C4: Chapter 4: Start Stockpiling Supplies

The wind outside was still strong and the weather colder than usual, but fortunately, they were in the underground parking lot, so it didn't feel very cold when they got into the car.

The two of them first rented a car, provided the address, and arranged for it to be delivered to the outside of their community at seven o'clock the next morning.

Afterward, the two went to the mall and visited several favorite restaurants, ordering over a hundred servings of food from each to be packed and picked up the next afternoon, because the noodles Gu Pan had stored in her "Space" at noon were still warm when she checked earlier, which proved that the "Space" was even more miraculous than she had thought.

Then they went to the floor selling electronics and bought ten of each item: cell phones, tablets, notebooks. Any more would have been unnecessary. Once they got back, they would download different data into each device, like information on plantation, breeding, infrastructure, etc. After all, who knew what skills might be needed after the apocalypse? Of course, they would also download some entertainment to alleviate the loneliness of the apocalypse.

Having purchased these, they moved on to household appliances, buying two of each appliance they could use. That was really all they needed. They arranged for the delivery to Gu Pan's grandmother's old house the next afternoon at five.

They wanted to look at other things, but the mall closed early today due to the weather, as the staff were discussing the temperature drop outside.

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng had no choice but to return home with their purchases.

Once in the car, Gu Pan stored the items in the "Space." Although they would fit in the car, the "Space" was more secure.

Lu Ruisheng mentioned that they had recently acquired some shelves that were discarded by a shopping mall, which would fit perfectly in the "Space" to keep things organized. They would pick them up tomorrow from one of their old warehouses, where there were also steel bars and iron doors – they might as well take those too.

Upon reaching their doorstep, Zhuang Jie approached with desire written all over his face, "Brother Lu, Sister-in-law, you're finally back. I've been waiting here for over an hour. It's too cold."

His already small eyes were sparkling as he kept glancing at Gu Pan's neck.

Now that her husband was by her side, Gu Pan felt more at ease. She confronted Zhuang Jie, "What exactly do you want? Are you trying to break up our marriage?"

Zhuang Jie hastily waved his hands, "No, Sister-in-law, that's not it. I'm not here for those reasons. I just want to borrow your pendant."

Lu Ruisheng, aware of how Gu Pan had tricked Zhuang Jie earlier that day, played along with his wife. He turned to Zhuang Jie and asked, "You say it's not for those reasons? Then what for? Do you know something about your sister-in-law?"

At this moment, Zhuang Jie felt like he was going to explode with frustration. Why were they having so many problems? In his previous life, because the weather was bad, they were all working from home these days and hadn't really met, so he genuinely didn't know what had happened.

All he could say was, "It's nothing, Brother Lu, really, it's nothing. My wife just likes Sister-in-law's pendant, and I thought I'd borrow it to have one custom-made. Please talk to her, do me this favor."

Lu Ruisheng's fist was clenched tightly under his sleeve, but he knew that now was not the time for violence; he couldn't afford to end up in custody.

So he, like Gu Pan, changed the subject, "It's nothing? Who are you trying to fool? Don't think I don't know. I never imagined that I'd treat you like a brother and you'd want to see me being cuckolded."

Pretending to be even angrier, Gu Pan opened the door and said, "Aren't you suspicious that I'm seeing someone else? Then let's get divorced. Forget it, we're done. You shouldn't come home anymore." With that, she slammed the door shut with a bang.

Lu Ruisheng was even more infuriated. He said to Zhuang Jie, "Sorry you had to see this family disgrace. I have to deal with it." Then he too followed inside and shut the door.

Inside, Gu Pan started to pretend to smash things, and the two began their faux domestic quarrel.

In this situation, what could Zhuang Jie do? He simply couldn't enter, so all he could think of was that, at the latest, he would obtain the Space at the same time as in his previous life. For now, he decided to stock up on supplies, dejectedly leaving.

After Zhuang Jie left, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng exchanged a smile. They hadn't directly told Zhuang Jie that the pendant was broken because they still had use for him. Right now, Zhuang Jie would definitely prepare supplies, waiting until he received the pendant to fill up the Space. Why not wait until Zhuang Jie had prepared everything, and then take over his lair? After all, what Zhuang Jie thought to store could be something they hadn't considered themselves, which would be to their advantage.

Once the quiet settled in, Lu Ruisheng called a friend and ordered a batch of extreme survival supplies, including inflatable boats, emergency kits for fires and earthquakes, tents, fireproof suits, isolation suits, radiation suits, and bomb suits, which he could pick up in three days. He had his connections, so Gu Pan didn't need to ask.

As for weapons, Lu Ruisheng also found a source. He could get his hands on some daggers and machetes, but firearms were temporarily unavailable. After all, our country is still peaceful. But surprisingly, he could obtain bulletproof vests.

However, Lu Ruisheng wasn't your average soldier, so he had an idea: buy some parts, so he could also assemble weapons like shotguns.

Then he consulted with a few friends and found a place where he could quickly mortgage property for a loan. They needed to get the money immediately, as banks would take several working days—too long to wait. Even if they got a little less from the mortgage, it was better to have the money right away.

Being seasoned businessmen, they quickly made contact and arranged to meet the mortgage company the next morning to talk.

After they finished their tasks, it was nearly midnight before they remembered they hadn't eaten yet. They simply boiled some frozen dumplings. At this point, they really had no appetite for anything elaborate and lay down to continue planning their next steps, falling asleep without knowing when.

The next morning, they both got up early, had breakfast, were fully equipped, and took all the necessary items with them, leaving the house before seven.

It was colder today than yesterday, and there were fewer people on the streets. The kindergarten and elementary schools had closed.

Once they left the residential area, they contacted the rental car company, picked up the vehicle, and then drove the van straight to the mortgage company that a friend had recommended.

The mortgage company was quite large, and because it came with a friend's recommendation and they had explained the urgency of needing money, the negotiations went quickly. After verifying the authenticity of the property title, they started discussing the price.

What could have been mortgaged for about three million at a bank was only negotiated down to two million two hundred thousand with them, but they could get the money right away.

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng hardly hesitated, quickly agreeing to the deal. Two million two hundred thousand, as long as the money was transferred immediately.

The transaction was handled smoothly by the experts: they signed the contract, the property title was retained, and they transferred two million two hundred thousand to them. The deal was done.

As for not mortgaging the business license, they didn't want to raise any alarms on one hand, and on the other, the mortgage wouldn't yield much money. The amount from the mortgage was definitely not as cost-effective as letting Zhuang Jie stock up on supplies.

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng didn't linger for a moment and immediately drove the van to the clothing wholesale market. Clothing, shoes, hats, bags—these were the things their area was abundant in; factories producing these items were all over the suburban areas, and this was an industry supported by the local government.

Upon reaching the market, they started shopping from the beginning, not caring about brands, for those were useless in the apocalypse. As long as the clothes were good quality, durable, sturdy, and comfortable, that was all that mattered.

They bought mostly sportswear, as it was the most practical for the apocalypse. Then they bought everything from the inside out—underwear, long johns, thermal underwear, down jackets, down vests, raincoats, socks, gloves, hats, scarves—each in quantities sufficient for thirty years of wear based on their needs.

As for storm jackets, sun-protective clothing, and the like, they planned to visit the outdoor sports stores in the shopping mall to buy a few high-quality ones.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***