggest hidden boss in the book. It (00:19:24) wasn't until later when she discovered (00:19:27) Yan Mo<unk>s true nature and found (00:19:29) herself bullied to the point of lying on (00:19:30) the bed, rubbing her sore waist, and (00:19:32) biting the sheets in tears that she (00:19:35) realized how naive she had been and what (00:19:37) a massive pit she had dug for herself. (00:19:40) For the next two days, Shuene stayed at (00:19:42) home without going out. She spent the (00:19:44) time sorting through all her current (00:19:46) assets and couldn't help but gasp in (00:19:48) astonishment. The original owner's (00:19:50) parents had clearly doted on her (00:19:52) immensely. (00:19:53) just the properties under her name alone (00:19:55) numbered in the dozens, not to mention (00:19:57) other assets. The annual rent from these (00:19:59) properties alone was enough to ensure (00:20:01) the original owner would never have to (00:20:03) worry about food or clothing. Most of (00:20:05) these houses were not intended to be (00:20:07) kept by Shuene as she planned to sell (00:20:09) them all except for two units. These two (00:20:12) were the top two floors of the same (00:20:14) building in the same residential (00:20:15) complex. Recently purchased and known (00:20:18) only to her parents and herself. (00:20:21) No one knew these properties belong to (00:20:23) her, which meant her kind uncle<unk>'s (00:20:25) family couldn't track her down here, nor (00:20:27) would any other troublesome (00:20:28) acquaintances come knocking. This would (00:20:30) help her avoid a lot of unnecessary (00:20:32) trouble. Shusheen intended to thoroughly (00:20:34) renovate these two units, turning them (00:20:37) into her pre-apocalyptic refuge. After (00:20:39) organizing her assets, (00:20:42) she scoured the internet for survival (00:20:44) stockpiling guides and drew inspiration (00:20:46) from the experiences of protagonists in (00:20:48) various post-apocalyptic novels. (00:20:51) Shu Axen compiled a lengthy list of (00:20:53) supplies she planned to collect over the (00:20:55) next year, which when printed filled (00:20:58) over a dozen A4 pages to ensure she (00:21:00) didn't overlook anything. Shu Axan also (00:21:03) prepared to carry a small notebook with (00:21:05) her throughout the year. Whenever she (00:21:07) came across something she hadn't thought (00:21:09) of, she would jot it down immediately, (00:21:11) determined to leave no gaps in her (00:21:13) preparations. After completing these (00:21:15) tasks, Shu Axian finally felt a bit more (00:21:19) at ease. Now, all that remained was to (00:21:22) wait for her dear uncle to arrive the (00:21:24) next day with the money to buy the (00:21:26) shares she held, 100 billion. That was (00:21:29) likely close to the maximum amount her (00:21:30) dear uncle could scrape together at the (00:21:33) moment. The shares he holds himself (00:21:35) cannot be touched, and other significant (00:21:37) investments are difficult to liquidate (00:21:39) quickly to gather this 10 billion. Her (00:21:42) uncle would likely have to sell off (00:21:43) nearly all of his disposable private (00:21:45) assets and probably even take out asset (00:21:48) back loans from banks to make up the (00:21:49) full amount. Withdrawing this sum would (00:21:51) be enough to leave their family (00:21:53) financially crippled and in pain for a (00:21:55) long time. This is exactly the effect (00:21:57) Shuene wanted as a significant portion (00:22:00) of the suffering the original host (00:22:01) endured post-apocalypse stemmed from (00:22:03) their family. They deceived the original (00:22:05) host into giving up her shares, (00:22:08) exploited her under the guise of (00:22:09) familial bonds after the apocalypse (00:22:11) began and ultimately sold her to those (00:22:14) beasts in exchange for food, leaving her (00:22:16) to die in humiliation and torment. Their (00:22:18) actions made Shu aan feel completely at (00:22:21) ease when taking their money without any (00:22:23) psychological burden. After a good (00:22:25) night's sleep, Shu Aaken had just woken (00:22:28) up the next morning when she received a (00:22:30) call from Shu Lyang Jun saying he had (00:22:33) already prepared the money and would (00:22:34) come over soon to sign the contract with (00:22:36) her, asking her to wait at home. Shuaken (00:22:39) raised an eyebrow but said nothing, it (00:22:42) seemed her dear uncle was truly (00:22:43) impatient. Afraid the shares might fall (00:22:45) into someone else's hands. But then (00:22:47) again, considering Shoe Corporation is a (00:22:50) century old enterprise, the popularity (00:22:52) of its shares goes without saying. If (00:22:55) she were to put them on the market, (00:22:56) there would be no shortage of eager (00:22:58) buyers. (00:22:59) But she didn't want to waste too much (00:23:01) time on such matters. Time was limited, (00:23:04) and the priority was to get the money (00:23:05) and gather supplies as quickly as (00:23:07) possible. Shuong Jun indeed arrived very (00:23:10) quickly. Within just half an hour of (00:23:12) hanging up the phone, Shu Axian heard (00:23:14) the sound of the doorbell ringing (00:23:16) outside. Today, only Shu Leong Jun and (00:23:19) his assistant came. Both parties wanted (00:23:21) to achieve their goals as quickly as (00:23:23) possible, so there was no unnecessary (00:23:26) talk throughout the entire process. (00:23:28) It wasn't until Shu Axen received the (00:23:31) transfer notification and signed her (00:23:32) name on the equity transfer agreement, (00:23:35) everything has settled. And with the (00:23:36) shares now in his hands, Shu Yong Jun, (00:23:39) whose heart achd from the heavy loss, (00:23:42) finally found a sliver of comfort. He (00:23:44) even mustered the mood to feain concern (00:23:46) for Shu Axen. Axer, your parents passed (00:23:49) away in that plane crash. Uncle knows (00:23:51) how hard this must be for you. Now, my (00:23:54) family is your only kin, and I'm the (00:23:56) only one you can rely on. Feel free to (00:23:59) visit us whenever you can. Yen is about (00:24:01) your age. You young people must have a (00:24:04) lot in common. With her by your side, (00:24:06) you'll be able to move past this grief (00:24:08) sooner. Living well is what your parents (00:24:10) would have wanted. Shuaken's internal (00:24:12) eye roll nearly reached the heavens. But (00:24:14) her face still wore the moved expression (00:24:16) of someone comforted by their only (00:24:18) remaining family as she humored Shu Yong (00:24:20) Jun. Uncle, I understand everything. I (00:24:23) believe mom and dad would want me to (00:24:25) live happily. (00:24:27) Since there's still some time before (00:24:29) school starts, I plan to go abroad soon (00:24:31) to relax and adjust my mood. (00:24:33) Shuangju<unk>s words of comfort suddenly (00:24:35) became unnecessary, leaving him in a (00:24:37) foul mood. Hearing that Shu Axen wanted (00:24:40) to go abroad for a trip, and that he (00:24:42) couldn't stop her, made him feel even (00:24:44) worse. What a spenthrift. Still wanting (00:24:46) to go abroad for fun, that's all my (00:24:49) money. Shu Yong Jun arrived with a dark (00:24:51) face and left with an even darker one. (00:24:54) Shu Axen watched with a face nearly (00:24:57) twisted from suppressed laughter. Seeing (00:24:59) her enemy uncomfortable brought her joy. (00:25:01) Indeed, happiness is built upon the (00:25:03) suffering of one's enemies. When Shu (00:25:05) Axian told Shu Yong Jun she was going (00:25:08) abroad, it was true, but not for (00:25:10) leisure. She was going to stock up on (00:25:12) supplies. As a freshman in college, if (00:25:15) she didn't take advantage of the summer (00:25:17) break to go abroad, there would be no (00:25:19) other suitable time, although there will (00:25:21) be another winter vacation. (00:25:23) Shusheen's plan is to travel around (00:25:25) various places in the country at that (00:25:27) time, not missing out on any local (00:25:29) specialties across the country, (00:25:31) enriching the food collection in her (00:25:33) space. Life in the apocalypse is already (00:25:35) hard enough if she can't even eat well (00:25:37) to comfort her fragile heart. She would (00:25:39) surely break down. Chapter 4. Stocking (00:25:42) up abroad, part one. The visa for going (00:25:45) abroad is scheduled for next week. And (00:25:47) during this week, Shusheen hasn't been (00:25:50) idle either. She found a reputable real (00:25:52) estate company and entrusted them with (00:25:54) all the properties she had previously (00:25:56) sorted out for sale. Shuene's only (00:25:58) requirement for them was speed. She (00:26:00) wanted everything sold within 6 months (00:26:02) if possible. The price could be below (00:26:04) market value, but she insisted on full (00:26:07) payment upfront. With so many properties (00:26:09) in prime locations, the commission they (00:26:11) could earn from selling them all was (00:26:13) obvious. The real estate agents (00:26:15) naturally agreed without hesitation. (00:26:18) Grinning from ear to ear and repeatedly (00:26:20) pounding their chests to assure Shuene (00:26:22) they wouldn't let her down. Thinking (00:26:24) that she would be abroad for over a (00:26:25) month, Shuene decided not to waste this (00:26:28) time either. The houses could start (00:26:30) being renovated and remodeled. The (00:26:32) renovation team for the house was not (00:26:34) something Shuene planned to hire (00:26:35) locally, nor even domestically. Her (00:26:38) requirements for the house renovation (00:26:40) were quite unique and could easily leave (00:26:42) a lasting impression on the workers. To (00:26:44) prevent any potential trouble after the (00:26:46) apocalypse, such as people who had (00:26:48) worked on her house coming back to cause (00:26:50) issues and adding unnecessary grudges, (00:26:53) Shuene decided to hire a team of workers (00:26:55) from abroad. She contacted a renowned (00:26:57) German renovation team online, one that (00:27:00) had previously served many top (00:27:02) executives of major corporations. This (00:27:04) made Shusheen very pleased as it meant (00:27:06) they were unlikely to be phased by her (00:27:08) unusual requests or appear (00:27:10) inexperienced. (00:27:12) Shuene sent photos of the two houses she (00:27:15) needed renovated to the team and (00:27:16) outlined her specific requirements. (00:27:18) Replace all windows with bulletproof and (00:27:20) explosion resistant one-way glass. (00:27:23) Convert the entire underfloor heating (00:27:24) system to be heable by fire and (00:27:27) reinforce the walls for soundproofing. (00:27:29) The house requires three layers of (00:27:31) doors. The first two layers should (00:27:33) appear no different from ordinary doors (00:27:35) used by others except with higher (00:27:37) quality and better security. (00:27:40) Only the third door must meet the same (00:27:42) standards as a bank vault door. As (00:27:45) specified by Shusheen, the first two (00:27:47) doors are merely for show. It's the (00:27:49) third door that Shusheen truly wants. (00:27:52) Additionally, over a dozen other (00:27:54) requirements were listed and sent to the (00:27:55) contractor. The contractor reviewed (00:27:57) Shuene's demands and confirmed they (00:27:59) could be met, but due to the need to (00:28:01) import materials from Germany, the cost (00:28:03) would be significantly higher. Shu, the (00:28:06) little rich lady, Axan, said it was just (00:28:09) money, no big deal. Anything that could (00:28:11) be solved with money wasn't a problem at (00:28:13) all. As long as the best materials were (00:28:16) used, she would even give out extra (00:28:18) bonuses if she was satisfied with the (00:28:20) final inspection of the house. The other (00:28:22) party readily agreed and rushed over the (00:28:24) day before Shu Axan went abroad. The two (00:28:27) houses that needed renovation were (00:28:29) located in a newly developed area (00:28:31) targeting the middle to upper class. Not (00:28:33) many people had moved in yet as most (00:28:35) buyers were still in the renovation (00:28:37) phase. So even though Shu Axan brought a (00:28:40) foreign renovation team, it didn't (00:28:42) attract much attention. After all, those (00:28:45) who could afford to buy homes here were (00:28:47) either wealthy or influential, and it (00:28:49) wasn't uncommon for some to hire foreign (00:28:51) renovation teams. Shuakian didn't stand (00:28:53) out in this regard. Shuakai had visited (00:28:56) the neighborhood in advance and noticed (00:28:58) that it was the peak time for (00:28:59) renovations. Every day, there were many (00:29:02) vehicles and teams transporting (00:29:03) materials in and out of the complex, (00:29:06) which further solidified her decision to (00:29:08) start the renovation at this time. The (00:29:11) smartest way to avoid drawing attention (00:29:12) is to blend in with the crowd. After (00:29:15) handing over the house keys to the (00:29:16) renovation team leader, Shu Axian (00:29:19) embarked on her overseas journey to (00:29:20) stockpile supplies the next day. Her (00:29:23) first stop was country m. In this (00:29:25) freedomloving nation, hoarding large (00:29:27) quantities of goods is much easier than (00:29:29) back home. As long as you're not (00:29:31) committing murder or arson. No one will (00:29:34) interfere with whatever you do. Shuakan (00:29:36) didn't start collecting supplies (00:29:38) blindly. She wasn't deeply familiar with (00:29:40) Countrym's market and attempting to make (00:29:42) bulk purchases would make it hard to (00:29:44) find reliable channels while leaving her (00:29:46) vulnerable to scams. Daily updates push (00:29:49) pin WeChat. After several days of (00:29:51) investigation, Shushin finally began (00:29:54) gathering supplies. She first rented (00:29:56) five ordinary large warehouses and two (00:29:58) large cold storage facilities. (00:30:01) Then proceeded to contact the suppliers (00:30:03) she had screened over the past few days. (00:30:06) She called them one by one, specifying (00:30:08) the items she needed and arranging for (00:30:10) delivery to her doorstep. Edible salt, (00:30:12) sugar, high gluten flour, medium gluten (00:30:15) flour, low gluten flour, gluten-free (00:30:18) flour, various coarse grains, various (00:30:21) types of meat, and eggs. All were (00:30:23) purchased by the ton to speed up the (00:30:25) unloading process. Shusheen even hired (00:30:28) an additional unloading team. sanitary (00:30:31) pads, period underwear, towels, (00:30:34) bath towels, wet wipes, toilet paper, (00:30:37) personal care sets, and various types of (00:30:40) bedding sets. All essential daily (00:30:42) necessities were purchased in quantities (00:30:44) of tens of thousands of boxes. A variety (00:30:47) of delicious deli foods, pizzas and (00:30:49) burgers in all flavors, reindeer (00:30:51) sausages, chowder, sandwiches of various (00:30:54) tastes, and plenty of beverages, (00:30:56) especially the happy fatty sodas like (00:30:59) Coke and Sprite, which were bought in (00:31:01) double the quantity compared to other (00:31:03) drinks. Of course, Shu Axen didn't miss (00:31:06) out on M Country specialties, either. (00:31:08) She stocked up on an enormous amount of (00:31:10) Brazilian nuts, California milk, (00:31:13) cranberries, American jinseng, Napa (00:31:15) Valley red wine, coffee beans, and more (00:31:18) for some fruits unique to the US. She (00:31:21) not only hoarded them, but also bought (00:31:23) seedlings to plant in the second layer (00:31:25) of her space. Although she definitely (00:31:27) couldn't eat all of it, that didn't stop (00:31:29) her from hoarding. In the (00:31:30) post-apocalyptic world, these items (00:31:33) would be considered hard currency. If (00:31:36) she couldn't eat them, she could trade (00:31:37) them for zombie crystals. There were (00:31:39) also many high-end skin care and (00:31:41) cosmetic brands that are ridiculously (00:31:43) expensive back home, but were very cheap (00:31:45) in M country, typically priced at 50% to (00:31:48) 70% of the domestic cost. As a beauty (00:31:51) loving ferry, Shuaken naturally wouldn't (00:31:53) pass up such an opportunity whether she (00:31:56) had used them before or not. She hoarded (00:31:58) them by the thousands with even more (00:32:00) stockpiled for the brand she regularly (00:32:02) used. (00:32:03) Transportation is also essential in the (00:32:06) post-apocalyptic world. While browsing (00:32:08) the car show, Shusheen took a liking to (00:32:10) an off-road vehicle and a motor home, (00:32:13) both of which, upon checking, were (00:32:15) manufactured in Country D. Country D was (00:32:17) also one of Shusheen's travel (00:32:19) destinations this time. Immediately, a (00:32:22) call was made to the car manufacturer, (00:32:24) considering the harsh post-apocalyptic (00:32:26) environment, poor road conditions, and (00:32:29) potential zombie attacks. (00:32:31) An order was placed for 20 night XVS and (00:32:34) 10 Nomadison Navigator FS with the (00:32:37) requirement that all 30 vehicles windows (00:32:39) be replaced with the best bulletproof (00:32:41) glass to be picked up in a month after (00:32:43) paying 30% of the deposit in advance as (00:32:46) requested. The other party finally (00:32:48) believed that Shuene was serious about (00:32:50) the purchase and their attitude (00:32:51) instantly became extremely enthusiastic. (00:32:54) The cars cost Shushi nearly 500 million, (00:32:57) but she didn't feel the slightest bit of (00:32:59) regret. For someone with a net worth of (00:33:02) tens of billions now, this was nothing (00:33:04) compared to the money. As long as it (00:33:07) could add even a fraction more security (00:33:08) for safe travel in the post-apocalyptic (00:33:11) world, the expense was well worth it. (00:33:13) The United States, being the country (00:33:15) with the highest rate of private gun (00:33:17) ownership, treats the buying and selling (00:33:19) of firearms as casually as purchasing (00:33:21) cabbage in a market. Bargaining is (00:33:23) common, choices are plentiful, and there (00:33:25) are even gun exhibitions akin to car (00:33:28) shows. (00:33:29) The guns openly displayed for sale were (00:33:31) not what Shuin desired, and she dared (00:33:34) not venture into the black market alone. (00:33:36) Unlike the bold heroins in novels who (00:33:38) fearlessly brave the black market solo, (00:33:40) she knew that doing so would likely end (00:33:42) in her being murdered, dismembered, and (00:33:45) left in the wilderness. When it came to (00:33:47) firearms, Shuene was all desire but no (00:33:50) capability. She could only fantasize and (00:33:52) envy from afar. After staying in the US (00:33:56) for about a week, Shusheen ordered (00:33:59) several large water tanks equipped with (00:34:01) faucets for easy water access. Before (00:34:03) leaving, she woke up in the middle of (00:34:05) the night to fill these tanks at a local (00:34:07) reservoir. She also prepared a batch of (00:34:09) smaller insulated water tanks to store (00:34:11) hot water ready for use during the (00:34:13) extreme cold. I also bought solar (00:34:16) panels, generators, portable power (00:34:18) stations, assault boats, rubber dingies, (00:34:21) ice skates, various outdoor survival (00:34:24) gear, all kinds of medicines, and high (00:34:26) quality comfortable outdoor jackets, (00:34:30) sportsware, and down jackets in all (00:34:32) sizes, essential consumable energy (00:34:34) sources like honeycomb briquettes, gas (00:34:36) cylinders, natural gas, and coal were (00:34:39) stocked up in even greater quantities (00:34:41) for peace of mind. Chapter 5. Stocking (00:34:44) up abroad part two. Not being able to (00:34:47) acquire firearms in country M left (00:34:49) Shusheen quite frustrated. So when (00:34:51) purchasing petroleum and diesel in (00:34:53) country W. She ended up buying twice the (00:34:56) originally planned amount, spending (00:34:58) double the budget. Unable to obtain (00:35:00) firearms, she could only compensate for (00:35:02) the regret in her heart by stocking up (00:35:04) on more fuel. Shuakai didn't stay long (00:35:07) in country W. In this country, she (00:35:10) always felt like she might encounter (00:35:11) armed dangerous individuals appearing (00:35:13) out of nowhere at any moment, leaving (00:35:15) her with no sense of security at all. On (00:35:18) the same day she collected the fuel, Shu (00:35:21) Axen immediately boarded a flight to her (00:35:23) next destination, country A. Country A (00:35:26) has a highly developed livestock (00:35:28) industry, and the purpose of coming here (00:35:30) was to stock up on various fresh meats (00:35:32) and poultry. When it came time to (00:35:34) actually make purchases, Shuakian (00:35:36) realized there were so many different (00:35:38) breeds of pigs, cattle, and sheep. She (00:35:41) didn't pick and choose. She took some of (00:35:43) each breed and more of the varieties (00:35:45) that tasted the best. Shusheen selected (00:35:48) the three largest farms in country A. (00:35:51) Each with its own complete production (00:35:53) line, eliminating the need for Shuene to (00:35:55) find additional factories to process the (00:35:57) meat. This ensured that all livestock (00:35:59) were freshly slaughtered, guaranteeing (00:36:02) absolute freshness. All the meat was (00:36:04) vacuum- packed by the farmers who also (00:36:06) helped cut and sort it by parts. (00:36:08) Moreover, because Shuene paid (00:36:10) generously, they even agreed to slice (00:36:12) some of the beef and lamb into pieces (00:36:14) and skewer portions without any (00:36:16) objections when requested. Since the (00:36:19) space allowed for breeding, Shuene also (00:36:21) acquired a batch of live livestock to be (00:36:23) kept in the second level pasture. This (00:36:26) ensured there were both males and (00:36:27) females enabling natural reproduction. (00:36:30) Next, Shusheen flew to country h known (00:36:33) for its highly developed dairy industry. (00:36:35) Cheese, butter, pure milk, yogurt, (00:36:39) cream, condensed milk, milk powder. (00:36:41) Nothing was left out as she swept them (00:36:43) all into her space, especially the most (00:36:46) famous milk powder. Shusheen made sure (00:36:48) to stock up for every stage. (00:36:51) from infancy to old age without missing (00:36:54) a single phase. She always had to (00:36:56) prepare for the future. What if she had (00:36:58) children later? In any case, hoarding (00:37:00) supplies wouldn't be a mistake. Shusheen (00:37:02) traveled through several more European (00:37:04) countries, purchasing each nation's (00:37:06) specialties, while in country F, she (00:37:09) even bought out half the inventory of (00:37:11) the most renowned wineries. It wasn't (00:37:13) that Shuene didn't want to buy (00:37:14) everything. It was that they refused to (00:37:17) sell her their entire stock. If they (00:37:20) sold everything to her, they would face (00:37:22) shortages, which would severely impact (00:37:24) their brand. So, Shuin had no choice but (00:37:27) to give up. Successfully picking up the (00:37:29) car she had previously ordered in (00:37:31) country D marked the perfect conclusion (00:37:32) to her European journey. And as summer (00:37:35) vacation drew to a close, Shuene boarded (00:37:37) the plane for the final destination (00:37:39) before returning home, country tea. (00:37:42) Along the way, Shusheen had stocked up (00:37:44) on a variety of supplies and food, (00:37:47) staples, vegetables, fruits, snacks, (00:37:51) as well as meat and seafood. Whether it (00:37:53) flew in the sky, ran on the ground, or (00:37:56) swam in the water. If she saw it or (00:37:58) could think of it, her space was almost (00:38:00) fully stocked. The only exception was (00:38:02) rice. Shusheen hadn't stored any, as her (00:38:05) heart was set on the fragrant rice of (00:38:07) country tea in the various types from (00:38:09) her homeland. When it came to her (00:38:11) beloved staple, she refused to settle (00:38:13) for anything less, which was why she (00:38:15) embarked on this trip to Country Tea. (00:38:18) The moment I boarded the plane back (00:38:19) home, this overseas stockpiling mission (00:38:22) was perfectly concluded. The instant (00:38:25) Shusheen stepped out of the