Without the slightest hesitation, she left Mo Yang at home. After carefully checking the doors and windows once more, she drove out in her inconspicuous small truck.
Her first stop was the largest outdoor equipment store in the city center.
The store was filled with a dazzling array of goods. Cheng Lin went straight to the point and listed a long order to the shop assistant:
“Five inflatable boats, five kayaks, ten gas masks, ten sets of polar protective suits—the thickest and most durable kind. Also, ten multifunctional field tents, ten survival kits. Make sure the first aid kits, compressed biscuits, and water purification tablets inside are all from the latest batch. In addition, solar lighting lamps, solar high-powered flashlights, and solar panels—ten of each.”
The assistant was dumbfounded. It was the first time she had seen such large-scale purchasing, but she quickly nodded and hurried off to the warehouse to prepare the goods.
Cheng Lin’s gaze swept across the display window and was instantly drawn to two newly released items inside—two sets of the latest constant-temperature protective suits. They were made with advanced nanomaterials, waterproof, fireproof, and scratch-resistant, and could automatically regulate temperature, keeping the wearer comfortable in environments ranging from dozens of degrees below zero to dozens above.
Her eyes lit up. She immediately pointed at the display and asked, “How much are those two constant-temperature suits?”
The assistant looked troubled. “Miss, those are display items. They’re not officially for sale yet…”
“I’ll pay extra.” Cheng Lin spoke without hesitation. “Double the price. Are you selling or not?”
Money could make anything happen. The assistant instantly broke into a smile and nodded eagerly. “Yes! Of course! Please wait a moment, I’ll get them for you right away!”
After paying for everything, Cheng Lin watched as one million disappeared from her bank balance without even blinking. In the apocalypse, these items would be far more valuable than money.
After leaving the outdoor equipment store, she calculated her remaining one million. It was definitely not enough to modify a recreational vehicle—after all, a fully equipped one would cost several million.
But if she could not afford to buy one, she could rent one.
With that thought, she immediately drove to the largest auto rental shop in the city.
The shop had all kinds of vehicles. She went straight to the owner and requested to rent a top-tier off-road RV for one week. Seeing how straightforward she was, the owner quoted two hundred thousand. Cheng Lin did not even bargain and paid on the spot.
After renting the RV, she rushed to a nearby 4S car store. Spending thirty thousand, she had the technicians prioritize a full inspection, repair, and maintenance of the vehicle. She also had them fill the fuel tank, fully charge the battery, and stock the RV with food, drinking water, bedding, and other daily necessities until it was completely packed.
Once everything was settled, she arranged to pick up the RV at eight in the evening. Using the excuse that her company fleet was going on a desert self-driving expedition, she spent a high price through special channels to purchase two thousand liters of gasoline, arranging to collect it at a nearby gas station at seven in the evening.
Only after finishing all of this did Cheng Lin finally let out a breath of relief. She took a taxi back to the rental shop and retrieved her small truck.
Driving straight to the automated parcel warehouse, she collected the large batch of supplies she had ordered online the previous day. After storing everything into her space, she finally felt a sense of stability, as if things had settled into place.
Checking the time, it was already six-thirty in the evening. She drove to the agreed gas station, filled up the truck’s fuel tank, then loaded the two thousand liters of gasoline into barrels and placed them in the truck. Finding a blind spot in the surveillance, she stored the entire truck into her space.
After finishing, she took a taxi to the 4S car store to pick up the RV. After waiting for more than ten minutes, the staff drove out the newly refurbished top-tier RV. Its polished body gleamed under the lights, and the interior was fully equipped. Cheng Lin was extremely satisfied.
She drove the RV smoothly all the way back to her suburban villa. By the time she arrived home, it was already nine-thirty at night.
After taking a comfortable hot shower and changing into her pajamas, the doorbell rang. It was the takeout she had ordered in the afternoon.
