Upon arriving at Caldwell's mansion, Elena and Ethan found themselves just in time for lunch. They joined the Caldwell family and the Fords, little Mia's grandparents on her father's side, at the table.
The Ford family was renowned in the field of agriculture. They authored numerous books that improved crop quality, which earned them praise from universities and established them as national treasures.
This made Elena intrigued by their impressive background.
"Granddaughter, these are my in-laws, Henry and Catherine Ford," Grandpa Caldwell introduced them.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ford. You can call me Elena," she replied warmly.
Seeing Elena's calm and elegant demeanor, the Fords couldn't help but smile. Grandma Ford said, "It's good to see you, Elena. Little Mia has been talking about you all day. She said you're the prettiest sister she has, and now that I see you, I can tell she's right."
"You must be kidding, Mrs. Ford. Little Mia is just teasing us," Elena said, glancing at the little girl, who was happily eating.
"Sis Ewe, I'm telling the truth!" little Mia insisted, raising her hands in earnest.
Laughter erupted at the little lady's antics.
"Sis Ewe, I want to see Dowphie later, please," little Mia said with pleading eyes.
In another corner, Poochi perked up at the mention of Dolphie, barking, "Aw~aw~~awwww!"
Me too, Mistress! I want to take a ride!
Not wanting to be left out, Mimi chimed in, "Meow~meow!
The big fish looks delicious!"
"Of course, your Brother Ethan will take you on a pedal boat for a quick tour," Elena promised.
Little Mia's face lit up with joy. She had been in a bad mood the past few days because her grandpa and parents were so busy, leaving her without playmates. Now, with her sister and brother here, she could finally enjoy time with Dolphie. She quickly finished her meal.
"Yay! You're so great, sis!" she exclaimed.
The Fords exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why Elena had an aquatic animal as a pet.
Where would Elena keep the dolphin?
Uncle Anthony hadn't mentioned the space to them, as it was a secret that couldn't be revealed. Elena had established strict rules that the existence of the space should not be divulged to anyone.
Out of curiosity, Ethan decided to test whether the Golden Tablet would restrict him. He attempted to tell someone about the space, but the temporary core paralyzed him for a minute before he could speak. When he finally managed to utter a word, a painful electric shock coursed through him, hurting like hell.
Elena couldn't help but laugh at her husband's antics. In retaliation, Ethan playfully tossed her up and down for the entire night, determined to make her stop laughing at his misfortune. Each time she brought it up, he redoubled his efforts to distract her, hoping to shift her focus away from the incident.
Returning to the present, Elena realized she had been unaware of the Ford family's fate; she had heard no news about them in the past. Now, recognizing their expertise in agriculture, she envisioned them managing the Western fertile soil sector, particularly the farming section.
"Dolphin? You have dolphins around here?" Grandma Ford asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
Before Elena could explain, Grandpa Caldwell seized the moment to demonstrate the [Inventory] function and share details about the impending chaos. He assured them that they would provide sanctuary in exchange for loyalty if they were willing to join their cause.
The Ford family had no other relatives; they had only one son. Now that their son was married to Liza and had a cute child, they would undoubtedly follow the Caldwell no matter what.
Elena then summoned her Golden Tablet and marked them with a plow-shaped symbol. Afterward, Grandpa Caldwell and Butler Aki guided the Fords into the space, while Ethan took little Mia and their pets on a lake tour to see the lively dolphin.
On the other hand, Elena was examining the medical equipment stored in the Southern Inventory. This equipment includes essential hospital equipment, including stethoscopes, sphygmomanometers, thermometers, pulse oximeters, electrocardiogram machines, X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, CT scanners, MRI machines, surgical tables, anesthesia machines, cardiac monitors, ventilators, blood gas analyzers, wheelchairs, defibrillators, hospital beds, and more.
Since they hadn't built a hospital yet, they decided to purchase more portable houses to serve as a makeshift facility, slightly modified for medical use.
"Niece, other equipment will arrive soon, especially for the research facility. I've also ordered various kinds of medicines and first aid supplies," Aunt Liza said as she meticulously checked the quality of the items.
"I'll let you handle it, Aunt. We need to buy as much as possible," Elena suggested.
"Okay," Aunt Liza replied.
Elena then left to check the water refining station that had been moved to Southern Lake. It was on standby, waiting for someone to operate it. After confirming that it was in good condition—though she wasn't an expert—she let Uncle Anthony handle it once they were no longer busy.
As she was about to head to the Western Fertile Soil sector, she heard giggles and excited barks coming from a duck-shaped pedal boat on the lake.
"Look! The dolphins are dancing again! Bwother, can we swim? I want to touch them!" little Mia pleaded.
"Later, okay? I'll ask your grandparents if you can swim with them," Ethan replied patiently.
