Chapter 66
On the sixth day of the extreme heat apocalypse, the number of patients suffering from heatstroke and sunstroke surged dramatically. Hospitals were overwhelmed, their wards filled beyond capacity.
The daytime temperatures had climbed to terrifying levels.
Gradually, people realized that being active under the blazing sun was dangerous. Many began shifting necessary errands and outings to nighttime instead.
On the seventh day of the extreme heat, Suzy received a call from Daniel Lin.
The safe house she had commissioned was finally complete.
It was early evening when the call came. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, yet the air outside remained oppressively hot, as if the heat itself had seeped into the concrete and refused to leave.
Now that the construction was finished, both parties arranged to meet for the final inspection and handover.
The timing was almost exactly what Suzy had expected.
Daniel was already waiting inside the safe house when she arrived.
Suzy and Leonard drove there together.
Everything inside had been fully installed—the custom furniture, the specialized fittings—and the place had already undergone a thorough professional cleaning.
"Miss Kale, long time no see," Daniel greeted warmly when he saw her again.
"Long time no see," Suzy replied with a smile. "Your team works pretty quickly."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they moved straight to business.
As the site supervisor, Daniel first guided Suzy through the entire safe house, explaining various design features and specialized installations along the way.
Once everything had been carefully checked and confirmed, Suzy signed the final contract and paid the remaining balance.
Daniel didn’t linger long after that. Once he had the signed documents, he prepared to leave.
Suzy had formed a favorable impression of him. Before he left, she offered a quiet piece of advice.
"You should stock up on supplies at home while you still can."
Daniel nodded. "Alright. Thank you for the reminder."
By now, he was almost certain that wealthy clients like Suzy had received some sort of advance warning.
Otherwise, why would anyone build something like a fortified safe house out of nowhere?
And with the arrival of the extreme heat disaster, his suspicions had only grown stronger.
After leaving Suzy, Daniel returned to his company to wrap up his work and submit his resignation.
The commission from Suzy’s project had earned him a substantial amount of money. He had decided to quit his job and return to his hometown.
Not long ago, he had come across an anonymous post on a niche forum he had followed for years.
The post detailed a predicted sequence of upcoming disasters.
The first was extreme heat.
After that would come torrential rain, extreme cold, and other catastrophic events.
Seeing the two safe houses built in Starlight Towers had convinced him that the post might be true.
Both units were located on high floors. Both had fireplaces and specialized insulation.
If those features weren’t meant to prepare for the coming disasters, then what were they for?
After thinking about it for a long time, Daniel made up his mind.
He would return to his hometown.
His village was located deep in the mountains, at a higher elevation with dense vegetation.
Just a few days earlier, he had called his family and learned that temperatures there were far more tolerable because of the terrain.
Even better, the elevated location might help them avoid the flooding that could come with the coming storms.
After weighing everything carefully, Daniel decided to take all the money he had earned and go back home to stockpile supplies.
There was still time.
He had already placed several orders and arranged for deliveries to be sent to his hometown.
After Daniel left, Suzy and Leonard began examining the safe house more carefully.
Leonard ran a hand over the heavy entrance door and clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Suzy, where did you even find a door like this? It’s incredibly thick."
With a door like that, no ordinary person could break it down.
Even the emergency stairwell and elevator entrance had been reinforced with heavy iron gates, making the place feel like a fortress.
"Oh, right, Uncle—let’s install these too."
Suzy reached into her space and pulled out several miniature surveillance cameras.
Cameras had already been installed at the front door and emergency exits, providing full 360-degree coverage.
But Suzy still felt it wasn’t enough.
The corridors needed surveillance, too.
She planned to install cameras on the stairwells of the two floors below—and on the floors above as well, just in case.
Now that they had experience installing them, the process went quickly.
But even so, they were soon drenched in sweat.
The rooftop floor was unbearably hot. Without air conditioning in the elevator hallway, the place felt like a giant steamer.
"It’s way too hot up here," Leonard said, fanning himself with his hand. "Let’s head back."
After Suzy finished a final inspection of the safe house, the two returned to the apartment they were currently renting.
Only after showering and sitting inside an air-conditioned room did they finally feel human again.
Suzy collapsed onto the sofa, deeply grateful that she had chosen not to move into the top-floor safe house yet.
It was just too hot.
Even with the air conditioner running, the heat still lingered.
"Uncle, want some ice americano?" Suzy asked.
Leonard nodded immediately. "Yes! I do. Add a lot of ice, please."
Suzy laughed. "Of course."
She retrieved two cups of iced coffee from her space—one for herself and one for Leonard.
Leonard took a sip.
The icy sweetness spread through his mouth, instantly cooling him down. He closed his eyes in satisfaction.
"Ahh... this is amazing."
He finished the entire cup in a few gulps and looked at Suzy expectantly.
Suzy chuckled and pulled out another cup from her space for him.
This time, he drank more slowly.
After a moment, he said, "Do you still have more? Maybe we should bring some to Thomas, too."
Thomas lived nearby, after all. Good things should be shared.
Suzy nodded. "Sure. I’ve got plenty in my space."
She quickly finished her own cup and stood up. "Should I bring some over to him now?"
Leonard had originally intended to deliver it himself, but when Suzy volunteered, he reconsidered.
The heat was brutal—and he had just showered. Going outside again didn’t sound appealing.
Seeing how eager she was, he nodded.
"Alright, thanks."
"No problem." Suzy smiled, went to the kitchen, and prepared a thermos full of iced coffee.
Holding the thermos, she said, "I’ll be back soon."
Leonard had already turned on the TV and waved her off.
"Go on."
Suzy took the elevator down to the underground parking garage and walked through the connected passageway to the building where Thomas lived.
Thomas was now her bound target. Of course she had to take the initiative!
If their relationship improved further, she might unlock even more rewards.
Humming to herself, Suzy rode the elevator up to Thomas’s floor.
Ding.
The elevator doors slid open.
The smile on her face froze instantly.
Thomas’s doorway was not empty.
A tall, striking woman leaned casually against the doorframe.
She wore heavy makeup and an extremely revealing red slip dress with thin straps, paired with slender high heels.
At the sound of the elevator, she turned and glanced at Suzy.
Suzy immediately recognized her.
It was the same woman she had seen in the elevator before—the one who lived on the floor below Thomas.
At that moment, the woman was speaking to Thomas while holding a slim lady’s cigarette between her fingers.
Her presence made the hallway fall silent for a moment.
Thomas’s gaze moved past the woman—and met Suzy’s.
Suzy forced a stiff smile. "...Am I interrupting something?"
Thomas’s expression shifted slightly.
"Why are you here?"
He opened the door a little wider, then turned to the woman.
"I don’t have time to help you. You should ask someone else."
The woman’s face darkened immediately.
She glanced at Suzy, then at Thomas again—only to realize his attention had completely shifted to Suzy.
He wasn’t even looking at her anymore.
With a cold expression, she turned and walked away.
Thomas, meanwhile, stepped quickly toward Suzy.
"You..."