Next, Han Ying used the same method with the tools from the other two stores to draw two more space talismans. The results were a 219-cubic-meter talisman and a 250-cubic-meter talisman. It seemed that the difference came from the talisman paper and the tools themselves! Although the difference was only a few dozen cubic meters, that extra space meant Han Ying could store a lot more items. Even if she just stored water, she could hold over twenty more tons! And since she planned to draw a large number of space talismans, these differences would become very significant.
Han Ying labeled each brush and each bottle of cinnabar ink with a serial number and experimented by mixing and matching them. After several attempts, she realized that the brushes and ink didn’t determine the size of the space talisman—the real difference came from the talisman paper.
She immediately decided to buy more of the paper that allowed her to draw 250-cubic-meter talismans. One pack of 100 high-grade sheets cost 50,000 yuan—or perhaps even more. Of course, she couldn’t neglect the brushes and cinnabar ink either.
Although the quantity seemed massive, these were the most important tools for ensuring she could protect her supplies after the apocalypse. Naturally, the more she had, the better. Rough calculations showed the total cost would exceed ten million yuan! Han Ying realized she didn’t have that kind of money yet, so she would place a smaller order worth a few hundred thousand first, and buy the rest once she earned some “quick cash.”
Looking at the three ink dishes on her table, each still half full of cinnabar, Han Ying realized tonight’s workload would probably be overwhelming. Just as she was about to continue drawing, she remembered that she had instructed the milk tea shop to prepare another batch before she came home. The time was nearly right, so she decided to go pick up the milk tea first, otherwise the flavor would degrade if it sat too long.
After collecting the milk tea, Han Ying returned home and continued her talisman-drawing work. She focused completely and worked straight until eleven o’clock, at which point she could no longer keep going. Her head felt dizzy, with a sharp, needle-like pain. Han Ying knew her cultivation and stamina were severely overextended.
But looking at the fifty-plus space talismans on her table, she felt immense satisfaction. Although each talisman wasn’t very large individually, combined they offered over 10,000 cubic meters of space. If she could produce this much every day, in less than half a year her total space could increase by two million cubic meters—an impressive figure!
In a great mood, Han Ying stored the fifty-plus talismans in another box and placed it inside her space talisman. Following her principle of avoiding waste, she also stored the leftover cinnabar and other materials into her space talisman.
Once that was done, she retrieved a lunch portion of marinated noodles that she had packed from the restaurant earlier. She had been so immersed in talisman drawing that she was ravenous. In no time, she polished off what amounted to three or four bowls. Exhausted, she kicked off her shoes and flopped onto her bed.
Once lying down, she realized that since being reborn in this life, her appetite had more than doubled! Han Ying knew that in the apocalypse, everyone’s physical constitution would change to some degree. Most people’s constitutions improved, but their appetite increased correspondingly. She was one of those affected.
An increased appetite in the apocalypse was not necessarily a good thing—food was scarce, and now needing more only made things worse. In her previous life, she often suffered from stomach cramps from hunger, sometimes rolling on the ground, all because her improved constitution came with a bigger appetite.
But now, even before the apocalypse, her appetite had already more than doubled. Could it be due to the transmission talisman she had inherited? Thinking these thoughts while running her cultivation technique, Han Ying quickly fell asleep.
“Riiing… Riiing…”
In her half-asleep state, Han Ying was suddenly woken by the sound of a primitive phone ringtone. At first, she didn’t react—it wasn’t the ringtone she had set. But when she opened her eyes, she quickly remembered: this was Xia Jing’s phone.
She picked up the phone but didn’t immediately answer. First, she checked the time: it was already 7:00 a.m. After last night’s overexertion, she had slept until seven.
The caller could only be either the chubby chef from yesterday or the outdoor shop owner. But since the shop owner had said delivery would take two days, it had to be the restaurant chef.
After hanging up, Han Ying smiled. With this chef, she would be able to enjoy all sorts of delicious food during the apocalypse.
Han Ying could cook, but her skills were average. Her dishes weren’t very tasty, and buying ready-made food would be expensive—and she couldn’t guarantee the ingredients’ freshness. After all, she wanted to live a long life, so she needed to stockpile enough prepared food during these six months. Spending tens of thousands to hire a chef full-time for six months was worth it.
Opening WeChat, Han Ying saw that the chubby chef had just added her. She accepted the friend request and learned his name: Shi Yong, a name that matched his appearance.
She sent Shi Yong the location of the self-built house in Changfu Village that she had rented, telling him to start work there tomorrow. Shi Yong asked for two days to prepare, giving his restaurant a buffer for recruiting staff. Since he was still on a probation period, quitting wasn’t difficult. Han Ying agreed immediately.
She didn’t want Shi Yong wasting time on trivial tasks like washing or chopping vegetables. So she called the agency that had helped hire warehouse staff yesterday to find two quick, experienced kitchen assistants.
By the time she finished these arrangements, it was almost eight o’clock. Seeing that there was still a lot to do today, Han Ying canceled her morning run. She still had shooting, sanda, and karate lessons later in the afternoon and evening. With all that plus a morning run, she worried she might exhaust herself before the apocalypse even began.
After breakfast, Han Ying promptly collected all her pre-ordered breakfast items and drove to Changfu Village. As planned, she was moving in immediately. Although the house was on the mountainside, transportation was convenient, and she drove directly to the yard.
Standing outside and examining the house, Han Ying was immediately satisfied just by looking at the exterior.