After putting down the wine glass, Lin Chu didn’t stay immersed in the joy of victory for long.
Right now, she was single, free, and the “richest person” in this city—in terms of resources.
But at the same time, she was also a survivor about to face hell.
She walked to the entrance and looked at the two half-meter-thick alloy blast doors.
This was the “life-and-death gate” she had spent a fortune customizing. Once locked, not even a tank could force its way in.
Lin Chu reached out, grabbed the cold metal handle, and pushed with force.
Rumble—
With a heavy grinding sound, the two massive doors slowly closed together.
Then she turned the mechanical locking wheel.
Click, click, click.
Three solid steel bolts, each five centimeters thick, shot deep into the reinforced wall.
“Gu Yan, this door—you will never open it again in your lifetime.”
After locking the main gate, Lin Chu turned toward the control console.
Now came the real highlight.
She pressed the red physical button—[Level One Defense Mode].
Buzz—
A low mechanical hum echoed through the villa.
From outside, thick armored steel plates slowly descended over the once-transparent floor-to-ceiling windows.
One layer, two layers, three layers…
Within a single minute, every window, ventilation shaft, and skylight was sealed shut with black alloy armor.
The entire villa instantly transformed into a completely sealed iron fortress.
Sunlight was cut off. Noise was cut off. The world was cut off.
Inside, darkness fell.
Three seconds later—
Beep.
Backup power automatically activated.
Soft warm-yellow ambient lights lit up the empty living room.
The central air system began to circulate. Fresh air, filtered through three layers of industrial-grade purification, replaced the lingering stench of garbage and sour waste.
The thermometer on the wall slowly stabilized:
26°C.
Humidity: 55%.
“Phew…”
Lin Chu took a deep breath, feeling cool air fill her lungs.
This was the smell of money—and of survival.
The environment was set. Now it was time to clean herself.
To act out her performance earlier, she had rolled around in trash, and the sour smell on her body was driving her crazy.
She walked into the bathroom.
This place had also been heavily modified. The oversized circular bathtub was connected to an independent heating and water circulation system.
She turned on the tap.
Rushing water poured out, steaming hot.
Lin Chu stripped off the dirty “costume” and threw it away, then sank into the bathtub filled with rose essential oils.
Every pore relaxed in the hot water, washing away exhaustion—and the filth of dealing with trash people.
Half an hour later.
The bathroom door opened.
Lin Chu stepped out barefoot.
She was wearing a silky wine-red satin nightdress, damp long hair casually draped over her shoulders, her skin flushed and glowing from the steam.
The living room had already transformed.
She had taken out her favorite Italian cloud sofa from the space, laid down a soft long-fiber carpet.
On the coffee table were chilled watermelon slices, crystal-clear cherries, and an ice-cold soda.
A 100-inch laser projection screen slowly lowered, connected to a hard drive server loaded with hundreds of terabytes of content.
This didn’t look like an apocalypse shelter at all—
It looked like a VIP suite in a luxury resort.
Lin Chu sank into the sofa, hugging a plush ragdoll cat she had taken from her space.
She raised her wrist and looked at her Patek Philippe.
7 July 14, 23:59.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
7 July 15, 00:00.
At the moment the date changed, nothing earth-shattering happened.
Only the night outside seemed to become even more restless.
Lin Chu picked up the tablet and opened the villa’s surveillance system.
36 high-definition night-vision cameras covered a 500-meter radius.
On the screen, the night was still calm.
But in infrared mode, the ground glowed with an eerie red heat.
The earth was accumulating heat—
Like a pressure cooker about to explode.
“It’s here.”
Lin Chu turned off the main lights, leaving only a dim floor lamp.
She didn’t sleep.
Tonight, there would be no sleep.
She was waiting.
Waiting for the moment the sun rose.
Waiting for the moment that would push humanity into abyss—and elevate her to the throne.
“System, check backup generator fuel.”
“Check water reservoir levels.”
“Check freezer inventory.”
She reviewed her supplies again and again in her mind.
Two billion worth of resources, an impregnable fortress, endless weapons.
Everything was ready—except the disaster.
She didn’t know how long passed before the eastern sky began to turn pale.
But the color was wrong.
Not golden.
But a dark, blood-tinged purple.
Lin Chu stood before the surveillance screen, holding an ice-cold cola, calmly staring at the horizon.
7 July 15, 12:00 noon.
That would be the hour of judgment.
“Gu Yan, Lin Wan.”
“Hope your air conditioners are still working.”
“Because that might be the last time in your lives you ever feel cool air.”