"Yay! Poochi and Mimi should take a bath too!" little Mia insisted, wanting her pets to join her.
"Okay," Ethan nodded.
Poochi barked excitedly, while Mimi growled fiercely, her expression clearly saying,
Why should I swim? I hate water."
"Poochi and Mimi, are you happy?" little Mia asked, gazing at the dolphins.
Seeing this, Elena couldn't help but smile. This was all she wanted—a happy and comfortable life. Yet, the looming apocalypse threatened to shatter that dream. She vowed to make this space a sanctuary amidst the chaos of the outside world.
Poochi spotted his mistress and barked, "Aw~aw~aww~"
Come with us, Mistress! Let's go for a boat ride!
Elena burst into laughter at her dog's antics. She cherished this simple life, but this world had no guarantees. She walked closer to the boat.
Ethan noticed his wife and peddled the boat near her location.
"I think they've had enough fun now. Wife, let's put them to rest in the portable house," Ethan suggested.
The trio wanted to protest, but he had promised they could swim later, and they reluctantly agreed—except for cute Mimi, who remained unimpressed.
With a snap, Elena teleported them to the portable house.
Alone in the pedal boat, Ethan whispered another love confession, "Wife, we haven't had a proper date yet."
"Are we not doing it now?" she replied playfully.
"Why do you always rebut me? Can you say something fun?" Ethan teased.
Elena rolled her eyes but obliged her husband. "Yeah, and it might be hard to do so later. At least we have this paradise for ourselves."
The two enjoyed a romantic moment as dolphins circled their boat. After several minutes of lighthearted bickering, Elena teleported them back to land.
"Let's go have a meeting with the team. I fear chaos will erupt soon, and I want to ensure all essentials are stored here," she said.
"Okay," Ethan agreed, and they walked together, holding hands.
Inside the tent, everyone was conversing, taking turns sharing their completed tasks and updates on pending assignments.
"Chief, Sister-in-law, I have successfully stored the construction materials and the industrial processor. For now, I'm just waiting for the RVs to be delivered to the warehouse," Oslo reported.
"On my end, I've purchased the 24th to 30th floors of Camel Tower. The modifications for the 26th floor and below are still ongoing, but the rest is complete. Additionally, I've stored all the survival gear suitable for natural disasters. Right now, I'm amassing gasoline while monitoring the construction of the other floors," Xander added.
"I've already stored the medical equipment. Right now, I'm waiting for the research equipment to arrive in the next couple of days. Oh, and I also bought a lot of home appliances and medicines," Aunt Liza reported.
"I've installed a communication tower in the center of Central Haven so everyone can connect on their coms. For now, I'm installing industrial processors in the Western Fertile Soil sector," Uncle Anthony reported.
"I made some deals with my old comrades for firearms; they agreed to sell to me, and it's all stored here now. For air transportation, I requested a military jet since I applied for a marine expedition company, and they supported this venture. I also acquired an aircraft, a plane, and a helicopter. Right now, I'm busy making pens for the livestock. By the way, Granddaughter, the hens are starting to lay eggs," Grandpa Caldwell said with a smile.
Elena and Ethan then shared their accomplishments over the past few weeks.
"I believe that with this preparation, we will at least feel more at ease during this apocalypse. But don't be too confident; always stay low and away from prying eyes," Elena commanded.
"We've decided to move back to City A in two days. So, Grandpa, Aunt, Uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Ford, please store your items as soon as possible," Ethan added.
After their discussion, each left their own, and some returned to their tasks.
****
Two days later, they were ready to leave City D by plane. Everyone was busy storing the last of their belongings, and when the Fords arrived, they began to move.
"Let little Mia, Poochi, and Mimi stay in Paradise. The adults will take the flight for formality," Ethan suggested.
Afterward, the trio entered the space.
Butler Aki was about to tell them he would stay for a while and let Elena pull him out from her entrance point when a massive tremor shook the ground. Unprepared, they were tossed from left to right by the force.
Elena shouted to the group, urging them to enter Paradise, especially the elderly. "Grandpa, Butler Aki, Mr. and Mrs. Ford—Go enter Paradise!"
Elena could feel that this shake was stronger than she had experienced in her past life.
There was still a month left before the predicted quake, so why was it happening so soon?
She wondered if the disasters would be more intense this time.
"Wife, hold tight! Let's duck under the table," Ethan said, his voice steady despite the chaos.
They moved carefully, but the shaking was too strong, forcing them to cling to the nearest stable surface.
Aunt Liza, seeing their struggle, shouted, "Go to Paradise! The shake is too strong!"
"Aunt, go ahead. Ethan and I will stay to check how strong this earthquake is," Elena replied, determination in her voice.
Yes, Elena wanted to gauge the strength of this quake to better prepare for the impending disaster.
She sighed and looked around, noting the broken glass and debris littering the ground.
So it begins.