The more furious Lin Shi became, the wider his smile grew, but the coldness in his eyes could freeze a person. He suddenly found himself yearning for the apocalypse. At least, in the post-apocalyptic world, evil was absolute and unambiguous. The police officers in front of him were taken aback by Lin Shi's maniacal grin, an expression that would typically be seen on a psychopathic killer. And what did he just say? A recording?
The officer's face changed, and he reached out to grab Lin Shi's phone. But as if anticipating this, Lin Shi had already stepped back calmly. "Let me show you," he said, looking down at his phone and tapping away.
Seeing this, the officer quickly moved to seize Lin Shi. However, it seemed Lin Shi had eyes on the back of his head, deftly dodging the grab. Once might be a coincidence, but twice made everyone present gasp. This man's skills were extraordinary! No wonder he could take down five people with his bare hands.
"Why are you trying to grab my phone? You scared me so much I uploaded the video online," Lin Shi said, showing the screen to everyone with an innocent look.
Li Duoyu's father, Li Duocai, turned green with rage. Before coming, Li Duocai had confirmed with the landlord that there were no surveillance cameras in the warehouse. It never occurred to the landlord that someone renting for just a month would install security. If the conversation in the corner had been recorded and posted online, not only would they both be in trouble, but it could also implicate several others. The call Li Duocai had just made was to the Chief of the Haishi Public Security Bureau. If this small matter implicated the Chief, it could trigger a chain reaction, potentially damaging the network of connections Li Duocai had built over the years in Haishi.
Li Duocai glared fiercely at Li Duoyu, but now wasn't the time to punish the boy. He needed to intercept the video before it spread. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Lin Shi's hundreds of thousands of followers had already seen the "accidentally" uploaded video and were furiously sharing it. It was too late to stop it.
The thin man, realizing the implications, visibly paled. If there were cameras, then the arson and their earlier confrontations would have been captured. His eyes burned with fury as he lost his composure, quickly catching up to Li Duocai.
"Take him away!!" one of the officers barked, and the other officers swiftly moved to apprehend Lin Shi. Lin Shi didn't resist, smiling as he cooperated, and his phone was taken from him.
"I can walk on my own. Old Huang, sort out the things in the warehouse, find a large truck, and park it in the nearby lot. Wait for me to return," Lin Shi instructed. The warehouse manager, Old Huang, nodded eagerly.
Lin Shi got into the police car, leaving Old Huang alone in the warehouse. Today's events had completely shattered his worldview; he'd never seen such a fearless boss. But now, with the boss arrested, Old Huang worried about his wages.
Inside the car, Lin Shi showed no signs of tension. After a short drive, one of the officers beside him received a call. A moment later, he gave a strange look at Lin Shi and passed the phone to the officer who had confronted Lin Shi earlier. "Captain, it's for you."
So, he was a captain. Lin Shi raised an eyebrow. The officer, now identified as the captain, took the call, and his face darkened, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, yes, okay, yes, yes..."
After hanging up, he immediately ordered, "Stop the car!" The vehicle pulled over. "You can go," the captain said, glaring at Lin Shi with obvious resentment but unable to do anything.
Lin Shi smiled, extending his hand, "My phone?"
"The phone contains evidence and needs to be kept for investigation," the captain replied. Lin Shi shrugged and walked away.
Lu Ting watched Lin Shi leave, then looked away.
...
Lin Shi went to get a new SIM card and bought a new phone. The video he had uploaded had indeed caused a stir, and a significant one at that. If the apocalypse hadn't been looming, Lin Shi would have made many enemies with this single act. As an individual without any background, he might have vanished without a trace. But now, he feared nothing.
Lin Shi took down the video and deleted his social media accounts. He had achieved his goal and didn't want further fame. Returning to the warehouse, Old Huang was still calling for a truck, surprised to see Lin Shi back so soon. Lin Shi settled the wages, dismissed Old Huang, and locked the warehouse, taking stock of the remaining items. A small portion of the sleds he had ordered online, ten in total, had been burned. He had intended to buy some sled dogs for the apocalypse, but since they were destroyed, he let it go. The equipment thrown into the rain was undamaged. Storing the items in his space, Lin Shi booked a flight back to Shashi, leaving Haishi.
Soon, news broke that a major shareholder of a well-known company was involved in a high-level government scandal. The shareholder was none other than Li Duocai. It seemed the rich second-generation wouldn't make it to the apocalypse. The incident implicated several people, including an officer who was fired. However, Lin Shi's focus wasn't on this; his eyes were fixed on the words "Tianqi New Energy Company," with a deep-seated hatred in his gaze.
A few days later, the school called Lin Shi, informing him that he had been expelled for long-term absence. Lin Shi knew someone was behind it, but it didn't faze him. For the next two months, he stayed in Shashi, overseeing the construction of the shelter. Most of his time was spent practicing the "Health Preservation Formula." He briefly returned to Haishi to pick up goods from Old Xie, leaving immediately after. This trip also allowed him to avoid a plot against him.
On May 25th, the shelter was finally completed. The project had taken over two months and cost Lin Shi more than 9 million yuan, all spent on materials and labor. The semi-circular shelter had no windows, except for a chimney and entryway. From the back, it looked like a steel ball embedded in the ground. There were two doors, an outer and an inner, both heavy-duty blast-proof doors. Both had to be used for entry and exit. Workers joked that the shelter could withstand a nuclear blast. Inside, there were squat toilets, a heated brick bed, a wood-burning stove, and a heater, all designed to function without electricity. All wiring was installed indoors, making maintenance easier, though it affected aesthetics. A water pipe was also installed from the well to supply the shelter. Lin Shi had the well sealed, preventing the water from freezing easily. All that was left was to move the supplies from his space into the shelter, and it would be ready for occupancy. The solar flare event was now just six days away.