After hanging up the phone, Cheng Lin’s tightly strung nerves relaxed slightly. She knew Uncle Si’s capabilities—once he stepped in, the loan would surely go through smoothly. As expected, just three days later, Uncle Si called to inform her that the villa had been appraised at 20 million, and he had successfully secured a loan额度 of 15 million for her. All approval procedures had already been completed, and the bank promised that the funds would arrive within a week.
“Lin Lin, if you have any problems, just tell Uncle anytime,” Uncle Si reminded her over the phone. “If you need help with investments, I can also help you check things over. Don’t trust others too easily.”
“Alright, I’ll definitely come to you if I need anything!” After hanging up, Cheng Lin could not help clenching her fists, her heart pounding violently with excitement.
On the third day, the construction team marched into the villa in full force. Dressed uniformly in black workwear and safety helmets, with work badges hanging from their chests, not a single person engaged in idle chatter. Everyone worked in an orderly manner. The roar of steel cutting, the tapping of electric drills, and the footsteps of material transport intertwined into what became the most pleasing symphony in Cheng Lin’s ears.
She practically stayed on-site all day, holding construction blueprints and checking every detail, afraid that even the slightest mistake might occur.
At first, the workers thought this young female homeowner was overly picky. But gradually, they realized that every question Cheng Lin raised struck at the core. Even details that experienced workers overlooked, she could pinpoint with precision.
“Master, reduce the spacing between these steel bars by another five centimeters. That will increase the wall’s load-bearing capacity.”
“The waterproof sealant here needs to be applied thicker. The basement fears leakage the most.”
“The sensing range of the high-voltage grid needs adjustment. It can’t be too close or too far—make sure it precisely covers a five-meter radius around the villa.”
The workers’ attitude shifted from perfunctory to respectful. Even Designer Lin could not help but remark, “Miss Cheng, your understanding of construction surpasses that of many professionals.”
Cheng Lin merely smiled and did not explain that she relied on the system外挂.
The days of supervising construction were tedious and busy, yet Cheng Lin did not dare relax for even a moment. During the day, aside from watching the site, she stockpiled various novels and television dramas as spiritual sustenance for surviving the apocalypse. At night, she drove her SUV to the rented warehouse to transport back deliveries. Fortunately, it was an automated receiving warehouse, so no one needed to sign for packages. Every night, she carried items back to the villa bit by bit, like an ant moving its nest.
Previously, due to limited funds, she had not stocked up on electronic devices. The moment she received the money from mortgaging the house, she placed orders on her phone—five mobile phones, five tablets, twenty power banks, and one hundred external hard drives.
She downloaded every apocalypse survival novel, popular science book, plant cultivation manual, and medical emergency guide she could find onto the phones and hard drives. Not only that, she also filled three entire hard drives with entertainment resources—romance novels, suspense dramas, classic animations, and comedy variety shows…
After finishing the downloads, she opened shopping apps again and began placing orders frantically. Exercise equipment was essential—treadmills, dumbbells, yoga mats, resistance bands… she bought several sets in one go, piling them into empty rooms in the villa.
She also purchased five heavy bowling clubs. The solid wooden bodies were smoothly polished, heavy in hand, carrying a reassuring weight. Against zombies, one swing would be enough to crush a skull.
The supplies she brought back over the past few days filled two entire guest rooms.
The construction team’s efficiency was astonishing. By the nineteenth day, all renovation work had been completed. After cleaning up the last bits of construction waste, the workers left quietly. Cheng Lin readily settled the remaining payment. Standing before the completely transformed villa, she looked at the reinforced walls, tightly sealed bulletproof glass, neatly arranged solar panels on the roof, and the hidden high-voltage grid in the yard—her sense of security surged immensely.
She walked to the gate and pressed the remote control in her hand. With a soft “buzz,” the hidden electric grid lit up with a faint blue glow, and the infrared alarm emitted a brief “beep,” indicating everything was functioning normally.
She pushed open the door and entered the villa. The air carried a faint smell of paint and disinfectant. The rooms were brightly lit, as if it were daylight even under the gloomy sky. The entrance to the basement was disguised as a storage cabinet—at a gentle press, the cabinet door slowly opened, revealing the stairs leading downward.
