Six days before the apocalypse descended, it was still another day without any contact from Jiang Yi.
At half past seven in the early morning, a gray-blue mist still lingered outside the window. Cheng Lin was awakened by the continuous vibration of her phone. On the screen flashed a message from the seafood supplier: “Miss Cheng, the truck carrying the seafood will arrive in half an hour. Is it convenient to unload?”
She sprang up from the bed at once, all traces of drowsiness swept away by the excitement of “receiving goods.” After a quick wash, she put on a dirt-resistant work jacket, grabbed her keys and the large amount of cash she had prepared in advance (in case additional payment was needed), picked up her bag, and headed out. Driving a small truck, she went straight to the warehouse. The temporary temperature-controlled warehouse she had rented was located right beside a suburban main road. It had sufficient ceiling height and an independent loading dock—exactly what she had specifically chosen for today’s “big operation.”
After opening the warehouse door, the empty concrete floor reflected the overhead lights. Cheng Lin parked the truck and checked the surveillance system she had specially installed to prevent any mishaps during the handover of supplies.
Just after five o’clock, three refrigerated trucks from the seafood stall arrived in a grand procession and stopped by the loading dock. The owner leaned out, his voice loud and hearty: “Miss Cheng, morning! Everything you ordered is here, guaranteed fresh and alive! I also brought the dried seafood along!”
The workers opened the truck doors, and a blast of cold air mixed with the salty scent of seawater rushed out. Glass tanks and oxygen tubes were delivered together. Cheng Lin followed along to inspect: sea bass swam vigorously inside the glass tanks, their scales shimmering silver; large cuts of tuna lay in insulated boxes, firm and reddish; freshwater shrimp crowded inside oxygenated bags, still jumping constantly; crabs raised their large claws, tightly bound.
“The glass tanks are all set up for you, and the oxygen tubes will work as soon as they’re plugged in,” the owner said, pointing at the equipment stacked in the corner. “You must be hosting quite a feast—how many tables will all this seafood fill?”
Cheng Lin laughed it off. “There are many relatives at home—just making it lively.” As she spoke, she signed the receipt and paid the remaining balance without hesitation. Once the owner and workers had left, she immediately shut the warehouse door, locked all entrances, and turned off the surveillance.
With a thought, Cheng Lin’s consciousness sank into the pendant space. She focused and silently said “collect” toward the glass tanks holding the sea bass. Instantly, inside the space, a row of transparent tanks appeared neatly beside the black soil. In the pale blue water, the fish continued to swim actively. Even without oxygen pumps, the space’s constant-temperature preservation function provided an excellent living environment. With her first experience behind her, the rest went much more smoothly. She stored all the seafood, tanks, and oxygen tubes in batches, then stacked the dried goods—dried squid, dried scallops, dried abalone—in a corner, covering them with waterproof cloth.
Once the seafood and dried goods were handled, another delivery arrived at the warehouse—vegetables and fruits.
Sacks of cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro piled up like small hills. Fresh cucumbers and bright red persimmons, still carrying morning dew, gave off a clean, earthy scent. Apples and oranges were packed in breathable mesh bags, their sweetness spilling into the air. Durian was packaged separately in sturdy boxes, its rich fragrance noticeable even through the cardboard. Cheng Lin directed the workers to sort and place the goods, specifically instructing them to keep bananas separate from other fruits—she remembered they ripened quickly and might spoil the rest. After the workers left, she closed the door again and stored all the produce into the space in batches.
By nine-thirty in the morning, just as she finished storing the vegetables and fruits, a delivery worker from University Town Food Street called: “Miss Cheng, the snacks and milk tea are ready. Should we deliver them now?”
“Please bring them to the warehouse entrance. I’ll be waiting here,” Cheng Lin replied. As she hung up and opened the door, she saw several electric tricycles parked outside, loaded with insulated boxes full of snacks and milk tea. The aroma of grilled cold noodles, cumin-spiced grilled gluten, and sweet milk tea blended together, making one’s appetite stir. Cheng Lin checked the quantities one by one, confirmed everything was intact, and signed for them.
After the workers left, she stored all the snacks and milk tea into the space. Unable to resist, she took out a cup of soy milk tea and took a large sip. The rich blend of soybean and milk flavors melted in her mouth, instantly dispelling her fatigue.
After such a busy morning, even Cheng Lin admired herself as a master of time management.
Glancing at her watch, she realized it was already ten-thirty. Without stopping, she drove toward Old Street to pick up prepared dishes. On the way, she couldn’t resist taking out a stuffed egg pancake to fill her stomach, which immediately lifted her mood.
At eleven fifty, one hundred packed dishes from the Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant were ready. The numbing and spicy aroma of boiled pork slices could be smelled even through the thick insulated bags. The braised pork knuckles glistened with oil, and the brown sugar glutinous rice cakes still carried a warm sweetness. The staff helped load the dishes into her truck, joking, “Miss Cheng, your employee benefits are amazing—even our boss is jealous!”
Cheng Lin thanked them, then continued to pick up orders from the Roast Duck Restaurant, Anhui Cuisine Restaurant, Yangzhou Cuisine Restaurant, and Northeastern Chinese Restaurant.
The roast duck gleamed with a rich sheen, accompanied by lotus leaf pancakes, sweet bean sauce, scallions, and cucumber strips. Dishes like squirrel-shaped mandarin fish and fermented mandarin fish were packed in insulated containers, their unique aromas mouthwatering. Crab roe buns and crab roe noodles remained soft and fresh inside their containers. From the Northeastern restaurant came generous portions of sweet and sour pork, stir-fried three delicacies, and traditional pork stew dishes. The bold flavors of grilled sea bass, braised fish, sweet-and-sour fish, and spicy crab nearly made Cheng Lin drool.
The small truck was filled to the brim, resembling a mobile food stall. Cheng Lin drove back to the warehouse and stored all the prepared dishes into the space one by one. She even designated a “prepared food zone” inside the space, separating Sichuan, Anhui, and Northeastern cuisines to preserve their flavors.
By the time she finished, it was already past two in the afternoon. Leaning against the warehouse wall, Cheng Lin took out a portion of stir-fried three delicacies with rice and sat on the ground, devouring it hungrily.
At five in the afternoon, deliveries from the bakery arrived in batches.
Portuguese egg tarts still had their crisp layers, cheesecakes were smooth and dense, durian cakes were rich with fruit, and ice cream cakes remained cold. Cheng Lin carefully checked each dessert to ensure none were damaged during transport before neatly placing them in the “dessert zone” of her space.
By six in the evening, the final batch of supplies—vegetable and grain seeds from the seed shop—arrived. Looking at the heavy sacks, Cheng Lin felt a surge of anticipation. Using her mind, she scattered some tomato, cucumber, and chili seeds onto a corner of the black soil and gently watered them with the stream water inside the space. The remaining seeds were sealed in bags and stored together with the dried goods.
After returning to the villa, Cheng Lin took a hot shower, then brought out a slice of durian cake and a cup of pearl milk tea from the space. Sitting on the sofa in the living room, she watched a jogging variety show while happily enjoying her food.
After washing up, Cheng Lin lay on the soft bed, her mind already planning the next procurement list: medical equipment, diesel generators, professional protective weapons, drinking water and purification systems, agricultural machinery, as well as household and farming robots… After all, using mental power to farm was quite exhausting.
There was not much time left before the apocalypse arrived. She had to race against time.
That night, she did not dream. Perhaps due to exhaustion, she slept especially soundly.