“Just get to the point. Power goes out at midnight, and I don’t want to be sweating all over with no AC to cool off,”
Around nine o’clock at night, the representatives of the villa residents finally arrived at the community activity room.
Since they knew the power outage would start at midnight, few people were walking around the community garden. Those who did pass by were all in a hurry.
Through the glass door of the activity room, Lin Su saw this scene and, hearing Old Cheng’s words, couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
It was her idea to gather everyone tonight. Now that everyone had arrived, she ignored Old Cheng’s complaint and went straight to the point.
“I believe everyone is aware of the continuous high temperatures we’ve been experiencing…”
As Lin Su spoke, two people who didn’t like the idea of a woman taking the lead tried to interrupt her. But Lin Su clearly wasn’t going to give them that chance.
“This morning, Uncle Cheng from Building 9 came to my house pestering my dad, asking him to get a solar generator…”
The moment she mentioned the solar generator, everyone present couldn’t help but stand up. Old Cheng’s wife was also there and immediately rushed over to Lin Su, looking like she wanted to get some answers.
Lin Su was exasperated by the couple. She planted one foot on the ground, leaned back slightly against the weight of the chair, and said bluntly, “Auntie, I haven’t finished speaking. If you want a generator, sit back down.”
The others present also wanted generators, but they were civilized, they didn’t act as impatient as the Chengs, who were essentially newcomers to the community.
Seeing that everyone else was listening respectfully, Lin Su continued.
“Although we’ve only been neighbors for a few years, many of you need solar generators. Our company happens to have the right connections to provide a channel, so you can get them as soon as possible.”
After saying this, the atmosphere in the activity room relaxed noticeably. Some people approached Lin Su’s father, praising his daughter’s efficiency with a smile.
Today, the He family also sent someone—He Qingfei’s twin brother, He Rongxuan, an orthopedic doctor.
He Rongxuan knew that at noon, Lin Su had already delivered a set of solar generator equipment to their house. Now he quietly walked up to Lin Su and asked, “What are you planning?”
The He siblings had been friends with Lin Su for many years and naturally knew she wasn’t some overly “saintly” person. Normally, people like the Chengs would have been dismissed immediately if Lin Su ran into them, there was no way she’d be so accommodating like today.
Lin Su shook her head. “We’ll wait a few days until Shiyun comes back, then we’ll talk.”
After saying this, she heard her father and mother start talking to the others about the home renovation, just as they had planned.
“Word is, if you thicken the walls of the house and add extra insulation, it can prevent the sun from driving up the indoor temperature. That way, even running the AC won’t feel so stifling.”
The average temperature these past few days had already reached forty degrees Celsius. Even with the AC set to fifteen degrees, it barely felt cool. This was due to the extreme difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. Because of this, Lin Su had later ordered a number of industrial-grade air conditioners.
At first, no one paid much attention to Lin Su’s father. After all, people who could afford to live in this community wouldn’t mind a bit of extra AC cost.
“But if the power outage lasts longer someday, even having a generator might not be enough…”
As Lin Su saw the people around her start to take these words in, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Exactly, her plan was to have the residents of the villa district renovate their homes. They didn’t have to go as far as she did, but thickening walls and adding insulation was best done.
Not for anything else, primarily to make everyone’s houses look more uniform. That way, her own renovations wouldn’t stand out so conspicuously.
Otherwise, when the disaster apocalypse arrived, if only her house had been modified while others couldn’t endure the heat, they might band together and confront her home.
Even though official regulations might still hold at that time, fewer complications are always better.
Helping to connect everyone so they could all have solar generators worked on the same principle.
Don’t be the first to stick out, that’s the way to survive a disaster apocalypse.
Of course, she also had a third-phase plan, but it would only begin after she finished her day of errands.
That night, several families in the villa district went home satisfied. Except for the Chengs, the other residents had decided to follow Lin Su’s example and renovate their houses. Money wasn’t an issue for them anyway.
Each household also ordered solar generators, and those who had money to spare even ordered extra sets. Lin Su didn’t mind this at all.
The people in this villa district came from various industries: her family ran a supermarket, the Wens next door were in coal mining, the Hus in Building 3 were in online P2P lending, the Hes were in the medical industry, the Lais ran an import-export business, and Miss Qu in another villa had remained mostly quiet all evening, making her situation a bit more complicated.
As for the Chengs, the whole family didn’t work, they lived off the rent from their relocated house.
Among these people, some had already acquired solar generators elsewhere. But at this point, no one felt they had enough; they all wanted to buy more, even to send to relatives and friends.
The next day was August 5th, the third day since Lin Su had learned that the disaster apocalypse was coming.
Early in the morning, she called a trusted foreign trade agent to order fifty containers of frozen fish. After returning home from the activity room the previous night, Lin Su had reviewed her supply list and added this item at the last minute.
Because of the urgency, Lin Su paid extra to the agent to prioritize the shipment. The goods would be transported from a Southeast Asian transit cold warehouse, saving a significant amount of time.
Once she had arranged this batch of supplies, Lin Su immediately boarded a plane heading to the far northwest.
The plane was her family’s private jet, with the flight route applied for in advance. She was taking it to travel across the country collecting supplies. Time was tight, and Lin Su figured she’d be spending almost every day on a plane, but there was no other way.
As soon as she exited the airport, she saw Wen Shiyun waiting for her at the arrival gate.
Over 1.8 meters tall, with a strong, rugged look, a buzz-cut hairstyle, and dressed in athletic wear, Wen Shiyun looked at first glance like a physical education teacher.
After not seeing each other for a few months, he had gotten noticeably tanned, which only made him look more like a PE teacher.
Lin Su couldn’t help but smile: “Did Uncle Wen send you down to work in the mines?”
Wen Shiyun took the suitcase Lin Su was pulling and shrugged helplessly. “Not exactly. It’s just that the sun at the mine is brutal. The more you’re out there, the darker you get. I was worried that if you saw me, you might not recognize me…”
The two, having not met for a long time, had plenty to talk about. It wasn’t until they got in the car that Lin Su finally asked, “Is the coal ready?”
Wen Shiyun knew her personality and answered directly: “Stock is low, and the power plant is pushing hard. But I discussed it with my dad, most of the coal these past few days is being reserved for you.”
Lin Su wasn’t surprised. With rolling blackouts happening across the country, electricity was obviously in short supply. Coal capable of generating power was naturally in high demand.
“Everything is prioritized so it doesn’t affect you,” Wen Shiyun added.
Even though she wanted the coal, Lin Su was naturally worried that treating such a strategic resource this way might cause issues.
Driving steadily, Wen Shiyun replied, “Don’t worry. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way; we can get it through without problems.”
Once the coal was settled, Lin Su explained the other purpose of her trip.
“You’re here for some weapons?” Wen Shiyun asked.
Because her family ran coal mines, Wen Shiyun had been trained in various self-defense techniques since he was young and had even opened a few shooting clubs. Lin Su, having grown up alongside him, had naturally learned some self-defense and shooting skills as well.
However, she wasn’t part of that circle, going to Wen Shiyun was the fastest way to get what she needed.
Hearing that Lin Su wanted weapons, on top of so much coal, Wen Shiyun didn’t show it on his face, but inside he was increasingly certain that something big was about to happen.
With the corner of his eye, he glanced at Lin Su; outwardly, she looked the same as always, showing no sign of change.
The tacit understanding developed over years of familiarity allowed Lin Su to quickly notice his subtle movements.
Before leaving, she had already thought about how to explain the matter to him. Now she simply said, “I’ll explain everything when we get back to your place.”