airport and (00:38:26) set foot on her homeland, she felt a (00:38:29) long-lost sense of reality the moment (00:38:31) she entered her home. The exhaustion (00:38:33) from constant travel and the sudden (00:38:34) drowsiness from mental relaxation (00:38:36) overwhelmed every cell in her body. (00:38:39) After a soothing hot bath that relaxed (00:38:41) all her muscles, she lay down on the (00:38:43) bed, wrapped herself in the blanket, and (00:38:45) Shuene immediately drifted into (00:38:47) dreamland. (00:38:49) She slept straight through until nearly (00:38:50) noon the next day before waking up. (00:38:53) Picking up her phone, she saw several (00:38:55) missed calls from the renovation team (00:38:57) she had hired, as well as from Shiangjin (00:38:59) and Shuyan. Ha. It seems her dear uncle (00:39:02) had specifically assigned people to (00:39:04) monitor her residence. She hadn't (00:39:06) disclosed her return yesterday to anyone (00:39:08) at all. Hello, Mr. Pete. Shu Axan calmly (00:39:12) returned a call to the person at the (00:39:14) house first. Oh, the beautiful Miss Shu (00:39:16) Axen. (00:39:18) You finally returned my call. The (00:39:20) renovations at the house are complete, (00:39:22) and all the other materials you (00:39:23) requested have been placed in the (00:39:25) designated rooms. When would you like to (00:39:27) come and inspect the house? How about (00:39:29) 300 p.m. this afternoon? Mr. Pete, (00:39:32) you're in such a hurry. must have landed (00:39:34) another big project. Right. Your (00:39:36) complete lack of sentimentality truly (00:39:38) breaks my heart. Pete's humorous and (00:39:40) exaggerated tone was so comforting that (00:39:42) it lifted Shuakai<unk>s mood (00:39:44) considerably, (00:39:46) prompting her to tease him in return, (00:39:47) which elicited a hearty laugh from the (00:39:49) other end of the line. No sooner had she (00:39:52) hung up Pete's call than Shu (00:39:53) Yangju<unk>s call came through (00:39:55) immediately. Shu Aakan pouted (00:39:57) impatiently and pressed the answer (00:39:58) button. Hey, Xener. Why didn't you tell (00:40:01) your uncle when you returned to the (00:40:03) country? I could have had your aunt and (00:40:04) Hanyen pick you up at the airport. (00:40:06) Didn't you find out even without me (00:40:08) telling you? Uncle, you really have eyes (00:40:11) and ears everywhere. (00:40:13) Don't you? Shu Axen didn't put on her (00:40:15) usual act with Shu Leong Jun this time. (00:40:18) Her words were icy, devoid of any (00:40:20) warmth, clearly caught off guard by her (00:40:22) tone. The other end seemed momentarily (00:40:24) speechless. Uncle is just looking out (00:40:26) for you, isn't he? We're family. Do you (00:40:29) really think uncle would harm you? (00:40:31) Everything uncle does is for your own (00:40:33) good. You should understand his good (00:40:35) intentions. Perhaps stung by Shu (00:40:37) Xian<unk>s bluntness. Shu Leong Jun (00:40:39) raised his voice as if volume alone (00:40:42) could mask his guilt. Ha. There<unk>'s (00:40:44) no need for pretense anymore. I don't (00:40:47) have time to waste on empty words with (00:40:49) you. If you send people to follow or (00:40:51) surveil me again, I'll report it to the (00:40:53) police every single time. If the police (00:40:55) come knocking at your door or your (00:40:57) company, it's your reputation and (00:40:59) interests on the line, not mine. I (00:41:01) couldn't care less seeing that Shu Leong (00:41:04) Jun still wanted to play dumb and use (00:41:06) family ties as an excuse. Shu Axian (00:41:09) directly tore off the facade of pretense (00:41:11) he maintained on the surface, ruthlessly (00:41:14) exposing his true nature. Shu Axan, do (00:41:17) you think you've grown strong enough to (00:41:18) threaten me now? Don't forget, you're (00:41:21) just a helpless orphan with no one to (00:41:22) back you up. I have plenty of ways to (00:41:25) make you hand over that money (00:41:26) obediently. With his mask of deception (00:41:28) shattered, Shu Leong Jun flew into a (00:41:30) rage, his words a far cry from his usual (00:41:33) moralistic rhetoric. You'd better think (00:41:35) carefully before you speak. I have (00:41:37) evidence of your tax evasion and leaking (00:41:39) company secrets. (00:41:41) If you don't want to end up behind bars, (00:41:43) you'd better not provoke me. Don't even (00:41:45) think about killing me to protect your (00:41:47) secret. I've already backed up all the (00:41:49) evidence. If I go missing for more than (00:41:51) a week, this evidence will be sent to (00:41:53) the police via email. (00:41:55) After saying these words, Shuin didn't (00:41:58) give Shelyangjin another chance to speak (00:42:00) and directly hung up the phone. Spending (00:42:02) even one more second dealing with such a (00:42:04) person would make her sick to her (00:42:05) stomach. It was utterly disgusting. (00:42:08) Furious that being hung up on, (00:42:10) Shulangjen threw his phone against the (00:42:12) wall and kicked over his office chair in (00:42:13) a fit of rage. Yet, there was nothing he (00:42:16) could do but see helplessly. Shul (00:42:18) Yangjin<unk>s act of sending people to (00:42:20) monitor her had truly crossed her bottom (00:42:22) line. She still needed to continue (00:42:25) stockpiling supplies domestically, and (00:42:27) if someone kept watching her every move, (00:42:30) it would be easy for them to notice (00:42:31) something a miss. Such a massive safety (00:42:34) hazard. Shu Aakan dared not leave it for (00:42:36) herself, nor would she, Chapter 6, a (00:42:40) complete break. The renovation of the (00:42:41) house left Shu Aakan extremely (00:42:44) satisfied. It was practically the ideal (00:42:46) state she had envisioned, exuding a (00:42:48) strong sense of security just by looking (00:42:50) at it. She promptly paid the remaining (00:42:53) balance and even transferred an extra (00:42:55) 500 000 as the previously agreed upon (00:42:59) bonus. By now, Shu Aaken had spent (00:43:02) nearly 5 billion. But this was still far (00:43:04) from enough. She only spent half of the (00:43:06) money from selling the stocks, and the (00:43:08) original savings in Shuene's hands (00:43:10) remained untouched. About half of the (00:43:12) items on the list had also been checked (00:43:14) off and most of the remaining items (00:43:16) needed to be purchased domestically. (00:43:18) Shuene wasn't in a hurry either. She (00:43:21) still had over 10 months to stock up on (00:43:23) supplies. With 10 months, was there any (00:43:26) worry about not being able to spend the (00:43:28) money or afford the materials? Unlike (00:43:30) abroad, domestically, it's the era of (00:43:33) big data. Buying in bulk can easily (00:43:35) attract attention from others and (00:43:36) relevant authorities. Some items even (00:43:39) require a license to purchase, like the (00:43:41) female protagonist in novels who (00:43:43) casually buys out entire wholesale (00:43:45) markets, orders a thousand portions of (00:43:48) cooked food with just a word, or even (00:43:50) monopolizes all the snacks at a night (00:43:52) market for half a month straight. When (00:43:54) it comes to actually stockpiling (00:43:56) supplies yourself, you'll realize that (00:43:58) aside from whether these actions are (00:44:00) realistic or might get you invited for a (00:44:02) chat, such large-scale moves would make (00:44:04) you a perfect target. With the internet (00:44:06) being so advanced these days, such (00:44:09) attention-grabbing behavior would (00:44:10) undoubtedly be posted online by (00:44:12) onlookers. When the apocalypse arrives, (00:44:16) anyone who's seen you or watched the (00:44:18) videos online, assuming they still have (00:44:20) a functioning brain, would immediately (00:44:22) suspect something's off. It's no (00:44:24) different from painting a giant glowing (00:44:26) target on your back. Ordinary people (00:44:28) might not be able to do much, but in the (00:44:30) apocalypse, capable individuals are (00:44:33) never in short supply. If they find out (00:44:35) you have supplies, they'll swarm you and (00:44:38) the likelihood of being captured and (00:44:39) turned into a supply extractor is over (00:44:42) 90%. Moreover, once school starts, (00:44:46) Shu Axian will need to attend classes (00:44:48) daily and focus on building (00:44:50) relationships with the influential (00:44:52) figures she's targeting. She won't have (00:44:54) much time to run around outside everyday (00:44:56) contacting people and gathering (00:44:57) supplies. She needs to plan carefully to (00:45:00) ensure her supply collection progress (00:45:02) stays on track. After viewing the house, (00:45:05) Shuakai didn't head straight home. (00:45:07) Instead, she drove around to a few large (00:45:09) wholesale markets in the city. While (00:45:12) waiting at a relatively quiet (00:45:14) intersection for the traffic light, she (00:45:16) noticed a warehouse-style supermarket (00:45:18) that was about to be put up for (00:45:19) transfer. Seeing this is truly (00:45:21) eyeopening. A warehouse style (00:45:23) supermarket is perfect. It has a vast (00:45:25) and comprehensive selection of goods, (00:45:27) and the portions are large. This is (00:45:29) simply the ideal place for stockpiling (00:45:32) supplies. All I need to do is take over (00:45:34) this store and I'll have a legitimate (00:45:37) excuse for purchasing supplies without (00:45:39) the hassle of laboriously hoarding them (00:45:41) from various places. It's enough to just (00:45:43) order 50% more than the usual stock for (00:45:45) a typical warehouse supermarket with (00:45:47) each shipment. Others will simply assume (00:45:49) business is booming and won't look too (00:45:51) closely. This supermarket's location (00:45:53) isn't particularly advantageous, so (00:45:56) business definitely won't be that great. (00:45:58) Every time I check the warehouse (00:46:00) inventory, I can conveniently take a (00:46:02) little extra. Combined with the (00:46:04) additional 50% of supplies each time, (00:46:07) the amount accumulated over 10 months (00:46:09) will be absolutely staggering. Not to (00:46:11) mention, she would keep shopping online (00:46:13) and hoarding other things. Absolutely (00:46:15) ensuring a comfortable life for herself (00:46:17) and her golden thigh in the apocalypse. (00:46:19) Thinking about it this way, it might (00:46:21) also be possible to take over a (00:46:23) pharmacy, solving the issue of medical (00:46:26) supplies as well. Jotting down the (00:46:28) supermarket's location and the phone (00:46:29) number left on it, Shuene drove away. (00:46:33) She did want to take over the (00:46:34) supermarket, but if she just walked in (00:46:36) boldly, saying she wanted to buy it, (00:46:38) she'd probably be seen as a gullible (00:46:40) fool with a few screws loose. Such (00:46:42) professional matters should be left to (00:46:44) professionals. Shusheen found a coffee (00:46:46) shop, leisurely sipping afternoon tea (00:46:48) and enjoying desserts while hiring a (00:46:50) professional manager online. After all, (00:46:53) once the supermarket and pharmacy were (00:46:55) acquired, she would need someone to (00:46:57) manage them. It was better to get (00:47:00) everything done properly from the start (00:47:01) by entrusting the tasks to (00:47:03) professionals. Lured by Shuene's (00:47:05) exceptionally high salary offer, someone (00:47:07) quickly decided to switch jobs and apply (00:47:10) for the position she provided, Shuene (00:47:12) picked the one who seemed the most (00:47:13) agreeable to her. Well, when you're (00:47:15) rich, you can afford to be this (00:47:17) capricious. This is the almighty power (00:47:19) of money. Having resolved a major worry, (00:47:23) Shuene decided to treat herself to a (00:47:25) good meal tonight as a reward for her (00:47:27) brilliant mind. After strolling around (00:47:29) outside until 9:00 p.m., Shuene finally (00:47:32) drove home contentedly, carrying bags (00:47:34) full of shopping spoils. With school (00:47:37) about to start soon, Shusheen decided to (00:47:39) take it easy in the coming days, (00:47:41) strolling and eating out daily, (00:47:43) furnishing her new home, and buying (00:47:45) favorite items and snacks online to (00:47:47) return to her laid-back lifestyle. Happy (00:47:50) times are always so fleeting. The moment (00:47:53) I saw the face of Shuli Yangjin<unk>s (00:47:55) family on the home video doorbell again, (00:47:57) the joy vanished with a snap. These (00:47:59) people are truly annoying. We've made (00:48:02) things so clear and the relationship is (00:48:04) already broken. How can they still have (00:48:06) the nerve to show up at our door, not (00:48:08) wanting to attract the neighbors (00:48:09) attention, Shushin eventually let them (00:48:11) in? This family really has thick skin. (00:48:14) They walked right in and sat on the sofa (00:48:16) without hesitation, acting as if they (00:48:19) were at home. Speak if you have (00:48:21) something to say. Fart if you have (00:48:23) something to let out. You're not welcome (00:48:25) here. Shuaken had no intention of (00:48:27) sitting down for a long talk with them. (00:48:29) She just wanted them to say their peace (00:48:31) and get lost. What kind of attitude is (00:48:33) this? No matter what, we're still your (00:48:35) elders. You show us no respect at all. (00:48:38) Do you even have any manners? Wong Shu (00:48:41) Hong, already fuming from being dragged (00:48:43) to see Shu Axian today, exploded the (00:48:46) moment she heard Shuak Xen<unk>s words, (00:48:49) nearly jumping up to point and scream in (00:48:51) her face. She lacked any trace of a (00:48:53) noble woman's demeanor, instead (00:48:55) resembling a middle-aged woman cursing (00:48:57) in a rural village. Shut up, Shu Yong (00:49:00) Jun felt the veins on his forehead (00:49:01) throbbing. How had he ended up marrying (00:49:04) such a foolish and useless woman who (00:49:06) only brought him trouble? Shu Yangju (00:49:08) and<unk>s shout instantly silenced Wong (00:49:09) Shu Hong. Reluctantly, she closed her (00:49:12) mouth. Not daring to say another word, (00:49:15) though the anger on her face remained (00:49:16) unddeinished. (00:49:18) "If you came here today just to showcase (00:49:20) your family's internal conflicts, I've (00:49:22) seen enough and have no interest (00:49:24) whatsoever. If there's nothing else, you (00:49:26) may leave." Shuxen finished speaking and (00:49:29) prepared to reopen the door, her (00:49:31) attitude clearly indicating it was time (00:49:33) for the guests to leave. Shu Axian, we (00:49:36) came to see you today about company (00:49:38) matters. Recently, the company's working (00:49:40) capital has encountered a major issue. (00:49:42) There's a significant financial gap. If (00:49:45) we can't fill this gap, the company (00:49:48) might. It's all my fault. This company (00:49:50) was the life's work of your grandfather (00:49:52) and father. Shuang Juan<unk>s words (00:49:54) carried an obvious hint, waiting for Shu (00:49:56) Axan to offer to contribute the money. (00:49:59) Yet to his surprise, her expression (00:50:01) didn't change in the slightest, and what (00:50:03) she said next was completely different (00:50:05) from what he had imagined. It seems you (00:50:07) do have some self-awareness. The company (00:50:09) thrived under Grandpa and Dad's (00:50:11) leadership, but as soon as it fell into (00:50:13) your hands. Problems arose, indeed. A (00:50:17) person's intelligence is innate. Nothing (00:50:19) can change that. Shu Leong Jun was so (00:50:22) infuriated by Shu Xen<unk>s words that (00:50:24) he nearly toppled over backward. Her (00:50:26) statement was practically calling him (00:50:28) stupid outright. Sister, how could you (00:50:30) say such a thing? Do you no longer want (00:50:33) us, your own family? Shu Han Yan finally (00:50:36) seized the chance to speak. And her (00:50:38) words immediately carried that familiar (00:50:40) tone of passive aggressiveness. Oh, I (00:50:43) never realized your comprehension skills (00:50:45) were this sharp before since you've all (00:50:47) figured it out. Please, please, please (00:50:50) never come looking for me again. Having (00:50:52) relatives like your family just feels (00:50:54) like bad luck to me. passive aggressive (00:50:56) as if she's the only one who can play (00:50:58) that game. Shoot. The old Enyong (00:51:00) mastered Axai is feeling proud. Chapter (00:51:03) 7. Chapter 7. Pushing over the golden (00:51:05) thigh. The incident of the Shu Yong Jun (00:51:09) family coming to find her again (00:51:10) strengthened Shuakian<unk>s (00:51:11) determination to move to a new place. (00:51:14) There was still a considerable period of (00:51:15) peaceful life ahead, but if they kept (00:51:17) coming to disturb her every now and (00:51:19) then, Shuakai would really explode. As (00:51:22) soon as the three people had left, (00:51:24) Shuene immediately called the real (00:51:26) estate agent who had helped her sell her (00:51:28) house, asking them to find a (00:51:30) well-secured apartment near University A (00:51:32) for her to rent. Since Shuene was one of (00:51:35) their major clients, the real estate (00:51:37) agent worked efficiently. Within half an (00:51:39) hour, they had recommended three (00:51:41) apartments in different complexes for (00:51:43) her to choose from. Lza Garden, if I (00:51:45) remember correctly, the Golden Thai also (00:51:48) lives in this complex. Let's go with (00:51:50) this one. Shuin confirmed the apartment (00:51:52) and sent the details to the agent, (00:51:54) scheduling a visit the next morning to (00:51:56) finalize the paperwork. (00:51:58) She planned to view the place in the (00:52:00) morning and move in that very afternoon, (00:52:02) pack everything from the original villa (00:52:04) that won't be used today into the space (00:52:06) if it weren't for the hassle of removing (00:52:08) and taking the floor tiles. Shu Aakan (00:52:11) wouldn't want to leave a single thing (00:52:12) behind. This house filled with memories (00:52:15) of the original owner and her parents (00:52:17) wasn't listed for sale online by Shu (00:52:19) Aakan. It was kept as a momento. (00:52:22) However, once the apocalypse arrives, (00:52:24) this house certainly won't survive. (00:52:27) The next day, Shu Aakan made a point of (00:52:30) waking up early and dressing (00:52:31) beautifully, just in case she happened (00:52:33) to run into Yan Mo while house hunting. (00:52:35) After all, she wanted to make a good (00:52:37) first impression. The original body's (00:52:40) appearance was almost identical to her (00:52:41) own, except for a teardrop mole at the (00:52:44) outer corner of her right eye, which the (00:52:46) original lacked, making her look even (00:52:48) more innocent and harmless. Her (00:52:50) appearance is the soft, cute, and pretty (00:52:52) sweet girl type. With two adorable (00:52:55) dimples when she smiles, already sweet (00:52:58) enough on its own. If she deliberately (00:53:00) acts cocketish, it's practically enough (00:53:02) to drown someone in sweetness because of (00:53:04) her looks and being doted on by her (00:53:06) elders. Whenever she caused trouble or (00:53:08) made mistakes in the past, as long as (00:53:11) she clung to them and acted cute, she (00:53:13) could always adorably get away with it. (00:53:16) Thus, she honed her coetish skills to (00:53:18) perfection. After confirming her outfit (00:53:20) was both convenient and stylish. (00:53:23) Shu Aan put on a widebrimmed sun hat and (00:53:26) headed out. The real estate agent was (00:53:28) already waiting for her at the entrance (00:53:30) of the neighborhood. Shu Aakan followed (00:53:32) Shiaoli into the complex and along the (00:53:34) way Shiaoli dutifully introduced the (00:53:36) area to her. Shuaken responded politely (00:53:39) by the side, giving off a respectful (00:53:41) sense of being genuinely listened to, (00:53:44) which made Shiaoli feel even more (00:53:45) motivated. She continued introducing the (00:53:48) house to Shu Axen until her throat (00:53:50) became dry and she had to stop. The (00:53:53) property agent recommended this (00:53:54) two-bedroom, one living room apartment (00:53:56) to her, which had already been fully (00:53:58) renovated and even came with complete (00:54:00) household appliances, allowing for (00:54:02) immediate movein with just a suitcase on (00:54:05) the spot. Shu Aen signed the contract (00:54:07) with Shiaoli, paid a year's rent in (00:54:09) advance, and received the keys to the (00:54:11) apartment. After seeing Shiaoli off, Shu (00:54:14) Axen immediately contacted a (00:54:16) housekeeping ad to help clean the (00:54:18) apartment. While she herself prepared to (00:54:21) go out and buy some additional items, (00:54:23) she also planned to bring back a (00:54:25) suitcase to maintain appearances. After (00:54:27) a busy day, Shuene had been hoping to (00:54:29) run into her golden thigh in the (00:54:31) neighborhood. But alas, the destined (00:54:34) encounter between the male and female (00:54:35) leads and novels was never meant for her (00:54:38) since she couldn't bump into Yanimo (00:54:40) anyway. Shusheen simply stayed at home (00:54:42) and ordered takeout, scrolling through (00:54:44) the delivery app on her phone. She (00:54:47) thought about how much energy she had (00:54:49) burned running around all day and (00:54:50) decided to replenish it with some high (00:54:52) calorie food. Shusheen would absolutely (00:54:54) never admit she was just craving it. She (00:54:57) ordered 10 super family buckets from KFC (00:54:59) and 10 snack buckets. There was no way (00:55:02) she could finish all that in one meal. (00:55:04) The rest was meant to be stored in her (00:55:06) space inventory. There's a dedicated (00:55:08) area in the space for storing cooked (00:55:10) food. During the apocalypse, (00:55:13) cooking is quite inconvenient. The (00:55:15) strong smells can easily draw unwanted (00:55:17) attention. Stocking up on ready to eat (00:55:19) meals saves a lot of trouble. After (00:55:21) successfully acquiring the supermarket (00:55:23) she had her eye on, Shuaken had the (00:55:26) hired manager place a bulk order for (00:55:28) large shelving units under the (00:55:29) supermarket's name and also conducted an (00:55:31) inventory check of the store stock. Now (00:55:34) all the supplies in the space are neatly (00:55:36) organized. (00:55:38) Shu Axen even divided her storage area (00:55:40) into sections similar to those in a (00:55:42) supermarket, (00:55:44) making it much more efficient and (00:55:45) effortless to find things later. Ever (00:55:48) since moving into this neighborhood, Shu (00:55:50) Aaken has made it a habit to take a (00:55:52) daily stroll around the area, hoping to (00:55:54) bump into Yanmo by chance. Yet, she (00:55:57) hasn't succeeded even once. Shuaken had (00:56:00) given up on chance encounters, going out (00:56:02) without makeup and wearing pajamas to (00:56:04) the convenience store in her (00:56:05) neighborhood. On her way back, she (00:56:07) unexpectedly pounced on the golden thigh (00:56:09) she had been longing for. Yes, you read (00:56:13) that right. She pounced because Shuakai (00:56:16) was walking while playing on her phone. (00:56:18) She didn't notice she had already (00:56:19) reached her building. Tripping over the (00:56:21) steps, she frantically grabbed onto (00:56:24) Yanimo, who was also climbing the stairs (00:56:26) ahead of her, and the two of them (00:56:28) tumbled together at the building in (00:56:29) trance. Mm. Yanim Mo pinned beneath Shu (00:56:33) Axen, felt the hard steps digging into (00:56:35) his back, further aggravated by (00:56:37) Shuaken<unk>s added weight and couldn't (00:56:39) help but let out a muffled groan of (00:56:41) pain. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't (00:56:45) mean to. Are you okay? Realizing she had (00:56:48) caused trouble, Shuakai quickly (00:56:50) apologized before even lifting her head. (00:56:52) Hearing the other person's pain groan, (00:56:54) she hurriedly got up and reached out to (00:56:56) help them. In her flustered state, (00:56:58) Shuaken froze in place the moment she (00:57:00) saw the face of the person she had (00:57:02) knocked over, unable to stop herself (00:57:04) from calling out his name. Yanim Mo, do (00:57:06) you know me? Yanim Mo quickly got up (00:57:09) from the ground on his own and looked at (00:57:11) Shuaken, (00:57:12) who was still in the posture of trying (00:57:14) to help him. After clearly seeing (00:57:16) Shuakains face, Yan Mo<unk>s eyes (00:57:18) darkened for a brief moment before (00:57:20) immediately returning to normal. My name (00:57:22) is Shuaken and I'm also a student at a (00:57:25) university. It's not strange that I know (00:57:27) you right. I'm really sorry about (00:57:29) earlier. Are you okay, senior? In that (00:57:33) short time, Shuaken had already composed (00:57:35) herself. Her gaze now filled with (00:57:38) concern as she looked at Yanmo. (00:57:40) It's<unk> all right. There shouldn't be (00:57:41) any major issues. (00:57:44) But next time, don't look at your phone (00:57:45) while walking. It's a very dangerous (00:57:48) behavior. Yan Mo adjusted the gold (00:57:50) rimmed glasses on his nose with his (00:57:52) hand. His speech was unhurried, his tone (00:57:54) gentle, making it pleasant to listen to (00:57:56) and unconsciously convincing. Yenm (00:57:58) Mo<unk>s appearance was exceptionally (00:58:00) striking to begin with, and he was still (00:58:02) dressed in the suit he wore to the (00:58:03) cocktail party. Combined with his (00:58:06) earlier gesture of pushing up his (00:58:07) glasses, he was the epitome of a refined (00:58:10) yet roguish gentleman, Shuakian felt she (00:58:13) was done for. Her heart had just been (00:58:15) pierced by an arrow from a little naked (00:58:17) boy named Cupid in that very moment. (00:58:19) This man was practically the perfect (00:58:21) embodiment of her every preference, (00:58:23) exuding an air of reserved aloofness (00:58:25) from head to toe, constantly challenging (00:58:27) Shuxen's already limited rationality, (00:58:30) Yan Mo silently observed Shuxen<unk>s (00:58:33) reactions without showing any expression (00:58:35) as if he had noticed nothing, helping (00:58:38) her pick up the scattered items from the (00:58:40) floor before stepping onto the elevator (00:58:42) with her. Chapter 8. First talk, then (00:58:45) love. She had seen Yan Mo<unk>s (00:58:47) appearance before, both on the school (00:58:49) forum and in the original hosts (00:58:50) memories, but none of it compared to the (00:58:52) overwhelming impact of seeing him in (00:58:54) real life. No wonder half the girls in (00:58:57) school are devoted fans of Yan Mo, who (00:58:59) could resist such a devastatingly (00:59:01) handsome face. Others might not know, (00:59:04) but Shu Aan certainly couldn't resist. (00:59:07) It took her just 3 seconds to completely (00:59:09) fall for him. Faced with such a close-up (00:59:12) of his stunning looks, Shuakan felt her (00:59:14) brain overheating and her mouth moving (00:59:16) on its own. "Senior, can I ask if you (00:59:19) have a girlfriend right now?" Suddenly, (00:59:21) hearing such a direct question, Yanimo (00:59:23) was uncharacteristically taken aback for (00:59:25) a moment. The corners of his lips curled (00:59:27) slightly, and a glint of sharpness (00:59:29) flashed beneath his glasses. Too quick (00:59:32) for anyone to catch. So, how about me, (00:59:35) senior? Would you consider dating me? (00:59:38) After saying this, Shu Aayan paused to (00:59:41) observe Yan Mo<unk>s expression. Seeing (00:59:43) no sign of disapproval, she continued, (00:59:46) "Though we've just met and aren't very (00:59:47) familiar yet, we could start dating (00:59:49) first and slowly develop our feelings. (00:59:52) Isn't it trendy nowadays to marry first, (00:59:54) love later, we could take inspiration (00:59:57) and try dating first, loving later?" (00:59:59) Yanimo raised an eyebrow with interest. (01:00:03) Even upon hearing such bold words, ones (01:00:06) that would shock others, his expression (01:00:08) remained unchanged. The words were out (01:00:10) before my brain caught up with what I (01:00:12) just said, and I couldn't take them back (01:00:14) right after. That would make it seem (01:00:16) like I didn't take dating seriously at (01:00:17) all, which wouldn't help my chances with (01:00:19) someone as unattainable as Yanmo. (01:00:22) Shuaken had no choice but to brace (01:00:24) herself and wait for Yan Mo<unk>s (01:00:26) response. Her heart pounding so hard it (01:00:28) felt like it might leap out of her (01:00:30) chest. Just before her heart could jump (01:00:33) out of her throat, Yanmo finally spoke. (01:00:36) All right, I agree. Huh? What? The (01:00:39) unexpected answer caught Shu Aai offg (01:00:41) guard, her surprise so great she (01:00:43) couldn't even control her facial (01:00:45) expression. No. Ding. The elevator doors (01:00:48) opened. It was Shu Aakan's floor before (01:00:51) exiting the elevator. Shuakian quickly (01:00:53) exchanged phone numbers with the other (01:00:55) person. Then dazedly opened her door and (01:00:58) went home. Everything happened too fast, (01:01:00) too suddenly, and it all felt surreal. (01:01:04) It wasn't until Shuin received a new (01:01:06) friend request on WeChat that she felt a (01:01:08) hint of reality. The note attached to (01:01:10) Yan Mo<unk>s friend request was (01:01:12) straightforward and blunt. Just three (01:01:14) words: boyfriend. Those three words (01:01:16) gradually filled Shuin's vision, and the (01:01:18) delayed rush of excitement and joy made (01:01:20) her want to scream with happiness. (01:01:22) Considering the walls weren't exactly (01:01:24) soundproof, she managed to suppress the (01:01:26) urge. But that didn't stop her from (01:01:28) bouncing around gleeully on the spot. I (01:01:31) clicked to accept the friend request and (01:01:34) a new message immediately came through. (01:01:36) Why? I thought I might have remembered (01:01:38) the wrong number since it took you so (01:01:40) long to accept. It's a little fairy. No, (01:01:42) not at all. It's a little fairy. I'm (01:01:45) just so happy. And it still feels a bit (01:01:47) unreal. I can't believe you actually (01:01:49) agreed to be my boyfriend. Yan Mo looked (01:01:52) at the message on his phone, a glimmer (01:01:54) of amusement in his eyes. So happy. Why (01:01:57) do you have any plans tomorrow morning? (01:01:59) It's the little fairy duck. No. Is there (01:02:03) something up? Why didn't you say we (01:02:05) should nurture our relationship? Let's (01:02:07) have breakfast together tomorrow (01:02:08) morning. Is 7:00 okay? It's the little (01:02:11) fairy duck. Okay, boyfriend. See you (01:02:14) downstairs at 7 tomorrow morning. Yan Mo (01:02:17) put down his phone, picked up his change (01:02:19) of clothes, and walked into the (01:02:21) bathroom. His agreement with Shuene (01:02:23) today wasn't just a spur-ofthe- moment (01:02:25) decision. It could also be considered a (01:02:27) case of being attracted at first sight. (01:02:30) Every aspect of Shuin<unk>s appearance (01:02:32) perfectly matched his preferences. He (01:02:34) was a normal man after all. He had never (01:02:36) intended to grow old alone, and having (01:02:38) his own standards for choosing a partner (01:02:40) wasn't strange in the slightest. It (01:02:42) turns out not being in a relationship (01:02:44) was just a matter of not meeting the (01:02:46) right person. Once she met someone she (01:02:48) liked, she naturally wouldn't hesitate. (01:02:51) Her cheerful mood came to an abrupt halt (01:02:54) the moment she saw her reflection in the (01:02:56) mirror. Who could tell her what kind of (01:02:57) ridiculous image this was? Her hair, (01:03:00) loosened from the fall, was messily (01:03:02) piled on her head, and the silly, (01:03:04) adorable dinosaur onesie made her look (01:03:06) anything but intelligent. This was the (01:03:08) image she had used to propose a (01:03:10) relationship to the golden ticket of her (01:03:12) future for decades to come. Heavens, (01:03:14) strike me dead with lightning. This was (01:03:17) completely contrary to the first (01:03:19) impression she wanted to leave on Yanmo. (01:03:21) Moreover, she couldn't help but wonder (01:03:23) if Yanmo had agreed so easily because (01:03:26) she seemed too foolish and he couldn't (01:03:28) bear to crush her confidence or hurt her (01:03:30) fragile heart, thus reluctantly (01:03:32) agreeing, "No, absolutely not. She must (01:03:35) appear before Yanmo tomorrow with a (01:03:37) perfect image to change his perception (01:03:39) of her, but reality is cruel." Shu (01:03:43) Aakian stayed up late picking out (01:03:44) clothes and overslept the next day. (01:03:47) Completely missing the alarm on her (01:03:49) phone, it was Yanmo knocking at the door (01:03:52) without getting a response and calling (01:03:54) her twice that finally managed to wake (01:03:56) her up groggy, she answered the phone (01:03:58) and heard his voice. In that instant, it (01:04:01) felt like a bolt of lightning had struck (01:04:03) Shu Axian right on the head. Instantly (01:04:05) demonstrating the saying, "Startled from (01:04:07) a deathly illness, one sits up abruptly, (01:04:10) without even putting on her slippers, (01:04:12) she rushed out of the bedroom and opened (01:04:14) the door, only to see her newly minted (01:04:17) boyfriend standing outside in workout (01:04:19) clothes, clearly just back from (01:04:21) exercising. I I'm sorry. I overslept." (01:04:25) Shuakai glanced at Yan Mo, feeling (01:04:27) ashamed of her laziness, and lowered her (01:04:30) head, not daring to look at his (01:04:31) expression again. It was clearly her (01:04:33) idea to start dating someone. Yet, she (01:04:36) overslept on their first date. (01:04:38) Absolutely unforgivable. If this had (01:04:40) happened to her, she would have been (01:04:41) furious. Woo! Woo! What should she do? (01:04:44) Her freshly acquired boyfriend. (01:04:47) Not even warmed up yet. Might slip away. (01:04:50) It's okay. Go put on your shoes first. (01:04:53) Standing barefoot on the floor can (01:04:54) easily make you catch a cold, looking at (01:04:57) the pitiful girl with her head lowered (01:04:58) in front of him. Yan Mo couldn't resist (01:05:00) reaching out to ruffle the unruly hair (01:05:02) sticking up on her head. She was just (01:05:04) too adorable, making it impossible to (01:05:07) stay angry. All he wanted was to hold (01:05:09) her in his arms and give her a good (01:05:11) squeeze. But it wasn't the right time (01:05:13) yet. He might scare her off. Yanmo, (01:05:17) who had already placed his right hand (01:05:18) back at his side, rubbed his fingertips (01:05:21) together, savoring the smooth touch from (01:05:23) earlier, suppressing the impulse in his (01:05:25) heart, he stepped into Shuene's cozy (01:05:28) home and casually closed the door behind (01:05:30) him. Seeing that her boyfriend wasn't (01:05:32) angry, Shuene happily hugged him and (01:05:34) then scampered off to the bedroom to put (01:05:36) on her shoes and freshen up. In less (01:05:38) than 12 hours, Yan Mo had already seen (01:05:41) her in two less than elegant outfits. (01:05:44) Shuene simply gave up trying to salvage (01:05:46) her dignity. If she was going to be a (01:05:48) mess, she might as well embrace it (01:05:50) fully. Whatever. Who cares, sister? I (01:05:53) was born wild and free, loving liberty (01:05:56) with all my heart. Countless thoughts (01:05:57) galloped wildly through my mind. Yet my (01:06:00) body was brutally honest. I got ready at (01:06:02) lightning speed and slipped into the (01:06:04) carefully chosen outfit from last night. (01:06:06) Chapter nine. The first kiss. Though (01:06:09) their first date had a rocky start. The (01:06:12) process and the ending were both (01:06:13) delightful. When they parted ways to (01:06:15) head home, both were in high spirits, (01:06:18) clearly very satisfied with how the date (01:06:20) had gone. Yan Mo had something to do in (01:06:22) the afternoon. So, the two parted ways (01:06:25) after having lunch together. After (01:06:27) spending the morning together, Yan Mo (01:06:29) had basically figured out his (01:06:30) girlfriend's personality and hobbies, (01:06:32) which were indeed as adorable as she (01:06:34) was. When they parted, Yan Mo (01:06:37) specifically asked Shu Aen for her (01:06:40) photos and chose one as his phone (01:06:41) wallpaper. Seeing Yan Mo being so (01:06:44) earnest and proactive, Shuaken felt she (01:06:47) couldn't lag behind since Yanmo wasn't (01:06:49) in the habit of taking selfies. Shu Axai (01:06:52) said it was no problem at all. She (01:06:54) picked up her phone and click click (01:06:56) click took three consecutive shots of (01:06:58) Yan Mo. Yan Mo<unk>s face is perfect (01:07:00) from every angle, and Shu Axai couldn't (01:07:03) bear to give up any of the three photos, (01:07:05) so she simply merged all three into one. (01:07:09) Only children make choices. Of course, (01:07:12) she wanted them all. When it comes to (01:07:14) her boyfriend and future benefactor, (01:07:16) it's essential to please him, and gifts (01:07:18) are absolutely necessary. Occasionally, (01:07:20) surprising him can quickly deepen their (01:07:22) relationship. When it comes to dating, (01:07:24) Shuene is a complete novice. This is her (01:07:27) first relationship in both lifetimes, (01:07:29) and she's only half informed about what (01:07:31) gifts to give her boyfriend. There are (01:07:33) only three days left before school (01:07:35) starts as a freshman. Her course load is (01:07:38) quite heavy. While Yenmma is already a (01:07:41) junior once the semester begins, their (01:07:44) time together will inevitably decrease. (01:07:46) Thinking about all the girls at school (01:07:47) who admire Yenma, Shuene feels it's (01:07:50) necessary to assert her claim. Her (01:07:52) relationship with Yenma is still new and (01:07:54) not yet solid. If some scheming girl (01:07:56) takes advantage of this gap to sneak in, (01:07:59) who would she even complain to? So, she (01:08:01) asked her sweet boyfriend for his (01:08:03) clothing size. (01:08:05) Not opposed to the idea of wearing (01:08:07) matching couple outfits, and Shuene (01:08:09) headed straight for the mall, knowing (01:08:11) his adorable little girlfriend was going (01:08:13) shopping at the mall, Yimma directly (01:08:15) transferred 50,000 yuan to her. Seeing (01:08:17) Shusheen accept the money without (01:08:19) hesitation and even reply with a big (01:08:21) flying kiss. His mood was exceptionally (01:08:23) uplifted. The feeling of giving his (01:08:25) girlfriend pocket money was surprisingly (01:08:27) quite nice. If only that kiss had been (01:08:30) real, it would have been even better. (01:08:32) Busiang, who had been sitting aside (01:08:35) discussing matters with Yanmo, couldn't (01:08:37) help but shiver all over as he watched (01:08:39) his usually expressionless friend reveal (01:08:41) a chilling, determined smile. He knew (01:08:44) that smile all too well. Not just knew (01:08:46) it, but had psychological scars from it. (01:08:49) Every time Yan Mo wore that particular (01:08:51) smile, it meant someone had caught his (01:08:53) attention. Who was the unlucky soul this (01:08:55) time? The thought was oddly thrilling, (01:08:58) wasn't it? Shoot, the unlucky one. Axen (01:09:01) is happily shopping right now. Do not (01:09:04) disturb. Busyanguin accidentally caught (01:09:06) a glimpse of Yan Mo<unk>s phone screen (01:09:08) that hadn't yet turned off, and his eyes (01:09:10) widened in disbelief as he stared at his (01:09:12) friend beside him. With a trembling (01:09:14) hand, he pointed at the still lit phone. (01:09:17) "You, why is there a girl on your phone (01:09:19) screen? My girlfriend." Yanimo casually (01:09:22) glanced at the twitching Busiang, (01:09:24) completely unfazed by how outrageous his (01:09:26) answer sounded to his friend, to (01:09:28) Busiang. (01:09:30) The news that Yan Mo had a girlfriend (01:09:32) hit him with the same impact as someone (01:09:34) telling him the world would end tomorrow (01:09:36) after a difficult reboot of my CPU. I (01:09:39) was finally able to speak normally (01:09:40) again. I remember your phone screen was (01:09:42) perfectly normal when we were at the (01:09:44) party last night. How did you end up (01:09:46) with a girlfriend after just one night? (01:09:48) Wait, you didn't go and do something (01:09:51) illegal last night, did you? Or were you (01:09:54) possessed by some kind of demon? Who (01:09:56) knows what bizarre scenarios Busiang was (01:09:58) imagining? His voice even cracked from (01:10:00) the shock. It's such a pity that someone (01:10:02) with such a vivid imagination is stuck (01:10:04) in the economics department. It doesn't (01:10:07) even begin to tap into one 10,000th of (01:10:09) your talent. Hearing Yan Mo<unk>s (01:10:11) familiar tone, Buenu soothed his nervous (01:10:14) heart. Tsk tsk tsk. Same old story. But (01:10:20) that girl must have been fooled by your (01:10:21) appearance, too. If she knew what you're (01:10:23) really like, I wonder if she'd regret (01:10:26) it. She's already lost the chance to (01:10:28) regret it. After confirming with a (01:10:29) glance, it's<unk> still that (01:10:31) dark-hearted Yan Mo. Outwardly the image (01:10:33) of a refined jade-like scion of a noble (01:10:36) family. Unfortunately, those familiar (01:10:38) with him know this guy is a black sesame (01:10:40) tanguan sweet dumpling dark when cut (01:10:43) open. For anyone or anything he claims (01:10:46) as his own. He possesses an absolute (01:10:49) sense of possession and control. It (01:10:51) might sound quite chinibu adolescent (01:10:53) delusions of grandeur to say it like (01:10:55) this, but that's the reality. Now, we (01:10:58) can only hope that the little white (01:11:00) rabbit who willingly walked into his (01:11:01) trap can accept Yen Mo<unk>s true (01:11:03) nature. Otherwise, the consequences will (01:11:06) be more than she can bear. Shuakian felt (01:11:08) even happier after receiving Yan (01:11:10) Mo<unk>'s transfer. She once came across (01:11:12) a video that said, "A man willing to (01:11:15) spend money on you doesn't necessarily (01:11:17) love you, but a man unwilling to spend (01:11:20) money on you definitely doesn't love (01:11:21) you." Shuaken thought this statement (01:11:24) made perfect sense. If a man isn't even (01:11:26) willing to spend money on you, what else (01:11:28) can you expect from him? Expect to get a (01:11:30) bite of his food at meal time. Besides, (01:11:33) Yenm Mo<unk>s transfer was essentially (01:11:35) his way of supporting her purchase of (01:11:36) matching couple outfits. How could she (01:11:39) not be delighted? (01:11:41) Spent the entire afternoon at the mall (01:11:43) fully unleashing the innate shopping (01:11:44) talent of a girl. Not only did she buy (01:11:47) matching couple outfits, but also (01:11:49) matching shoes and watches, determined (01:11:51) to deck Yan Mo out from head to toe, (01:11:54) making it obvious to anyone who sees him (01:11:56) that he's already taken. To avoid (01:11:58) congestion at the start of the semester, (01:12:00) university A schedules each grade (01:12:02) separately, one grade per day. However, (01:12:05) arriving early isn't discouraged by the (01:12:07) school. Shu Aakayen is still a freshman, (01:12:10) and the university requires all freshmen (01:12:13) to live on campus, though they can go (01:12:15) home on weekends. Her boyfriend, on the (01:12:17) other hand, is already a junior, so the (01:12:20) school doesn't enforce such rules for (01:12:22) him. The day before school started, Shu (01:12:25) Aakian knelt beside Yan Mo and made a (01:12:27) request. She wanted her boyfriend to (01:12:29) wear the matching couple outfit she (01:12:31) bought and escort her to school. Yan Mo (01:12:33) flipped through the book in his hands (01:12:35) without looking up or speaking. My dear (01:12:37) boyfriend, you're the best. Please say (01:12:40) yes. Shuaken hugged one of Yan Mo<unk>s (01:12:43) arms and shook it back and forth, (01:12:45) determined not to give up until she got (01:12:47) her way. Yanim Mo closed the book in his (01:12:49) hand with one hand, placed it on the (01:12:51) coffee table in front of him, and (01:12:53) removed the gold- rimmed glasses he wore (01:12:55) while reading. The usually hidden, (01:12:57) aggressive, yet alluring eyes behind the (01:12:59) glasses were now revealed. If you want (01:13:01) me to agree to your request, shouldn't (01:13:03) you offer some appropriate compensation (01:13:05) to your boyfriend? The moment Shu Ai (01:13:08) unlocked eyes with Yanmo, she felt as if (01:13:11) her soul was being drawn in, as though (01:13:13) even his words possessed a bewitching (01:13:15) magic. Unconsciously, she nodded (01:13:17) slightly with his girlfriend's consent. (01:13:20) Yan Mo didn't hesitate to lower his head (01:13:22) and pressed his lips against those (01:13:23) coveted red ones. The moment their lips (01:13:26) met, Shuakian felt as if her CPU had (01:13:29) shortcircuited, leaving her unable to (01:13:31) react. She could only close her eyes and (01:13:34) follow his lead. The fresh, (01:13:36) slightly cool scent of mint suddenly (01:13:38) invaded, gradually taking over every (01:13:41) corner of her senses. All strength (01:13:43) drained from her body as she melted into (01:13:44) the man's embrace, completely enveloped (01:13:47) by his presence. The sudden flutter in (01:13:49) her heart made Shu Axian forget (01:13:51) everything around her. When Yanmo (01:13:53) released her, Shu Axai could only lean (01:13:55) weakly against his chest, panting in (01:13:57) small, shallow breaths. So, this was (01:14:00) what kissing felt like, the first kiss (01:14:02) in two lifetimes. And it actually wasn't (01:14:05) bad at all. Good girl. Remember to (01:14:08) breathe next time. Yanimo reached out to (01:14:10) wipe away the lingering moisture from (01:14:12) Shuxan<unk>s lips, his large hand (01:14:14) stroking her back to help her catch her (01:14:16) breath. The curve of his lips revealed (01:14:18) his exceptionally good mood. His (01:14:20) girlfriend's taste was indeed as sweet (01:14:22) as he had imagined from Shuakai's shy (01:14:24) reaction during the comfortable kiss. It (01:14:27) was easy to tell that his girlfriend was (01:14:28) kissing for the first time. This (01:14:31) realization made a hidden corner of his (01:14:33) heart tremble slightly. Perhaps the act (01:14:35) of kissing had a particularly strong (01:14:37) impact on Shuakai that night. As he (01:14:40) slept, his dreams were filled with (01:14:42) scenes of him pinning Yan Mo down and (01:14:44) kissing her in various ways. Not only (01:14:46) that, but he also went so far as to slip (01:14:49) his hands under Yan Mo<unk>s clothes, (01:14:51) behaving like a complete rogue, touching (01:14:53) her all over. When he opened his eyes in (01:14:56) the morning, Shu Axen lay motionless for (01:14:58) a long while, staring blankly at the (01:15:01) white ceiling above him. They say dreams (01:15:04) can reflect subconscious thoughts. Could (01:15:06) it be that I'm actually a long hidden (01:15:08) pervert? From the very beginning, have I (01:15:10) been coveting Yan Mo<unk>'s body, (01:15:12) silently pulling the blanket over her (01:15:14) head? No. She refuses to accept this (01:15:16) harsh reality. But she seems to really, (01:15:19) really want to touch her boyfriend's (01:15:21) abs. What to do? It seems like she's (01:15:24) opened the door to some incredible new (01:15:26) world, and she's quite willing to step (01:15:28) through it. After half an hour of (01:15:30) serious mental preparation in bed, Shuin (01:15:33) felt she had successfully come to terms (01:15:35) with the fact that she was lusting after (01:15:37) her boyfriend's body and could now face (01:15:39) Yanmo without batting an eye. In (01:15:41) reality, the slap of reality came too (01:15:44) quickly. The moment she opened the door (01:15:46) and saw Yanmo, the scenes from last (01:15:48) night's dream uncontrollably flooded her (01:15:50) mind under Yan Mo<unk>s astonished gaze. (01:15:53) Her face turned crimson in an instant. (01:15:56) so red it seemed like steam could rise (01:15:59) from the top of her head. Afraid Yanim (01:16:01) Mo might ask what was wrong, Shuaki (01:16:03) uncovered her face and dashed into the (01:16:05) bathroom, she shut the door and splashed (01:16:08) cold water on her burning cheeks, trying (01:16:10) to