Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies Chapter 4: Booking 500 Tables at a Five-Star Hotel
Previously on Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies...
Zhang Yi, together with the two women, wheeled the three hefty carts loaded with supplies back into the residential area.
During their journey, numerous residents in the vicinity caught sight of the display and began murmuring among themselves.
Zhang Yi had stopped worrying about folks noticing his massive hoarding efforts.
With these two attention-seekers already in the loop about his buying binge, keeping it secret was impossible.
If his sole aim was mere survival, he could liquidate everything he owned and hole up in some remote wasteland to construct an unbreachable stronghold.
Yet, how would he settle the score with the locals who had torn him apart while he was still alive in his last life?
Unless he eliminated those individuals, the gnawing pain deep inside Zhang Yi would persist forever.
Therefore, a key element of his strategy after the end times hit was remaining right here in the community to deliver savage retribution against all who had betrayed him!
Naturally, this scheme hinged on the security firm constructing a fortress that nothing could penetrate for him.
If that fell through, he'd have to devise a contingency, like erecting a subterranean bunker in an isolated spot.
Zhang Yi glanced at the surrounding neighbors, who grinned and chatted about the reason behind his enormous supply haul.
He could already picture the moment when these same people would attempt to force their way into his residence to plunder his goods once catastrophe struck.
He had lived through every bit of it before.
However, fear didn't grip him this time, for he was set to be utterly ready.
His goal was to let those folks glimpse the provisions yet remain powerless to seize them, pushing them straight into utter desperation.
Zhang Yi and Fang Yuqing resided in the identical building.
Since Zhang Yi oversaw the storage at Walmart, locals frequently requested his aid in snagging bargain-priced products.
As a result, the entire community recognized Zhang Yi.
Upon spotting Zhang Yi and the pair of women hauling back such a vast array of goods, an elderly woman accompanied by her grandchild approached them.
Her gaze fixed on the edibles in the carts, particularly the prime cuts of beef and mutton, stirring an irresistible urge within her.
"Zhang, what's with hauling all this back? Did it come from a warehouse sale?"
"You won't consume it all by yourself; why not distribute some to the folks around here?"
This was Aunt Lin, a member of the neighborhood committee. She habitually wielded her minor authority to order people about, behaving as if she ran the place.
Previously, she had repeatedly nudged Zhang Yi to fetch her cheap deals, since she thrived on snatching up discounts.
In his prior existence, she had hounded him for rations too.
Yet, during the frenzy when residents raided Zhang Yi's home for loot, she outdid even the vigorous youth in her zeal.
Fang Yuqing and Lin Cainin preferred not to tangle with this lady, hastily explaining, "All this belongs to Zhang Yi's shopping. We merely assisted in transporting it."
Aunt Lin's attention shifted right to Zhang Yi, her face beaming, "Zhang, these seem to be from your storage facility. Mind sharing a bit with Aunt Lin?"
While she chattered, her grandson Xiaohu had clambered up onto a cart and snatched a carton of chocolates.
Though just a kid, he possessed keen instincts. That pack of foreign chocolates fetched more than two hundred yuan at the store.
In silence, Zhang Yi yanked the chocolates away.
He declared icily, "I'm holding onto these for personal use."
With doomsday looming, he had no patience left for niceties.
Aunt Lin's expression darkened, "You..."
Zhang Yi's blunt rejection shamed her before the onlookers and ignited her fury.
Especially as her grandson Xiaohu, after Zhang Yi shoved him off, wailed for the chocolates.
He even jabbed a finger at Zhang Yi, yelling, "You're a meanie, return my chocolates! Or else I'll whack you!"
Zhang Yi fixed him with a frosty stare and warned sharply, "Utter one more thing, and I'll give you a smack."
Frightened into quiet, Xiaohu then erupted into piercing cries, flopping around on the pavement.
Aunt Lin rushed to soothe her grandson and lashed out at Zhang Yi in rage.
"How can you, a grown-up, bicker with a little one?"
"It's merely a carton of chocolates. What harm in handing it over to the boy?"
"Just let him have one pack? I'll reimburse you down the line. We're not freeloading!"
Zhang Yi let out a scoff.
In this era of instant digital transactions, settling payments right away was effortless.
Her promise of later repayment was obviously a dodge to skip paying altogether.
"I told you, this is all for my consumption. If you desire any, head to the supermarket and purchase it yourself!"
Zhang Yi gave a chilly laugh, then summoned Fang Yuqing and Lin Cainin to depart.
As they moved off, Aunt Lin's profane mutterings echoed after them.
Zhang Yi paid no heed.
Aunt Lin's offspring and their spouse toiled in distant parts, abandoning her to mind her grandson solo.
The senior typically shopped for provisions each day.
Thus, come the cataclysm, their stockpile would deplete quickest.
In the bygone life, out of pity, Zhang Yi had aided them.
But this round, absent his support, that unethical elder and her bratty descendant would count themselves fortunate to last a week.
Zhang Yi saw no point in clashing with walking dead.
Not that he lacked compassion, but when disaster unfolded, self-preservation would demand everyone's focus.
His own existence took priority over strangers'.
Once the trio of carts reached his dwelling, Zhang Yi sent the women on their way.
