Countdown Day 16, 2:00 PM
“Ding—”
The private elevator to the top floor of Tower One slowly slid open.
A heavy, synchronized set of footsteps echoed out as more than a dozen burly men stepped into view. All of them wore matching blue construction uniforms, clearly disguised as a high-end renovation crew. But their thick necks, faint scars on their forearms, and the sharp, vigilant gaze of men who had long lived on the edge of life and death made it impossible to hide their true identity—they were underground mercenaries.
Leading them was a thin, crew-cut middle-aged man with a deep scar cutting through his left eye. He carried a heavy black briefcase and scanned the ultra-luxurious penthouse with a hawk-like gaze before locking onto Lin Qi sitting on the living room sofa.
“Boss Lin, I’m Old Ghost, captain of the Black Hawk Special Engineering Team.” His voice was rough like sandpaper. “There are eighty more brothers waiting in the underground parking garage. Heavy equipment and the special materials you requested are already on the way.”
Lin Qi leaned back on the sofa, a cup of cold black coffee in her hand, silently studying him.
“Old Ghost, I don’t want nonsense.” She placed the cup down and pulled out a stack of documents—confidential agreements and death contracts. “I want absolute secrecy. Until the renovation is complete, no one steps outside this building. No communication with the outside world. All phones are to be handed over and destroyed immediately. Compensation will be doubled after completion.”
Old Ghost picked up the contract and scanned it briefly, then grinned.
“Boss Lin, in our line of work, rules matter more than life. As long as the money is right, even if you want us to build a missile silo here, we won’t leak a single word.”
“Good.”
Lin Qi tossed a black card onto the table, along with a secure payment tablet.
“Five billion deposit. Transfer it yourselves. The remaining five billion will be paid in full after completion and inspection.”
Old Ghost glanced at the account balance on the screen—an absurd string of zeros—and even he, a man hardened by gunfire and blood, felt his heart twitch.
In a collapsing world, money would soon become worthless—but right now, it was still the most powerful weapon.
Beep—
Five billion transferred instantly.
“Beautiful!” Old Ghost snapped the case shut and turned to roar at his men. “Brothers! The client has spoken! Move in!”
Eighty-plus mercenaries surged into the penthouse carrying heavy demolition tools.
But when they stepped into the marble-floored, crystal-lit luxury living room—decorated with Swarovski chandeliers and Italian custom stonework—they hesitated.
“Ghost… Ghost Boss… how do we even start tearing this down?” one man muttered, holding a massive hammer. “One swing of this and I’m smashing ten years of my salary…”
Every inch of this place had cost a fortune. Destroying it felt like madness.
But Lin Qi didn’t hesitate.
She walked to the center table, grabbed a steel pry bar, and smashed it down.
CRASH!
The expensive marble tabletop shattered instantly.
“I want a fortress that can stop bullets and explosives, not a glass palace.” Her voice was cold. “From now on, destroy everything. Not a single tile stays intact.”
And then—
The demolition began.
BOOM—CRASH—RIP—
The chandelier worth millions was torn down and shattered into glittering fragments. Wall panels were ripped apart. Imported marble tiles were smashed into dust. Luxurious wooden doors were reduced to splinters.
The once-glorious penthouse turned into a battlefield of destruction.
Yet Lin Qi felt something twistedly satisfying rising inside her.
Luxury meant nothing in the apocalypse. Only steel mattered.
Because of prior agreements, compensation fees, and the top-floor isolation, no one below was disturbed.
Five hours later—
The “Cloudtop Supreme” penthouse was reduced to bare concrete, exposed beams, and stripped walls—like a skeleton.
“Boss Lin, clearing done.” Old Ghost spat out dust. “Time for the real work.”
He pulled out a classified blueprint.
“Since the base structure is solid, we’ll reinforce it with military-grade steel rebar used for bridges and bunkers. We’ll weave a full internal steel cage throughout the walls, floors, and ceiling.”
He patted gray sealed barrels.
“Then comes the real deal—military-grade rapid-setting explosion-proof concrete. Twenty times stronger than commercial cement.”
“This will turn your place into something even RPGs can’t dent.”
“Begin pouring.” Lin Qi’s eyes burned.
Three days and nights passed.
Welding sparks flew nonstop. Steel bars crisscrossed like a cage of death. Gray-black reinforced concrete filled every gap, hardening into an unbreakable shell.
By Day 13, midnight—
The transformation was complete.
The once-open luxury space had become slightly smaller due to reinforced walls—but it now radiated a cold, indestructible presence.
Then—
RUMBLE—
A deep mechanical vibration echoed from outside the elevator shaft.
“Boss Lin, your door has arrived.” Old Ghost’s voice carried rare respect. “We nearly crushed the roof getting it up here.”
Lin Qi stood immediately.
Outside, a massive dark-silver metal structure was slowly being lifted into place.
A real bank vault door.
Titanium alloy. Ten-centimeter-thick armor plating. Multi-layer composite core. Multi-lock mechanical system. Fingerprint, iris, vein recognition, and dynamic password authentication. Even without power, twelve mechanical locking bolts would seal it shut.
Old Ghost patted it.
“Once this closes, even a full squad with explosives won’t get through in three days.”
Lin Qi placed her hand on the cold surface.
A deep, satisfying chill spread through her nerves.
This was the kind of absolute defense she had been waiting for.
“Install it.”
Clank—BOOM—CLICK.
The vault door locked into place.
At that moment—
Her system interface suddenly flickered violently.
[Alert! Major upgrade detected in fortress physical defense matrix!]
[Condition 1: Blast resistance achieved (C4 immunity) — COMPLETED!]
[Condition 4: Bank-grade explosion-proof door — COMPLETED!]
[Fortress upgrade progress: 50% unlocked!]
Lin Qi smiled.
The strongest shell was complete.
She turned toward the empty window frames, where wind howled through the open structure.
Those would become her “God’s Eyes”—watching the apocalypse unfold safely from above.
Her gaze sharpened.
“Next,” she said softly, “time to install glass that even sniper rounds can’t penetrate.”