bring the heat down a little. You (01:16:12) can't embarrass yourself like this. (01:16:14) Shuaken, you need to pull yourself (01:16:16) together. Isn't it just craving your (01:16:18) boyfriend's body? What's the big deal? (01:16:20) It's not illegal. Besides, we girls (01:16:23) don't smoke, don't drink. So, what's (01:16:26) wrong with liking a little spice? (01:16:28) Repeatedly giving herself mental hints. (01:16:30) The heat on her face gradually (01:16:32) dissipated. Her complexion returned to (01:16:34) normal. And only then did Shuin gather (01:16:36) the courage to open the door and step (01:16:38) out. Chapter 10. The confrontation. (01:16:41) Don't ask about what just happened. And (01:16:43) don't laugh at me. Shu Aakan, afraid (01:16:46) that Yanimo would press her for details, (01:16:48) walked out of the bathroom and said in (01:16:50) self-abandonment, (01:16:52) "All right, come over quickly and have (01:16:54) breakfast." Yan Mo replied with a doting (01:16:57) smile. Given how Shu Xian<unk>s face (01:16:59) turned crimson the moment she saw him, (01:17:01) he didn't even need to ask. It was (01:17:03) definitely related to that kiss from (01:17:05) last night. The breakfast Yan Mo had (01:17:07) brought was already set on the dining (01:17:09) table. They hadn't been together for (01:17:11) long, but the atmosphere between them (01:17:13) was unexpectedly warm and harmonious. (01:17:15) Even when neither spoke and each went (01:17:17) about their own business, it never felt (01:17:19) awkward. When Yanmo and Shu Aan appeared (01:17:23) together at the entrance of the girls (01:17:24) dormatory, it unsurprisingly caused a (01:17:27) stir across half the campus. Within just (01:17:30) an hour, the school's forums, discussion (01:17:32) boards, and social media were flooded (01:17:34) with discussions about the two being (01:17:36) together. The protagonist of their (01:17:38) gossip was sitting together in a (01:17:39) secluded corner of the cafeteria having (01:17:42) lunch. It all started because Shuene (01:17:44) said she couldn't imagine Yenm eating in (01:17:46) the cafeteria. (01:17:48) Feeling that the place didn't match his (01:17:50) temperament, Yinma glanced at his silly (01:17:52) girlfriend and silently made the (01:17:53) decision to have lunch in the cafeteria. (01:17:55) From Yenmma bringing her to the (01:17:57) cafeteria, picking up a tray to get food (01:17:59) to sitting down, Shuene, who witnessed (01:18:02) the whole process, realized her (01:18:04) boyfriend could be so down to earth, not (01:18:06) the slightest bit awkward. Today marks (01:18:08) the first day of discovering a new trait (01:18:10) about my boyfriend. Yan Mo, look, now (01:18:13) the whole school knows you have a (01:18:15) girlfriend. (01:18:17) Even if I'm not by your side in the (01:18:18) future, you should keep your distance (01:18:20) from other girls and uphold male virtue. (01:18:22) Shu aan held up the discussion post she (01:18:24) had found and placed it right in front (01:18:26) of Yan Mo<unk>s eyes. Yes. Yes. Yes. (01:18:29) I'll definitely keep at least 5 m away (01:18:32) from them. Let's eat first. No more (01:18:34) looking at your phone. Be careful not to (01:18:36) get indigestion and a stomach ache (01:18:38) later, glancing at the content on her (01:18:40) phone. Yan Mo couldn't help but chuckle (01:18:42) at Shuxen's words. What else could he do (01:18:46) with his own little one? He could only (01:18:48) spoil her. Yanim Mo didn't pay much (01:18:50) attention to the online chatter either, (01:18:52) letting the assumption that they were in (01:18:54) a relationship spread by default. It (01:18:56) wasn't just Shu Axen who wanted to stake (01:18:58) her claim. He wanted to as well. My (01:19:01) girlfriend only thinks about how popular (01:19:03) she is, completely forgetting that she (01:19:05) herself also has many suitors. Shu (01:19:07) Axian<unk>s possessiveness and actions (01:19:09) of staking her claim gave Yan Mo immense (01:19:12) satisfaction. (01:19:14) In the blink of an eye, a semester had (01:19:16) passed, and the supermarket and pharmacy (01:19:18) that Shu Axen had taken over had long (01:19:20) since returned to normal operations. The (01:19:23) professional manager Shu Axai had spent (01:19:25) a fortune to hire was indeed worth the (01:19:27) high salary she paid him. Although the (01:19:29) supermarket's current business can't (01:19:31) compare to that in the city center or (01:19:32) residential areas, it's already (01:19:34) operating normally without losses. (01:19:38) Noticing that Shusheen would take nearly (01:19:39) a third of the stock each time the (01:19:41) supermarket and pharmacy restocked (01:19:44) without asking further, they (01:19:45) deliberately started ordering extra (01:19:47) supplies every time. The biggest taboo (01:19:49) in their line of work is knowing their (01:19:51) employer's secrets. From the first time (01:19:53) they noticed the warehouse stock was (01:19:55) more than before, they didn't ask (01:19:57) questions. It became an unspoken (01:19:59) understanding between the two. There are (01:20:01) quite a few holidays in the second half (01:20:03) of the year. and Shushi never missed the (01:20:06) opportunity to stock up for each one. (01:20:08) Many items were purchased under the (01:20:10) pretext of giving employee benefits or (01:20:12) company dinners. It wasn't entirely an (01:20:15) excuse. Shusheen made sure to distribute (01:20:17) all the promised benefits to the (01:20:19) employees without fail. Most of the (01:20:21) items given were vacuum-sealed goods (01:20:23) like rice, flour, and oil, which can be (01:20:26) stored for a long time as long as they (01:20:28) remain unopened. With these (01:20:30) justifications, (01:20:32) Shuene could openly order large (01:20:34) quantities of prepared food from the (01:20:35) store. Shusheen usually had classes, so (01:20:38) the staff meals were actually delivered (01:20:40) directly to the supermarket and (01:20:42) pharmacy. The supplies she hoarded for (01:20:44) herself were all brought back by driving (01:20:46) her car on weekends. She also had each (01:20:48) store delivered directly to the (01:20:50) supermarket and pharmacy to enhance (01:20:52) authenticity and dispel any suspicions (01:20:54) from prying eyes. Combined with Shuene's (01:20:57) almost non-stop online shopping, her (01:21:00) space now contained a massive stockpile (01:21:02) of ready-made meals, self-heating hot (01:21:04) pots and rice of various flavors and (01:21:06) brands, all kinds of favorite snacks, (01:21:09) nuts, chocolate, energy bars, and even a (01:21:12) lot of highly satiating items like (01:21:14) compressed biscuits. When no one was (01:21:16) around, she could eat well, but in front (01:21:18) of others, she still needed something to (01:21:20) keep up appearances. She understood the (01:21:23) principle of not flaunting wealth. (01:21:25) Shu Axean and Yanm Mo<unk>s relationship (01:21:28) progressed rapidly. One wanted to cling (01:21:30) to a powerful ally while the others (01:21:32) sought to secure their prey. As both of (01:21:34) them, intentionally or not, opened their (01:21:37) hearts to each other. Their relationship (01:21:39) seemed to hit the fastforward button and (01:21:41) Shuaken's trust in Yan Mo grew bit by (01:21:43) bit. The day they welcomed the new year (01:21:46) together, Shuin decided to confess to (01:21:48) Yenm about the apocalypse. The New (01:21:50) Year's fireworks had just faded. Leaving (01:21:53) behind scattered sparks as a reminder of (01:21:56) their fleeting beauty. There's actually (01:21:58) something I've been keeping from you. (01:21:59) Shuene turned her head to look at Yanm, (01:22:01) who had just stood beside her watching (01:22:03) the fireworks. I know. Yanm turned his (01:22:06) head to look into Shuene's eyes with his (01:22:08) complete attention always on his own (01:22:10) little one. Yanm had long noticed that (01:22:12) Shuene was keeping something from him. (01:22:15) There was always one day each week when (01:22:17) she would go out alone. (01:22:19) absolutely refusing to let him come (01:22:21) along. He had considered sending someone (01:22:23) to secretly follow her, but he didn't. (01:22:25) He wanted Shuene to tell him her secret (01:22:27) herself, not to have it uncovered by (01:22:30) someone he sent. There's a world of (01:22:31) difference between figuring things out (01:22:33) on your own and having Shuin take the (01:22:35) initiative to speak up. You're right. (01:22:37) You're so smart. Looking into Yanm's (01:22:40) deep and gentle eyes, Shuene suddenly (01:22:43) felt her mood relax instantly. Over half (01:22:45) a year ago after my parents passed away, (01:22:49) I had nightmares for seven consecutive (01:22:51) days. The content of the dreams was (01:22:53) always the same, which made me feel very (01:22:56) anxious and scared. Later, the scenes (01:22:58) from the dreams started appearing in (01:23:00) reality, one by one being confirmed. I (01:23:02) realized something was wrong. Those (01:23:04) dreams didn't seem to be just dreams. (01:23:07) They seemed to be foretelling the (01:23:08) future. Yanm Mo<unk>s brows furrowed (01:23:10) slightly, but he didn't interrupt (01:23:12) Shuaken<unk>s words, listening quietly. (01:23:15) In the dream, "Our world entered an (01:23:18) apocalyptic era. When the heavy rain (01:23:20) first started, no one took it seriously, (01:23:22) thinking it would stop soon like usual. (01:23:25) It wasn't until the rain continued (01:23:26) non-stop for over half a month without (01:23:28) any sign of stopping that people (01:23:30) gradually realized something was wrong. (01:23:32) The rain poured relentlessly for more (01:23:34) than 3 months, submerging many (01:23:36) buildings, and food was inevitably (01:23:38) ruined or washed away before people (01:23:41) could celebrate the rain stopping. The (01:23:44) temperature began to plummet that very (01:23:45) night, quickly breaking the minus30° C (01:23:48) mark and continuing to drop further. (01:23:51) Temperatures of -50° made the entire (01:23:53) world seemed to fall into deathly (01:23:55) silence. But the disasters were far from (01:23:57) over. After four months of extreme cold, (01:24:00) what awaited humanity was scorching heat (01:24:02) waves, followed by the outbreak of a (01:24:04) zombie virus. Once the extreme heat (01:24:06) ended, the social order has completely (01:24:09) collapsed. (01:24:10) And a civilization belonging to the end (01:24:12) times has been rebuilt. Natural (01:24:14) selection prevails where only the (01:24:16) fittest survive. Humans, animals, and (01:24:19) plants have all begun to mutate in order (01:24:22) to adapt to this world. Chapter 11. (01:24:24) Trust and concern. The entire room fell (01:24:26) into silence. What Shuin said was truly (01:24:29) shocking. If everything was true, the (01:24:32) world would likely be turned upside (01:24:33) down. Shu Axen transformed everything (01:24:37) she knew from the book into what she saw (01:24:38) in her dreams. The idea of (01:24:40) transmigrating into a book was simply (01:24:42) too bizarre, she thought. Surely no one (01:24:45) could accept that the world they truly (01:24:46) lived in was actually a book written by (01:24:48) someone else. Even harder to accept was (01:24:51) the fact that their fate had been (01:24:52) predetermined from the moment they were (01:24:53) born. Doesn't it feel absurd? At first, (01:24:57) I refused to believe it, too. But when I (01:25:00) followed the method from my dream and (01:25:01) successfully opened the space, I had no (01:25:04) choice but to accept it. Shu Aaken waved (01:25:07) her hand in front of Yanmo, storing the (01:25:09) water glass on the table into her space. (01:25:11) The sudden disappearance of the glass, a (01:25:14) phenomenon defying scientific (01:25:16) explanation, continuously shattered Yan (01:25:18) Mo<unk>s two decades of established (01:25:20) understanding. His strong rationality (01:25:22) allowed Yan Mo to quickly accept the (01:25:24) imminent apocalypse and his mind swiftly (01:25:27) calmed down. When exactly does the (01:25:30) apocalypse begin in your dream? After (01:25:32) organizing his thoughts, Yanmo asked the (01:25:35) first question of the night. I didn't (01:25:37) dream of the exact date, only that it (01:25:39) would be around late June or early July (01:25:41) this year when the first rain falls. (01:25:44) That means we have at most 6 months to (01:25:46) prepare, which is enough. What have you (01:25:48) collected so far? How much more can the (01:25:50) space hold in that short span of time? (01:25:53) Yan Mo had already run through numerous (01:25:55) plans in his head. I've made a list of (01:25:58) supplies to collect. I'll bring it to (01:26:00) you in a moment. The first level of my (01:26:02) space is about half full with plenty of (01:26:04) room left. If we have a lot of items, we (01:26:07) can move the non-p perishable ones to (01:26:09) the second level. Sensing Yan Mo<unk>s (01:26:11) slightly puzzled gaze, Shuaken suddenly (01:26:14) realized she hadn't yet told him what (01:26:16) her space was like. My space has three (01:26:18) levels. The first is about the size of (01:26:21) 10 football fields with no passage of (01:26:23) time. The second level can sustain (01:26:26) living creatures. I've already raised (01:26:29) pigs, ducks, cows, sheep, rabbits, and (01:26:32) planted many fruit trees there. The only (01:26:35) downside is that vegetables and grains (01:26:37) can't be grown. The third level can't (01:26:39) store items, but it contains a high-tech (01:26:41) post-apocalyptic safe base. Shu Axai had (01:26:44) thought it through clearly. In the (01:26:46) future, she would definitely be (01:26:48) following Yanim Mo and mutual trust was (01:26:50) crucial. Keeping secrets could create a (01:26:53) rift between them and the consequences (01:26:56) wouldn't be worth it. Moreover, to (01:26:58) activate the third level safe base in (01:27:00) the space, a large number of zombie (01:27:02) crystal cores are required, and it can't (01:27:04) be done without Yanmo, an ultr tech safe (01:27:07) base in the apocalypse. What are the (01:27:09) activation conditions? Yan Mo raised an (01:27:12) eyebrow. Clearly very interested in this (01:27:14) safe base. I didn't even say anything. (01:27:17) How did you already know that conditions (01:27:18) are needed to activate it? Boyfriend, (01:27:21) you're just too smart. I can feel the (01:27:24) disparity in this world. Shu Axai (01:27:26) slumped toward Yanmo with a frustrated (01:27:28) expression, and Yan Mo effortlessly (01:27:31) pulled her into his arms, his movements (01:27:33) remarkably practiced. The past six (01:27:35) months of being with Shu Axen had (01:27:37) accustomed Yan Mo to his girlfriend's (01:27:39) frequent habit of acting spoiled, (01:27:41) especially when she would pout and (01:27:42) demand kisses and hugs, which he (01:27:44) thoroughly enjoyed, savoring her (01:27:47) dependence on and trust in him. The (01:27:49) activation condition requires an (01:27:51) enormous amount of energy from zombie (01:27:53) cores, but it's not like it consumes all (01:27:55) those cores for nothing. It comes with a (01:27:58) safety barrier, a complete defense (01:28:00) system, and a living system, which will (01:28:02) save us a lot of trouble. Hm. Sounds (01:28:04) pretty good. After the zombies appear, (01:28:07) there will definitely be large and small (01:28:09) safe bases. And it's inevitable that (01:28:11) these bases will be a mixed bag. (01:28:14) Sometimes even those in power within the (01:28:16) bases will have to weigh the pros and (01:28:17) cons. If you can have a safe base (01:28:20) completely under your control by then, (01:28:22) I'd feel much more at ease. Yano (01:28:24) tightened his embrace around the person (01:28:25) in his arms and gently kissed the top of (01:28:27) Shuin's head. I plan to take advantage (01:28:30) of the holiday to travel around the (01:28:32) country, collecting supplies for the (01:28:33) space and also gathering some local (01:28:36) specialties and snacks along the way. Do (01:28:38) you want to come with me? Shusheen (01:28:41) leaned against Yan Mo<unk>'s chest, her (01:28:43) arms wrapped around his lean yet strong (01:28:45) waist as she shared her plans for the (01:28:47) near future. I'll go with you later. (01:28:50) Give me the list of supplies you've (01:28:52) made, and I'll see what's still missing. (01:28:54) I'll prepare an extra set of things and (01:28:56) you can store them in your space too. (01:28:58) Why are you preparing another set of (01:29:00) supplies? Are you trying to keep (01:29:02) everything separate from me? Do you not (01:29:04) consider me as one of your own? With a (01:29:06) sudden movement, Shuin slipped out of (01:29:09) Yan Mo<unk>s embrace, glaring at him (01:29:11) angrily. Silly girl, always overthinking (01:29:14) things. It won't always be just the two (01:29:16) of us in the future. When we have other (01:29:18) teammates, we'll give them the things (01:29:20) I've prepared. But what you've prepared (01:29:22) is only for me. You're my person after (01:29:24) all. Yan Mo helplessly and dotingly (01:29:27) rubbed Shuxian<unk>s head before pulling (01:29:29) her back into his embrace. He he I knew (01:29:32) my boyfriend is the best. Love you the (01:29:34) most. The sweet nothings from Shuaken's (01:29:37) mouth seemed endless. Though Yan Mo had (01:29:40) heard them many times and knew it was (01:29:41) just her habit of coaxing him with sweet (01:29:43) words, his heart still softened every (01:29:45) time. All the principles and boundaries (01:29:47) he insisted on became meaningless when (01:29:49) facing Shu Axian. He simply couldn't (01:29:52) resist her coetish. Please, forget it. (01:29:54) She's the girlfriend I chose myself. (01:29:57) What else can I do? Just have to spoil (01:29:59) her. Yan Mo<unk>s ability to take action (01:30:02) was quite impressive. That very night, (01:30:05) he went back and reorganized the list (01:30:07) based on the one Shu Aakan had provided, (01:30:09) making plans and arrangements in advance (01:30:11) for the places they would visit after (01:30:13) the holiday. Even the firearms Shu Aakan (01:30:16) hadn't been able to acquire before, (01:30:18) Yanmo had arranged for them. Shuakai had (01:30:21) never asked about Yan Mo<unk>s family (01:30:22) before, and the book hadn't given any (01:30:25) detailed description of his background. (01:30:26) Last night, she finally got a rough idea (01:30:29) from Yan Mo<unk>s own words. Speaking of (01:30:31) Yan Mo<unk>s family, the previous (01:30:34) generations were all involved in the (01:30:36) underworld. It wasn't until his (01:30:38) grandfather's generation that they began (01:30:40) to gradually clean up their act. But the (01:30:43) education of their descendants has (01:30:44) always maintained the most primitive (01:30:46) methods. To put it cruy, it's no (01:30:48) different from raising venomous insects. (01:30:50) As a direct descendant, Yanemo received (01:30:53) a much harsher education from childhood (01:30:55) compared to the collateral branches and (01:30:57) children outside the family. He was (01:30:59) expected to excel in everything. He also (01:31:02) grew up in an environment of deceit, (01:31:04) scheming, and constant life-threatening (01:31:06) situations. (01:31:08) The family never interfered in their (01:31:09) internal conflicts and even strongly (01:31:11) encouraged them. That Yan Mo managed to (01:31:14) survive and grow into adulthood in such (01:31:16) a family, securing his place to this day (01:31:19) speaks volumes about his intelligence, (01:31:21) tactics, and foresight. Qualities he (01:31:24) possesses in abundance. After learning (01:31:26) about Yan Mo<unk>s family background, (01:31:28) Shu Aakai gained a new understanding of (01:31:30) him. Realizing that the personality he (01:31:33) usually displayed might be a facade he (01:31:35) put up in front of others. (01:31:37) He might not be as perfect as she had (01:31:39) initially imagined, but she no longer (01:31:41) cared about that. What mattered more to (01:31:43) her was Yan Mo himself. Shuakai couldn't (01:31:46) imagine Yan Mo<unk>s unknown childhood. (01:31:48) What had already happened was beyond her (01:31:50) control, but she could change the (01:31:52) present and the future. Chapter 12 (01:31:54) proposal since that night when she (01:31:56) confided in Yan Mo. Shu Axian felt as (01:31:59) though a heavy burden had been lifted (01:32:01) from her heart. Anyone suddenly (01:32:03) transported to a world on the brink of (01:32:05) apocalypse would feel immense pressure. (01:32:07) And Shu Axan was no exception without (01:32:10) anyone to share the burden. Her mind had (01:32:12) never known a moment's rest. Now that (01:32:14) she had someone she could trust (01:32:16) wholeheartedly, someone to share her (01:32:18) secret with. Even the air she breathed (01:32:20) while walking felt fresher than before. (01:32:22) It's just that I can clearly feel that (01:32:24) Yan Mo has become much busier lately. (01:32:27) School hasn't let out yet, and the time (01:32:29) the two of them could meet was already (01:32:31) limited. But now it's almost (01:32:33) non-existent, replaced by nightly phone (01:32:35) calls or video chats. A few times during (01:32:38) video calls, Shuakian could see the dark (01:32:41) circles under Yan Mo<unk>s eyes, even (01:32:43) through the screen. Shuakian also took (01:32:45) Yanmo to see the house she had (01:32:47) previously prepared for surviving the (01:32:49) early stages of the apocalypse. Yan Mo (01:32:51) then hired someone to renovate the (01:32:53) interior structure. They directly (01:32:55) connected the upper and lower (01:32:56) apartments, (01:32:58) creating a duplex structure. The walls (01:33:00) and floors were all reinforced with (01:33:02) insulation materials, and two rooms had (01:33:05) their walls removed to be converted into (01:33:07) a fitness room, making it convenient to (01:33:09) exercise at home during the apocalypse. (01:33:11) Several of the rooms were also (01:33:13) designated as storage spaces. Yan Mo (01:33:15) planned to invite two people to live (01:33:17) with them later to avoid exposing (01:33:19) Shusheen space. They still needed to (01:33:22) maintain a visible stockpile of supplies (01:33:25) so there would be a plausible source (01:33:27) when retrieving items. Shuene had no (01:33:29) objections to inviting others to live (01:33:31) together. More people would make things (01:33:33) livelier and they might even be able to (01:33:35) gather enough for a game of ma Jong. The (01:33:37) interior modifications to the house were (01:33:39) completely undetectable from the (01:33:41) outside, leaving no trace for anyone to (01:33:43) notice anything unusual. After (01:33:45) discussing it, the two decided to take a (01:33:48) leave of absence from school next (01:33:50) semester. Wanting to spend their (01:33:52) remaining time appreciating the splendid (01:33:54) beauty of their country and creating (01:33:55) some wonderful memories for the future, (01:33:57) Yanmo proposed to Shu Axai that they go (01:34:00) abroad to get their marriage (01:34:01) certificate. As they were both under the (01:34:03) legal marriage age in their home (01:34:05) country, who knew when order would be (01:34:07) restored after the apocalypse, by the (01:34:09) time order was actually rebuilt, such (01:34:11) useless institutions wouldn't be (01:34:13) people's first choice anyway. (01:34:15) Seizing the opportunity while it still (01:34:17) existed, Yanmo wanted to make sure Shu (01:34:20) Axen and he would be on the same (01:34:22) household register without telling Shu (01:34:24) Axen, Yanmo specially hired someone to (01:34:27) design a wedding dress for her and even (01:34:29) personally designed a pair of wedding (01:34:30) rings. Planning to surprise her when the (01:34:32) time came. As soon as Shu Axian finished (01:34:35) her last exam, the two boarded a plane (01:34:37) to the northernmost part of the country, (01:34:39) officially beginning their domestic (01:34:41) journey to gather supplies. (01:34:44) All the travel plans had been (01:34:45) meticulously arranged by Yanmo in (01:34:47) advance. Shu Aai only needed to focus on (01:34:50) dressing up beautifully, bringing along (01:34:52) the