While waiting for the goods at the outdoor equipment store earlier, she had already decided on her late-night meal, ordering fifteen servings of pickled fish soup and tofu rice noodles, along with fifteen large cups of milk tea and fifteen delicate little cakes.
She placed one serving on the table and stored the rest into her space. The sour and fragrant aroma of the pickled fish filled the air, the rice noodles were smooth and springy, the milk tea sweet, and the cakes soft and fragrant. Cheng Lin ate until she was completely satisfied, even sharing a small portion of boneless fish with Mo Yang.
After eating her fill, she lay on the bed with Mo Yang in her arms. Before long, she fell into a deep sleep.
Two days before the apocalypse
Morning light, like a thin yet warm blade, cut through the heavy curtains and fell precisely onto the soft bed in the bedroom. Beneath the blanket, two warm shapes—one human and one dog—slept soundly.
A sudden ringtone shattered the silence, sharp and persistent, like a needle piercing through the fleeting peace.
Frowning, Cheng Lin opened her eyes. She fumbled along the bedside table for a while before finally grabbing her phone. When she saw the name “Shen Yu” on the screen, the last traces of sleepiness in her eyes vanished, leaving only icy coldness.
Regarding this man, the Original Owner’s memories were like honey laced with poison—once sweet, yet painfully bitter.
In the early days of the apocalypse, when the Original Owner had been alone and driven to desperation by zombies, it was Shen Yu who had reached out and pulled her back. He was a senior in university, admired by many, gentle and refined, exceptionally capable. In the base, he had been a core figure whose words carried absolute authority.
He had protected her for four years. Even when she had been nothing more than an ordinary person without any abilities, even when she had never agreed to his pursuit, he still sheltered her under his wings, giving her a sense of stability that others envied.
The Original Owner had once believed he was a rare good man and had even wanted to give herself to him wholeheartedly. Yet that trust, filled with joy, ultimately led to a complete betrayal.
People from the Research Institute, dressed in white coats, had dragged her away like livestock. As she struggled desperately, she turned and saw Shen Yu in the crowd. He stood not far away, tall and composed, his features still gentle. But in the eyes that looked at her, there was no emotion—only cold indifference.
At that moment, the Original Owner’s world collapsed, leaving behind nothing but endless despair.
Later, in the dark laboratory of the Research Institute, she had been tied to a cold operating table, day after day subjected to blood extraction, slicing, and sampling. Her body had been ravaged beyond recognition. From the idle chatter of the researchers, she finally learned the truth—
The Research Institute had exchanged priority access to base vaccines and countless privileges for her, a “special constitution” test subject.
And the one who had personally handed her over… was Shen Yu.
Only then did she realize that the years of protection had merely been a carefully planned concealment; that all the gentle care had only been to wait for the right moment to use her as a bargaining chip for his own gain.
Perhaps Shen Yu had once loved the Original Owner. Otherwise, he would not have protected her so well during those four years when she had no value. But that love had been too shallow. It could not withstand the temptation of power, nor endure so-called “circumstances beyond control.”
In Cheng Lin’s eyes, Shen Yu was nothing more than a complete hypocrite. When his own interests were not involved, he could act deeply affectionate and gentle, as if he were the most reliable man in the world. But the moment his status or benefits were threatened, he would abandon anything without hesitation. Deep down, the one he loved most had always been himself.
Moreover, this man had always been indecisive in relationships, unable to distinguish priorities. He clearly knew that his so-called sworn younger sister harbored feelings for him and constantly entangled herself with him, yet he refused to distance himself out of consideration for his mother, allowing their relationship to become a tangled mess.
That was also one of the reasons the Original Owner had never agreed to his pursuit. A man who could not even define boundaries in relationships—how could he be trusted with a lifetime?
Cheng Lin let out a cold laugh. Her finger slid across the screen as she answered the call.
“Hello.” Her voice was indifferent, devoid of emotion, as if she were speaking to an unimportant stranger.