In total, she ordered 10,000,000 bottles of pure or mineral water, 1,000,000 bags of high-quality rice, 1,000,000 bags of flour, and 10,000 bags each of glutinous rice, black rice, barley, and millet. She also purchased 5,000,000 barrels of various brands and types of oil, along with 1,000,000 units each of salt, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce, pepper, Lao Gan Ma, and other seasonings.
Additionally, she bought 10,000 catties each of easy-to-store dried goods: dried shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, peanuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, red dates, goji berries, and seaweed.
Despite being a novice in the kitchen, this didn’t stop Shen Ruoran from hoarding these supplies.
The “Quick-Wear” worlds were often dangerous doomsday scenarios or terrifying hunting games. Shen Ruoran had mostly survived on biscuits, bread, and instant noodles stored in her space; her appetite had rarely been satisfied.
In the beginning, before she had the portable space, a meal of instant noodles soaked in cold water was a luxury of the highest order to her. Through days and nights of devastation and torment, she had drunk filthy water, eaten raw insects, and even chewed on tree branches.
Back then, she dreamed every night of hot meals, even if it were just flavorless white porridge.
Therefore, whether raw or cooked, as long as it was related to food, Shen Ruoran engaged in “revenge spending,” hoarding tens of thousands of pounds of it—the kind of amount she couldn’t finish in a lifetime. She never wanted to have a nightmarish experience like that again.
Shen Ruoran looked best in size L clothing; she was slender and tall, standing 1.72 meters with enviably long legs. Unsure whether she would gain or lose weight during the disaster, she simply bought 30,000 sets of clothes in every size from S to XL, covering various styles for spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
“Ah! Online shopping is wonderful!”
Shen Ruoran, who hadn’t shopped online for an immeasurable amount of time, was extremely satisfied with her spending.
She moved to a different seat. Her glossy black hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned back in an e-sports chair, crossing her arms comfortably, admiring her own foresight.
Fortunately, she had been thick-skinned enough (using physical intimidation) to pester the System into teaching her hacking skills, and she had also mastered most other skills from high-level planets. Shen Ruoran wasn’t at all worried that computer researchers in this world would find any clues. Compared to the Interstellar realm, which was hundreds of millions of years ahead of ordinary worlds, the network layout and defenses here looked like children’s toys in her eyes. One gentle push and they would fall apart.
A pop-up window visible only to Shen Ruoran appeared, indicating a 24-hour countdown until the Management Point expired.
A massive city map spread out in the air with a flourish. Icons for supermarkets, internet cafes, shopping malls, and other buildings were particularly prominent, prompting her to buy one for activation.
Calculating her options, Shen Ruoran calmly clicked the “X.” From the start, she had no intention of following the System’s suggestion to buy a supermarket. The rules only specified “one building”; a supermarket was merely an example. Therefore, she could buy an apartment building.
Owning her own home was an obsession for Shen Ruoran. Even though she had once died from overworking for the sake of a house, she still wanted a large, high-quality home. Even in the Quick-Wear worlds, she had a hobby of collecting houses. Now with hundreds of millions in her pocket, the idea naturally resurfaced.
The city she was in was economically developed, second only to the capital. It covered a larger area than the capital, yet its population density wasn’t as high, making it very livable. After much consideration, Shen Ruoran set her sights on Xinju Yuan within the city’s Third Ring Road—a newly built community featuring both villas and high-rise apartments.
That night, she added a real estate agent on WeChat. He sent her some materials containing a detailed introduction to Xinju Yuan. It was a new development with few residents moved in yet. The spacing between buildings was large, emphasizing privacy, and most of the surrounding shops were still up for lease. In short, there were very few people there.
This was exactly Shen Ruoran’s dream home. No matter what kind of apocalypse it was, the most important thing to avoid was crowds. Where there were people, there were disputes, and Shen Ruoran preferred to be alone.
The next day, the agent, wearing thin white silk gloves, handed Shen Ruoran a bottle of mineral water priced at 30 yuan, wearing a standard professional smile. He led her on foot, giving a professional introduction as they walked, specifically emphasizing the highest-priced villas in Xinju Yuan.
“The villas here are all detached estates, 700 square meters, with large yards and basements. The decorations are exquisite and very stylish; they would suit you perfectly. If it’s convenient, I can take you inside to see; I happen to have the keys to an empty villa.”
Judging by her attire and aura, the agent guessed Shen Ruoran was definitely a client who didn’t lack money. Although her request was to buy a high-rise unit, the commission for selling a high-rise was nowhere near that of a villa, so he continued to recommend them persistently.
“When you buy a house, you surely value comfort and enjoyment above all. In that regard, a villa is the best choice.”
Shen Ruoran glanced disdainfully at the height of the villa. It was at a level that a flood could easily submerge. She had no intention of spending that much money on a future underwater view—one tainted with nuclear pollution, at that.
“No need. Just the high-rise. Take me to see a few more units. If I’m satisfied, I’ll buy them all.”
The agent’s face lit up with joy. Although the price of a flat in Xinju Yuan couldn’t compare to a villa, if she bought many, the commission might even be higher.
The flats in Xinju Yuan were also quite large, measuring 520 square meters with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living rooms, one balcony, and one kitchen. They were basically fully furnished with high-end, quality furniture. The second floor of the duplexes uniformly offered three extra empty rooms for the owners to design as they pleased. The refined decorations met the needs of wealthy clients who wanted to move in immediately, while shell units were also sold to give owners more autonomy.
Shen Ruoran had plenty of time and looked at 3 or 4 units of each type. Finally, she made a decision: she would buy the tallest building in the entire community.
It stood 31 stories high, with duplexes from the 22nd floor up. There were only a few scattered residents inside; most units were still waiting to be sold.
The agent’s smile was so wide it seemed it would never fade. He stood frozen in place with excitement, feeling his heart race with a sudden surge of joy. After a moment of daze, he immediately took out the contract and watched as Shen Ruoran paid in full.
Heavenly Mother, my ancestors must have been looking down on me!
After seeing off the beaming agent, Shen Ruoran—a master of time management—called in a security camera installation crew and the local renovation design team with the highest quote. She had pre-booked both teams.
Before they arrived, she had already formulated her surveillance requirements and printed them on A4 paper to hand to the technician. The main focus was installing cameras in the hallways and stairwells.
Aside from the units already owned by others, she planned to keep three refined units for herself from top to bottom, while 20 units would be uniformly arranged into a youth hostel style.
The 26th and 27th floors were to be set up as ecological breeding zones, simulating environments for crops and animals to facilitate planting and rearing. Additionally, these floors would be equipped with air purification instruments and odor-blocking materials.
The 24th and 25th floors would have four walls knocked through and be designed as laboratories.
Units 2201, 2202, 2301, and 2302 were planned as a book bar and internet cafe, further equipped with VIP booths and an IT room. Meanwhile, units 2203 and 2303 would be arranged into a clinic, complete with a small operating room, a diagnostic room, and areas for storing medicine and administering IVs.