Chapter 24
The moment Suzy tapped into the shopping app, things spiraled out of control.
Because her recent search history had been filled with food-related items, the platform immediately flooded her homepage with recommendations for snacks, drinks, and daily necessities.
She scrolled once.
Then again.
This looks good. That too.
Before she knew it, she was placing orders in rapid succession.
Tonight, she was browsing a wholesale platform—one that specialized in bulk purchases. It carried everything imaginable and even allowed direct contact with factories.
Perfect.
If she was stocking up for the apocalypse, she might as well do it properly.
She decided to start with clothing.
She would need outfits for all four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, winter—and in multiple sizes.
Once she set her target, she began searching methodically.
Disposable socks and disposable underwear—ten thousand of each. Enough to last her a lifetime.
For everyday wear, she ordered one thousand pieces in her own size.
Bras, panties, T-shirts, shorts, tank tops—another thousand each for summer.
She ordered smaller quantities in other sizes too, though not much. After all, if opportunity arose in the apocalypse, she could always "acquire" more without paying.
For winter, she purchased one thousand sets of thermal underwear and long johns.
When choosing colors, she stuck mostly to black, white, and gray—practical, inconspicuous tones that wouldn’t draw attention in a lawless world.
Looking at the long list in her cart, Suzy felt deeply satisfied.
These clothes alone would last her years.
After placing the orders, she noticed factory-direct listings for down jackets.
Well-known domestic brands with excellent reputations and reliable insulation.
She ordered one thousand in every size.
Matching gloves, scarves, snow boots—five hundred of each.
Once the apocalyptic storms began, temperatures would plummet, followed by extreme cold. Warm bedding would be essential.
She added three hundred of each: down quilts, cotton quilts, wool blankets, lightweight summer comforters, pillows, mosquito nets, and full bedding sets.
By the time she finished, she had covered nearly every seasonal clothing need through that one wholesale app.
The delivery address: her rented warehouse.
After exhausting the platform, she moved on to an outdoor equipment retailer’s official website.
Camping gear.
Sportswear.
Survival tools.
The store specialized in athletic and outdoor products, many of excellent quality.
Anything that caught her eye went straight into the cart—a minimum of fifty pieces per item.
She bought plenty of clothing.
Then she bought bicycles.
Ten of each style.
For athletic shoes, she ordered two hundred pairs in her own size.
Another two hundred pairs across other sizes—including men’s styles.
Rollerblades—two hundred pairs total, covering various styles and sizes for both men and women.
After finishing with wearable gear, she turned to the camping section.
There were more than a dozen tent models alone—budget, premium, and everything in between.
She selected several representative models and ordered ten of each—fifty tents total.
Folding tables and chairs in different styles—ten each.
Inflatable mattresses—twenty per style.
Travel sleeping bags and camping pillows—twenty each.
Then came portable tools:
* Stainless steel kettles ×50
* Portable wood-burning stoves ×50
* Camping tableware sets ×100
* Portable gas burners ×50
* Collapsible insulated coolers ×50
* Stainless steel nesting cookware sets ×100
* Insulated water bottles (various types) ×100
* Headlamps ×100
* Camping lanterns ×100
* Air pumps for tents and inflatables ×100
𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
As she finalized the purchases, Suzy leaned back in her chair and exhaled slowly.
This was only the beginning.
Clothing, warmth, shelter, mobility—step by step, she was building the foundation of survival.
Three months.
More than enough time to prepare.
And this time, she would not be caught unready.
By the time she finished adding everything to her cart, the total had climbed to yet another staggering figure.
But after the apocalypse, none of this would even be available.
Staring at the growing number beside her shopping cart, Suzy felt a deep, almost indulgent satisfaction.
She added sports equipment from the store as well—one hundred sets of each type of ball. Who knew? Maybe one day she’d have the luxury of exercising.
After clearing out nearly everything worth buying in that shop, she switched back to the wholesale platform and continued browsing.
If the power grid collapsed, she could rely on portable butane stoves.
She immediately ordered one hundred.
As for butane gas canisters—those were essential. She planned to stockpile one hundred thousand canisters to guarantee long-term fuel security.
Next came cookware.
Pots, pans, woks, ladles—anything that caught her eye went straight into the cart, a minimum of five sets per item.
For skincare, she ordered one hundred sets each of the brands she personally used, as well as several well-known premium brands.
For more affordable skincare lines, she stocked five hundred sets.
Enough to last a lifetime.
Body lotion, face masks, serums—she bought in quantities that could carry her through decades. After all, inside her space, nothing would expire.
After browsing for so long, even her eyes felt overwhelmed.
She had already ticked off the purchased items on her checklist. Now she leaned back and began casually scrolling through the app in a more relaxed state.
Anything that looked decent? Straight into the cart. Ten units minimum.
She entered full "buy everything" mode.
Online shopping really was convenient. Without leaving her room, she could secure nearly everything she needed.
With three full months ahead of her, there was plenty of time for deliveries to arrive in C City.
At some point, even Suzy grew drowsy from placing orders.
Outside, rain began to fall.
She glanced toward the window—and froze.
Something important.
Very important.
Kayaks.
The torrential rains would trigger catastrophic flooding. Entire cities would be submerged. If she wanted to move around, she would need boats.
She immediately searched for kayaks.
The wholesale platform truly carried everything. She ordered fifty units of the highest-quality model available.
Then she tried searching for assault boats.
They had those, too.
Well-equipped assault boats weren’t cheap, but she still ordered ten.
Underneath the listing, life jackets were recommended. She added one hundred without hesitation.
Honestly, if circumstances allowed, she would’ve bought a yacht.
After that, she purchased more miscellaneous survival gear.
Once she finalized the latest order, she yawned again.
Just as sleepiness began to overtake her, a notification popped up.
Adam Bennet.
[Adam Bennet: Good night.]
She glanced at the time. It was already past midnight.
Opening their chat window, she realized she hadn’t replied to him earlier.
After hesitating briefly, she typed back: "Good night."
This time, Adam didn’t respond.
The faint drowsiness she’d shaken off returned in full force after that simple message.
Still, she forced herself to continue buying—moving between platforms, placing orders without even glancing at prices.
The freedom of spending without restraint felt exhilarating.
But repetition dulled the thrill.
Eventually, exhaustion crept in.
In the haze of overwhelming sleepiness, she yawned one final time and drifted off.
***
She was jolted awake by her phone ringing.
Her order volumes were enormous, and merchants were calling to confirm details personally.
She’d placed so many orders the night before that there were dozens of missed calls alone.
And that wasn’t even all of it—she’d intentionally routed most of her purchases through the same factory for convenience.
One by one, she returned the calls and confirmed the details.
Half an hour passed before she finally climbed out of bed.
After washing up, she went downstairs.
Leonard had already left for work. He’d prepared breakfast for her and left a handwritten note.
After finishing her meal, Suzy grabbed her bag and headed out.
Today was Leonard’s birthday.