Chapter 2: Grudges of a Past Life

Zhuang Jie, standing outside the door, was bewildered. What? They had something like that going on? But his goal was not to interfere in their messy personal affairs; it was the pendant. He only wanted the pendant. Since his rebirth, his top priority had been to secure it as early as possible so he could live better in the apocalypse.

He knocked on the door anxiously. "Sister-in-law, my visit has nothing to do with Brother Lu. I really just want to borrow the pendant."

"Your lie is far too transparent. In any jewelry store today, you can find any style imaginable. What’s so special about my worthless trinket? Aren't you just trying to get inside to see if there’s a man here?" With that, Gu Pan deliberately kicked over a stool. It clattered loudly, making it seem as if someone else was still inside the house.

At that moment, the only thing Zhuang Jie could think of was that Gu Pan was cheating and there was another man inside. It seemed he wouldn't be getting in today. He truly hadn't expected that Gu Pan, who always seemed so quiet and gentle, could be so promiscuous.

He said, "Sister-in-law, I won't tell Brother Lu about your business, but I really hope you can lend me the pendant."

To him, Gu Pan and everything else were unimportant. The apocalypse was coming, so why bother with such things? The space was what mattered. The sooner he obtained the space, the greater his advantage would be in the end times.

"Enough, quit talking about the pendant. Stop making things up. Do whatever you want. Go ahead and tell Lu Ruisheng that I refused to open the door for you, let him be suspicious. Regardless, my divorce from Lu Ruisheng wouldn't benefit your company anyway." Gu Pan was simply steering the conversation elsewhere.

Zhuang Jie was anxious because the apocalypse was only seven days away. He had to hoard supplies in advance. Even with the space, the more supplies he had, the more secure he would be. In his past life, the first two months of the apocalypse had been miserable.

He dared not waste more time, thinking he would go back to stock up on supplies first; once he eventually got the pendant, he could simply store everything inside. After all, the pendant would be his sooner or later.

So, Zhuang Jie said to the door, "Sister-in-law, I promise I won't mention your business to Brother Lu. I'll head back now, and perhaps we can have dinner another day."

Hearing Zhuang Jie leave, Gu Pan leaned against the door, contemplating her next move. She needed to buy supplies, but because of Zhuang Jie, she couldn't rush out blindly. Although her combat skills had been decent during her three years in the apocalypse, she feared being ambushed.

The allure of the space was too great. If Zhuang Jie hired people to steal it, she would be in danger alone. After all, she knew exactly how the space functioned, including the fact that it initially only had a three-hour access limit. She saw no reason to take risks while the situation remained uncertain.

She simply locked the door from the inside and began planning the next seven days. Working with a plan would save time.

It would be safer to wait for Lu Ruisheng to return so they could go out together. Her husband was a retired special forces soldier, the kind who could fight ten men at once; otherwise, they wouldn't have survived those three years in the apocalypse.

She first took a pen and paper to write a shopping list. She couldn't afford to buy things aimlessly; every cent had to be spent where it counted. Having survived over three years in the apocalypse, she knew exactly what would be in short supply.

A blizzard was coming, followed by a rapid drop in temperature—not by ten or twenty degrees, but from over ten degrees Celsius down to minus fifty. The twin disasters would paralyze the entire city in ice. Although the blizzard would stop after ten days, the temperature would have plummeted to minus sixty degrees, reaching the limit of human survival. Before long, electricity would be cut off, and many would freeze to death without a way to stay warm.

A few months later, the weather would suddenly warm up overnight. Since many people had thrown trash out of their windows during the extreme cold, the melting ice would lead to plagues of rats, causing an epidemic. Following the plague, there would be extreme heat, then drought, acid rain, tornadoes, and the alternating extremes of polar days and nights.

Clothing, food, housing, and transportation—these were the essentials for survival. She started her list with clothing.

Standard sportswear, both thin and thick for all seasons, was a must-buy because it was the most practical for the apocalypse. Because the extreme cold was imminent, she needed to buy Antarctic expedition-grade down jackets for maximum warmth. Naturally, she also needed raincoats, windbreakers, thermal underwear, sun-protective clothing, scarves, socks, hats, and gloves for various environments.

She also wanted chemical protection suits, hazmat suits, and bulletproof vests, though she wasn't sure if she could acquire them. She would wait for Lu Ruisheng to return to discuss this, as his military background made him more knowledgeable in such matters.

Along with clothes came footwear: casual shoes, snow boots, rain boots, and shoes suited for different weather conditions.

Next was food. Not just rice, flour, and oil, but various seasonings, as well as gas canisters, pots, pans, and bowls. She couldn't just buy one type of grain. She planned to go to the wholesale agricultural market with her husband to see everything firsthand and ensure their haul was comprehensive.

Beyond that, there would be fruits, vegetables, meat, and eggs. Finally, she needed instant noodles, self-heating meal kits, and compressed biscuits—these would be hard currency in the apocalypse.

Of course, water was the most important. Although snow could be melted for water during the extreme cold, it wasn't clean and would be detrimental to their health if consumed long-term. Once the extreme heat arrived and the snow melted away, water shortages would become critical, and many would die of thirst. Water supplies had to be abundant.

For housing, bedding, tents, and sleeping bags were essential, but long-term survival also required daily necessities. Sanitary pads and toilet paper were incredibly important for a woman. Then there were toiletries: shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, and fabric softener.

While focusing on basic survival, one had to maintain some semblance of quality of life. Recalling those three years in her past life was terrifying—going a month without washing one's hair was normal, and she rarely knew when she would next be able to wash her clothes. She didn't even want to think about those days.

Of course, the living space needed heating and cooling. Beyond electricity, she would need to prepare coal, firewood, and stoves for emergencies.

Regarding transportation, they needed vehicles and gasoline. Then there were boats—large ones weren't realistic, but inflatable kayaks were feasible. And perhaps hot air balloons? If the ground became completely compromised, taking to the sky might be an option.

Unlike ancient times, the modern world relied on electronics, so she needed those too. Even if the internet went down, phones, computers, and tablets would still provide entertainment. Household appliances like TVs, air conditioners, and washing machines were also necessary. To run all these, they needed a generator.

For extreme survival gear—like outdoor rescue kits, climbing ropes, and emergency lights—she would consult Lu Ruisheng upon his return; he was the expert. She would also let her husband handle the weapons, as he would know how to secure them safely.

Finally, there was medicine. Without it, a simple cold could be fatal in the apocalypse. She wrote at the bottom of her plan that a day or two before the end, they would go to the pharmacy to stockpile medicine, as the chaos would mean no one would be checking such things.

This was everything she could think of for now. As she went out to hoard supplies over the next few days, she would surely see or recall other important items and could buy them then.

Gu Pan didn't order anything online. The weather was becoming increasingly erratic, and in the coming days, transportation would gradually fail. Planes and ships would cease operations, and highways would close. Even if some local warehouses had stock, it might not be complete. It was better to buy in person; having the goods in hand was the only way to feel secure.