Using this method, Song Ya visited five or six of the city’s largest rice and flour markets, even grabbing their years-old stock!
In the afternoon, she went to a water wholesale supplier. Still using the pretext of aid, she ordered 100,000 20-liter barrels of water, plus various small bottled ones, practically clearing out the entire company’s inventory.
“Over the next ten days, any extra water you get, send it all to this warehouse. I’ll pay you 5 million as a deposit first, the rest after the goods arrive,” Song Ya said bluntly, transferring the money immediately.
She visited the city’s four largest water factories, ordering barrels to be delivered straight to her warehouse.
In the apocalypse, the most vital things were water and food. With what she was hoarding now, she estimated it would last her a thousand years. Anyway, in a few months, money would be worthless.
By the time everything was arranged, it was almost night. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since waking up.
She drove to a small stir-fry restaurant and ordered a few dishes, devouring them hungrily.
She hadn’t felt this full in a long time—what a satisfying meal!
After finishing, she suddenly remembered something. Even if she stocked all this food, cooking after the apocalypse would be a luxury. Thinking for a moment, she looked at the small restaurant and approached the owner.
“Boss, can you provide meal packs? Just for dinner,” Song Ya asked with a smile.
The owner’s interest was piqued. He nodded, “Sure. How many?”
“100 portions every day, ready for pickup at 6 PM. Is that okay?” Song Ya replied.
The owner eyed her suspiciously.
Song Ya didn’t mind and took out her phone. “Four dishes and one soup per set, packed in disposable boxes. 100 sets of each, for two weeks straight. I’ll come by every day at 6 PM. Preferably, no repeats in the menu. I’ll transfer a 20,000 deposit. How about it?”
She immediately sent 20,000 yuan. The store’s system chimed: “Alipay payment received: 20,000 yuan.”
Hearing the payment, the owner’s face lit up. “Sure, sure. Do you want me to deliver them?”
“No need. I’ll pick them up myself. The company just opened a new site without a cafeteria. I tried your food earlier—it tasted good, so I want to order for two weeks as a trial,” Song Ya said with a smile.
The owner beamed. If this deal went well, bigger orders might follow.
“Okay, I’ll have everything ready,” he said.
Song Ya nodded and took out her notebook to record the store name and pickup times.
Using this method, she picked several other stores, citing newly opened construction sites as the reason. Each was asked to prepare 100 portions daily for pickup, staggering the times. She ordered from over twenty stores: stir-fry restaurants, fast food shops, Lanzhou noodle shops, Sha County snacks, braised chicken restaurants, crayfish shops, fried chicken and burger shops, milk tea stores, grilled fish shops, and more.
By the time all negotiations were complete, it was past ten o’clock at night. Song Ya could only drive home first.
Opening the door, a tall woman was sitting on the sofa. Upon seeing her, the woman raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Where have you been? Coming home so late?”
“Nan Nan?” Song Ya blinked, clearly surprised that the person was still alive.
Lin Nan Nan looked at Song Ya’s gloomy expression and patted her shoulder. “I’m not dead. Who are you showing that grim look to? What’s wrong? Did that old witch at work give you trouble again?”
Song Ya recalled her current situation.
Although she had money, it was from her biological father, and she had always refused to touch it. After college, she had shared a large three-bedroom apartment with Lin Nan Nan. Song Ya had her own room; Lin Nan Nan and her boyfriend shared another, and the last room was rented to a nearby college student.
She remembered that during the first heavy rain and hailstorm, none of them had been good at storing supplies. Without venturing out, they might have starved. Lin Nan Nan and her boyfriend, both fitness trainers, were strong and suggested going out to find food. They found some and shared it with her, helping Song Ya survive the extreme weather.
However, on a later trip to gather food, a flood struck, and they never returned.
Song Ya didn’t know if they had died or found another way, and she hadn’t seen them in the eight years that followed. Being able to still get food during extreme weather proved that Lin Nan Nan had truly considered her a friend.
“Nothing, just been tired lately, thinking of quitting and taking a break,” Song Ya said hoarsely, weariness showing in her eyes.
Lin Nan Nan stepped forward, rubbing her face gently. “That’s fine. You really do need a rest. That old witch at work keeps making you work overtime. No wonder your face looks so tired.”
Song Ya smiled and lowered her gaze slightly. “Have you heard about what’s happening in S City recently?”
“Yeah, it’s all over the news. They say it’s a once-in-a-century earthquake. Many people died. Luckily, it didn’t happen here,” Lin Nan Nan said with relief.
Song Ya reminded her, “Who knows, maybe next it’ll be here. Better stock up on food now, or we might not even have enough to eat later.”
“Forget it. If the earthquake hits, we’ll be gone anyway, food won’t matter,” Lin Nan Nan said dismissively.
Song Ya knew that unless something happened to them personally, it was hard for people to relate. Lin Nan Nan likely wouldn’t take it seriously.
Before the typhoon and hail in the past, the government had sent a warning SMS. Back then, it said about three days—but this typhoon and hail lasted over a month.
Song Ya was about to continue when the door suddenly opened. It was Lin Nan Nan’s boyfriend, Liu Haowen.
Liu Haowen was tall and muscular, a fitness trainer who had deliberately built his physique. Just looking at him gave a sense of security. “Nan Nan, ten classes again tomorrow. I’m going crazy!”
Despite his imposing size, his tone was unusually cutesy.
Lin Nan Nan effortlessly hugged him and patted his head. “It’s okay. I have a lot of classes too, more classes, more money. Tonight, Xiao Ya is free, so you go to your room. I’ll keep her company.”
“Ah?” Liu Haowen looked dissatisfied, his face immediately showing a pitiful expression—but before he could protest, Lin Nan Nan used her arm to guide him away. “It’s late. Go rest.”
He swallowed his complaints and slunk back to his room.
Song Ya watched the scene and couldn’t help but laugh. “I didn’t expect such a big guy to be so henpecked.”
“That’s settled. Don’t worry about him. Let’s go to my room and chat. I’ll keep you company tonight. Move on quickly. Don’t worry about rent—I’ll cover a few months for you,” Lin Nan Nan said, tugging Song Ya’s arm with a smile.
Song Ya felt warmth in her heart. She and Lin Nan Nan had grown up together. Being from a single-parent family, Song Ya had often been bullied at school, but Lin Nan Nan always helped her fight back.
They attended the same schools from elementary through high school, went to university in the same city, and naturally rented together after graduation.
If possible, this time, Song Ya didn’t want anything to happen to Lin Nan Nan…
In this apocalypse, having someone you trust nearby made survival feel a little less exhausting.