instant camera and plenty of film (01:34:54) prepared beforehand and simply follow (01:34:56) along. Since there was no need to return (01:34:58) to school afterward, the two had even (01:35:01) more time to spare. At every (01:35:02) destination, Yanim Mo would take Shu (01:35:05) Aakan to sample all the local delicacies (01:35:07) and snacks, visit famous scenic spots, (01:35:11) and ensure they didn't miss out on any (01:35:13) of the fun experiences. On the final (01:35:15) day, they would head to the warehouse (01:35:17) Yanim Mo had arranged to pick up the (01:35:19) supplies stored there at some unknown (01:35:21) time, then continue on to the next city. (01:35:23) She didn't have to worry about anything (01:35:25) the entire time, just following her (01:35:27) boyfriend around, eating well, having (01:35:30) fun, and still managing to gather (01:35:32) supplies. This kind of life was (01:35:34) practically the carefree, lazy existence (01:35:36) Shu Axai had always dreamed of. If not (01:35:40) for the impending apocalypse, Shu Axai (01:35:42) would have been happy to live like this (01:35:44) for the rest of her life. And so, the (01:35:46) two of them traveled all over the (01:35:48) country. And by the time late May (01:35:50) arrived, the weather was gradually (01:35:51) growing hotter. Their final stop was a (01:35:54) trip abroad to get their marriage (01:35:55) certificate before boarding the plane. (01:35:58) Shu Aaken had no idea just how big a (01:36:00) surprise Yanim Mo had prepared for her. (01:36:02) When Yan Mo covered Shuxen<unk>s eyes (01:36:05) with a black cloth, she froze for just a (01:36:08) second before immediately relaxing her (01:36:10) body. Why, the sudden blindfold? Did you (01:36:13) prepare a surprise for me? What is it? (01:36:16) Shuakian tilted her head slightly and (01:36:18) asked Yanmo behind her with (01:36:19) anticipation. Since it's a surprise, how (01:36:22) could I tell you now? Stand up and (01:36:24) follow me slowly. Yanim Mo held his (01:36:27) girlfriend's hand, step by step, leading (01:36:29) her toward the room that had been (01:36:31) prepared in advance. The moment the (01:36:33) blindfold was removed. The overwhelming (01:36:36) sight made Shu Aen feel she would never (01:36:38) forget it. Wow, such a beautiful wedding (01:36:41) dress. When did you prepare this? I had (01:36:43) no idea. Shu Axai quickly stepped (01:36:46) forward, her eyes sparkling as she gazed (01:36:48) at the wedding dress placed in the (01:36:50) center of the room. The joy and (01:36:52) admiration in her heart were so evident (01:36:54) that Yan Mo didn't even need to ask. (01:36:56) Every girl has dreamed of owning her own (01:36:58) wedding dress since childhood. (01:37:00) Regardless of wealth or poverty, it's (01:37:03) simply the purest and most beautiful (01:37:04) wish of youth. She too had imagined what (01:37:07) kind of wedding dress she would have one (01:37:08) day. And the moment she saw this one, (01:37:11) her dream dress took on a tangible form. (01:37:13) No other wedding dress could ever match (01:37:15) this one in fulfilling her desires and (01:37:17) fantasies. If you like it, go try it on (01:37:20) quickly. We'll wear this for the (01:37:22) marriage certificate photos later. Of (01:37:24) course, I need to change my outfit, too, (01:37:27) so I can match my princess later. Yan Mo (01:37:30) pinched Shuin's cheek and called someone (01:37:32) in to help her dress. When the door (01:37:34) opened again, with just one glance, Yan (01:37:38) Mo<unk>s heart was stolen away, his eyes (01:37:40) flashing with a brilliance as dazzling (01:37:42) is chasing the path of stars. The (01:37:44) uniquely intertwined waist sash outlined (01:37:47) the woman's perfect waistline with rose (01:37:49) appliques and lace subtly blending (01:37:51) together, creating a hazy yet intricate (01:37:53) beauty. Thousands of scattered crystal (01:37:55) beads adorned the dress like a dazzling (01:37:58) galaxy spread across the skirt. Elegance (01:38:00) and allure intertwined with an ethereal (01:38:02) fairyike aura. Several contrasting (01:38:05) qualities perfectly fused on one person. (01:38:08) My princess, would you be willing to (01:38:10) marry your most loyal knight? For the (01:38:12) first time, Yan Mo showed his emotions (01:38:14) without any concealment. He walked (01:38:16) straight to Shu Aakan, knelt on one (01:38:18) knee, and held out the prepared ring (01:38:20) before her eyes. Yan Mo<unk>s sudden (01:38:23) move caught Shu Axian completely offg (01:38:25) guard. It was an emotion beyond words. (01:38:28) No description could capture even a (01:38:30) fraction of what she felt in that (01:38:31) moment. Tears welled up in her eyes (01:38:34) without her realizing. Streaming down (01:38:36) her cheeks, she lightly covered her (01:38:38) mouth with her right hand, afraid her (01:38:40) expression might betray too much (01:38:41) emotion. She could no longer utter a (01:38:44) complete sentence, only nodding (01:38:46) vigorously to express her willingness. (01:38:48) Yan Mo smiled gently as he solemnly slid (01:38:50) the ring onto Shuene's ring finger. (01:38:53) rising to his feet. He softly kissed (01:38:55) away the tears on her face before (01:38:57) tenderly pulling her into his embrace. (01:39:00) We won't be able to hold the wedding, (01:39:01) but I'll give you everything else you (01:39:03) deserve, leaving no regrets. Time was a (01:39:06) bit tight, so I designed the ring (01:39:08) myself. I hope you like it. I love it, (01:39:10) and I'll protect it with all my heart. (01:39:12) What about your ring? Let me put it on (01:39:14) for you. What about you? Leaning on Yan (01:39:17) Mo<unk>s shoulder to calm her emotions, (01:39:19) Shuaxen took the ring box from his hand, (01:39:22) retrieved the plain silver ring from it, (01:39:24) and placed it on Yan Mo<unk>s finger. (01:39:27) The two hands adorned with rings clasped (01:39:29) tightly together, much like their owners (01:39:31) who leaned on each other. Chapter 13, (01:39:34) Rebirth. At the end of May, in city A. (01:39:37) In a university's female dormatory, a (01:39:40) girl sleeping on her bed suddenly (01:39:41) furrowed her brows tightly, her face (01:39:44) showing signs of distress. Within just a (01:39:46) few seconds, a layer of fine sweat beads (01:39:49) appeared on her forehead. It seemed as (01:39:51) though she was dreaming of something (01:39:52) extremely terrifying. (01:39:55) Her body twisting uncomfortably as she (01:39:57) instinctively assumed a defensive (01:39:59) posture. The girl, who had her eyes (01:40:01) closed, abruptly opened them and sat up (01:40:04) from the bed, gasping for fresh air. The (01:40:06) lingering ferocity and madness in her (01:40:08) eyes were enough to send chills down (01:40:10) one's spine. Three years of surviving in (01:40:13) the apocalypse had conditioned her body (01:40:14) to react reflexively the moment her (01:40:16) consciousness cleared. Her muscles (01:40:18) tensed up instantly as she wearily (01:40:20) surveyed her surroundings. (01:40:22) The familiar yet strange dormatory (01:40:24) setup, the noisy yet safe living (01:40:27) environment. Everything relentlessly (01:40:29) assaulted Yi Yuan's fragile nerves. It (01:40:31) wasn't until the phone beside her pillow (01:40:33) rang that she finally processed this (01:40:35) unbelievable truth. She had been reborn. (01:40:38) After being pushed into a horde of (01:40:39) zombies by her so-called best friend and (01:40:41) boyfriend, she had been reborn to a time (01:40:44) before the apocalypse even began. The (01:40:46) phone's ringtone continued incessantly. (01:40:49) As if it would keep ringing forever (01:40:51) unless its owner answered, snapping back (01:40:53) to reality. Yuan saw the name displayed (01:40:56) on the phone screen and a surge of (01:40:58) intense hatred flashed in her eyes, (01:41:00) almost overwhelming the emotions (01:41:02) churning within her. Taking a few deep (01:41:04) breaths, she forcibly suppressed her (01:41:06) emotions, picked up the phone, and held (01:41:08) it to her ear. Hey, what are you doing? (01:41:11) Why did it take you so long to answer? (01:41:14) Have you finished the assignment for my (01:41:15) major class? It's due tomorrow. As soon (01:41:19) as the call connected, Duh Honshu's (01:41:21) scolding voice immediately came through. (01:41:23) arrogant and doineering as if it were (01:41:25) his right. There are still some parts (01:41:27) that need changes. I'll send them to you (01:41:29) before class tomorrow. Hearing that (01:41:31) familiar voice again, Yuan felt a (01:41:33) physical wave of discomfort, almost to (01:41:35) the point of nausea. At the same time, (01:41:38) it made her realize the exact moment she (01:41:40) had been reborn into. She still (01:41:43) remembered how the assignment she had (01:41:44) helped Duh Honchu with had once allowed (01:41:46) him to bask in the spotlight in the (01:41:48) physics department. Huh. But this time, (01:41:50) he wouldn't be so lucky. Consider this (01:41:53) her first gift to him after her rebirth. (01:41:55) All right, then. Remember to send it (01:41:57) early. I'll need some time to (01:41:59) familiarize myself with it beforehand. (01:42:01) Duh Honu didn't overthink Yi Yuan<unk>s (01:42:04) words and casually reminded her before (01:42:05) hanging up the phone, clutching the now (01:42:08) darkened phone in her hand. A flash of (01:42:11) murderous intent flickered through (01:42:12) Yuan<unk>s eyes. It wasn't the time to (01:42:14) deal with Du Honu yet. Once social order (01:42:17) completely collapsed in the future, she (01:42:19) could take action then. The top priority (01:42:22) now was to prepare for the apocalypse (01:42:23) that would arrive in a month. Yi Yuan (01:42:26) got out of bed, quickly packed a few (01:42:28) things and rushed out of the dormatory. (01:42:30) Shu Axian and Yan Mo also received the (01:42:33) final batch of firearms abroad and (01:42:35) boarded the plane back home. The money (01:42:38) they had left was now only 50 million. (01:42:41) The most money was spent on weaponry, (01:42:43) nearly 8 billion. And they even (01:42:45) commissioned a custom batch of cold (01:42:46) weapons, which also cost a significant (01:42:49) amount. Firearms are essential for (01:42:51) fighting zombies in the apocalypse. (01:42:53) Although people will awaken supernatural (01:42:55) abilities later on, relying solely on (01:42:57) them is impractical. Supernatural (01:43:00) abilities can also be depleted, so (01:43:02) neither firearms nor melee weapons are (01:43:04) dispensable in the apocalypse. (01:43:07) Who would complain about having too many (01:43:09) means to survive? Trading items like (01:43:11) firearms and controlled knives is far (01:43:13) too risky domestically. The slightest (01:43:15) misstep could draw unwanted attention (01:43:17) and customs inspections are becoming (01:43:19) increasingly strict. Transportation is (01:43:21) also a hassle. They didn't have enough (01:43:24) time to make careful arrangements, so (01:43:26) conducting transactions directly (01:43:27) overseas was the safest and most (01:43:29) convenient option. In just one month, (01:43:32) Yanmo placed orders for a batch of (01:43:35) firearms from every arms dealer he and (01:43:37) Busianguin had connections with, taking (01:43:39) all the available stock they could (01:43:40) provide. Fortunately, all arms dealers (01:43:43) are in competition with each other. (01:43:45) Otherwise, if they knew Yan Mo had (01:43:47) purchased such a massive quantity of (01:43:49) firearms in such a short time, they (01:43:52) probably wouldn't be able to sleep (01:43:53) soundly. A few unscrupulous arms dealers (01:43:56) weren't honest and sent people to (01:43:57) secretly follow Yan Mo and Shuakin, (01:44:01) hoping to see where they transported the (01:44:03) goods, planning to pull off a double (01:44:05) cross. But who is Yanmo? He's seen such (01:44:08) tricks countless times since childhood. (01:44:10) He arranged for his subordinates to lure (01:44:12) those people away, then quickly took Shu (01:44:14) aan in to collect the goods and leave. (01:44:17) With Shu Axai spatial ability as their (01:44:19) ultimate cheat tool, no one could ever (01:44:21) trace their whereabouts. Wait until the (01:44:24) goods are safely secured before settling (01:44:26) accounts with those dishonest ones. (01:44:29) Having witnessed a real case of thieves (01:44:31) falling out, Shuin couldn't help but (01:44:33) feel grateful for her self-awareness (01:44:35) back then, which stopped her from (01:44:37) venturing into the black market alone. (01:44:39) For an ordinary person like her who has (01:44:41) never seen blood, those seasoned (01:44:42) underworld figures could easily see (01:44:44) through her at a glance. They were all (01:44:46) old foxes who had been in the game for (01:44:48) years. Trying to outsmart them would be (01:44:51) no different from brandishing a (01:44:52) broadsword in front of Guanu. If the (01:44:55) female protagonist in novel succeeds, it (01:44:58) can only be attributed to the (01:44:59) overpowering halo of the main character, (01:45:01) which is strong enough to keep her (01:45:03) alive. As for a minor cannon fodder like (01:45:05) her without any halo, she would only be (01:45:08) courting death. Thinking of this, Shuene (01:45:10) turned her gaze to the man quietly (01:45:12) reading beside her, resting her head on (01:45:14) his shoulder and placing both hands on (01:45:16) his thighs. Feeling the firm muscles and (01:45:19) smooth contours beneath her fingers, she (01:45:22) couldn't help but marvel inwardly at how (01:45:24) wise her decision to cling to his thigh (01:45:26) had been. These sturdy thighs felt so (01:45:29) good to the touch. Lost in her thoughts, (01:45:31) Shuene was completely unaware that her (01:45:33) hands on Yan Mo<unk>s legs were (01:45:35) restlessly stroking back and forth. The (01:45:37) muscles beneath her palms gradually (01:45:39) tensed, and the man's gaze shifted from (01:45:41) the book to her face, a dark glint (01:45:43) flashing in his eyes. Sweetheart, if you (01:45:46) keep teasing me like this, I can't (01:45:49) guarantee you'll walk off this plane (01:45:51) unharmed. The man's voice, horse from (01:45:53) restraint, carried his scorching breath (01:45:55) against Shuakai sensitive ear. Ahem, a (01:45:58) hem. Shuakai<unk>s heart skipped a beat, (01:46:01) and she immediately sat up straight, (01:46:03) placing her hands obediently by her (01:46:05) sides, as prim and proper as a school (01:46:07) girl in class. On the surface, she (01:46:10) feigned composure, but her ears, red as (01:46:12) if about to drip blood, had already (01:46:14) betrayed her completely. All of this was (01:46:17) noticed by Yanmo. (01:46:19) A flicker of amusement flashing in his (01:46:21) eyes, his girlfriend was truly adorable. (01:46:24) He was no aesthetic monk, detached from (01:46:26) human emotions and desires. Faced with (01:46:28) the treasure he held dear in his heart, (01:46:30) it was only natural to feel such (01:46:32) impulses. If it weren't for the wrong (01:46:34) timing and location and the fear of (01:46:36) scaring Shuene by moving too fast, he (01:46:39) definitely wouldn't have let this (01:46:40) tempting little Minkx off so easily. If (01:46:43) Shuene could hear Yan Mo<unk>s inner (01:46:44) thoughts, she would surely secretly (01:46:46) refute him. Actually, she was also a (01:46:50) tiny bit expectant in her heart. Once (01:46:52) when she accidentally caught a glimpse (01:46:54) of Yan Mo<unk>s abs as he was changing (01:46:56) clothes, she really, really wanted to (01:46:58) touch them. She's been craving her (01:47:00) boyfriend's body for a long time, but (01:47:02) she doesn't dare say it out loud. It (01:47:05) would easily expose her true nature as a (01:47:07) pervy girl. She still needs to maintain (01:47:09) her image in front of her boyfriend. (01:47:11) Chapter 14. Persistent heatwave. As soon (01:47:14) as June arrived, the temperature began (01:47:16) to rise steadily. Unusually breaking (01:47:19) past 30°, a stark contrast to the (01:47:22) typically milder weather of previous (01:47:24) years. Shuakian and Yanmo successfully (01:47:27) moved into their newly renovated home, (01:47:29) leaving them with almost nothing to do (01:47:31) except gather the last batch of (01:47:32) supplies, leisurely organizing supplies. (01:47:35) Shusheen discovered that while the space (01:47:37) had resources for almost every aspect, (01:47:40) it was lacking in entertainment. How (01:47:42) could this be? Life in the apocalypse (01:47:44) was already tough enough. There had to (01:47:47) be enough mental nourishment and (01:47:48) entertainment to relax the mind and (01:47:50) body. Otherwise, living like this for (01:47:53) years would surely drive a person to the (01:47:55) brink of madness. Thinking of it, she (01:47:57) immediately took action. Shusheen (01:47:59) quickly ordered thousands of (01:48:00) high-capacity memory cards on her phone (01:48:02) and then asked her boyfriend to write a (01:48:04) program for her, perfectly solving the (01:48:06) problem of downloading movies, TV shows, (01:48:10) novels, and variety shows. (01:48:13) The support she relied on was simply a (01:48:15) must have at home. It felt like there (01:48:17) was nothing her boyfriend couldn't do. (01:48:19) There are other games that can be played (01:48:20) offline and Shuin has bought quite a few (01:48:23) of them. Regarding the impending (01:48:25) apocalypse, Shuene had discussed it with (01:48:27) Yan Mo as early as 3 months ago. In the (01:48:30) end, they decided to anonymously share (01:48:32) part of the information with the (01:48:34) government through the internet. This (01:48:35) way, they wouldn't expose their (01:48:38) identities, but still give the (01:48:39) authorities a heads up. In the face of a (01:48:41) catastrophic apocalypse, the power of (01:48:44) any individual is insignificant. If the (01:48:46) government could be forewarned and make (01:48:48) some preparations, it might help more (01:48:50) people survive. The more people survive, (01:48:53) the greater the hope of ending the (01:48:54) apocalypse. The most severely damaged (01:48:57) resources during the early apocalypse (01:48:58) were the water and food essential for (01:49:00) human survival, floods, freezing (01:49:03) temperatures, (01:49:04) and extreme heat rapidly depleted (01:49:06) humanity's vital supplies. After the (01:49:09) outbreak of the zombie virus, mutated (01:49:11) plants and animals aggressively (01:49:13) encroached on human settlements. Further (01:49:15) shrinking living spaces, soil capable of (01:49:18) sustaining normal plant growth became (01:49:20) increasingly rare. Facing such harsh (01:49:22) living conditions, what were once (01:49:24) ordinary foods in peaceful times became (01:49:26) precious resources in the apocalypse. (01:49:29) Only those with formidable strength (01:49:30) could obtain these scarce supplies. (01:49:33) Humans without special abilities at the (01:49:35) bottom of society had to survive on (01:49:37) insect carcasses or the mucus-like food (01:49:40) developed by research institutes. This (01:49:42) is the cruel apocalypse. By midJune, the (01:49:45) temperature in city A had already soared (01:49:47) to 38° C with the national average (01:49:50) reaching 40°. Every day, Weebo's (01:49:53) trending topics were filled with reports (01:49:55) of how many delivery workers and (01:49:57) couriers had collapsed on the streets (01:49:58) from heat stroke across the country. (01:50:01) People complained online about the (01:50:02) scorching weather. Yuan, who had (01:50:05) reclaimed her wealthy biological father (01:50:07) in this life, relationship she hadn't (01:50:09) acknowledged in her previous one, (01:50:11) received a substantial sum of money to (01:50:13) stock up on supplies. Having been (01:50:15) reborn, she would never place her (01:50:17) complete trust in anyone but herself. (01:50:19) Originally, she was still worrying about (01:50:21) where to safely store the purchased (01:50:23) supplies. However, a bracelet she (01:50:26) casually bought from an antique street (01:50:28) stall turned out to contain a space as (01:50:30) large as five basketball courts, (01:50:32) perfectly solving her urgent problem. If (01:50:35) Shushi knew that the female lead, (01:50:37) despite losing her space, could still (01:50:39) obtain another one, she would (01:50:40) undoubtedly feel the disparity of the (01:50:42) world and be utterly frustrated. (01:50:44) Coincidentally, after Yi Yuan was (01:50:46) reborn, she also spent money to buy a (01:50:49) penthouse in the same neighborhood where (01:50:51) Shuin and Yan Mo lived. However, the two (01:50:55) buildings happened to be at opposite (01:50:56) ends of the community. Without any (01:50:58) special circumstances, there was almost (01:51:00) no chance of them running into each (01:51:02) other. Yan Mo privately arranged to meet (01:51:04) Busangu and Mucci Mai at their usual (01:51:07) meeting spot. Tsk, what brings you, the (01:51:10) busy man, to find time for us today? (01:51:13) Busyang leaned back on the sofa, looking (01:51:15) as lazy as if he had no bones. I called (01:51:18) you here today because there's something (01:51:20) I need to tell you. What I'm about to (01:51:23) say might completely your understanding, (01:51:25) so you'd better brace yourselves. (01:51:27) Instead of sarcastically retorting to (01:51:28) Busyang as usual, Yanim Mo got straight (01:51:31) to the point. The unusual behavior and (01:51:33) the subtle implications in his words (01:51:35) made Busiang and Mucci straighten up (01:51:37) slightly from their relaxed positions on (01:51:39) the sofa, their expressions turning (01:51:41) serious. Is it related to the large (01:51:44) quantities of weapons you've been (01:51:45) purchasing recently? Mucciimai, (01:51:48) who had been handling the underground (01:51:49) dealings for Yanmo, was more aware of (01:51:52) his recent activities than Busiang. Yes, (01:51:55) but that's only part of the preparations (01:51:56) I've been making. You must have noticed (01:51:58) the abnormal weather this year. By late (01:52:00) June at the earliest or early July at (01:52:03) the latest, heavy rainfall will begin (01:52:05) across the country and continue for 3 (01:52:07) months. 