Chapter 3: Stocking Up on Supplies (3)

It took her an entire day. Lin Xiaodou finally finished organizing all the daily necessities and supplies. Without a moment’s rest, she rushed to several massive clothing malls. She hadn’t bought any clothes yet, and she needed to stock up on plenty of beautiful outfits—just in case she couldn’t get them in the future. She bought all sorts of branded dresses, T-shirts, trousers, jackets, sweaters, and down coats, in every size available, as many as she could get her hands on.

Worried about the possibility of an extreme winter, Lin Xiaodou even placed an urgent order with a clothing factory for several thousand sets of scarves, hats, thermal underwear, thick down coats, and heavy jackets, all in dirt-resistant black. She also visited a few outdoor specialty stores and cleared out their entire stock of outdoor gear.

With clothing and food sorted, she turned her attention to shelter. For that, Lin Xiaodou planned to retreat into the mountains and live in her secret space, so a house wasn’t necessary for now. That left only one last thing: transportation.

A vehicle was essential—more than one, in fact. They had to be of the highest quality, bulletproof if possible. Lin Xiaodou visited several car dealerships, explained her needs, and quickly purchased top-of-the-line vehicles. Her fleet included sedans, off-road vehicles, sports cars, trucks, and RVs—over thirty vehicles in total. Among them, a few heavy-duty, off-road RVs worth tens of millions delighted her the most. Their rugged, imposing exteriors and luxuriously comfortable interiors made them perfect for long journeys.

In addition, she asked the store managers about watercraft. If a flood were to occur in the apocalypse, things like kayaks and yachts would be indispensable. Within a day, thanks to the store manager’s recommendations, Lin Xiaodou acquired around twenty watercraft: hovercraft, motorboats, jet skis, fishing boats, cruisers, sailboats, and yachts.

Through private contacts, she also purchased vast quantities of gasoline, generators, and petroleum to prepare for emergencies. With supplies nearly complete, Lin Xiaodou was ready to go abroad.

She had only managed to buy some medicines domestically, which was far from enough. She also needed to acquire firearms and weapons for self-defense—these could only be bought overseas. Through her recent resource-gathering, she’d made connections with several influential figures and broadened her own network. After much inquiry and introductions, Lin Xiaodou had already found suppliers.

The moment she stepped off the plane, a driver was waiting to pick her up.

“Miss Lin, all the medicines you requested are in this warehouse. Please, take a look!”

A foreigner with a high-bridged nose led her to a warehouse. With a clatter, the doors opened, revealing an entire warehouse packed with pharmaceuticals.

Every kind of medicine was there: ibuprofen, aspirin, penicillin, morphine, codeine, atorvastatin, heparin, and more. Lin Xiaodou paid in full, and after everyone else had left, she swiftly stored all the medicines in her space.

Next, she went to another warehouse. This one was filled with the most advanced medical equipment, human body monitors, and AI robots. There weren’t many items, but the prices were astronomical. Just a dozen sets cost Lin Xiaodou a hundred million.

Finally, Lin Xiaodou visited a security company and hired twenty special forces operatives. She was about to meet with arms dealers and needed to ensure her safety.

This transaction went off without a hitch. Her counterpart believed she was a major player from somewhere, treating her with the utmost respect throughout. Lin Xiaodou spent a full billion, purchasing three massive warehouses’ worth of guns and ammunition, and returned safely.

With her shopping spree complete, Lin Xiaodou indulged herself at a top foreign shopping mall. Brands she had only dared dream of on TV—Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, and more—she now bought with a wave of her hand, sweeping up clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics, and watches.

Lin Xiaodou stayed abroad only three days before rushing back home. She had no idea when the apocalypse would strike, so every minute had to count.

Upon her return, she headed straight to a printing factory on the outskirts of town. The factory was on the verge of bankruptcy, and Lin Xiaodou had already been in touch with the manager. Within an hour, the acquisition contract was signed. After everyone left, Lin Xiaodou stored over a hundred thousand books into her space.

These were spiritual nourishment—absolutely vital.

While abroad, she’d used her spare time to purchase a vast array of TV shows, movies, and variety programs online, loading them onto more than ten laptops and phones.

Once everything was gathered, Lin Xiaodou spent a day meticulously organizing her space. Grains, vegetables, fruits, meats, wine, snacks, condiments, kitchenware, daily necessities… Clothing, cars, watercraft, medicines, firearms and weapons, books, and all sorts of film and television resources were neatly stored in over a dozen stone houses.

Tens of thousands of small animals frolicked across green pastures, while crystal-clear lakes brimmed with shrimps, crabs, shellfish, and other seafood. Countless seeds of grains, vegetables, and fruits were planted, by her will, in the fields surrounding the lakes.

The exquisite little wooden house in her space remained temporarily sealed. She’d originally wanted to decorate it as her cozy nest, but that was fine—she had several RVs and could live in any of them.

Once everything was in order, Lin Xiaodou found she still had over two billion left. There was simply too much money to spend.

She couldn’t possibly use it all! After the apocalypse, this money would be as worthless as scrap paper. Since that was the case, she might as well put it to good use.

She couldn’t be a savior, but she could at least do some good deeds. Lin Xiaodou decided to donate the rest of her money, accumulating some virtue for herself.

She anonymously donated two hundred million each to orphanages, the Red Cross for critical illness relief, charitable organizations, public fundraising platforms, educational charities, institutions for disabled assistance, and shelters for stray cats and dogs. She also anonymously donated five hundred million to national scientific and medical research institutions to support her country.

After these donations, Lin Xiaodou kept ten million as a reserve.

If the apocalypse really did arrive, she would need to improve her own combat skills. She paid a handsome sum to hire two instructors—a boxing champion and a sanda champion.

For a period that followed, she trained in boxing every morning, practiced sanda in the afternoons, and hit the gym to lift weights at night. Every day was busy and fulfilling.

After a month, her combat skills had improved dramatically. She’d built muscle and could easily take on two or three grown men on her own.

Yet, in the past few days, Lin Xiaodou was feeling a bit puzzled. She’d spent almost a month gathering supplies, and another month training. Two months had passed, and still, the apocalypse hadn’t come. Could she have been mistaken? But she’d spent nearly all her money—this couldn’t be a joke, could it?

Irritated, Lin Xiaodou took a vicious bite from a roast goose leg. After every sweat-drenched workout, she rewarded herself with good food to replenish her strength.

Today’s menu: roast goose leg and ice-cold cola. A bite of goose, a gulp of cola—utter bliss.

“Mmm, so delicious—one more big bite!”

“Hic… ugh… ugh…”

Lin Xiaodou’s eyes widened as she clutched her throat with both hands. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed backward. Her head struck the floor with a thud, and she lost consciousness…