Pain—unbearable pain!
A searing, bone-deep agony engulfed Zhang Yi's entire body.
This wasn't just a feeling; it was his brutal reality.
At this moment, he was being mercilessly trampled to the ground by the very friends and neighbors he had once trusted and helped. Fists, feet, and even sticks rained down upon him like a torrential storm.
In this post-apocalyptic world, where resources were scarce, they had completely disregarded Zhang Yi's past kindness and instead turned on him.
As he lay on the brink of death, his blurry vision caught sight of the woman he had always admired—Fang Yuqing.
She stood at the back of the crowd, her delicate face filled with feigned innocence as she shouted, "I was the one who made him open the door! You have to give me an extra share of supplies!"
It was this woman who had tricked Zhang Yi into opening his door—leading to his demise.
He stared at her, his eyes filled with hatred and regret.
He had only himself to blame for being too foolish, too kind-hearted. That was why, in this apocalyptic world, he had ended up as a mere stepping stone for others.
How he wished he could do it all over again.
If given another chance, he would never show mercy to anyone again—he would live only for himself!
His vision darkened, and consciousness slipped away.
But in the very next moment, Zhang Yi's eyes flew open.
He jolted upright from the couch, his body drenched in sweat.
The horrifying scenes from his death still lingered vividly in his mind. The excruciating pain felt so real.
Panting heavily, Zhang Yi looked around in shock.
"What's going on? Wasn't I just killed by those animals?"
As his mind cleared, he realized he was in a place he knew well—his own home.
What baffled him, however, was the comfortable room temperature.
In December of the year 2050, Earth had been struck by a gamma-ray burst from a supernova 500,000 light-years away, triggering a catastrophic global cold wave.
Temperatures plummeted worldwide. In Tianhai City, where Zhang Yi lived, the daily temperature had dropped to a staggering -60 to -70 degrees Celsius. A blizzard had raged for an entire month, burying the entire city under thick snow.
Reports claimed that in northern Huaguo, temperatures had plummeted to a terrifying -100 degrees Celsius. The land was completely entombed in ice and snow.
The extreme cold had led to mass extinction of various species, and over 95% of humanity perished in the disaster.
Zhang Yi stood up, walked to the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of water. He gulped down half of it in one go.
Though the refrigerated water was icy cold, to him, it was like nectar from the heavens.
In the apocalypse, the only way to obtain water was to venture outside, brave the deadly subzero temperatures, and melt snow.
Many froze to death attempting this.
After quenching his thirst, Zhang Yi glanced at his phone.
The date displayed: November 12th.
There was still one full month before the end of the world.
"So, I've been reborn…"
Zhang Yi took a deep breath, quickly piecing things together.
That month of suffering couldn't have been a dream—especially not the pain of being beaten to death. It was far too real.
He looked up, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief at his second chance.
At the same time, an icy determination flashed through his eyes.
He remembered every single person who had betrayed and killed him.
This time, he would survive—no more mercy, no more kindness for those animals.
And when the time was right, he would exact his revenge!
But first, Zhang Yi had to focus on one thing—ensuring his survival in the apocalypse a month from now.
His current situation wasn't too bad.
His parents had passed away years ago, leaving him a 120-square-meter apartment in Tianhai City.
He also had over 2 million yuan in savings, which, in ordinary times, was a comfortable amount.
But when the apocalypse arrived, global resources would be in severe shortage.
With just his current wealth, he wouldn't last long.
Survival required massive amounts of supplies.
Since he had time to prepare, he didn't just want to survive—he wanted to live well.
Food, entertainment—he needed to maintain a decent quality of life. Otherwise, over time, the isolation and hardships would drive him insane.
Weapons and equipment were also essential. He needed to ensure his safety and take revenge on those neighbors.
Just then, a strange white light appeared before Zhang Yi's eyes.
He thought his vision was blurry and rubbed his eyes.
But suddenly, an odd sensation flooded his mind.
It was as if the white light was a part of him. Information about it surfaced in his consciousness.
Focusing his thoughts, he entered the white light.
What he saw stunned him.
It was an endless, vast white space—stretching as far as the eye could see.
"A… different dimension?"
"So, I gained special abilities after being reborn?"
Excitement surged through Zhang Yi's heart.
It seemed that exposure to the gamma-ray burst had mutated his body, granting him extraordinary powers.
With such a massive space, storing supplies for the apocalypse would be a breeze!
Curious, he wanted to test its limits—how much could it store? Were there restrictions?
Returning to his room, he began experimenting.
First, he placed small items inside—a teacup, a washbasin—which were absorbed effortlessly.
Then, he tried larger appliances—a TV, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a computer, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner.
The white space accepted everything without hesitation.
Moreover, Zhang Yi could retrieve any item with just a thought.
However, objects firmly attached to external forces—like a piece of flooring—couldn't be stored.
"It seems this space has rules… I need to figure them out."
"But just having an infinite inventory is already a game-changer!"
His mind raced with a bold idea.
Zhang Yi worked as a warehouse supervisor for Walmart's South China storage facility.
As the world's largest retail corporation, Walmart's warehouses stocked everything imaginable.
In Huaguo alone, Walmart had three massive storage facilities—Central, South, and North China warehouses.
Among them, the South China warehouse was the largest.
Built in 2040, it measured 1,500 meters long, 720 meters wide, and spanned over a million square meters—making it the largest warehouse in the world.
The President of Walmart Greater China had even called it the Eighth Wonder of the World.
Of course, there were thousands of so-called "Eighth Wonders," but the South China warehouse truly dominated global storage facilities.
It housed enough supplies to sustain several cities—millions of people—for a week.
If Zhang Yi could empty even one of these warehouses into his space, he wouldn't just survive the apocalypse—he'd thrive.
And Walmart's strict quality control meant everything in storage was top-tier. No low-grade products—only reliable, branded essentials.
If he could loot a whole warehouse, he'd never have to worry about resources again.
Even better, as a warehouse supervisor, he knew every aisle, every security camera, and every shift schedule inside out.
Robbing the warehouse wouldn't be hard at all.
With a clear plan in mind, Zhang Yi felt a weight lift off his chest.
Just then—
Gurgle…
His stomach protested.
Zhang Yi looked at the braised chicken rice he had ordered.
He hesitated, then chuckled and shook his head.
"The apocalypse is a month away. Why am I still saving money?"
Having endured hunger and cold for a month in his past life, he desperately craved a hot, delicious meal.
Money would soon be worthless anyway. Why not enjoy it now?
Turning around, he decided to treat himself to a high-end meal—one he never dared to splurge on before.