3 months of heavy rain won't be (01:52:09) the end. It will be the beginning, the (01:52:11) beginning of the apocalypse. (01:52:14) The expressions on Busianguen and (01:52:15) Mucciimai<unk>s faces became a sight to (01:52:18) behold. If they didn't know the person (01:52:19) before them never spoke without reason, (01:52:22) they might even suspect they were being (01:52:23) played. A deathly silence spread through (01:52:25) the room, and for a long while, no one (01:52:28) uttered a word. Yanimo quietly waited (01:52:30) for them to digest the news on their (01:52:32) own. So, should we start preparing now, (01:52:35) stocking up on food, water, gasoline, (01:52:38) and all kinds of supplies in advance? (01:52:42) Muchimai's ability to accept the (01:52:44) situation was clearly better than (01:52:45) Bushangs, as he was the first to react. (01:52:48) The main reason I called you here today (01:52:50) is to ask, "If it really comes to that (01:52:52) time, would you still be willing to (01:52:54) follow me?" Yan Mo looked into the eyes (01:52:56) of his two good brothers and asked this (01:52:58) question seriously, "Brother Mo, I will (01:53:01) definitely follow you. You gave me this (01:53:03) life, and I will follow you for the rest (01:53:05) of it." (01:53:06) Muimi didn't hesitate for a second after (01:53:09) Yanmo finished speaking immediately (01:53:11) declaring his loyalty. Busyang was not (01:53:14) to be outdone either. Tsk, what kind of (01:53:17) talk is that? Are you thinking of (01:53:18) ditching the two of us and going solo? (01:53:21) Even if I have to cling, I'll cling to (01:53:23) you. What about your family? What are (01:53:25) your plans? Muchimai hesitated before (01:53:28) speaking. You know how messy my family (01:53:30) situation is. With a stepmother comes a (01:53:33) stepfather. I've long given up any hope (01:53:35) for that home. Sending them some (01:53:38) supplies anonymously when the time comes (01:53:40) will be my final act of filial piety. (01:53:42) Mentioning the mess of his family (01:53:44) affairs. Even the usually carefree (01:53:46) Busiang wore a bitter smile. Every (01:53:48) family has its own hard-to-reach (01:53:50) scripture. Since you've all decided to (01:53:52) follow me, you can just move in and live (01:53:54) with us when the time comes. Living (01:53:56) together will allow us to look out for (01:53:58) each other. Yan Mo stated his (01:54:00) arrangement, and neither Busiang nor Mu (01:54:02) Chimi objected, both thinking about what (01:54:05) items they should buy to bring along (01:54:07) later. Although Yanmo must have already (01:54:09) prepared their necessities in advance (01:54:11) for them to move in, they couldn't just (01:54:13) settle in without bringing anything (01:54:14) themselves. Feeling completely at ease (01:54:17) before leaving, Yanmo instructed the two (01:54:20) to exchange some gold for cash to keep (01:54:22) on hand and advised against purchasing (01:54:24) large quantities of food. With the (01:54:26) earlier warning from Yanmo, (01:54:28) the country has already begun (01:54:30) consciously controlling the flow of (01:54:31) grain in the market. During this period, (01:54:34) large-scale purchases of supplies are (01:54:36) likely to draw attention, so it's better (01:54:38) to keep a low profile. Chapter 15. The (01:54:41) downpour arrives. The persistently (01:54:43) rising extreme heat has made it (01:54:45) impossible for people to continue (01:54:46) working or studying, leading most (01:54:48) companies and schools to opt for remote (01:54:50) work and online classes. During the day, (01:54:53) it's rare to see pedestrians or vehicles (01:54:56) on the roads. Only around 8 or 9pm do (01:55:00) people venture out from their homes to (01:55:02) get some fresh air. The prolonged high (01:55:04) temperatures have persisted without a (01:55:06) single drop of rain, leaving the crops (01:55:08) in the fields on the verge of withering, (01:55:10) and the water levels in lakes and rivers (01:55:12) have significantly dropped. There are (01:55:14) also those with a strong sense of crisis (01:55:16) who noticing unusual signs in the (01:55:18) smallest details quietly stockpile (01:55:21) supplies at home. Online doomsday (01:55:24) theorists have emerged (01:55:26) claiming that the nationwide abnormal (01:55:28) heatwave is a sign of the impending (01:55:29) apocalypse. As soon as such statements (01:55:32) appeared, they were met with widespread (01:55:34) mockery from netisonens who accused the (01:55:36) bloggers of reading too much fiction and (01:55:38) indulging in fantasies. Others suggested (01:55:40) that the bloggers were merely promoting (01:55:42) doomsday theories to drive sales, (01:55:44) encouraging people to hoard supplies and (01:55:46) help clear their inventory. (01:55:49) A very small number of people believed (01:55:51) the bloggers words and went to (01:55:52) supermarkets to stock up. While others (01:55:54) began hoarding goods with a mix of (01:55:56) skepticism and caution, thinking that (01:55:58) even if nothing happened, the supplies (01:56:00) could still be kept at home and consumed (01:56:02) slowly without going to waste. (01:56:04) Netisonens argued endlessly in the (01:56:06) comments under this Weibo post, quickly (01:56:08) pushing it to the top of the trending (01:56:10) list. Before long, authorities stepped (01:56:13) in to block the hashtag, (01:56:15) making any information about the (01:56:16) doomsday theory completely disappear (01:56:18) from search results. The overwhelming (01:56:21) amount of information exploding online, (01:56:23) constantly bombarded netisonens minds, (01:56:25) and this article was just a drop in the (01:56:27) ocean, soon forgotten as people eagerly (01:56:29) jumped into the next heated discussion. (01:56:31) This article was indeed posted by Yi (01:56:33) Yuan. The maximum level of warning she (01:56:35) could offer ended here. She wouldn't do (01:56:37) anything more. Reborn once, all her (01:56:40) emotions became exceptionally (01:56:42) indifferent. (01:56:43) She didn't have the energy to care about (01:56:45) the lives of irrelevant people. The (01:56:47) warehouse style supermarkets andies that (01:56:49) Shuene had acquired earlier to stockpile (01:56:52) supplies had also closed down half a (01:56:54) month ago, publicly citing bankruptcy (01:56:56) due to poor management and broken (01:56:58) capital chains. Because Shushin (01:57:00) remembered that soon after the heavy (01:57:01) rain began, all large supermarkets were (01:57:04) taken over by government agencies and (01:57:06) the military. She didn't want to venture (01:57:09) out in the storm to deal with such (01:57:10) matters when the time came. Closing (01:57:13) early also prevented nearby residents (01:57:15) from eyeing the supermarket supplies (01:57:16) when they faced shortages. When laying (01:57:18) off all employees, Shusheen instructed (01:57:21) the manager to give each person an (01:57:23) additional three month salary, five (01:57:25) vacuum-sealed bags each of rice and (01:57:27) flour, plus a small first aid kit (01:57:29) containing common medicines. (01:57:32) If they could keep these supplies at (01:57:33) home without reselling them and protect (01:57:35) them well, it would be more than enough (01:57:37) to sustain them through the natural (01:57:39) disasters of the next year or so. (01:57:41) Busiang and Muimai also moved into the (01:57:43) house where Shuin and Yenm lived. The (01:57:46) house was divided into two floors with (01:57:48) Shuin living alone upstairs and Yenma (01:57:50) along with the other two men living (01:57:52) downstairs. When Busiang and Mucci Mai (01:57:55) saw the house, which was renovated to be (01:57:58) almost as secure as a bank vault, they (01:58:00) couldn't help but marvel in private at (01:58:02) Shuin sense of security. (01:58:05) Feeling an added layer of admiration for (01:58:07) her, the two of them each collected (01:58:09) supplies from 10 large warehouses and (01:58:11) handed them over to Yan Mo as their (01:58:13) future expenses. Understanding their (01:58:15) intentions, Yanmo didn't refuse and took (01:58:18) Shu Axian with him to collect everything (01:58:19) late at night. Fortunately, Shuakai (01:58:22) space was large enough, otherwise there (01:58:25) would have been no way to store so many (01:58:27) items. Even then, many non-p perishable (01:58:30) goods had to be placed on the second (01:58:31) level. Occupying the grazing land where (01:58:34) the calves and lambs used to roam (01:58:36) freely. On the last day of June, the (01:58:39) bright and sunny sky turned gloomy and a (01:58:41) breeze finally began to blow through the (01:58:43) air. As raindrops started to fall, (01:58:46) people felt a hint of coolness. The (01:58:48) China Meteorological Administration (01:58:49) urgently issued a yellow rainstorm (01:58:51) warning with heavy rainfall expected to (01:58:53) last for about a week. Residents are (01:58:56) advised to stock up appropriately and (01:58:58) stay indoors as much as possible. The (01:59:01) government and relevant departments (01:59:02) shall carry out emergency flood (01:59:04) prevention work according to their (01:59:05) duties. Cut off hazardous outdoor power (01:59:08) supplies and suspend outdoor operations. (01:59:10) Units in hazardous areas should suspend (01:59:12) classes and business operations, taking (01:59:15) special measures to protect the safety (01:59:17) of students, children, and other staff (01:59:19) who have already arrived. Manage urban (01:59:21) and farmland drainage. And be vigilant (01:59:24) against potential disasters such as (01:59:26) flash floods, landslides, (01:59:28) and mudslides. The rain came (01:59:30) unexpectedly and upon receiving the (01:59:32) news, people rushed to various (01:59:34) supermarkets. Shu Aaken and the others (01:59:37) were no exception. Although they had (01:59:39) ample supplies with even the spare rooms (01:59:41) in their current house filled with (01:59:42) various goods. If everyone else was out (01:59:45) stockpiling while they stayed put, it (01:59:47) would clearly signal to others that (01:59:49) their household was well stocked. When (01:59:51) supplies eventually ran short for (01:59:52) everyone, they could easily become (01:59:54) targets. inviting unnecessary trouble. (01:59:58) They don't shy away from trouble, but (02:00:00) they also don't seek it out. They just (02:00:02) want to live their little lives happily. (02:00:04) When the group went to the supermarket (02:00:06) to stock up, to avoid competing with (02:00:08) ordinary people for essential resources, (02:00:10) they only took a bag of flour and a bag (02:00:13) of rice as a cover, the rest of the (02:00:15) shopping cart was filled entirely with (02:00:17) snacks, drinks, and condiments. While (02:00:19) everyone else was busy scrambling for (02:00:21) rice, flour, oil, vegetables, fruits, (02:00:25) meat, and eggs, the snack aisle was (02:00:28) surprisingly empty with only a few young (02:00:31) people scattered here and there. When it (02:00:33) came to snacks, none of them held back. (02:00:36) They loaded the cart with everything (02:00:37) they liked or hadn't tried before. (02:00:39) Shusheen, under her husband's (02:00:41) disapproving gaze, even tossed two large (02:00:44) tubs of ice cream into the cart, (02:00:46) watching her own kids sneak glances at (02:00:48) her timidly while not slowing down in (02:00:50) the slightest with the movements of her (02:00:51) hands. Yan Mo couldn't help but sigh (02:00:54) helplessly. (02:00:55) It seemed she would just have to keep a (02:00:57) closer eye on her when the time came, (02:00:59) lest she eat too much cold stuff and end (02:01:01) up crying about stomach aches during her (02:01:03) special days. Suffering would be her own (02:01:06) doing again. The four of them pushed (02:01:08) four shopping carts with Yan Mo and (02:01:10) Mucci Mai's cart seemingly acting as (02:01:12) substitutes for Shu Axen and Bushangs. (02:01:15) The two had too many things they wanted (02:01:17) to eat and one cart simply wasn't (02:01:19) enough. When they checked out, it was no (02:01:22) surprise that they drew a row of stairs, (02:01:25) especially from the elderly, whose looks (02:01:27) were full of disdain and reproach. Under (02:01:29) normal circumstances, someone would (02:01:31) surely have stepped forward to criticize (02:01:33) them, saying, "Look at these youngsters. (02:01:36) They just don't know how to live (02:01:37) properly. All they buy are frivolous (02:01:39) things. Can this kind of stuff even fill (02:01:41) their stomachs, but they are all busy (02:01:43) with panic buying now? Having neither (02:01:46) the time nor the opportunity to promote (02:01:48) their ideas. When the four of them came (02:01:50) out, they drove the night 15 that Shu (02:01:53) Axan had previously ordered in Germany, (02:01:55) which had no problem accommodating the (02:01:57) several large bags of items they had (02:01:59) purchased, considering that the (02:02:01) impending heavy rain would make going (02:02:02) out inconvenient. They quickly discussed (02:02:05) and unanimously agreed to go out for a (02:02:07) good meal at noon. Perhaps the dining (02:02:09) atmosphere was too enjoyable. Even Yanim (02:02:11) Mo, who rarely loses control, unusually (02:02:14) overate, (02:02:16) having dear friends and loved ones by (02:02:18) your side makes for a truly wonderful (02:02:20) and peaceful life. Chapter 16. Physical (02:02:23) training. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! On the (02:02:26) seventh day of the downpour, the (02:02:28) torrential rain showed no signs of (02:02:30) letting up. The relentless rain pounded (02:02:32) against the windows, and the water on (02:02:34) the roads had already risen waist high. (02:02:36) The water level in the reservoir, which (02:02:38) had dropped due to high temperatures, (02:02:40) has now risen again and continues to (02:02:42) increase with official advance warnings. (02:02:46) The ongoing heavy rain did not cause (02:02:48) panic among those who had stockpiled (02:02:50) food at home. Remote work and online (02:02:52) teaching continued smoothly, and the (02:02:54) downpour failed to disrupt the daily (02:02:56) work and study routines of office (02:02:58) workers and students. People stuck at (02:03:00) home all day with limited entertainment (02:03:02) options somehow sparked a frenzy online (02:03:04) of flaunting stockpiles and homemade (02:03:06) delicacies one after another. They (02:03:08) rushed to post photos of their household (02:03:10) supplies on Weibo and WeChat moments. (02:03:14) Engaging in a competition of (02:03:15) oneupmanship. A few days later, when it (02:03:18) became clear that the rain showed no (02:03:20) signs of stopping within a week, as (02:03:22) officially predicted, and household food (02:03:24) reserves began to dwindle, people (02:03:26) started quietly hiding their supplies (02:03:28) and frantically deleting their earlier (02:03:29) posts. But by then, observant (02:03:32) individuals had already taken note of (02:03:33) them, making them the first targets when (02:03:36) order eventually broke down. (02:03:38) Shu Axen and the others knew the heavy (02:03:40) rain would last for a long time and (02:03:42) unless something unexpected happened, (02:03:44) they wouldn't be going out again before (02:03:46) the authorities delivered relief (02:03:48) supplies when they initially renovated (02:03:50) the house. Considering the possibility (02:03:52) of being unable to leave for extended (02:03:54) periods, Yanmo not only had a gym built, (02:03:57) but also set up a shooting range. In the (02:03:59) apocalypse, physical fitness and (02:04:02) shooting accuracy were both extremely (02:04:04) important. (02:04:05) Good physical fitness at least ensured (02:04:07) the ability to wield a knife and run (02:04:09) fast when escaping for one's life. As (02:04:12) for shooting skills, it went without (02:04:14) saying, no one was producing bullets in (02:04:16) the apocalypse. They were non-renewable (02:04:18) resources, and there weren't enough to (02:04:20) waste. If when being chased by zombies, (02:04:23) you couldn't fight them off, couldn't (02:04:25) aim properly, and couldn't even run (02:04:27) fast. If you still managed to survive by (02:04:30) sheer luck, you might as well take the (02:04:32) role of the protagonist. (02:04:34) Yan Mo tailored a customized training (02:04:36) plan for both Shu Axen and Busianguen. (02:04:39) One of them had been pampered since (02:04:41) childhood, while the other had spent (02:04:42) years working in an office. Both were in (02:04:45) terrible physical shape. Needless to (02:04:47) say, Yan Mo had been training since he (02:04:49) was young. Muchimai, who had always (02:04:52) handled underground affairs for him, (02:04:54) lived on the edge of danger everyday, so (02:04:57) his physical fitness and reflexes had (02:04:59) long been honed. In contrast, Busiangwen (02:05:02) and Shu Aakan were complete weaklings. (02:05:04) The residential complex they lived in (02:05:06) had one elevator per household, and (02:05:08) residents typically relied on elevators (02:05:10) for daily commutes. The emergency (02:05:12) staircases were practically decorative, (02:05:15) as no one would normally use them, (02:05:17) making it the perfect place for Shu Axen (02:05:19) and the others to conduct their daily (02:05:21) training. The building had a total of 25 (02:05:24) floors. For the first 5 days, Yanmo (02:05:27) assigned them to complete 20 round trips (02:05:29) daily. Later, he gradually increased the (02:05:32) weight they carried and imposed time (02:05:34) limits to push their limits, forcing (02:05:36) them to improve their speed. In addition (02:05:38) to climbing stairs, there are other (02:05:40) basic training sessions every day. Yan (02:05:43) Mo and Mucci also teach them about (02:05:45) various firearms and their usage, (02:05:47) followed by shooting practice. However, (02:05:50) Yanmo and Muimai don't slack off either. (02:05:53) They join Shu Axayen and the others in (02:05:56) daily training and add an extra 3 hours (02:05:58) of physical conditioning and two hours (02:06:00) of shooting practice to ensure their (02:06:02) skills remain at peak performance. After (02:06:04) each day's training, Shuakian and (02:06:06) Busangwen are as exhausted as dead dogs (02:06:09) if not for their growling stomachs. They (02:06:11) wouldn't even want to lift a finger. (02:06:13) Yanimo even offered to feed Shuakian, (02:06:16) but she firmly refused. There aren't (02:06:18) just the two of them at home. There are (02:06:20) outsiders present. (02:06:22) Shuene would never act so loveydovey in (02:06:25) front of others. She'd be so embarrassed (02:06:27) she could dig a castle underground with (02:06:29) her toes. Even though a single glance (02:06:31) from Yenma would make those two lower (02:06:33) their heads and silently focus on their (02:06:35) meals without looking at them. At night, (02:06:37) when Yenma gave Shuin a muscle relaxing (02:06:39) massage, her screens pierced the sky. (02:06:42) Downstairs, Busiang received the same (02:06:45) treatment. If it weren't for the (02:06:46) soundproofing done during the home (02:06:48) renovation, (02:06:50) anyone hearing the alternating screams (02:06:51) of men and women coming from their house (02:06:53) everyday would think they had some (02:06:55) special fetish or that it was the scene (02:06:56) of a major murder. Shuene and Busiang (02:06:59) endured the brutal training day after (02:07:01) day, grumbling about the hardship and (02:07:03) exhaustion, but never once saying they (02:07:05) wanted to give up. Both of them (02:07:07) understood the importance of this (02:07:08) training. It was about taking (02:07:10) responsibility for their own lives (02:07:12) without a single complaint. (02:07:14) They followed every instruction and (02:07:16) gritted their teeth to endure every (02:07:18) exercise. Yan Mo looked at the bruises (02:07:20) and swelling on Shuxen<unk>s body from (02:07:22) the rough training. His heart aching so (02:07:24) much he nearly told her to give up. But (02:07:26) in the end, he held back. Dangers in the (02:07:29) post-apocalyptic world were everywhere. (02:07:31) He couldn't guarantee he'd always be (02:07:33) there to protect her in every way, nor (02:07:35) could he promise to stay by her side (02:07:37) every moment. (02:07:39) Only if she had enough ability to defend (02:07:41) herself could he feel somewhat at ease. (02:07:43) Days passed by in a blur of busy yet (02:07:45) fulfilling routines. But others weren't (02:07:48) as fortunate to share their optimistic (02:07:49) mood. The sky seemed to have a huge hole (02:07:52) torn in it with rain pouring down (02:07:54) incessantly. And even by the 15th day of (02:07:56) staying indoors, the heavy downpour (02:07:59) showed no signs of stopping as expected. (02:08:01) The city's drainage system could no (02:08:03) longer handle such massive rainfall, and (02:08:06) low-lying areas were already submerged (02:08:08) up to five or six stories high. Although (02:08:11) Shuene's neighborhood was on higher (02:08:13) ground, water had still managed to flood (02:08:15) the first floor. After half a month of (02:08:17) training, the results were quite (02:08:19) noticeable. At the very least, Shusheen (02:08:21) no longer felt like a dead dog after (02:08:23) each session. Too exhausted to move, now (02:08:27) there was even enough energy left to (02:08:29) play with the phone. Having not checked (02:08:31) the neighborhood residents group chat (02:08:32) for a long time, Shuene finally had a (02:08:36) moment during the lunch break to catch (02:08:37) up on the messages. As soon as I opened (02:08:40) my phone, the flood of messages caused (02:08:42) it to crash, forcing me to restart. (02:08:44) Calls, texts, and wechathat messages (02:08:47) were all at 99 plus. Most of the calls (02:08:49) and texts were from unknown numbers. No (02:08:52) need to guess. It was definitely her (02:08:54) uncle's family. After the fallout, she (02:08:56) had blocked and deleted all their (02:08:58) contact info. When they realized they (02:09:00) couldn't reach her, they started using (02:09:02) new numbers. She had no intention of (02:09:05) answering their calls. She didn't have (02:09:07) the time to waste listening to their (02:09:09) nonsense. So, she promptly blocked and (02:09:11) deleted their new numbers in one go. The (02:09:13) messages in the homeowners group had (02:09:15) already exploded. Shuene had previously (02:09:17) added Yan Mo to the group, but given Yan (02:09:20) Mo<unk>s personality, there was no way (02:09:22) she'd bother reading such useless (02:09:24) chatter. Now in the group chat, everyone (02:09:26) is calling for property management (02:09:28) assistance. (02:09:30) Wanting to stay in someone else's (02:09:31) apartment for a while, today the water (02:09:34) flooded the first floor, their (02:09:36) neighborhood is a new development with (02:09:37) an occupancy rate of less than 50% and (02:09:40) there are still many vacant units (02:09:42) unsold. The property management holds (02:09:44) the keys, so residents whose homes were (02:09:46) flooded are trying to contact them to (02:09:48) move in temporarily. No one from the (02:09:50) property management responded in the (02:09:51) group chat. In this situation, who would (02:09:54) risk their life to go out and deliver (02:09:56) keys? (02:09:57) No matter how much people cursed in the (02:09:59) chat, the property management ignored (02:10:01) them. Unable to reach the property (02:10:03) management, the lower floor residents (02:10:05) turned their attention to others in the (02:10:07) same building after someone asked about (02:10:09) borrowing a place to stay. The lively (02:10:11) group chat suddenly fell silent and no (02:10:14) one spoke again. Chapter 17. Power (02:10:16) outage in the neighborhood. That night, (02:10:19) the rainstorm intensified again with (02:10:21) terrifying lightning and thunder (02:10:23) following one after another. While (02:10:25) having dinner, the lights in the room (02:10:27) suddenly went out through the balcony (02:10:29) window. The outside world could be seen (02:10:32) plunged into complete darkness with no (02:10:34) lights and no moonlight. It felt as if (02:10:36) the entire world had been swallowed by (02:10:38) endless darkness without a single (02:10:40) glimmer of light. A bolt of lightning (02:10:42) abruptly tore through the pitch black (02:10:44) world. Its cold glow illuminating (02:10:46) everyone's faces, sending a chill (02:10:49) straight to the heart. The power is out. (02:10:51) This thought crosses everyone's mind. (02:10:54) Shu Axai turns on her phone's (02:10:56) flashlight, stands up, and pulls the (02:10:59) curtains shut on the living room (02:11:00) balcony. Yan Mo and the others head to (02:11:03) the storage room to retrieve the (02:11:04) generator. When they had originally (02:11:06) chosen the curtains, they had (02:11:08) specifically picked ones with strong (02:11:09) light blocking properties to ensure not (02:11:11) a single beam could escape. With the (02:11:13) lights back on, the group no longer had (02:11:16) much appetite for dinner. They quickly (02:11:18) finished their meal and retreated to (02:11:20) their respective rooms to rest. Lying in (02:11:23) bed, Shu Axan stares wideeyed at the (02:11:26) ceiling, unable to sleep. The power (02:11:28) outage had come later than she had (02:11:30) anticipated. She had thought it would (02:11:31) happen days ago, but their neighborhood (02:11:33) had held out until now. This might be (02:11:35) thanks to their neighborhood being newly (02:11:37) built, where the newly installed (02:11:39) electrical circuits use better materials (02:11:41) and aren't on the same grid as older. (02:11:43) Outdated circuits. Other neighborhoods (02:11:46) experience power outages much earlier. A (02:11:48) power outage is not a good sign. It (02:11:51) means all surveillance stops working and (02:11:53) soon there will be no internet or (02:11:54) signal, cutting off all connection with (02:11:56) the outside world. The evil in people's (02:11:59) hearts cannot resist temptation without (02:12:01) any restraints. The beast imprisoned (02:12:03) within can break free from its cage at (02:12:05) any moment. On the first day of the (02:12:07) power