After sending Ella away, Miles went to the company alone.
Rachel, the secretary, approached in fifteen-centimeter heels, swaying her hips as she handed him a folder. "Mr. Miles, here are yesterday's documents. Please sign."
Though Rachel acted obedient and compliant now, Miles knew better. In the past, she'd been the first to show her true colors once everything fell apart.
Little did he know back then that Rachel had been bought by a rival company's CEO since the company's early days, secretly leaking sensitive information more than once. Had the apocalypse not erupted, revealing the truth, Miles would've remained blissfully unaware.
Miles responded with a nonchalant nod and signed, then casually said, "Rachel, draft a sale agreement for the company and contact any interested buyers."
"Pardon?"
Rachel was taken aback, momentarily stunned by the abrupt request. Why would he want to sell the company now? Has he lost his mind?
Yet beneath her confusion, she felt a small thrill. After all, her entire purpose had been to spy on Miles, waiting for the perfect moment to help destroy and sell off his company. And here he was, willingly heading toward the very outcome she'd been tasked to facilitate.
"What are you waiting for? Get on with it…"
Feigning frustration, Miles slumped onto the couch, clutching his head in mock despair. "I lost a lot of money gambling recently. Selling the company is the only way to cover the losses."
A perfectly plausible excuse that drew no sympathy.
With her doubts swept aside, Rachel got to work immediately. Soon, she returned with a sale contract, with Connor from Vance Corporation lined up as the buyer.
Of course, it's him, Miles thought with a smirk, confirming that Rachel had indeed betrayed him in the past life.
Back then, Rachel and Connor hadn't even had the chance to make their move before the apocalypse hit, leaving the entire world ensnared by Planet GH's cataclysm.
"Mr. Miles, our conservative valuation is around thirty million. But…"
Rachel hesitated, her voice soft, "Given the urgency, there may be some depreciation in price. You should prepare for that."
Oh, I bet you'd love to help Connor negotiate a lower price, Miles thought, seeing right through her. He snorted. "Thirty million—no less. I've had other offers from tech giants like D-Cat and Tokyo Trading, but they're too bureaucratic. Why else would I consider selling to Connor?"
Rachel immediately knew price negotiation was off the table.
Soon, Connor's manager arrived with the contract, and they closed the deal swiftly. Miles' hasty sale only made his supposed gambling losses more convincing.
With thirty million in hand, plus an extra ten million in credit from Unicity Trading, Miles finally felt a sense of relief. Even if he couldn't secure supplies from the South Logistics Zone, this small fortune would buy him decades' worth of resources, enough to survive.
Then Ryan called, apologizing profusely for the mess he made in Miles' room after last night's drinking. Miles didn't mind; using Ryan had been worth it. In comparison to the entire South Logistics Zone, a bit of vomit was nothing. Miles thought he'd gladly endure more if it meant securing additional zones of supplies.
After finalizing the sale, Miles packed a few personal items and left the company. In the underground garage, he eyed his Mercedes E600 and chuckled. "Guess you're still worth something."
Once the Ice Age began, the earth would be blanketed in snow, and regular cars would be useless. Even without the snow, the roads would merge with the frost, rendering travel impossible. So keeping the car served no purpose—better to convert it into more supplies.
Acting quickly, Miles went to a used-car market, getting thirty thousand in cash for the vehicle with a one-month buyback option. If he didn't return the money, the car would belong to the dealer. But a month from now, Miles doubted anyone would even be alive to collect.
He then cashed out every stock, bond, and fund under his name and maxed out loans from every possible financial institution and private lender. After all, in a month's time, a single pack of biscuits could be worth more than gold. If any debt collectors managed to survive, Miles would be happy to settle his debts with a box of crackers—if they survived.
Next, he planned to leverage another asset: the villa he had "gifted" to Ella. Since they hadn't notarized the transfer, the property still legally belonged to him. Besides, Ella would never suspect that Miles's generosity was a ploy. In her eyes, he was still the hopelessly devoted fool madly in love with her.
And in his previous life, Miles had been exactly that. Even in the extreme scarcity of the Ice Age, he'd given most of his supplies to Ella's parents. But while he had sacrificed for love, Ella had stayed only long enough to drain him dry, pretending that her "love" justified her presence.
In truth, she had remained solely to deplete every last resource. When the city became a fortress of ice and snow, she regretted not having left sooner. Naively, Miles had believed he'd been her burden. Most of the scarce food had gone to her, yet in the end, she'd conspired with others to kill him—for two packets of crackers.
Looking at the bank balance that now approached a hundred million, Miles felt a strange disbelief. If it weren't for the impending apocalypse, he'd never have realized how much he'd amassed over the years.
Miles then returned to Unicity Trading, draining his entire credit balance and depositing another ten million on the spot. The staff had never seen such a frenzy of purchasing in their lives. Even though it was a luxury mall, no one had ever spent twenty million in a single day.
The superstore shut down operations for the day, dedicating every staff member to fulfill Miles's orders, from large appliances to basic household goods. Unicity was practically emptied, shelves bare from top to bottom.
The young, attractive saleswomen—some stunningly beautiful—were transfixed by Miles, overwhelmed with admiration. A wealthy, handsome man with such extravagance was a dream for any of them. They would fight tooth and nail to catch the eye of such a man, willing to do anything for a chance at this level of wealth and indulgence.
And so they crowded around him, pressing in close, competing for even the smallest gesture of his attention. Miles couldn't help but notice a few of them leaning in close, vying for his favor.