Cheng Lin walked down the stairs. The basement was dry and warm, with rows of shelves neatly arranged, silently waiting to be filled.
This Apocalypse Fortress had cost a total of 9 million to build. Looking at the empty yet reassuring space, Cheng Lin felt it was worth every penny.
Seven days before the apocalypse arrived, it was still another day without any contact from Jiang Yi.
Cheng Lin’s fingertip brushed across the now-familiar number on her phone screen. A trace of anxiety flickered in her eyes, only to be replaced by determination. She could not panic. Even if she could not find a golden thigh to rely on, she still had to do her best to survive. No matter what, her life would be better than the Original Owner’s fate in the story.
As a corporate slave who had relied on takeout meals for years, Cheng Lin’s cooking skills were limited to food she herself could tolerate. So, during the villa renovation, she had already purchased two automatic cooking machines and four extra-large refrigerators. At that moment, one refrigerator was filled with frozen dumplings, wontons, and buns; another was packed with fresh fruits and vegetables; a third stored a full stock of frozen meats; and the last one was stuffed with yogurt, ice cream, and various small cakes—these were her sources of joy in the apocalypse.
The sky outside grew increasingly gloomy, with winds carrying heavy clouds overhead. Rolling up her sleeves, Cheng Lin walked into the kitchen. She took out a bag of frozen dumplings, brought water to a boil, and then turned to wash some fruit. As the sharp fruit knife brushed across her fingertip, a sting of pain followed, and a bead of bright red blood emerged.
In her fluster, her bleeding finger happened to touch the jade pendant hanging at her neck.
This pendant was said to be a family heirloom from Jiang Yi’s mother’s side, and also a token of love between them. Before transmigrating into the book, jade accessories had been extremely popular, but Cheng Lin could not afford such imperial green glass-type jade. Cheaper ones risked being fake, so she had always envied the large jade pieces worn by celebrities. Now that she finally had one, she wore it day and night without taking it off.
The warm drop of blood touched the cold jade. Cheng Lin suddenly felt a faint pulling sensation at her fingertip. Immediately after, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her. When the spinning sensation subsided and she opened her eyes again, what entered her view was an endless stretch of black soil—rich and fertile, as though oil could be squeezed from it. The surroundings were silent, with only the faint sound of wind passing by.
Cheng Lin was momentarily stunned. Before she could react, Heheda’s mechanical voice sounded beside her, even carrying a subtle hint of disdain:
“Congratulations, Host, for activating the pendant space. Friendly reminder: this pendant was lost by the Original Owner during an escape in the third year of the apocalypse and was never mentioned again in the subsequent plot. The system has detected that the space can be used for planting and can be upgraded. Further functions require the Host to explore independently.”
The mechanical voice vanished without a trace, leaving Cheng Lin standing dumbly on the black soil, her heart pounding wildly.
A storage space that could be used for planting and upgraded!
She had just been worrying about the lack of storage space—many perishable supplies could not be properly stored, and she still had 8 million left unspent. This space was like a pillow delivered just as she was getting sleepy—arriving at the perfect moment! She could even grow vegetables and raise animals inside!
Suppressing the ecstasy in her heart, Cheng Lin shifted her thoughts slightly. The next second, she returned from the black soil to the familiar kitchen. The dumplings in the pot had already floated to the surface, bubbling vigorously.
She immediately turned off the gas stove, poured herself a cup of hot water, and took out a strawberry ice cream from the refrigerator. With a testing mindset, she silently thought, “Store.”
The hot water and ice cream instantly disappeared.
Both shocked and delighted, Cheng Lin directed her consciousness back into the space. As expected, she saw the steaming cup of water and the unmelted ice cream resting steadily at the edge of the black soil.
She patiently waited ten minutes before checking again.
The hot water remained warm, and the ice cream showed no signs of melting.
Cheng Lin’s eyes shone brightly. This space could actually preserve temperature and freshness!
Now, not only fresh fruits and vegetables—even snacks and prepared meals—could be safely stockpiled!
Looking at the dumplings in the pot that had stopped boiling, she could not suppress the smile on her lips.
Cheng Lin picked up a bowl and served herself a steaming portion of dumplings. In her mind, there was only one thought:
Stockpiling—she was going to start stockpiling like crazy!