outage, everyone's phones still (02:12:09) had battery. Occasionally, (02:12:12) messages pleading for help could still (02:12:14) be seen in group chats, but they all (02:12:16) went unanswered. It wasn't until someone (02:12:18) risked going out and discovered that a (02:12:20) large supermarket near the neighborhood (02:12:22) was still open that the group chat (02:12:23) became lively again. Building C, unit (02:12:26) 1501. The large supermarket near our (02:12:29) neighborhood is still open. Those in (02:12:31) need can go shopping, but cash payment (02:12:33) is required. Image. Gimmage. Gimmage. (02:12:36) Building E. Unit 801. Bro, I'll pay (02:12:40) triple the price if you can bring me (02:12:41) some food. How about it? Building A, (02:12:45) unit 2001. I'll pay 10 times the price. (02:12:48) Bro, help me out. Building F, unit 701. (02:12:52) What's the situation outside now? Are (02:12:55) there any rescue teams at building E? (02:12:58) Unit 1501, unit 2201, building D. Are (02:13:02) there still many items left at the (02:13:04) supermarket? Can we still go and buy (02:13:06) now? Unit 1501, building C. It's super (02:13:10) crowded. If anyone needs anything, you'd (02:13:13) better come quickly. If it gets any (02:13:14) later, everything will be gone. Unit (02:13:17) 1501. Building C didn't respond to (02:13:20) anyone's adventions. (02:13:22) After saying that, there was no further (02:13:24) reply. Shu Aakan also saw the message in (02:13:27) the group and related to the other (02:13:28) three. Someone in the group said there's (02:13:30) another supermarket nearby that's still (02:13:32) open. Should we go later? Sianguen and I (02:13:35) will go check out the situation. You and (02:13:38) Chimi stay at home and guard the place. (02:13:40) Don't go anywhere. After some thought, (02:13:42) Yanimo decided to take Busyang out to (02:13:45) gather information. He had already (02:13:47) relayed messages to the higher-ups of (02:13:49) the country earlier, so it made no sense (02:13:52) for there to be no official response by (02:13:54) now. There was an unusual feeling about (02:13:56) it all. Taking this opportunity to go (02:13:58) out and understand the actual situation (02:14:00) outside was far better than staying (02:14:02) cooped up at home, completely in the (02:14:04) dark. Busyang was the first to agree. (02:14:07) Staying confined to such a small space (02:14:09) for so many days without the freedom to (02:14:11) move around was truly testing his (02:14:13) patience. It wasn't in his nature to (02:14:15) stay idle for so long. Muchimai, on the (02:14:18) other hand, was the complete opposite. (02:14:22) Calm and steady, perfectly content with (02:14:24) staying still. It was precisely because (02:14:26) he understood their personalities that (02:14:28) Yan Mo decided to take Busianguin out (02:14:30) with him rather than Muimai. Besides (02:14:33) this reason, there was another. Busiang (02:14:36) had a likable face and a silver tongue, (02:14:38) which would make it much easier for them (02:14:40) to gather information outside. (02:14:42) Additionally, both Shu Axen and Busiang (02:14:45) had only trained for half a month and (02:14:46) were still quite inexperienced. (02:14:49) If both of them were left at home, he (02:14:51) worried they might not be able to handle (02:14:53) any unexpected situations. He simply (02:14:56) couldn't rest easy. So, the only (02:14:57) solution was for him and Muimai to split (02:15:00) up. The outside world held more dangers (02:15:02) with many potential emergencies. (02:15:04) Therefore, the best arrangement was for (02:15:06) him and Busianguin to go out while Mui (02:15:09) and Shu Aai stayed home. Once the rain (02:15:11) eased slightly, Yan Mo and Busiangen (02:15:14) pulled the rubber raft out. Shu Aaken (02:15:17) stood on the balcony, watching through a (02:15:20) telescope as people in the neighborhood (02:15:21) continuously ventured out using various (02:15:23) methods. Some people sat in their (02:15:25) family's enormous laundry tubs wearing (02:15:27) raincoats. Others strapped three rows of (02:15:30) empty plastic water bottles to their (02:15:32) upper bodies and paddled vigorously with (02:15:34) their hands. While the more daring ones (02:15:36) simply dawn diving suits and plunged (02:15:38) straight into the water, choosing to (02:15:40) swim directly in the water is actually a (02:15:42) very dangerous option. The heavy rain (02:15:45) has persisted for half a month and the (02:15:47) urban flooding has reached alarming (02:15:49) levels. Many items left outside before (02:15:51) the storm are now submerged, posing (02:15:54) numerous hidden hazards. If luck isn't (02:15:56) on your side, it's easy to get injured. (02:15:58) In water teameming with bacteria, wounds (02:16:01) are highly susceptible to inflammation (02:16:03) and infection. At this point, buying (02:16:05) medicine is difficult, and hospitals (02:16:07) have long since closed, making it all (02:16:10) too easy for life-threatening situations (02:16:12) to arise. (02:16:14) Chapter 18. Supermarket chaos. Yano and (02:16:17) his companion took out the inflatable (02:16:19) boat and began inflating it on the (02:16:21) water. People gathered in the nearby (02:16:23) buildings, eager to leave. all turned (02:16:25) their gazes toward them, especially (02:16:27) noticing there were only two of them (02:16:29) venturing out, their eyes filled with (02:16:31) restless anticipation. But when their (02:16:33) eyes fell on the long knives in their (02:16:35) hands, the onlookers grew timid and (02:16:37) hesitant, shrinking back after (02:16:39) exchanging several glances among (02:16:41) themselves. (02:16:43) Just as Yanmo and his partner were about (02:16:45) to set off, someone couldn't hold back (02:16:47) and mustered the courage to step forward (02:16:49) and ask, "Hello, could you take us with (02:16:51) you? We can pay. or you can name any (02:16:54) conditions you'd like. I can take you (02:16:55) with me, but no need for money. Just (02:16:58) make sure to give us 10% of the supplies (02:17:00) you buy later. Yanim Mo didn't refuse (02:17:02) and instead proposed his own condition. (02:17:04) All right, let me discuss it with them. (02:17:07) The man clearly wasn't foolish. (02:17:10) Yan Mo<unk>s condition wasn't (02:17:11) unreasonable. Exchanging 10% of the (02:17:14) supplies for safe passage out and back (02:17:16) was a good deal. Soon, the man returned (02:17:18) with two other young men following (02:17:20) behind him. My name is Jang Song and (02:17:23) these are both my brothers. This is (02:17:24) Maing Jin and this is Bao Shingi. We (02:17:27) agree to all the conditions you've (02:17:29) proposed. Jang Song introduced the two (02:17:31) young men following him to Yanmo and (02:17:33) Busyang. Yan Mo Yan Mo had no intention (02:17:37) of engaging in further conversation with (02:17:39) them. After merely stating his name, he (02:17:42) fell silent, leaving the rest to (02:17:44) Busyang. I'm Busanguen. Come on up (02:17:47) quickly. We're<unk> about to leave. If (02:17:49) we're late, there will be nothing left (02:17:51) to grab. Busyanguin familiarly beckoned (02:17:53) the three to board, and the group (02:17:55) disappeared through the neighborhood (02:17:56) gate under the envious gazes of (02:17:58) onlookers. Throughout the journey, (02:18:00) Busianguin never stopped talking, (02:18:02) continuously chatting with the other (02:18:03) three on the boat. Subtly guiding them (02:18:06) to reveal the information he wanted to (02:18:08) hear. Yan Mo appeared to sit aside, (02:18:11) focused on steering the rubber boat, (02:18:13) though in reality it required no manual (02:18:15) control at all, silently taking in every (02:18:18) word they said without missing a beat. (02:18:20) As soon as the group arrived near the (02:18:22) supermarket, they saw crowds of people (02:18:24) just like them, all there to grab (02:18:26) supplies. Some, like them, were using (02:18:29) rubber boats, so they didn't stand out (02:18:31) too much. After a brief discussion, they (02:18:34) decided to deflate and store the rubber (02:18:36) boat first, planning to reinflate it (02:18:38) when they came out later. Just looking (02:18:40) at the crowd outside, one can imagine (02:18:43) the chaos inside the supermarket. Moving (02:18:45) together as a group would deter those (02:18:47) with ill intentions. (02:18:49) And if anyone dared to provoke them, the (02:18:51) five of them wouldn't back down. The (02:18:53) situation inside the supermarket was far (02:18:55) more chaotic than Yanmo had imagined, (02:18:58) having just endured the heavy rain and (02:19:00) floods. If people had followed the (02:19:02) official advice to stock up for a week, (02:19:04) staples like rice and flour, which come (02:19:07) in large quantities, wouldn't have run (02:19:09) out so quickly, getting by for a week, (02:19:11) shouldn't have been an issue. And with (02:19:13) careful rationing, even a month would (02:19:15) have been manageable. (02:19:17) With the rain showing no sign of (02:19:18) stopping and no official updates or (02:19:20) rescue efforts, it's understandable that (02:19:23) panic would set in. It's also normal for (02:19:25) people to rush to a supermarket that's (02:19:27) still open. But things shouldn't have (02:19:29) escalated to the point of fighting over (02:19:30) a single pack of instant noodles. It (02:19:33) seems that being cooped up at home for (02:19:35) so long, combined with the relentless (02:19:37) rain, has taken a toll on people's (02:19:39) emotions, leaving them depressed, (02:19:41) impulsive, irritable, and restless. (02:19:45) Under such emotional strain, people (02:19:47) often act out in ways that serve as an (02:19:49) outlet for their inner turmoil. YMO had (02:19:52) indeed overlooked the aspect of people's (02:19:54) emotions before, which was a significant (02:19:56) oversight. If the government doesn't (02:19:58) take any action soon, even if people (02:20:00) still have food stored at home, social (02:20:03) order will start to collapse first to (02:20:05) avoid raising suspicion. Yan Mo and (02:20:08) Busianguin had no choice but to join the (02:20:10) frantic rush for supplies. Both of them (02:20:12) were quite tall. Standing out like (02:20:15) cranes among chickens in the crowd. (02:20:17) Being tall had its advantages. Long arms (02:20:20) made it easy to reach items placed on (02:20:22) higher shelves, avoiding the scramble (02:20:24) for goods at lower levels. With both (02:20:26) hands full, they found themselves still (02:20:28) trapped in the surging crowd, unable to (02:20:30) break free and forced to go with the (02:20:32) flow. Perhaps it was because both of (02:20:34) them were tall and stood close together, (02:20:36) each carrying a long knife on their (02:20:38) backs, that no one dared to snatch (02:20:40) anything from their hands. As they were (02:20:43) jostled along the way, they saw many (02:20:45) others who couldn't get supplies, (02:20:47) resorting to stealing from those who had (02:20:48) managed to grab some. Before entering (02:20:50) the supermarket, they had agreed on a (02:20:53) meeting point in case they got separated (02:20:54) by the crowd. The first one to come out (02:20:57) would wait in the stairwell at the (02:20:58) southeast corner of the supermarket. (02:21:00) That stairwell was relatively secluded, (02:21:03) tucked away in a dead-end spot with a (02:21:05) pile of boxes blocking the front. Unless (02:21:08) someone was paying close attention, it (02:21:10) would be hard to notice, making it a (02:21:12) fairly safe place. If anyone ended up (02:21:14) alone and hid there, they wouldn't (02:21:16) easily be robbed. Yan Mo and Busianguin (02:21:19) came out early. The incoming and (02:21:21) outgoing crowd surged against each (02:21:22) other, successfully swallowing them up, (02:21:25) so no one noticed them, and they safely (02:21:27) reached the stairwell. As the two walked (02:21:29) along with the crowd, Busiang didn't (02:21:32) forget to strike up conversations with (02:21:34) those around them to gather information. (02:21:36) Yan Mo also picked up a lot of useful (02:21:38) details from the chatter of the people (02:21:40) nearby. The more they learned, the (02:21:42) graver their expressions became. Once (02:21:44) they reached the stairwell, Busianguin (02:21:46) couldn't wait to say something. But Yan (02:21:49) Mo stopped him with a look. Busyanguin (02:21:51) swallowed his words, his stomach (02:21:53) turnurning with unspoken thoughts. The (02:21:55) frustration almost unbearable. Left with (02:21:57) no choice. He paced back and forth in (02:22:01) the stairwell, restless. After more than (02:22:03) half an hour, the other three finally (02:22:05) emerged. When Jeang and the other two (02:22:08) had gone in, they were impeccably (02:22:10) dressed, but now they looked completely (02:22:12) different. Their clothes bore clear (02:22:14) signs of the intense struggle they had (02:22:16) endured. The once neat outfits were now (02:22:18) crumpled, with visible handprints (02:22:20) distorting the fabric beyond (02:22:21) recognition. His face also showed (02:22:23) exhaustion. And he was still panting (02:22:26) heavily, clutching tightly the items he (02:22:29) had snatched, not letting anyone take (02:22:31) them away before they could catch their (02:22:33) breath. Voices of others could be heard (02:22:35) outside the door. Big bro, I saw them go (02:22:38) in here with my own eyes just now. And I (02:22:40) didn't see them come out. They must (02:22:42) still be inside. Those three have a lot (02:22:44) of stuff in their hands. If we can grab (02:22:47) it, we'll definitely last a lot longer. (02:22:49) Good job, kid. If it's really as you (02:22:52) say, I'll give you a bigger share when (02:22:54) we get back. Footsteps gradually (02:22:57) approached. Yanimo reached out to lock (02:22:59) the stairwell door from the inside, (02:23:01) raised a finger to his lips to signal (02:23:03) the others to stay quiet, and then (02:23:05) started moving upstairs, gesturing with (02:23:07) his eyes for them to follow him. The (02:23:09) three who had just entered immediately (02:23:11) understood. They were being targeted. (02:23:13) They had been too careless, failing to (02:23:15) notice they had a tail following them. (02:23:17) Yan Mo led them upstairs. (02:23:20) He had already observed that this (02:23:22) supermarket had another floor above (02:23:24) selling food. With the water level so (02:23:26) high now, they could easily exit through (02:23:28) the second floor windows instead of (02:23:30) using the main entrance. Chapter 19. (02:23:33) Danger first appears. The doorbell rang (02:23:35) just as Shu Aan had changed into her (02:23:37) workout clothes and was heading out. (02:23:39) Muimai was waiting for her in the (02:23:41) training room, ready to begin today's (02:23:43) combat practice. (02:23:45) The stored power in the doorbell could (02:23:47) still last a few days despite the (02:23:49) blackout. Hearing the doorbell, (02:23:51) Mucciimai emerged from the training room (02:23:53) and locked eyes with Shu Axai, who was (02:23:55) coming down the stairs. Both saw (02:23:57) weariness reflected in each other's (02:23:59) gaze. Yanmo and Busianguin had only just (02:24:02) left when someone came to ring the (02:24:04) doorbell, making it impossible not to be (02:24:06) suspicious. Shu, Axen, and Mucci checked (02:24:09) the video feed from the doorbell. Only (02:24:11) one man stood outside, but they didn't (02:24:14) rush to open the door. Shu Aakin quickly (02:24:17) walked over to the computer in the (02:24:18) living room and pulled up the (02:24:20) surveillance footage. Sure enough, (02:24:22) another man was hiding in the blind spot (02:24:24) of the doorbell camera. After moving (02:24:26) here, Muimai hardly went out during the (02:24:28) day. He usually went out in the middle (02:24:30) of the night or early morning. The (02:24:32) people in the neighborhood probably only (02:24:34) knew that there were two men and one (02:24:36) woman living in units 2401 and 251. (02:24:40) Unaware that there was a fourth person, (02:24:42) the two men outside the door likely (02:24:44) thought that with both men gone, only a (02:24:47) woman was left alone at home, giving (02:24:49) them an opportunity. As long as they (02:24:51) could lure her out, wouldn't two grown (02:24:53) men be able to overpower one woman? At (02:24:55) that point, they could take whatever (02:24:57) they wanted from the house. Or if (02:24:59) stealing wasn't enough, seeing how (02:25:01) pretty Shu Axai was, they might even (02:25:04) think of doing something else, even (02:25:06) through the door. Shu Axai could (02:25:09) practically feel their scheming (02:25:10) intentions hitting her in the face. The (02:25:12) two outside had no idea their plans were (02:25:14) mostly exposed. When no one answered the (02:25:17) doorbell, they switched to pounding on (02:25:19) the door with force, as if they wouldn't (02:25:21) stop until it was broken open what Shuin (02:25:24) could figure out. Muchimai, who had long (02:25:26) been involved in the gray areas, (02:25:28) understood even faster. His expression (02:25:31) darkened instantly as he waved for Shuin (02:25:33) to step back and went to open the door (02:25:35) himself. (02:25:36) The person outside probably didn't (02:25:38) expect the door to be opened so (02:25:40) suddenly. Stumbling, they nearly fell (02:25:42) onto Mui Mai. You damn. Fong Tong barely (02:25:45) managed to steady himself. After (02:25:47) knocking for so long, the door had (02:25:50) finally opened, only for him to almost (02:25:52) embarrass himself by falling. Eager to (02:25:54) salvage some dignity, he started cursing (02:25:56) without even looking up. What's the (02:25:58) matter with all that knocking? Mucciimai (02:26:01) had the typical tough guy look. With a (02:26:04) scar near his left eyebrow that made him (02:26:06) seem unapproachable at first glance, (02:26:08) combined with his intimidating aura, (02:26:10) people tended to steer clear of him. The (02:26:12) man's voice cut off Fong Tongs (02:26:14) unfinished tirade, leaving him staring (02:26:16) up at Mucciimai in shock. Fong Tong (02:26:19) instinctively took two steps back, (02:26:21) startled by Muimi's dark expression. He (02:26:24) glanced toward the corner where his (02:26:25) companion had been hiding, only to find (02:26:28) it empty. The other guy had already made (02:26:30) a cowardly escape when Muimi appeared (02:26:33) without so much as a warning. Fong (02:26:35) Tong<unk>s legs were trembling, and he (02:26:37) forced an ugly smile that couldn't get (02:26:38) any uglier on his face. And nothing (02:26:40) much. I just wanted to ask if you'd like (02:26:43) to go shopping together. No need. Get (02:26:45) lost and keep your petty schemes to (02:26:47) yourself. Next time you show up, it (02:26:50) won't be as easy to let you and your (02:26:51) accompllices off. Muchi my stepped (02:26:54) forward, grabbed Fong Tong by the (02:26:56) collar, and lifted him up. He glared (02:26:59) down at him, the menace in his eyes (02:27:01) undisguised, making it crystal clear to (02:27:03) the other man that he shouldn't dare (02:27:05) provoke him again. With a casual toss, (02:27:07) Fong Tang was thrown to the ground. (02:27:09) Under Muimi's piercing gaze, he (02:27:12) scrambled away from the 24th floor on (02:27:14) all fours. Fong Tong returned to his (02:27:16) current residence and saw Xiang Xing (02:27:18) Yang, who had abandoned him and run (02:27:20) away. He didn't even have the strength (02:27:23) to hit him. His limbs were still weak, (02:27:25) and he had no idea how he managed to (02:27:27) come down from the 24th floor. The (02:27:30) intimidation Mucciimai had exerted on (02:27:32) him was overwhelmingly powerful. That (02:27:34) kind of murderous aura was definitely (02:27:35) not something an ordinary person would (02:27:37) possess. They had intended to pick on (02:27:39) someone weak, but instead they ended up (02:27:42) provoking the toughest person in the (02:27:44) entire building, nearly breaking their (02:27:46) own hands in the process. What a (02:27:48) disastrous start. After this incident, (02:27:51) Shu Axen trained with more seriousness (02:27:53) and focus than ever before. She suddenly (02:27:56) realized that her mindset still hadn't (02:27:58) shifted from the peaceful era. Despite (02:28:00) her psychological preparation for the (02:28:02) apocalypse, she still couldn't fully (02:28:04) immerse herself in the world of the end (02:28:06) times. From the moment she learned she (02:28:08) had transmigrated into a book to now, (02:28:10) with the apocalypse already upon her, (02:28:12) she had always subconsciously seen (02:28:14) herself as an outsider, a mere (02:28:16) spectator. (02:28:18) Even though she had actively stockpiled (02:28:20) supplies, renovated her house, and even (02:28:22) deliberately tried to win over Yanmo, (02:28:25) her mindset hadn't truly transformed. (02:28:27) Yan Mo was the first person who made her (02:28:30) feel that this world had a sense of (02:28:31) reality, connecting her to it. Today, (02:28:34) the two men who came looking for trouble (02:28:36) with her made her acutely aware through (02:28:38) the sense of crisis they brought, that (02:28:40) this world truly exists. It's not just a (02:28:42) book. She is living vividly in this (02:28:44) world where she can feel pain. get (02:28:47) injured, bleed, and even face death. She (02:28:50) must confront the cruelty and challenges (02:28:52) of the apocalypse. Having Yen Mo<unk>s (02:28:55) protection and ample supplies is not (02:28:57) enough. She herself needs formidable (02:28:59) strength to truly survive in this (02:29:00) post-apocalyptic world. Shuaken's (02:29:03) understanding of the apocalypse comes (02:29:05) entirely from novels, movies, or TV (02:29:08) shows. Unlike the original female lead, (02:29:11) Yi Yuan, who was reborn from the (02:29:13) apocalypse with firstirhand experience (02:29:15) of the malice and brutality of human (02:29:17) nature, Shu Axen lacks the lethal combat (02:29:20) skills Yi Yuan horned through survival (02:29:22) in the apocalypse. All she can do is (02:29:24) diligently complete each training (02:29:26) session, gradually growing stronger, (02:29:28) striving not to hold Yanmo and the (02:29:30) others back and ensuring she doesn't (02:29:32) become a burden. Yanimo and his group (02:29:35) returned to the residential area without (02:29:37) any major incidents. Jang Song and his (02:29:39) companions, as agreed, handed over 10% (02:29:43) of their supplies before quickly leaving (02:29:44) with their share. Avoiding the curious (02:29:47) gazes of the onlookers. Seeing Jeang and (02:29:50) his group return unharmed, the (02:29:52) previously hesitant bystanders grew (02:29:54) restless. Assuming Yan Mo and Busyang (02:29:57) were easy to negotiate with, they rushed (02:29:59) forward, eager to borrow the rubber boat (02:30:01) from them. instantly surrounding the two (02:30:03) in the middle. More than 5 hours had (02:30:05) passed since they left, and Yan Mo was (02:30:08) growing concerned about the situation at (02:30:10) home. Unwilling to linger outside any (02:30:12) longer. The clamor of the crowd also (02:30:15) grated on his nerves in one swift (02:30:18) motion, he drew the Tang sword from his (02:30:20) back, and the noisy crowd fell into (02:30:22) complete silence. The cold gleam of the (02:30:24) blade reflected in the light. Those who (02:30:26) had crowded around to borrow the rubber (02:30:28) boat scattered in fear, leaving a wide (02:30:30) open space. Their eyes fixed wearily on (02:30:33) the long sword in Yanm<unk>s hand, (02:30:35) terrified that another word might (02:30:36) provoke him to swing it down, watching (02:30:39) helplessly as Yanmo and Busianguin (02:30:42) packed up the rubber boat and carried (02:30:43) the supplies they had grabbed from the (02:30:45) supermarket upstairs at this hour, (02:30:47) Shuakai should be taking her afternoon (02:30:49) nap. After entering and casually placing (02:30:52) the items on the floor, Yan Mo didn't (02:30:54) bother to tidy himself up. Instead, he (02:30:57) stroed toward the stairs, eager to (02:30:59) personally confirm that Shu Aakan was (02:31:01) still there. Chapter 20. Preparations. (02:31:04) From their very first meeting. Yano (02:31:07) noticed something different about Shu (02:31:09) Axen. She always seemed to carry an air (02:31:11) of detachment from the world, which (02:31:13) piqued his interest in getting to know (02:31:14) this girl he had just met on a deeper (02:31:16) level. Later, in his interactions with (02:31:18) Shuene, this feeling not only didn't (02:31:21) diminish, but grew stronger. Even though (02:31:23) she was right in front of him, he always (02:31:25) felt as if Shuene might disappear at any (02:31:27) moment. He didn't know where this (02:31:29) feeling came from, but he was certain it (02:31:31) wasn't wrong. The deeper his feelings (02:31:34) for Shuene grew, the greater the panic (02:31:36) in his heart became, fearing he might (02:31:38) lose her, not seeing the person he (02:31:40) longed to meet on the bed in the room. (02:31:42) Yan Mo felt a momentary panic, but then (02:31:44) he heard movement in the bathroom and (02:31:46) calmed down. Shin Bao, are you in there? (02:31:49) The sound of water in the bathroom (02:31:50) gradually stopped and Shuene called out (02:31:53) in response, "I'm here. I'm washing my (02:31:55) hair. Did you just get back?" "Then you (02:31:58) finish washing first. I'll go clean up, (02:32:00) too, and we can talk later." Hearing (02:32:04) Shuene's reply, Yinma<unk>s heart (02:32:06) settled, feeling reassured. However, he (02:32:09) became acutely aware of his rain soap (02:32:11) clothes clinging uncomfortably to his (02:32:13) skin as someone with a strong aversion (02:32:15) to dirt. His expression twisted into a (02:32:17) frown of displeasure. Enduring this (02:32:19) state for even a second longer was (02:32:21) torture. Yinma strode quickly back to (02:32:23) his room and immediately plunged into (02:32:25) the shower. Yi Yuan, who lives at the (02:32:27) other end of the neighborhood, also went (02:32:30) out today, but she did so in the early (02:32:32) hours when everyone was still asleep (02:32:35) living alone. Yuan chose to use a rubber (02:32:37) boat for her outing. Going out during (02:32:39) the day with the crowd would easily draw (02:32:41) the attention of those with ill (02:32:42) intentions, so leaving at dawn allowed (02:32:45) her to avoid prying eyes. She enjoyed (02:32:47) the freedom of being alone, having (02:32:49) already experienced this once in her (02:32:51) past life. Yi Yuan had a general (02:32:53) understanding of the situation outside. (02:32:56) Although some details differed from her (02:32:58) previous life, she didn't dwell on them (02:33:01) too much as long as the overall (02:33:03) direction of events remained unchanged. (02:33:05) There was nothing to worry about. (02:33:07) Heading out in the early hours, Yi Yuan (02:33:09) planned to take advantage of the recent (02:33:11) power outage as many stored goods hadn't (02:33:13) yet spoiled to gather supplies from (02:33:16) various places. Before leaving, she (02:33:18) deliberately moved some items into her (02:33:20) room to free up space in her bracelet (02:33:22) storage for more resources. (02:33:25) She had too little time to prepare (02:33:26) supplies, and some items simply couldn't (02:33:29) be collected or were overlooked in the (02:33:31) rush. Moreover, when purchasing grain, (02:33:33) she vaguely sensed official oversight (02:33:35) that prohibited bulk purchases. Not (02:33:38) wanting to draw official attention, she (02:33:40) had to buy in small batches from (02:33:41) multiple locations, which wasted a lot (02:33:44) of time. This trip out would be a good (02:33:46) opportunity to restock. The next time (02:33:48) she ventured out would likely be when (02:33:50) the government distributed relief (02:33:52) supplies. (02:33:53) Yuan didn't raid the malls, restaurants, (02:33:56) or supermarkets near the residential (02:33:58) area. Instead, she chose a commercial (02:34:00) food court located 5 km away. She picked (02:34:04) that food court for two reasons. First, (02:34:06) its higher elevation and status as a (02:34:08) newly developed area meant its (02:34:10) facilities were relatively new. Given (02:34:12) that the heavy rain had persisted for (02:34:14) half a month, the place should still be (02:34:16) intact with minimal damage to its (02:34:18) contents. (02:34:20) She didn't want to waste time and effort (02:34:21) on a fruitless trip. The second option (02:34:24) is to choose a location farther from the (02:34:26) residential area, allowing people from (02:34:28) the community to go out and collect (02:34:29) supplies. As long as supplies can still (02:34:32) be found, the community won't descend (02:34:34) into complete chaos. Since she still (02:34:36) lives in the area, the later the chaos (02:34:39) erupts, the longer she can enjoy a (02:34:41) stable life. Who wouldn't want a (02:34:42) peaceful life? The days of fighting and (02:34:45) killing are exhausting. (02:34:47) Having returned from the apocalypse to (02:34:49) live a second life, she cherishes these (02:34:51) moments of stability even more. Yiuan (02:34:54) speculation was correct. The chosen food (02:34:56) court only had water up to calf height (02:34:58) on the first floor. The power system (02:35:00) shared the same line as their (02:35:02) residential area and it had just gone (02:35:04) out. Opening a freezer in a hot pot (02:35:06) restaurant. They found it filled with (02:35:08) all kinds of hot pot ingredients. Still (02:35:11) emitting cold air. They also discovered (02:35:13) plenty of hot pot base in the kitchen. (02:35:16) Yuan waved her hand and stored (02:35:18) everything in her space. She went (02:35:20) through the food court shop by shop, (02:35:22) collecting anything she deemed useful (02:35:24) into her space. After sweeping through (02:35:26) the entire food court, the supplies in (02:35:28) her space increased significantly, Yuan (02:35:31) returned to the residential area before (02:35:33) dawn. Satisfied, just as everyone was (02:35:36) waking up back home, Yuan soaked in a (02:35:38) comfortable hot bath. After the power (02:35:41) outage, water shortages were not far (02:35:43) behind, and hot baths were becoming a (02:35:46) rare luxury. Her space wasn't large (02:35:49) enough to waste on storing hot water (02:35:51) separately. Still, she was more than (02:35:53) content to have room for other essential (02:35:55) supplies. In the apocalypse, even basic (02:35:58) survival was a struggle. Who would care (02:36:00) about cleanliness or appearance? After (02:36:02) the water supply stopped, no one would (02:36:04) waste clean water on bathing. Even (02:36:07) washing one's hair became a rare (02:36:08) indulgence. This situation only improved (02:36:11) after water type ability users emerged. (02:36:14) She was given the chance to live a (02:36:16) second life, knowing what would happen (02:36:18) in the future, the opportunity to stay (02:36:20) ahead of others, and even coincidentally (02:36:22) obtained the legendary space to store (02:36:24) supplies, she was already very (02:36:27) satisfied. As for the enemies who caused (02:36:29) her death in her previous life, Yiuan (02:36:32) sincerely hoped that Du Honu and Wong (02:36:34) Yaun could live well and see how in this (02:36:36) life without her slaving away for them, (02:36:39) desperately finding supplies and (02:36:40) protecting them, they would have to rely (02:36:43) on someone else, she would watch (02:36:45) everything unfold from the 25th floor. (02:36:47) After buying the apartment here, Yi Yuan (02:36:50) deliberately guided Du Honu and Wong (02:36:52) Yaun to rent a place in the same (02:36:53) neighborhood. She bribed the agent who (02:36:55) showed them properties to ensure they (02:36:57) ended up in the same building as her. (02:36:59) Keeping people under your watch makes it (02:37:01) easier to enjoy the drama. Adding a (02:37:03) touch of fun to your otherwise dull (02:37:05) post-apocalyptic life in such heavy (02:37:08) rain. Even wearing a raincoat couldn't (02:37:10) prevent getting soaked. Shusheen (02:37:12) specially prepared a pot of ginger soup (02:37:14) for them to drink, helping the two ward (02:37:16) off the chill and avoid catching a cold. (02:37:19) Thinking about how they got drenched (02:37:20) today and the low temperature, Shushi (02:37:23) decided that hot pot would be a warmer (02:37:25) meal, she prepared the ingredients for (02:37:27) hot pot together with Mucciimai. By the (02:37:29) time Yanim Mo and Busiang finished (02:37:31) showering and changing clothes, the (02:37:33) dining table was already set for hot (02:37:35) pot. The pot was boiling, filling the (02:37:39) entire dining area with a warm and (02:37:41) lively atmosphere. Yan Mo and Busiang (02:37:44) had been busy outside for so long that (02:37:46) they were genuinely hungry. They ate (02:37:48) quite a bit to ease the hunger in their (02:37:50) stomachs before finally discussing the (02:37:52) information they had gathered during (02:37:53) their outing. The situation outside is (02:37:56) far worse than I expected. The (02:37:57) authorities delayed response has caused (02:37:59) panic to escalate among a large portion (02:38:02) of the general public. Coupled with the (02:38:04) prolonged heavy rain, people's moods (02:38:06) have also been greatly affected. We need (02:38:09) to prepare in advance. This afternoon, (02:38:11) let's install the iron doors we (02:38:13) intentionally kept from the renovation (02:38:15) at the stairwell entrances on the 24th (02:38:17) and 25th floors. We can't let outsiders (02:38:20) come up too easily. Chapter 21. (02:38:22) Government rescue. 3 days later, the (02:38:25) authorities finally issued the first (02:38:27) rescue notice after the storm. with (02:38:30) military personnel driving search and (02:38:32) rescue boats to broadcast throughout the (02:38:34) city. Attention all residents. The (02:38:36) government will distribute relief (02:38:37) supplies tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. at the (02:38:40) community emergency rescue station. Each (02:38:42) person must present their ID card to (02:38:44) receive their allocated supplies and no (02:38:47) proxy collection is allowed. The rescue (02:38:49) announcement blared through the (02:38:51) neighborhood three times, lifting (02:38:53) everyone's spirits and giving them a (02:38:54) sense of hope with the nation's rescue (02:38:57) efforts. (02:38:58) Everything suddenly seemed less (02:39:00) terrifying. Only those who knew the (02:39:02) inside story remained calm. The floods (02:39:04) caused by the heavy rain were a (02:39:06) nationwide disaster. And with the need (02:39:08) to salvage supplies from granaries (02:39:10) across the country, the rescue personnel (02:39:12) the state could dispatch was extremely (02:39:14) limited. Moreover, it was uncertain how (02:39:16) long the distribution of relief supplies (02:39:18) could be sustained. (02:39:20) Shu Axen remembered that in the book the (02:39:23) state had only distributed relief (02:39:25) supplies three times. This time with (02:39:27) their warning, it was unclear how long (02:39:29) the distribution could last. (02:39:31) Overthinking this was pointless, Shuakai (02:39:34) pushed the chaotic thoughts out of her (02:39:35) mind and refocused on today's training. (02:39:38) That day, after Yanmo and the others (02:39:40) returned from gathering information (02:39:42) outside, (02:39:44) they conducted a comprehensive analysis (02:39:46) of the current situation and adjusted (02:39:47) the training plans for Shu Axen and (02:39:50) Busiangen. The progress had accelerated (02:39:52) significantly compared to before and the (02:39:54) intensity had gradually increased. (02:39:56) During dinner, the group discussed the (02:39:58) plan to collect relief supplies the next (02:40:00) day and decided that all four of them (02:40:02) would go. Early the next morning, the (02:40:04) four of them had breakfast, bundled (02:40:06) themselves up tightly, and headed out (02:40:09) after such prolonged heavy rain. The (02:40:12) July weather had lost all traces of (02:40:14) summer. The air was saturated with (02:40:16) moisture and a damp, oppressive (02:40:18) atmosphere hung everywhere, making (02:40:20) people feel extremely uncomfortable. At (02:40:22) home, the dehumidifier had been running (02:40:24) constantly. So, they hadn't noticed (02:40:26) much. But as soon as they stepped (02:40:28) outside, Shuin felt a chilling dampness (02:40:31) seeping into her bones, impossible to (02:40:33) block, even with long sleeves and pants. (02:40:36) She couldn't help but shiver. (02:40:38) Yan Mo had been keeping an eye on (02:40:40) Shuakai<unk>s condition and immediately (02:40:42) pulled her into his embrace the moment (02:40:44) he noticed her shivering. I told you to (02:40:46) wear more earlier, but you wouldn't (02:40:48) listen. Now you know how cold it is, (02:40:50) don't you? Though his words were (02:40:52) scolding, his arms tightened around her (02:40:54) even more, shielding her from most of (02:40:56) the chilly wind with his body. Shu Aakan (02:40:58) was already used to her boyfriend's (02:41:00) fatherly nagging. She nestled deeper (02:41:02) into his arms, coetishly whining and (02:41:06) acting spoiled with him. Yan Mo sighed (02:41:08) helplessly and had no choice but to (02:41:10) tighten his embrace, only releasing the (02:41:12) person when they reached their (02:41:14) destination. The community's emergency (02:41:16) relief station was built on relatively (02:41:18) higher ground, where the flood waters (02:41:20) had not yet risen, allowing people to (02:41:22) stand safely. The large open area (02:41:24) outside was already crowded with people, (02:41:27) all craning their necks toward the (02:41:28) distribution point ahead. eager to see (02:41:31) what supplies would be handed out to (02:41:33) prevent any disturbances. Each (02:41:35) distribution point was guarded by a (02:41:37) squad of armed soldiers. Anyone causing (02:41:39) trouble would be immediately blacklisted (02:41:41) and denied supplies if anyone dared to (02:41:44) snatch supplies. The station soldiers (02:41:46) were under orders to shoot looters on (02:41:48) the spot without hesitation. No (02:41:50) exceptions. Shu Axian and the others (02:41:53) obediently stood at the end of the line (02:41:54) to quue. Mui Mai and Yan Mo positioned (02:41:58) themselves at the front and back (02:41:59) respectively, placing Shu Axen and (02:42:02) Biangwen in the middle to ensure their (02:42:04) safety in case of any emergencies. (02:42:06) Chapter 22. Gossiping about the female (02:42:08) lead, the queuing process was lengthy, (02:42:11) Shu Aakan aimlessly observed the (02:42:13) surrounding crowd. Noticing that (02:42:15) everyone's expressions had lightened, (02:42:17) dispelling the tension and gloom of the (02:42:19) past few days. The government's rescue (02:42:21) efforts greatly alleviated their panic, (02:42:23) restoring their composure. No matter how (02:42:26) bad the situation gets, the country will (02:42:29) not abandon them to stabilize public (02:42:31) sentiment. The authorities are now able (02:42:33) to distribute relief supplies. However, (02:42:36) the national reserves are limited as are (02:42:38) the stockpiles in various regions. The (02:42:40) disaster has not struck just one (02:42:42) province or city, but the entire nation. (02:42:44) This disaster will not end in the short (02:42:46) term. It is a prolonged battle with no (02:42:49) end in sight from now on. Due to this (02:42:51) year's weather conditions, (02:42:53) very little of the crops have survived. (02:42:56) What remains are entirely reserved (02:42:57) supplies. When those in power truly (02:43:00) believe what Yanmo has said, they will (02:43:02) undoubtedly recall all resources (02:43:04) immediately. At that point, whether the (02:43:06) relief supplies will continue to be (02:43:08) distributed for free or even whether (02:43:10) they will be distributed at all remains (02:43:12) open to debate once the official (02:43:14) distribution of relief supply stops and (02:43:16) people realize the terrifying natural (02:43:18) disaster is not yet over. The resulting (02:43:22) backlash will be uncontrollable and the (02:43:24) entire social order will collapse (02:43:26) instantly. The familiar name instantly (02:43:28) snapped Shu Aaxian back from her (02:43:30) wandering thoughts. She turned her head (02:43:31) toward the source of the voice where a (02:43:34) man and a woman stood facing a neutrally (02:43:36) dressed woman. Yi Yuan, "Is it really (02:43:38) you? How did you end up in this (02:43:40) neighborhood?" Wong Yian<unk>s voice, (02:43:42) filled with shock and a hint of (02:43:44) sharpness, drew the attention of those (02:43:46) nearby. The innate Chinese love for (02:43:49) spectating was ignited, and eyes (02:43:51) suddenly shifted in their direction, (02:43:53) eager to catch some juicy drama. (02:43:55) Standing beside Wong Yaun, Duh (02:43:57) Honshu<unk>s expression was also far (02:43:59) from pleasant. His gaze toward Yi Yuan (02:44:01) filled with resentment ever since Yiuan (02:44:04) publicly exposed him for having his (02:44:06) assignments completed by someone else (02:44:07) over academic matters, causing him to (02:44:10) lose all face within the college. The (02:44:12) good reputation he had painstakingly (02:44:14) built over time was utterly destroyed. (02:44:17) He was originally said to receive the (02:44:19) model student of the semester award this (02:44:21) term, but after Yi Yuan's outburst, his (02:44:24) name was abruptly removed from the (02:44:26) candidate list and replaced with someone (02:44:28) else. That person had always been at (02:44:30) odds with him and this time took the (02:44:32) opportunity to mock him mercilessly. He (02:44:34) blamed it all on Yiuan. If Yiuan hadn't (02:44:37) suddenly gone crazy and revealed the (02:44:39) fact that he had completed his homework (02:44:40) for him, none of this would have (02:44:42) happened. He would still be the (02:44:44) outstanding model student in everyone's (02:44:47) eyes. Wong Yaun also harbored deep (02:44:49) resentment toward Yi Yuan. in her heart. (02:44:51) She had no idea how Yiuan found out (02:44:54) about her relationship with brother (02:44:55) Honu. Even though the two of them had (02:44:57) occasionally acted inappropriately in (02:44:59) front of her before, she had never (02:45:01) noticed anything unusual. She had (02:45:03) naively assumed that Du Honu was just (02:45:06) being extra kind to her because of their (02:45:08) close friendship, a case of love me, (02:45:10) love my dog. Who would have thought that (02:45:13) Yuan would suddenly wise up and realize (02:45:15) the two of them had been sneaking around (02:45:17) together all along? Not that it mattered (02:45:19) much after she and brother Honchu broke (02:45:22) up. It just happened to work in her (02:45:24) favor. A guy like Du Honchu, who comes (02:45:26) from a wealthy family, excels (02:45:28) academically, and is good-looking, is (02:45:31) the kind of person who gets a lot of (02:45:32) attention at school, being his (02:45:34) girlfriend would make countless girls (02:45:36) envious. (02:45:38) Just when she was feeling smug about (02:45:39) soon becoming Du Honu<unk>s publicly (02:45:41) acknowledged girlfriend, that bitchu and (02:45:44) ruined Honchu's reputation. But it (02:45:46) doesn't matter. As long as she stays by (02:45:48) Honchu's side during this time, she's (02:45:51) sure he'll come to believe in her (02:45:52) genuine feelings for him and be moved by (02:45:54) her devotion. This will pave the way for (02:45:56) her future marriage into his family. Why (02:45:58) can't I be in this neighborhood? What is (02:46:01) this place yours? Yuan hadn't expected (02:46:04) such bad luck. She had cut her long, (02:46:07) straight black hair into a short bob and (02:46:09) was dressed in men's clothing with a hat (02:46:12) and mask covering her face completely. (02:46:15) Even then, Wong Yaun had recognized her. (02:46:18) How unlucky. No wonder her right eyelid (02:46:20) had been twitching before she left the (02:46:22) house. How dare you show your face in (02:46:24) front of me. Yuan, you've got some (02:46:26) nerve, haven't you? Everyone standing in (02:46:29) line nearby could feel the sheer venom (02:46:31) and fury in Du Honu<unk>s words, and (02:46:33) their interest in the drama only grew (02:46:35) stronger. That's right, Yi Yuan. How (02:46:38) could you do something so terrible to (02:46:40) Brother Honchu and still have the (02:46:41) audacity to show up? Honestly, those (02:46:44) words should be coming from me, (02:46:46) shouldn't they? I wasn't the one who (02:46:48) betrayed my best friend by sneaking (02:46:50) around with her boyfriend. Nor was I the (02:46:52) one who plagiarized someone else's work (02:46:54) and passed it off as my own. The ones (02:46:56) with rotten morals and shameful behavior (02:46:58) are you two. How do you even have the (02:47:00) gall to stand there and accuse me with (02:47:02) such self-righteousness? (02:47:04) Oh, I get it now. After doing so many (02:47:07) shameless things, you've built up quite (02:47:09) a thick skin. You're used to blaming (02:47:11) others for all your mistakes, shifting (02:47:13) responsibility without a trace. Yuan's (02:47:16) tone was icy, her eyes devoid of (02:47:18) emotion, yet her words carried an (02:47:20) unmistakable sting of sarcasm. The (02:47:22) onlookers who had been discreetly (02:47:24) eavesdropping pricked up their ears even (02:47:26) more. Upon hearing it was a classic case (02:47:28) of a best friend betraying her by (02:47:30) getting involved with her boyfriend, the (02:47:32) gleam of gossip in their eyes instantly (02:47:35) brightened. Though the scenario was (02:47:36) clichéed, it was undeniably thrilling, (02:47:39) especially getting to witness the drama (02:47:41) unfold live. The long wait in line (02:47:44) suddenly didn't seem so tedious anymore. (02:47:46) The scornful glances, whether overt or (02:47:49) covert, from the crowd felt like two (02:47:51) sharp slaps across Du Honu and Wong (02:47:53) Ya<unk>s faces, leaving them utterly (02:47:55) humiliated. But they couldn't refuse the (02:47:57) relief supplies either. So they had no (02:48:01) choice but to put on their masks (02:48:02) dejectedly and return to the back of the (02:48:04) line, their resentment toward Yi Yuan (02:48:06) deepening even further. They had just (02:48:08) moved to this area and hadn't stocked up (02:48:10) on many essentials when the authorities (02:48:12) issued the storm warning advising people (02:48:14) to stockpile supplies. They went to the (02:48:17) supermarket but found it too crowded. (02:48:19) They left after buying only a few items. (02:48:22) Never imagining the storm would last (02:48:24) this long. Neither Duh Honchu nor Wong (02:48:27) Yaunu knew how to cook, so all they had (02:48:29) bought were instant meals or snacks. (02:48:31) They had managed to hold out this long (02:48:33) only because Duh Honu<unk>s family had (02:48:35) sent over some supplies during the first (02:48:37) couple of days of the storm. Their food (02:48:39) was nearly gone now, and Duh Honu<unk>s (02:48:42) family couldn't send anyone to deliver (02:48:44) more supplies. Otherwise, they would (02:48:46) never have swallowed their pride to (02:48:48) collect these relief items they usually (02:48:49) wouldn't even glance at. Shu Aakai stood (02:48:52) not far away. also playing the role of a (02:48:55) melonfield onlooker, attentively (02:48:57) finishing this piece of gossip. Finally, (02:49:00) she met the female protagonist from the (02:49:02) original novel, Yiuan, who had been (02:49:04) reborn and was known for her decisive (02:49:06) and ruthless actions. The name matched (02:49:09) the face, but according to the book, the (02:49:11) residence after her rebirth was supposed (02:49:13) to be in another neighborhood. (02:49:15) Surprisingly, it had now become the same (02:49:17) neighborhood as hers. TSK. (02:49:20) Living in the same neighborhood as the (02:49:22) female protagonist, she hoped the (02:49:24) building where the protagonist lived was (02:49:26) far from theirs. Otherwise, there might (02:49:28) be endless troubles coming their way in (02:49:30) the future. These were the kinds of (02:49:32) troubles the female protagonist had to (02:49:34) go through. But they, as minor canon (02:49:36) foders, certainly didn't need to.