"Zhang Yi, remember to reward us!" Fang Yuqing teased with a flirtatious blink.
Yet Zhang Yi only felt revulsion at her simpering antics.
He muttered a vague acknowledgment.
The women had first hoped to linger, hunting for signs that Zhang Yi concealed vast wealth.
But facing his clear reluctance to entertain them, they departed.
With them gone, Zhang Yi accessed his pocket dimension and tucked away every item of provisions.
He aimed to monitor if anything altered about the goods once placed within the space.
Having finished that chore, night had fallen deep.
Zhang Yi skipped immediate slumber, instead fetching stationery to carefully outline the upcoming month's safeguards.
Though typically indolent, the drive for endurance could spark tremendous drive.
"For a cozy existence amid the end times, securing sustenance comes first. Simple enough."
"Beyond my standard buys, more can come from the depot. Yet caution is key—I should collect extras only near the crisis to dodge scrutiny. Capture now would spell doom."
Zhang Yi jotted "Food" in his ledger and marked it complete.
"Heating ranks next."
"Post-disaster, power sources will dwindle sharply, rendering AC useless before long."
"Hence, the most basic approach is ideal. A hearth stands out as prime!"
Fireplaces resemble old-school Chinese heated platforms, relying on age-old techniques for warmth.
This method helps endure harsh European winters, notorious for their biting chill.
"So, home renovations are in order, ideally with added thermal barriers."
Musing on alterations, Zhang Yi recollected his past home invasion, stirring unease.
"I must transform my place into an unbreakable bastion."
"Start by fitting robust steel sheets or metal alloys, tough enough to resist blasts."
Once ruin descends, desperation drives extremes, demanding ironclad readiness.
He refused to stake his well-being on chance. Having endured demise once, repetition was unthinkable.
The fortified dwelling issue could find resolution too.
Tianhai City boasted firms specializing in elite safeguards, such as crafting secure havens.
Zhang Yi recalled tales of a foreign tycoon erecting a mega-stronghold against minor atomic strikes.
"Ensuring ample remedies follows. I can't chance sickness without remedies."
"Walmart's stockroom brims with everyday remedies for sniffles and temperatures, but that falls short."
"The aftermath gale endures years, requiring total readiness."
Luckily, Zhang Yi maintained solid ties across Tianhai City.
As depot overseer, he linked with medical facility stock handlers.
Any drug desired was obtainable for the right price.
With those matters settled, Zhang Yi drummed his pen on the notepad.
"One vital concern lingers."
His eyes narrowed intently.
"Namely, armaments!"
In the downfall, ethics crumble, and resource skirmishes become routine.
Existence grows cheaper than grass. Survival demands potent fighting ability.
Zhang Yi lacked combat prowess; top warriors dread a sharp blade in skilled hands.
Ample lethal tools would erase such worries.
"Blades, pry bars, and hatchets prove simple to acquire."
"Archery gear, bolt launchers, and pellet guns are attainable as well."
"Yet the deadliest choice involves U.S.-patterned firearms. Procuring them domestically means delving into underground trades."
"Traveling overseas for them? Utterly unfeasible. The journey drags on, and lacking overseas arming permits, legal shops stay off-limits."
Zhang Yi rubbed his jaw. This hurdle wouldn't yield swiftly.
Still, with four weeks remaining, determination and funds should unlock solutions.
He devoted three hours to forging an impeccable blueprint, then savored a steaming bath and drifted off in his plush bedding.
...
The following dawn, Zhang Yi rose from his slumber.
Sleep evaded him fully, jolted awake by terrors repeatedly.
Awake in his toasty haven, he exhaled deeply in gratitude.
The catastrophe etched lasting wounds in his spirit.
To sidestep old errors, Zhang Yi burned fiercer than ever to arm himself completely!
Upon rising, Zhang Yi whipped up a morning meal.
He then delved into his pocket dimension to inspect the overnight-stored goods' state.
Delight surged as the flesh, produce, and greens retained their original vibrancy.
Meat's freshness might hold steady initially, while produce often wilts by morn.
Yet within the pocket realm, they appeared pristine as purchase day.
"My pocket dimension likely operates beyond this realm's temporal rhythm, maybe halting or decelerating it. Incredible boon!"
"Thus, I can hoard endlessly without concern."
This realization flooded Zhang Yi's thoughts with possibilities.
If raw ingredients preserved well, why not ready-cooked dishes?
He managed basic cooking, but pros outshone him.
His own meals would eventually bore him.
So Zhang Yi promptly dialed Tianhai's premier luxury inn, Grand Fortune.
This establishment provided delivery, boasting exquisite cuisine that Zhang Yi adored.
"Hello, Grand Fortune speaking. How may we serve you?"
Zhang Yi responded swiftly, "I require reserving 500 banquet setups for a three-day banquet at my residence."
The voice on the line froze in shock.
Preparing five hundred spreads demanded extensive effort.
As a luxury venue, their base feast per table hit thirty thousand yuan.
Five hundred would surpass ten million!
The employee hesitated to commit solo, replying, "One moment, please; I must confer with the supervisor."
Soon, a new voice assumed the line.
"Greetings, sir. I am Chen Dingfang, Grand Fortune's overseer. What should I call you?"