Ethan and the two others pushed three carts full of supplies back to the residential area. Along the way, many neighbors saw this and started to gossip.
Ethan no longer cared if people found out he was stockpiling. After all, since Raina and Cathy knew about his shopping, the news couldn't be kept a secret anymore. If he just wanted to survive, he could sell all his assets and build an impregnable fortress in a remote, uninhabited place. But then, how could he take revenge on the neighbors who had brutally murdered him in his previous life? Without killing those people, Ethan's heart would never find peace. Therefore, one of his plans for the apocalypse was to stay in this neighborhood and cruelly avenge everyone who had wronged him!
Of course, this plan hinged on the security company being able to build an impenetrable shelter for him. Otherwise, he would have to prepare a backup plan, which was to construct an underground shelter in a desolate area.
As they were unloading, a neighbor, Auntie Lin, walked over and asked,"These are all things that Ethan bought, right? We're just helping him bring them back."
Auntie Lin's eyes immediately turned to Ethan, and she smiled, saying,"Little Zhang, it looks like these are from your warehouse. Can you share some with me?"
While she was talking, her grandson, Xiaohu, had already climbed onto one of the carts and grabbed a box of chocolates. Despite his young age, he had a sharp eye; that imported chocolate cost more than 200 yuan at the supermarket.
Without a word, Ethan snatched the chocolates back. Then, he coldly told Auntie Lin,"Sorry, I'm keeping these for myself."
With the apocalypse looming, he didn't even bother with pleasantries.
Auntie Lin's face changed instantly,"You...!"
Ethan's lack of respect for her, as a community leader, made her very angry. Especially when her grandson, Xiaohu, started crying and demanding the chocolates after being shoved away by Ethan. He even pointed at Ethan, his face filled with hatred, yelling,"You bad guy, give my chocolates back! Or I'll beat you up!"
Ethan looked at him coldly and said,"Say that again, and I'll slap you!"
Xiaohu, frightened by Ethan, burst into tears and started rolling on the ground. Auntie Lin hurried to comfort her grandson and then angrily scolded Ethan,"How old are you, and you're still arguing with a child? It's just a box of chocolates, what's the big deal in giving it to a child? Just give him a box, and I'll pay you back later. Who do you think is trying to take advantage of you!"
Ethan sneered. With mobile payments, paying was incredibly easy. Her talk of paying later was clearly a ploy to avoid paying.
"I said, these are for me. If you want to eat, go buy it yourself from the supermarket!"
Ethan laughed coldly, then called Raina and Cathy to leave. As soon as they left, Auntie Lin's curses followed, but Ethan ignored them.
Auntie Lin's son and daughter-in-law worked outside, leaving her alone to take care of her grandson. She usually only bought enough food for a day. So, when the apocalypse came, their supplies would run out first. In the past, Ethan, out of kindness, had helped them. But without his help in this life, it would be a miracle if the immoral old woman and her mischievous grandson survived even ten days. Ethan didn't want to quarrel with corpses. It wasn't that he was heartless; once that day arrived, everyone would struggle just to look after themselves.
After pushing the three truckloads of supplies into his house, Ethan let the women leave.
"Ethan, don't forget to invite us over!"
Raina winked playfully at Ethan.
But when Ethan saw it, he felt a wave of nausea. He brushed them off with a casual response.
The two women had initially planned to stay and look for any clues that Ethan might be a hidden rich kid. But seeing that Ethan was clearly not in the mood to entertain them, they reluctantly left.
Once they were gone, Ethan opened his otherworldly space and stored all the supplies inside. He wanted to observe if there would be any changes to the items stored in the space.
By the time he finished, it was already very late. Instead of resting, Ethan took out a pen and paper and began to meticulously plan his preparations for the next month.
Although he was usually quite lazy, the need to survive could bring out one's full potential.
"To live comfortably in the apocalypse, I first need to secure food and shelter."
