Zhang San and the two women pushed three shopping carts full of supplies into the neighborhood. Along the way, many neighbors noticed and couldn't help but gossip in hushed tones. Zhang didn't care anymore. After all, these two women already knew he was stockpiling supplies, and it was only a matter of time before the news spread. Plus, Zhang wasn't trying to hide it — with the apocalypse approaching, everyone knows you need to prepare some supplies for emergencies.
If Zhang was just focused on surviving, he could easily sell off all his assets, run off to a remote place, and build a solid shelter. But that wouldn't be meaningful to him. For Zhang, revenge was what mattered most — he wanted to get back at the neighbors who had tormented him in his past life! As long as those people were alive, the pain in his heart would never heal. So, Zhang decided to stay in this neighborhood and, when the apocalypse came, take revenge on them in a much crueler way.
Of course, the premise of this plan was that he'd have enough protection to ensure his safety. If the security company could build him an impenetrable shelter, he'd stay; if not, he had a backup plan — he'd head out into the wilderness and build an underground shelter.
Zhang glanced at the gossiping neighbors around him and couldn't help but smirk. He could already imagine them charging into his house to steal supplies when the end of the world came. He had been through all of that before, but this time, he was fully prepared. He'd make sure they could see his supplies but not get their hands on any, leaving them seething with anger.
Zhang lived in an apartment building, and everyone knew him because he worked as a manager at Walmart's warehouse, often helping neighbors buy discounted goods. Seeing him push three full carts of supplies into his building, a few neighbors came over to chat. One of them was Aunt Lin, who was walking with her grandson. The moment she saw the fresh meat and various foods in Zhang's carts, her eyes lit up with greed.
"Zhang, why did you bring so much stuff back? Is it from the warehouse?" Aunt Lin asked with a smile, eyeing the goods hungrily. "You guys won't be able to finish all this, how about sharing some with the neighbors?"
Aunt Lin was one of those who had a little power in the neighborhood and often bossed people around. She'd frequently ask Zhang to buy cheap stuff for her. In the past, she'd even managed to get some food from him. But Zhang knew that when the apocalypse came, everyone would be desperate to survive, and Aunt Lin wouldn't miss any opportunity.
Fang and Lin didn't want to cause trouble, so they quickly chimed in, "These things are all bought by Zhang. We're just helping him bring them back."
Aunt Lin's eyes shifted, and she grinned even wider. "Zhang, it looks like these are from your warehouse. How about giving me some?" Before Zhang could reply, her grandson had already climbed onto one of the carts and grabbed a box of chocolates. Although the boy was young, his eyes were sharp, and that box of imported chocolates, worth over 200 yuan in the supermarket, was clearly something the Lin family had set their sights on.
Zhang was quick to react. He snatched the chocolate back and coldly said, "Sorry, I'm keeping these for myself." He wasn't polite at all when it came to Aunt Lin's demands.
Aunt Lin's face turned sour, and she glared at Zhang in anger. "You..." Zhang ignored her completely and turned to leave.
"Give the chocolate back!" Aunt Lin's grandson yelled, pointing at Zhang and cursing, "You're a bad guy! I'll beat you up!" Zhang looked at him coldly and warned, "Say that again, and I'll slap you."
The boy was scared into a loud cry, throwing himself on the ground in a tantrum. Aunt Lin rushed over to comfort him, then turned back to scold Zhang. "How can you argue with a kid? It's just a box of chocolate, what's the big deal? Why not just give it to him?"
Zhang frowned and sneered inside. Since Aunt Lin valued the chocolate so much, let her go buy it herself. "This chocolate is for me. If you want some, go buy it yourself."
"Just give him a box! I'll pay you back later," Aunt Lin tried to smooth things over, clearly realizing she was losing face.
Zhang smirked, "No need, if you want it, just go buy it yourself." With that, he motioned to Fang and Lin, and they left.
Behind them, Aunt Lin's angry shouts continued, but Zhang paid no attention. He had helped her before, but when the apocalypse hit, only those who could survive mattered. As for the others, Zhang had already decided their fate.
Back home, Zhang asked Fang and Lin to leave. Before they went, Fang winked and teased, "Don't forget to treat us when you're rich!" Zhang felt a pang of irritation and responded perfunctorily. The two women, seeing he wasn't in the mood to entertain them, left on their own.
Once they were gone, Zhang shut the door, opened his alternate space, and stored all the supplies in it. Then, he began thinking about his preparation for the next month. Although he was usually laid-back, the impending threat of the apocalypse forced him to plan ahead.
First, he needed to address the food situation. Zhang had already figured out that he could take supplies from the Walmart warehouse, but he needed to be careful not to draw attention. Plus, his alternate space worked wonders for preserving food, keeping meat, vegetables, and fruits fresh for a long time.
Next, he considered heating. After the apocalypse, energy supplies would be severely limited, and air conditioning would be useless. Zhang planned to install a fireplace and add insulation to ensure he could stay warm in the cold winter.
More importantly, Zhang needed to turn his home into an impenetrable steel fortress to avoid being attacked when the apocalypse arrived. He had a plan to find the right security company to help him build a shelter as solid as the super-bunkers he'd seen in the news.
The stockpiling of medical supplies was also a priority. Zhang knew that over time, common medicines like cold pills, painkillers, and antibiotics would become scarce, so he planned to use his connections to get enough supplies in advance.
Lastly, Zhang realized that the struggle for resources in the apocalypse would inevitably lead to violence. To protect himself, he needed to prepare weapons. While he wasn't a martial artist, he understood that with the right weapons, he could defend himself.
Zhang wrote down all his plans in a notebook, satisfied with the details. Then, he took a hot shower, climbed into bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Zhang woke up early. He hadn't slept well, waking up several times from nightmares. When he realized he was still in his warm, comfortable bed, he breathed a sigh of relief. The trauma from the last apocalypse weighed heavily on him, but now, he was even more determined to make sure he was fully prepared.
After making breakfast, Zhang opened his alternate space to check the condition of his supplies. To his delight, everything — especially the fruits and vegetables — was perfectly fresh, as if it had just been bought yesterday. Zhang was thrilled and realized that the time flow in his alternate space seemed different from the outside world, which meant he could safely store food without worry. With that, he began making more plans for his future survival. Life was still uncertain, but with enough preparation, he would not only survive the apocalypse — he might even live comfortably.
Feeling good about his plans, Zhang decided to treat himself. He picked up the phone and dialed the largest five-star hotel in Tianhai City, Hongfu Tianxia. This hotel also did takeout, and Zhang loved their food.
"Hello, this is Hongfu Hotel. How can I help you?" the receptionist answered.
Zhang immediately replied, "I'm hosting some guests at home, and we're having a three-day, three-night banquet. I need to order 500 tables of food!"
The receptionist was stunned. 500 tables would take a long time to prepare, and with their prices, each table cost at least 3,000 or 4,000 yuan. That would be over a million yuan for 500 tables!
Not daring to make any decisions on her own, the receptionist quickly said, "Please hold on. I'll check with my manager." After a while, a new voice picked up the phone.
"Hello, sir, I'm the manager, Chen, from Hongfu Hotel. May I know your name?"