Chaрtеr 5: Таking а Leave оf Аbsencе
Wu Ya and hеr bоуfriеnd Jiаng Сhengrоng wеrе shoрping fоr clothеs оn the сommеrсiаl streеt.
Вy сhаnсе, shе sроtted а familiаr figurе standing by the fountаin, taking рhotоs оf it.
Wu Yа’s еyes lit uр, and she jоggеd оvеr to Jiаng Ci, thrоwing an arm аrоund hеr nесk.
“Hеy, Xiaо Сi, уоu’rе out shopрing tоо? Arе yоu alonе?”
“Yеаh, just mе.”
Jiang Ci didn’t rеsist аnd let Wu Ya hоld her. This wаs hеr high sсhоol dеskmаte, and they were evеn in the sаmе mаjоr аnd clаss in university.
She wаs Jiang Сi’s onlу clоse friend.
“Where’s Jiang Chengrong?”
Wherever Wu Ya was, Jiang Chengrong was sure to be nearby. The two were inseparable, sticking together like glue.
Wu Ya pouted and tilted her chin, gesturing toward a spot not far away. “Look, isn’t that him?”
Jiang Ci followed her gaze and saw a tall, handsome guy walking over with a helpless expression.
It was Jiang Chengrong, the class monitor of their class.
The guy walked over with a smile, pulling Wu Ya away from Jiang Ci and into his own arms.
He ruffled Wu Ya’s hair before turning to Jiang Ci. “Hey, Jiang Ci, what a coincidence.”
Jiang Ci forced a smile: Hah.
What coincidence? Not only were the three of them classmates in the same class, but the two of them also rented an apartment in the same neighborhood as her.
They were just in Unit 302, Building 1 of Jiaxing Community.
Seeing these two reminded Jiang Ci of something she had forgotten.
She was still a student! Tomorrow was Monday, and she had classes!
How terrifying. She had already abandoned her studies for three years, and with the apocalyptic disaster just half a year away, who still had time for classes?
At this thought, Jiang Ci lost all interest in taking photos.
She said to Wu Ya, “Something happened at home, so I’m planning to take a leave of absence for half a year. Since I ran into you today, I thought I’d let you know first.”
Although they were close friends, they had never really talked about each other’s families.
Wu Ya didn’t ask what had happened at Jiang Ci’s home, just nodded and said, “If there’s anything Jiang Chengrong or I can help with, just give us a call.”
Jiang Ci was a top student, and taking half a year off wouldn’t affect her academic progress at all.
Although she meant well, Wu Ya knew deep down that if something really serious happened, she probably wouldn’t be able to help much.
The best she could do was not cause any trouble for her friend.
Today was the weekend, so she could only go to the school tomorrow to apply for the leave of absence.
After chatting for a while longer, Jiang Ci excused herself.
She didn’t want to be a third wheel and annoy the couple, so she quickly said goodbye and left.
After parting ways with them, Jiang Ci returned to the food street.
The stall owners were all quick and efficient, and 20 servings were nothing to them.
She walked from one end of the street to the other, making several trips to carry everything to her car.
She drove away, found a secluded spot, and stored all the snacks in her space.
Then she went back and placed orders with each stall owner for 20 servings daily.
She would pick them up every evening, paying on the spot.
Leaving the commercial district, Jiang Ci headed to a car club.
Her BMW Mini would be completely useless after the apocalyptic disaster, so she could only put it away for good.
She had already called the club owner yesterday. His surname was Wang, and he was an old acquaintance of her father.
Mr. Wang was not only the owner of this car club but also a dual member of the International ADAC Club.
If Jiang Ci wanted a car, Mr. Wang definitely had the connections to get it for her.
When she arrived at the club, Mr. Wang was busy entertaining a group of rich second-generation heirs.She waited a while before seeing Boss Wang.
Boss Wang led her to the office, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then got straight to the point.
Both were straightforward people, both smart, so there was no need to beat around the bush.
