Lin Shi organized his thoughts and said, "It's like this. I'm an enthusiast of post-apocalyptic survival, and I want to build an independent safe house in Sha City. However, I'm currently in Hai City and can't spare the time. I hope someone can help me."
A post-apocalyptic survival enthusiast? Safe house? Even the composed Liao Peng's face twitched at Lin Shi's words. As a real estate agent, he had rented and sold all kinds of properties. He knew that some wealthy people had peculiar ideas. Due to online rumors about a possible Third World War or natural disasters, some wealthy individuals who feared death would install extreme environment survival systems in the basements of their villas. But those were usually middle-aged tycoons over forty. This was the first time he had been asked to help build a safe house. If it weren't for the fact that this young man had just closed a deal with him, Liao Peng might have thought he was a scammer and walked away.
Lin Shi knew that mere words wouldn't suffice. He gestured for Liao Peng to show his phone payment code and transferred 100,000 yuan. "This is two months' salary." This convinced Liao Peng. Who would joke around with so much money? However, cautious as he was, Liao Peng still insisted on signing a contract. Lin Shi agreed; the shelter was crucial to his future survival, and he couldn't rely on a few words to ensure Liao Peng's full commitment. They discussed the details and signed a contract. The contract stipulated that Lin Shi would hire Liao Peng as his personal manager at an annual salary of 500,000 yuan. Liao Peng would be responsible for the construction of the new house in Sha City, supervision, acceptance, and handling various miscellaneous tasks. In return, Lin Shi would guarantee Liao Peng's salary and other benefits.
Lin Shi's timeline was tight, and Liao Peng promptly resigned and took up the position. With this job, he could buy a house in the suburbs of Hai City within a few years, which was far better than his current job as a real estate agent. Determined to work hard and prove his worth to Mr. Lin, he didn't know that this job would only last three months. Lin Shi had no intention of hiring him long-term; once the shelter was built, Liao Peng's work would be done.
Lin Shi gave a direct order, "Liao Peng, go to Sha City first and find a plot of land that meets my requirements." His requirements were specific: high ground, flat terrain, no tall buildings nearby, a remote location, and a large enough area to start construction immediately. This was Liao Peng's specialty, and he should have no trouble finding such a place. "Understood, boss." Liao Peng quickly got into character and booked the earliest flight.
Sha City, located in Nan Province, is a famous tourist destination and the city closest to the equator, with no winter throughout the year. After the onset of the extreme cold apocalypse, human habitable areas shrank dramatically. Northern regions became extremely cold and uninhabitable. Even though northern buildings were more resistant to cold, the natural gas pipelines froze quickly. Without heating, outdoor temperatures dropped to an average of minus seventy degrees Celsius, cutting off food sources and forcing northerners to migrate south. This was the situation even during summer. Only a few regions with national grain reserves managed to survive and established survivor shelters. Although the equator couldn't completely resist the extreme cold, it was still much warmer than the north, with an average temperature of minus thirty to minus fifty degrees Celsius. Moreover, Sha City is by the sea, and the authorities regularly break through the ice to catch frozen fish, ensuring a more stable food supply compared to the north.
In this lifetime, Lin Shi had prepared in advance, not for the sake of official resources. With the ability to carry vast amounts of supplies in his space, safety became his primary concern. The most terrifying aspect of the apocalypse wasn't the harsh weather but human nature itself. In the extreme cold without food, desperate people resorted to any means to survive, often resorting to murder and theft. No city maintained stable order. Sha City had the largest official shelter in the country, where most of the nation's elite, scientists, and military personnel gathered. The order there was naturally much better than elsewhere. Additionally, in his previous life, he had heard that Sha City had developed crops that could grow in extreme cold. This time, he aimed to do the best and build his shelter in Sha City.
After instructing Liao Peng about the details of building the shelter, Lin Shi went home. The next morning, after his usual morning exercise, he packed everything he could carry into his space. He threw away the useless items downstairs. Before leaving, he took one last look at the empty house, feeling no attachment as he turned and walked away. It was just a house; wherever he went, it would be his home.
Unbeknownst to Lin Shi, shortly after he left, Zhao Xiao came to his house looking for him. Unable to find Lin Shi, Zhao Xiao was severely scolded by his parents over the next few days. Lin Shi went to the notary office to transfer the property as scheduled. Once the money was credited to his account, he transferred 450,000 yuan to Chen Qingqing. Then, he headed straight to the bank.
The Xia Country Bank in Hai City, the largest branch, was located in the city center. Because he needed a large amount of gold, Lin Shi had called the customer service manager the day before to make an appointment, confirming that the property transfer would be completed that day. When he arrived at the bank, it was already afternoon. On his way, he bought a suitcase to store the gold. Lin Shi's current savings totaled 25.4 million yuan. His original savings, plus the proceeds from selling three gold bars, minus the costs of renting the warehouse, paying Liao Peng, and other expenses, left him with 15.4 million yuan. Selling his house added 9 million yuan, and he borrowed another 1 million yuan through various loan apps. If not for the regulation that one person couldn't borrow more than 1 million yuan across different formal platforms, he would have borrowed more. Now, Lin Shi had a total of 25.4 million yuan, enough to buy 60 kilograms of gold.
According to the rule that the value of money in the treasure pot doubles with each level upgrade, 60 kilograms of gold could upgrade the space four times and then upgrade item duplication twice. Upgrading the space five times or item duplication three times individually wouldn't be sufficient. The current volume of the space was 6x6x6, or 216 cubic meters. After four upgrades, it would be large enough. Lin Shi was curious about the changes that would occur after upgrading the item duplication ability.
The bank was crowded, and Lin Shi, carrying a suitcase, stood out immediately. A bank staff member approached him, asking, "May I assist you with something?"
Lin Shi replied, "I'm here to purchase gold. I made an appointment yesterday."
"Which manager did you contact?"
"Mr. Chu."
Soon, Lin Shi was led to an office door.
...
Chu Xiaodie was the customer service manager at the Xia Country Bank's main branch in Hai City. Yesterday, a client with a deposit of over 10 million yuan called her, saying he wanted to buy 60 kilograms of gold. Chu Xiaodie was shocked. What did 60 kilograms of gold mean? Although the international gold price had dropped a bit recently, it still cost 413 yuan per gram, plus a minimum processing fee of 5 yuan from the bank. Therefore, 60 kilograms of gold would cost 25.08 million yuan. Wealthy people usually invested in gold stocks or futures, rarely buying such a large amount of physical gold. Moreover, with the unstable political climate in recent years, the price of gold had remained high, making such a purchase risky.
Curious, Chu Xiaodie checked the client's information. The data showed that the client's name was Lin Shi, and he was only 19 years old. She had a vivid memory of this young man. Three years ago, a power electronics engineer at Tianqi New Energy Co., Ltd., the largest new energy company in Hai City, died in a workplace accident. The company generously compensated the family with 10 million yuan, which was widely praised at the time. Not long after, the engineer's son received the compensation, and Chu Xiaodie had handled the transaction. She remembered that the boy was named Lin Shi.
Chu Xiaodie checked the bank's inventory of physical gold, confirmed its availability, and informed Lin Shi that he could come anytime to complete the purchase. She waited all morning, frequently glancing at the door. After waiting for half the day with no sign of him, she decided to rest a bit more at noon when she heard a knock on the door.
"Manager, the client who wants to buy gold has arrived."