Frey was eagerly fawning over Anna, but it was clear she had no interest in him. Economically, Frey was far worse off than Carl; he even rented his home.
Still, Anna smiled and said, "Thank you, Frey. But I actually have plans with friends that night. What a shame!"
A look of disappointment flashed across Frey's face. He had spent an entire month's salary on those concert tickets, hoping to confess his feelings to Anna during the event. Now, it seemed all his plans had fallen through.
Watching the scene unfold, Carl couldn't help but smirk. He knew Frey, the sycophant, would ultimately get nowhere with Anna.
However, Frey, feeling dejected, caught sight of Carl's amused expression and felt a surge of anger. To deflect his embarrassment, he approached Carl and said, "Carl, you really shouldn't be so inconsiderate!
It's not right for a man to let a woman help him move things. Aren't you ashamed?"
"Anna came to work today complaining about her back. Next time, I hope you won't trouble her!"
Carl glanced at Anna, realizing she had spread the word.
Anna feigned innocence, saying, "It's nothing, really. I didn't have any issues. I just can't do heavy lifting, and my back feels a bit strained."
As she spoke, she playfully squeezed her waist, feigning pain.
Frey, trying to assert his masculinity in front of Anna, boldly pointed at Carl and declared, "You should give Anna 500 bucks for her medical expenses!"
Unexpectedly, Carl shot back with a cold glare, "She offered to help me move. I didn't ask her to."
"Who do you think you are, giving me orders?"
"Do you really think you're someone important?"
Carl's outburst stunned both Frey and Anna.
Frey was just an ordinary clerk in the warehouse, without any power or influence. He had only dared to confront Carl because Carl usually had a good temper and didn't like to argue.
But seeing Carl genuinely angry made Frey shrink back.
"W-why are you yelling?"
"I was just trying to discuss things with you."
Carl sneered and turned to leave. He couldn't be bothered to waste his breath on Frey.
To him, everyone around him felt like ghosts. In a month, 99% of these people would likely perish in the apocalyptic storm. Why waste time arguing with the dead?
After Carl left, Frey approached Anna, muttering, "Anna, I told you Carl isn't a good guy. You should stay away from him."
Anna frowned, feeling puzzled. In recent days, Carl seemed like a completely different person. He no longer greeted her or chatted with her at night to say goodnight.
"Something must be off!" she thought to herself.
After work, Carl drove to a five-star hotel in Haitian City, the same one where he had previously made a reservation.
When the hotel manager learned Carl had arrived, he immediately greeted him with a beaming smile and arranged a room for him.
A night in a five-star hotel cost over a thousand, but Carl didn't bat an eye. With millions at his disposal, he would only feel wasteful if he didn't spend it.
That evening, Anna unexpectedly sent Carl a message.
Anna: "Carl, I passed by your house today and saw renovations happening!"
Carl smirked, "Yes, that's right."
Anna: "You seem a bit strange lately, hoarding supplies and renovating your house. Is something about to happen?"
Carl raised an eyebrow. Despite her cunning nature, Anna was no fool. It seemed his unusual behavior had caught her attention.
But Carl didn't care; other people's opinions held no significance for him now.
"Nothing's happening," he replied coldly, tossing his phone aside.
On the other end, Anna felt a pang of discomfort at Carl's indifference. For the past two years, Carl had treated her well, always checking in and finding reasons to chat with her every night.
Now, he seemed like a completely different person, his attitude cold and distant. This made Anna uneasy.
She might not be interested in Carl, but she absolutely couldn't allow him to lose interest in her.
To Anna, it felt like a fish had escaped from her pond.
While Carl wasn't a wealthy heir, he was still a quality middle-class guy. If she couldn't find a rich husband, she might still have a chance with Carl.
Anna picked up her phone and sent another message.
"It feels like we've been in touch less recently. It's making me a bit lonely."
But after waiting for a while, she received no reply.
Anna bit her lip, growing increasingly frustrated.
"What's wrong with that damn Carl? I reach out to him, and he doesn't even bother to reply!"
Nearby, her roommate Cherry overheard Anna's complaints and approached with a grin.
"That Carl has been acting strange lately. Who knows why he's hoarding so much food and drink, plus booking so many banquet tables at hotels?
It really seems like he's preparing for a shortage!"
Hearing this, Anna raised an eyebrow.
"Do you think something might actually happen? Maybe Carl got wind of something and started stockpiling?"
Cherry paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Anna, are you serious? If something was really going to happen, the authorities would definitely inform us!"
"We should just relax. If we hoard supplies, people will think we're fools!"
Anna chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"You're right."
...
Carl spent several days in the suite of the five-star hotel.
He didn't go anywhere but focused on two things: procuring banquet supplies from various hotels and practicing with his compound bow and crossbow in his room.
Fortunately, Carl had always enjoyed hunting and had a solid foundation. Now, within a fifteen-meter range, his accuracy was impressive.
With a professional-grade compound bow in hand, such modern equipment allowed an ordinary person to shoot arrows comparable to ancient archers.
Not only could he handle humans, but he could also inflict significant damage on wild boars, wolves, and large dogs.