On the other end of the phone came Shen Yu’s signature gentle voice, like a spring breeze brushing across the lake, carrying just the right amount of concern: “Junior, how have you been recently? I’ve been buried in the lab working on papers every day. I tried looking for you several times, but I didn’t see you on campus or in the canteen. Have you not been around school lately?” His tone was as natural as a senior casually checking in on a junior.
Cheng Lin leaned against the headboard, her fingers lightly scratching Mo Yang’s chin. The little dog let out two contented hums, turned over, and went back to sleep. She spoke casually, her tone showing no hint of deception: “Mm, I’ve been traveling in S City lately, not at school.”
“When will you be back?” Shen Yu’s voice carried a trace of a smile, sounding unusually sincere. “When you return, Senior will take you out to eat. You’re about to graduate, and regarding your thesis defense and work matters, I have some experience I can share with you for reference.”
“Okay, thank you, Senior.” Cheng Lin tugged the corners of her mouth into a smile that held no warmth. “I’ll contact you after I return in a few days.”
“All right.” Shen Yu seemed as if he wanted to say more.
But Cheng Lin didn’t give him the chance. The moment her words fell, she decisively pressed the hang-up button, cutting off that false tenderness on the other end.
She tossed her phone onto the nightstand, turned to sit up, and furrowed her brows tightly.
The once peaceful morning had been completely disrupted by Shen Yu’s call, leaving her mood unpleasant and sharp.
She threw back the covers and got out of bed, walking to the window to pull open the heavy curtains. Blinding sunlight poured in instantly, illuminating the entire bedroom. She glanced down at her mobile bank balance. After days of frantic hoarding, her account still held a full five hundred thousand.
In her previous life, it had taken her six or seven years of laboring hard to save that much money, and now it was just pocket change. She could only marvel at the disparity between human wealth and poverty.
But she seemed to have hoarded everything she needed already, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to spend this money. If she didn’t use it, it would go to waste in the apocalypse.
Cheng Lin stood by the window, her fingers lightly tapping the frame, her gaze fixed on the distant skyline, her mind racing.
Suddenly, she realized she had forgotten to inform Uncle Si about the apocalypse. Before, she hadn’t dared to tell him because she hadn’t fabricated a believable source. When she took out a loan previously, she had been fortunate that he had co-signed for her, allowing her to secure it.
Now, it was clear that people in B City had already learned of the disaster in advance, and she had a suitable reason to warn Uncle Si.
Cheng Lin quickly found Uncle Si’s number and dialed. As soon as the call connected, she got straight to the point, revealing the news of the impending apocalypse: “Uncle Si, I have reliable information. Within two days, a massive natural disaster will strike—the apocalypse is coming. You must stock up as much as possible: food, water, medicine, daily necessities—everything. Also, remain hidden and keep quiet to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
Uncle Si seemed stunned, unable to react immediately. “Lin Lin, what did you say? The apocalypse?”
“It’s real, Uncle Si. I wouldn’t joke about something like this. The higher-ups in B City already know.” Cheng Lin emphasized her words. “Yunjin Residential Area is high, sparsely populated, with good security. It’s a villa district, relatively safe. You should come here to take shelter. Starting tomorrow afternoon, don’t go out. Stay at home, lock the doors and windows, and wait for the disaster.”
She recalled that Uncle Si’s villa in Yunjin Residential Area was in the row behind her home, not far away. She had often gone there for meals as a child.
Though shocked, Uncle Si had always trusted Cheng Lin. After a brief pause, he said in a low voice, “All right, Lin Lin. I trust you. I’ll start preparing immediately.”
“Mm, Uncle Si, be careful.” Cheng Lin reminded him before hanging up.
Feeling somewhat relieved, she began tidying up. Mo Yang had awakened by then, wagging his tail and nudging her pant leg with his wet nose, letting out soft, plaintive whines.
Cheng Lin bent down, picked up the little dog, and rubbed his head with a smile. “Come on, Mo Yang, let’s go get some good food.”
She and the dog went straight to a long-established Cantonese breakfast shop on the corner. The shop had been open for over ten years, with authentic flavors and booming business. Cheng Lin found a window seat and ordered a full table of breakfast items: shrimp dumplings, siu mai, barbecue pork buns, rice rolls, and “ting zai” congee—everything imaginable.
She ate leisurely while Mo Yang obediently sat in his pet basket at her feet, gnawing on the steamed ribs she had specially prepared for him. While eating, Cheng Lin asked the owner to pack all of today’s available breakfast ingredients for takeout.
The owner cheerfully helped her pack, teasing, “Little miss, are you trying to clear out the shop?”
Cheng Lin only smiled, offered the payment, and didn’t explain.
By the time she stepped out with the massive stack of packed breakfast, it was only 9:30 a.m. She shoved the heavy bundles into the SUV’s trunk and passenger seat, drove to a corner with no cameras, and stored the breakfast in her space before heading to a large Pet Center in the northern part of the city.
She pushed the shopping cart, almost sweeping the entire store’s shelves. Clothes and socks for Mo Yang for the next five years—from thin to thick, daily wear to waterproof—all filled two large carts; various flavors of snacks, dog food, nutritional paste were piled to the brim; deworming medicine, shampoo, combs, toys, and other care supplies were all accounted for.
Of course, she had also stocked up a full two thousand pounds of cat litter. In an apocalypse, water would be scarce, and handling waste odors and disposal would be a major issue. Cat litter was an absolute necessity, usable for both cats and dogs.
After instructing the staff to deliver everything to the automated warehouse by 2 p.m. that day and paying a deposit, she left the Pet Center with Mo Yang in her arms.
Tomorrow would be the last day before the apocalypse. Fearing the disaster might come early, she planned to stay home all day, so today she intended to spend all her money.
The empty water barrels she had previously purchased had already been filled with tap water during the villa renovations, enough for daily washing. She could still stockpile more drinking water.
Cheng Lin immediately started her car and drove straight to the water plant. She negotiated a price with the manager and ordered 100 barrels of bottled mineral water and 300 packs of bottled water, arranging for delivery to the automated warehouse by 3 p.m.
She didn’t order too much, knowing that someone in B City had already learned of the disaster. She couldn’t be sure H City was entirely unaware. Excessive procurement could draw unwanted attention.
By the time she finished, the sun had reached its zenith. Feeling hungry, she decided to drive to a well-reviewed hotpot restaurant nearby.
She and Mo Yang ordered a yin-yang hotpot. The spicy red broth was numbing and fragrant, while the white broth was rich and mellow. Cheng Lin cooked beef tripe and fatty beef to her heart’s content. Mo Yang lay at her feet, chewing on chicken breast cooked in the white broth, his face filled with satisfaction.
As with breakfast, she ordered a large amount of ingredients and broth, packing everything she couldn’t eat.
By the time she carried the packed hotpot ingredients out, it was already 2:30 p.m. She first went to the warehouse to collect the Pet Center delivery and the mineral water from the water plant.
After storing all the supplies in her space, Cheng Lin drove to five pharmacies along the roadside. In each, she cleared out all the over-the-counter medications—cold medicine, fever reducers, anti-inflammatories, painkillers, wound care, and various vitamin tablets—filling an entire vehicle.