Because she hadn’t slept at all the previous night and had spent the entire day busy at work, Lin Mei’s head felt heavy and foggy by evening. The next morning, she slept all the way until ten o’clock before finally getting up slowly, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning. She picked up her phone and booked a high-speed train ticket back to her hometown county for that afternoon.
During the remaining time, she casually ate something to fill her stomach, then packed up everything in the rental apartment that could be packed and stored it all inside her space. Based on the conclusions she had drawn from those novels, one thing seemed certain: once a space appeared, either the apocalypse or transmigration would soon follow. It could happen within days or perhaps months.
Either way, she needed to store away anything useful. There was a chance she might never have the opportunity to return to this rented apartment again.
Although she had lived there for more than five years, she actually owned very little. She only had two quilts, and just four sets of bedsheets and covers for both winter and summer. Her clothes filled only one woven storage sack, while the miscellaneous items couldn’t even fill two sacks completely.
As for the little remaining food in the fridge, she decided not to take it. It could count as a gift for her two female roommates. After finishing the packing, she checked the time and realized it was almost time to leave. She sent a message to the two girls, telling them she’d be on annual leave for a month and asking them to help themselves to the food in the refrigerator.
Lin Mei carried a small shoulder bag and pulled along a decorative suitcase that contained only one extra set of clothes before heading to the train station.
After more than five hours on the high-speed train, she finally arrived. As soon as she reached the county town, she took a taxi to the small hotel beside her old high school and checked in. She had spent three years there and was very familiar with the area. It was already too late tonight—everything else could wait until morning.
Whether it was because she wasn’t used to the bed or because she had slept too much the day before, Lin Mei tossed and turned all night. Her mind was filled with plans for the coming days, and she slept extremely restlessly.
At dawn the next morning, the first thing she did was go get breakfast. The breakfast shop was a place she had only occasionally visited during high school whenever she craved something better than cafeteria food. Back then, only her grandmother had supported her education. Although her excellent grades exempted her tuition fees, food, clothing, and daily expenses still cost money.
Lin Mei had always been frugal. Normally she ate in the school cafeteria, only coming here occasionally to treat herself.
And this breakfast shop was no ordinary place. It had been open for more than thirty years, and their rice noodles were incredibly delicious. A bowl with both meat and vegetables cost only five yuan. Ever since graduating high school, she had never returned. Yet after so many years, the price still hadn’t changed.
The moment she took a bite of the noodles, tears nearly welled up in her eyes.
Such a familiar taste. Still just as delicious.
Today, she even added a fried egg for an extra 1.5 yuan. She finished every last drop of soup and noodle in the bowl, feeling completely re-energized afterward.
Once full and satisfied, she walked about a hundred meters from the little shop before turning left into a row of storefronts. The U-shaped street was lively, and business there seemed excellent. After walking for more than ten minutes, Lin Mei finally spotted a closed-up shop tucked away in an inconspicuous corner with a notice posted on it: Prime Storefront for Rent.
She called the number listed and briefly spoke with the landlord. From what she learned, the shop had previously operated as a takeout restaurant specializing in delivery-platform meals. The facilities inside were already fully equipped because the previous owner had decided to expand and move elsewhere.
The shop itself was tiny—less than seven square meters and rectangular in shape. Business had become too good for the previous owner, and the cramped space no longer met their needs.
But Lin Mei didn’t mind a small shop at all. In fact, she preferred it. Renting the storefront was mainly for appearances—to provide a believable location for stockpiling supplies later on.
Why had she chosen the county town instead of directly returning to the small village she came from? The reason was simple. Prices here were low, almost the same as in the countryside, but receiving deliveries was much more convenient. In the village, packages had to be picked up from the nearby town, and too many people there knew her. That would make stockpiling supplies inconvenient and suspicious.
As for why she rented a storefront instead of a warehouse, the answer was equally simple. Most of what she planned to buy was food-related, so having a storefront looked more reasonable. There was also another practical reason: Lin Mei didn’t have a driver’s license and couldn’t drive. In the past, she had been too busy earning money to learn. Warehouses were usually located in remote areas, making supply collection extremely inconvenient without a car.
Besides, considering how tiny her space actually was, the amount of supplies she could gather would be limited anyway. Her top priority was ensuring convenient access to food. The shop already came fully equipped with cooking, frying, and food-prep appliances, which she could directly use later.
After chatting briefly with the landlord, who happened to be nearby, Lin Mei waited a short while before he arrived and opened the storefront for her to inspect.
It felt almost exactly like what she wanted.
So the discussion turned toward renting it.
After some bargaining back and forth, Lin Mei finally took over the shop for fifty thousand yuan. The amount included one month’s rent at 2,800 yuan plus a two-month deposit.
The price was genuinely cheap. If the shop hadn’t been so tiny and hidden away in a corner, it never would have been rented out at such a low cost.
Now that the storefront issue was settled, the next step was planning how to make the best use of her space.