Chapter 59
Suzy froze for a moment. "Wendy? What is she doing here?"
"I’m not sure," Leonard replied. "But I suspect she’s moved into this complex."
A subtle shift crossed Suzy’s expression. "Did you see which building she entered?"
"The one right next to ours."
Suzy nodded slowly. "I see."
The initial surprise faded, replaced by quiet understanding.
It actually made sense. Wendy was a transmigrator. She knew the storyline. If she chose to move here, there was nothing particularly strange about it.
It just meant Suzy would need to be more careful when going out from now on.
The two of them talked for a while longer, mainly double-checking the camera coverage at the entrance.
Afterward, they tidied up the apartment, eventually filling two large trash bags with garbage.
"Uncle, I’ll go downstairs and throw this out," Suzy said. "I’ll be right back."
After getting Leonard’s acknowledgment, she grabbed the bags and headed out.
The moment she opened the door, a wave of hot air rushed toward her. Sweat quickly gathered on her forehead.
This was probably the prelude to the coming disaster.
The temperature had already climbed to nearly forty degrees Celsius. Without air conditioning, it was almost unbearable.
Suzy quickened her pace and took the elevator down to the garbage disposal area.
The path was nearly deserted.
It was simply too hot.
The elderly residents who usually took evening walks around the complex had all retreated indoors. No one stepped outside unless absolutely necessary.
Being out here felt like voluntary suffering.
After tossing the trash away, Suzy started walking back.
By now her clothes were already damp with sweat.
Thankfully, she hadn’t showered earlier—otherwise it would have been wasted.
The elevator was still descending, so she had to wait.
Suzy lowered her head and checked her phone, browsing a forum used by apocalypse enthusiasts.
Ever since someone had posted a thread warning people to stockpile supplies, quite a few users on the forum had actually followed the advice.
Now many of them were posting photos of their hoards—proudly showing off their supplies.
Suzy couldn’t help but feel a little impressed.
These people actually listened.
If that same thread had appeared on a mainstream platform, it probably would have been reported or mocked within minutes.
But here, people mostly expressed gratitude. No sarcasm. No ridicule.
An idea flickered through Suzy’s mind.
She tapped the "create post" button.
Just then—
Ding.
The elevator arrived. Her attention shifted upward.
Inside stood a man.
He wore a black short-sleeved shirt and black pants, with a mask covering most of his face.
It was eleven at night, and the heat outside was suffocating.
Seeing someone dressed like that—and still wearing a mask—felt distinctly strange.
Suzy glanced at him again. And this time, she recognized him.
Those familiar eyes and brows... It was Richard Stone.
What was Richard doing out this late?
The question surfaced instantly in Suzy’s mind. But while she recognized him, Richard didn’t recognize her.
He merely glanced at her once and stood there silently.
Suzy was about to step into the elevator when Richard spoke. "This one goes to the underground parking garage."
Suzy paused, then gave an embarrassed smile. "Oh... then I’ll wait."
She stepped back out.
The elevator doors slid closed, the indicator showing B2.
A moment later, the elevator began rising again.
Richard going out dressed like that in the middle of the night... That was definitely strange.
Still thinking about it, Suzy stepped into the elevator when it returned. She had no intention of following him.
If she chased after him and got caught, it would truly expose her. Who knew—he might even silence her permanently.
Better to go home quietly.
***
Underground Parking Garage
Richard Stone retrieved his car and slid into the driver’s seat. The first thing he did was crank the air conditioner to maximum.
It had been only a short walk, yet his clothes were already soaked through with sweat.
Cool air rushed from the vents, brushing against his face. He let out a long breath.
"Damn, it’s hot."
Under normal circumstances, he would never have chosen to go out tonight. Staying at home in the comfort of air conditioning would have been far more pleasant.
But—
The moment he thought about the warehouse filled to the brim with supplies, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.
The corner of his mouth curved into a confident, almost greedy smile.
With so many valuable resources sitting there, how could he possibly leave them for someone else?
Of course he would claim them for himself.
Richard started the engine and drove toward the location he had marked earlier.
Thirty minutes later, he arrived at a warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
Reaching into his pocket, Richard pulled out a lock-picking tool and slipped on a black jacket before stepping out of the car.
Tomorrow, the extreme heat disaster would officially begin.
He had been watching this place for days.
Naturally, he intended to take everything before that happened.
He had already scouted the area thoroughly.
The moment he returned to the country, he had mapped the surroundings, destroyed the nearby surveillance cameras, and ensured there would be no trace of him ever being here.
Standing before the warehouse door, Richard took out a breaching tool, dismantled the lock, and pushed the door open.
He flicked on his flashlight.
The beam swept across towering piles of supplies stacked inside—boxes upon boxes rising like small mountains.
He couldn’t help but laugh.
"Damn. Someone really went all out buying this stuff."
Holding the flashlight high, he slowly turned in a circle, surveying the bounty.
"There’s an old saying," he muttered with a grin. "While the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole waits behind."
"Well... I won’t be polite about it."
He walked through the warehouse.
Everywhere he passed, the supplies vanished—silently disappearing into his spatial storage.
In less than five minutes, the once-packed warehouse was completely empty.
Not even a single box remained.
Richard glanced back one last time, closed the door behind him, and locked it again before leaving with complete satisfaction.
As for how the warehouse owner would feel upon discovering everything gone... He didn’t care in the slightest.
***
At the Same Time
In her air-conditioned apartment, Wendy suddenly sneezed. She rubbed her nose, a faint sense of unease creeping over her.
She had no idea that her base had just been looted.
Her supplies were stored across three different locations. The largest stockpile had been inside that very warehouse.
Originally, Wendy had planned to transfer everything into her space.
But the space was simply too small. In the end, she had given up.
The warehouse seemed remote and secure, so she assumed it was safe. Her plan had been to retrieve everything once her spatial ability upgraded.
Unfortunately, that day would never come.
"The AC must be set too low," Wendy muttered as she pulled the blanket up slightly.
Thinking about how the extreme heat apocalypse would begin tomorrow—and how well prepared she already was—she smiled contentedly.
[Post Successfully Published]
Fresh from a shower, Suzy lay comfortably on her bed, enjoying the cool air from the air conditioner.
In her hand was a cup of iced milk tea.
Life felt wonderful.
No matter how scorching the weather outside became, it had nothing to do with her.
Moments earlier, she had posted a new thread on the forum.
After considerable hesitation, Suzy had decided to share information about the disasters that were about to unfold.
She posted anonymously.
In the thread, she carefully described the sequence of coming catastrophes.
The extreme heat would only be the beginning.
Her hope was to give the forum’s members a warning—to help them prepare in advance.
She deliberately chose to post only in that niche forum.
She knew perfectly well that if she spread such claims across mainstream platforms, the content would quickly be reported.
At best, people would mock it.
At worst, she might end up questioned by authorities.
But in a survivalist forum like this, such discussions were perfectly normal.
Almost immediately after posting, replies began appearing beneath her thread.