As long as the money was right, there was no vehicle he couldn’t get, Boss Wang said bluntly:
“What kind of car does my niece want?”
“A dual-expansion RV, a Hummer, a helicopter, and a small yacht—all modified.”
Jiang Ci didn’t waste time on small talk either and directly stated her requirements.
Boss Wang was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought Jiang Ci would at most want him to get a limited-edition luxury car.
He carefully looked Jiang Ci over, saw she was serious and not joking, and only then began to take it seriously.
He asked gravely, “What kind of modifications?”
“Bulletproof glass, reinforced with bulletproof steel.”
After saying this, Jiang Ci added, “Price is not an issue.”
“Any other requirements?”
“No.”
Boss Wang was also a straightforward person. After thinking for a moment, he readily agreed:
“Alright, wait for my news.”
Jiang Ci didn’t dawdle either. Boss Wang immediately called his assistant to print the contract. After they both signed, she promptly transferred 100 million to the club’s account.
Whether it was the helicopter or the yacht, they weren’t particularly expensive in themselves; the main cost was in the modifications.
And the later maintenance would also be quite costly.
So 100 million for these four items was definitely enough.
After leaving the club, Jiang Ci went to rent a truck and a van, leasing them for half a year.
By the time she finished all this, it was almost 6 p.m. She left her BMW Mini at the rental place and drove the newly rented van to the large restaurant where she had ordered meals to pick them up.
All 200 dishes were neatly packed in disposable containers.
The waitstaff helped her load them into the van.
On the way to the next large restaurant in the van, Jiang Ci found a secluded corner, quietly storing all the food in her space.
This restaurant also had 200 dishes. After loading them into the van, Jiang Ci again found a quiet spot on the way and stored everything in her space.
Next was the Spicy Frog and Fish Shop, next to the Lamb Noodle Shop and the Barbecue Shop.
These three shops were right next to each other, so Jiang Ci collected the orders from all three at once, loaded them into the van, and headed home.
On the way, she again found a secluded spot and quietly stored all the dishes in her space.
Back at the apartment building, she loaded the breakfast shop’s buns and the rice noodle shop’s noodles into the van.
She drove around for a bit, stored the items in her space, then turned around and drove the van into the underground parking garage of the apartment complex.
After parking the van, Jiang Ci went home, took a shower, and changed into spring pajamas.
She took out a serving of pork rib and corn soup from her space, ate the entire portion, and tossed the disposable container back into her space.
Jiang Ci picked up her phone and called the renovation company, giving them her address.
She climbed into bed and started browsing forums and message boards.
The apocalypse was still half a year away, and the internet was calm, with no signs of anything unusual.
So after scrolling for a bit and finding it uninteresting, she started watching short videos.
What beauties love to watch isn’t necessarily handsome guys—like Jiang Ci.
What she loved watching most was beautiful women—fair skin, pretty faces, long legs—ah, absolutely stunning!
Especially Lisa, so captivating!
She rewatched the “Leap of Faith” clip three or four times, then downloaded it to her phone.
Checking the time, it was already 10 p.m., so she turned off the lights and went to sleep.
…
At 6:30 a.m., the alarm rang on time.After washing up and getting ready, Jiang Ci had a meat bun, a pickled vegetable bun, and a cup of soy milk.
She then drove to school to apply for a leave of absence.
Instead of returning to the classroom, she went directly to the administration building.
The process for taking a leave of absence was relatively simple—she only needed to submit a leave application form to the school.
Once the school stamped its approval, it was done.
Because Jiang Ci was beautiful, excelled academically, and was the school’s campus belle, most teachers knew her.
When they heard she wanted to take a half-year leave, they looked at her with confusion.
Jiang Ci didn’t explain too much, only saying that something had happened at home and assuring them that her studies wouldn’t be affected during the leave.
The teachers didn’t give her a hard time and quickly processed her leave application.