He remembered reading news in his previous life about a top billionaire who built a super fortress that could withstand small-scale nuclear attacks.
"Next, I need to stock up on medicine. I must prevent myself from getting sick and being unable to treat it."
"Walmart's warehouse has many common medications for minor illnesses like colds and fevers, but that's not enough. The Cambrian Storm will last for decades, and I need to be fully prepared."
Fortunately, Ethan had decent connections in Tianhai City. As someone in warehouse management, he knew some staff in hospital storage. With enough money, he could get any kind of medication.
After resolving these issues, Ethan tapped his pen on the notebook.
"Now, there's one last problem to solve."
His gaze sharpened.
"That's weapons!"
In the apocalypse, humanity would lose its morals, and battles for resources would be commonplace. To survive, one needed sufficient firepower.
Ethan wasn't a martial arts expert, but even the best fighters fear knives. With the right weapons, he wouldn't have to worry.
"Machetes, crowbars, and axes are easy to get. Crossbows, air rifles, and compound bows can also be acquired through channels. But the most powerful is the American katana. In this country, it can only be obtained through the black market."
"Going abroad to get it? Not practical. It's unfamiliar territory, and it would take days to go back and forth. Plus, I don't have a gun license, so I can't just walk into a gun store."
Ethan stroked his chin, realizing he still needed to figure this out. But with a month to go and the willingness to spend money, he should be able to find a way.
He spent three hours making a perfect plan, then took a hot shower and went to bed, feeling satisfied.
...
The next morning, Ethan woke up. He hadn't slept well, waking up several times from nightmares. Seeing himself in his warm, comfortable bed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
The apocalypse had left deep scars on his psyche. Determined to avoid repeating the past, Ethan was more resolute than ever to make foolproof preparations.
After getting up, Ethan made himself breakfast. Then he opened the otherworldly space to check on the supplies he had stored.
--
After leaving the meat, fruits, and vegetables in the otherworldly space overnight, Ethan was surprised to find that they had not changed at all. Meat might not show any immediate signs of spoilage, but fruits and vegetables typically do not stay fresh after a night. However, the ones he placed in the otherworldly space were as fresh as when he first bought them.
"My otherworldly space is separate from this world; perhaps the rules governing the passage of time are different here," he mused."It's possible that time flows more slowly or even stands still there. This is incredible news!"
With this discovery, Ethan felt confident that he could store various items without worry. However, upon checking the fish he had placed inside, he found that they had died, though their appearance remained lifelike, and there was no sign of decay. Touching his chin thoughtfully, Ethan deduced another rule for using the otherworldly space.
"Living things can't be kept alive in there, or they won't survive for long. It looks like my idea of living in the space isn't practical."
This wasn't a major issue for him since the space was a blank expanse, far less comfortable than his own home. The important thing was that he could store items within it. With this in mind, many possibilities sprang to Ethan's thoughts. If the space could preserve fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables, what about cooked meals?
Although Ethan could cook, his skills were far from those of a professional chef. He knew that relying solely on his cooking would eventually become tiresome. Therefore, he decided to call Imperial Wealth, the largest five-star hotel in Tianhai City, which also offered takeout services and whose cuisine he enjoyed very much.
"Hello, this is Imperial Wealth Hotel. How may I assist you?" greeted the voice on the other end of the line.
Ethan responded promptly,"I'm planning to host a banquet at my place, running for three days and nights, and I need to order 500 tables of food!"
The person on the phone was taken aback. Preparing 500 tables of food would take a significant amount of time, and as a five-star establishment, their cheapest table would cost around 3,000 to 4,000 yuan. For 500 tables, the total bill would exceed one million yuan!
The staff member did not dare to make such a decision alone and said,"Please hold on a moment. I'll need to consult with our manager."
After a short while, another person took over the call."Hello, sir. I am Chen Dingfang, the manager of Imperial Wealth Hotel. May I ask how I should address you?"