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Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Chapter 9. part 1
Lu Yuan’s lie had been exposed, and his confidence visibly faltered. “Anyway,” he muttered, trying to save face, “we got the million.”
Zhou An’an crossed her arms. “Then explain why you want to buy a bus. If your reason doesn’t convince me, I’m not buying it.”
All the money was in her hands; she had the final say on important decisions.
Suddenly, Zhou An’an understood the joy of being the head of the household.
Lu Yuan countered, “What do you think the apocalypse will be like?”
Zhou An’an wasn’t sure why he was asking, but she thought for a moment before answering seriously.
“Transportation will collapse. Water, electricity, and communication systems will fail. Human society will descend into chaos. People’s daily tasks won’t be about working and earning money anymore, but about finding food and water in a brutal environment, just trying to survive.”
Lu Yuan pressed on. “So, what do you think is the best way to survive now?”
“Stockpiling, of course,” Zhou An’an replied immediately. “Find a sturdy, safe, and warm shelter—like a basement, a detached villa, a cave, or an underground fortress.”
“And then hide inside forever until you run out of food and starve, or run out of water and die of thirst?”
She was momentarily speechless but stubbornly retorted, “Then I’ll just stockpile enough food and water to last a lifetime.”
Lu Yuan continued, “Food has a shelf life. Even if you stockpile only vacuum-sealed food, after ten or twenty years at most, it will no longer be edible. What will you do then?”
Zhou An’an hesitated. “…Find a place with a river where I can grow my own crops?”
“Growing crops requires a stable climate. Can you guarantee the climate will still be suitable for agriculture then? Where I am, the average temperature is around -20°C. Even at its warmest, it’s -10°C, and at its coldest, it drops to nearly -50°C. Do you think you can grow anything in that? Even if there’s a river nearby, the surface will be frozen harder than iron. How will you get water? Besides…”
Zhou An’an was already at a loss for words. Seeing him trail off, she asked, “Besides what?”
Lu Yuan’s expression turned grim. “That white light—let’s call it the System for now. It sent someone with over a hundred years of doomsday survival experience to your side to lower your survival difficulty. That means it will inevitably increase the difficulty in other areas. I suspect that in two months, we’ll be facing more than just zombies and extreme cold. Or rather… it won’t *just* be those things anymore.”
“So, ‘not just those things’ means we’ll face other disasters besides zombies and extreme cold?”
With just those two disasters, humanity struggled for over a hundred years, and the population of billions was reduced to just over three thousand survivors.
If they add other disasters, wouldn’t we have been wiped out long ago?
The thought alone terrified Zhou An’an.
Lu Yuan continued: “As for your idea of stockpiling massive amounts of food and water, that’s actually the *least* necessary things in the early stages. The initial outbreak will wipe out at least 80 to 90 percent of the global population. Even with your advance warning, that won’t change much. With the population drastically reduced, the supplies produced before the outbreak won’t disappear. There will be enough to sustain the survivors for at least ten years.”
After a minute, he sent another message:
“For food, we only need about a month’s supply. The real priorities are two other things. First, mobility—the ability to escape danger instantly and search for supplies when needed. Second, self-defense—the ability to handle both zombies and hostile humans.”
Me? With my stamina, I can’t even fight off a goose. How am I supposed to fight zombies? Or other people?
I might as well just die now.
Zhou An’an: How about we just stick to stockpiling? We’ll last for ten years if we can, and at least we can say we tried our best, right? Your plan is just too difficult.
Lu Yuan: You’ve already resigned yourself to dying, yet you’re not even willing to try?
Zhou An’an fell silent.
There was a difference between lying down and waiting for death, and waiting for death after enduring endless suffering.
The former was clearly much more comfortable.
Lu Yuan: In the apocalypse, you can scavenge for more than just food and water.
Zhou An’an: ?
Lu Yuan: If you wanted, two months from now, you could have the nation’s most luxurious shopping mall all to yourself. Your only dilemma would be whether to wear a ¥100,000 outfit or a ¥200,000 one—or just take them all.
Threats and temptations!
These are definitely threats and temptations!
Shamefully, she was actually tempted.
Zhou An’an: If I do what you say, are you really confident we can survive?
Lu Yuan: This is the only viable method derived from my research base’s century-long study of apocalyptic history. If you want to go solo, this is the only way. Unless you plan to join a large group.
Zhou An’an gritted her teeth. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. What kind of vehicle should I buy? I’ll start looking today.”
Lu Yuan: I’m not familiar with the specific vehicle models from that era. You can send me photos of what’s available. Remember, it can’t be too small. The vehicle must be at least ten meters long.
Zhou An’an: Okay.
She took a car into the city, first dropping off her luggage at a hotel. Then, she searched for the largest used car market in City A.
It wasn’t far—just over ten kilometers. She hailed a taxi and arrived quickly.
Zhou An’an had gotten her driver’s license during the summer after high school graduation but hadn’t driven since. Suddenly plunged into a sea of cars—the vast lot packed with neatly arranged, densely parked vehicles—she instantly felt like a lone boat adrift.
Fortunately, she had a clear goal today. Since 80% of the market consisted of ordinary small cars, only a few dealerships sold buses.
The moment Zhou An’an walked over, a salesperson immediately swarmed her.
“Miss, what kind of vehicle are you looking for? Let me give you some recommendations!”
Zhou An’an dreaded dealing with smooth-talking salespeople like him. In their presence, she felt like a fool, easily swayed by their pitches.
“I’ll just look around first.”
“Sure.”
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