Natural Disasters Arrive: Hoarding Supplies, Smashing Scums, and Eating Hotpot CH4
Chapter 4: Hoarding 01
Nan Xi laughed at her screen. Is that so, Young Master Tang? You want to buy them? Do you even have that much money? We’re talking 4 billion here—not 400 million, and definitely not 40 million.
Unlike Nan Xi, who held 20% of the Nan Corporation with full authority to dispose of it, Tang Chu Xiao was just a scion of the Tang family. Though he held shares, it was only a 2% stake given to him by the family to boost his social standing and leverage.
In terms of market value, the Tang family was quite a step behind the Nan family.
Her scum dad, Jiang Mingrui, might be a piece of work, but he actually had a knack for business. There was a reason her grandfather had picked him back in the day. Under his management, the Nan Corporation had seen steady growth.
The Tang family, on the other hand, had been on a downward slide for the past few years. As one rose and the other fell, the Tangs no longer looked like a match for the Nans.
The only reason the engagement had stuck to Nan Xi—and the reason Tang Chu Xiao never dared to actually call it off despite hating her—was that 20% stake in her name.
Tang Chu Xiao definitely didn't have 4 billion, but the Tang family did. Specifically, the Tang Patriarch, who held absolute control. If he decided to seize those shares, his checkbook would move much faster than Jiang Mingrui’s, and he wouldn't need to trade properties to make it happen.
However—
Tang Chu Xiao must have stayed up all night too. The sun wasn't even up yet, and Nan Xi hadn't even finished washing her face when his reply popped up: [The Tang family can afford it. If you’re serious about selling, we should sit down and talk.]
Nan Xi actually chuckled.
She had nothing to talk about with Tang Chu Xiao. Even if the one pulling the strings behind the phone was the Tang Patriarch himself, she wasn't interested in a "civilized" chat.
She was the one holding all the cards.
She let the message sit for five minutes—just long enough to apply a face mask—and Tang Chu Xiao lost his patience. He called her.
"Nan Xi, you—"
"You’re late, Young Master Tang. My dad said he’s buying. After all, we’re family; I couldn't forget my dear father when a good deal like this comes along."
"Chairman Jiang can't produce that much cash, and the Nan Corporation doesn't have that much liquidity."
It had to be said—the Tangs kept a very close eye on the Nans' books.
But Nan Xi didn't care.
"That’s fine. He’s my dad; I can sell them to him at a discount. Plus, he has so many assets; I don't mind if he trades those to make up the difference. I'm easy!"
Tang Chu Xiao went silent on the other end.
He was thinking: If she really didn't mind and was willing to sell at a discount because they’re "family," shouldn't a "good daughter" just give the shares to her father?
Then he remembered: Wait, it’s 4 billion.
"Nan Xi, if you actually trade those shares for your father's personal assets, you’re losing money."
"I'm doing it because I feel like it!"
Tang Chu Xiao was rendered speechless again.
Nan Xi followed up with a laugh. "But then again, if I only pick the assets of his that I actually like and reject the ones I don't, he might fall short. How about this, Young Master Tang? If you’re interested, you can negotiate with my dad. When I’m 'picking out the goods' later, maybe the Tang family can show a little sincerity too?"
After all, she never planned on letting Tang Chu Xiao off easy.
"Oh, by the way, Young Master Tang... you aren't actually going to be my grandson, are you? We agreed to break the engagement last night. Don't tell me you slept for a night and forgot your own words?"
These words were less for Tang Chu Xiao and more for the Tang Patriarch listening in the background.
"If you're quick about it and actually break the engagement, I might even respect you as a man!"
Under the piercing gaze of his grandfather, Tang Chu Xiao stood frozen, not daring to move or even hang up the phone.
He hadn't expected this. Last night had been a heat-of-the-moment threat. Usually, Nan Xi couldn't stand the thought of him breaking up with her; the moment he mentioned it, she’d always fold. He hadn't taken it seriously, so he hadn't told his grandfather.
But now, Nan Xi was clearly out for blood.
Tang Chu Xiao didn't dare hang up, but Nan Xi felt she had said enough. She tapped the screen and ended the call.
At this hour, the rest of the Jiang family wasn't even awake yet.
Nan Xi went to the garage to pick a car, and her eyelids twitched at the selection.
There were over a dozen cars parked there. Half were in Jiang Mingrui’s name, while Jiang Yiran and Sun Kexin only had one each. The rest belonged to Nan Xi—on the surface, a testament to how much Jiang Mingrui "spoiled" her.
Nan Xi had loved these cars when they were bought. Luxury cars—beautiful, flashy, and expensive. Who wouldn't like them?
But when the apocalypse hit, these cars were useless. Most of them ended up waterlogged and turned into scrap metal within the first few months. Zero value.
She might as well trade them for cash. Right now, she was desperately short on funds.
She picked the most low-key vehicle with the most interior space: a high-end business van. It actually belonged to Jiang Mingrui and was worth over a million yuan.
Nan Xi drove to the nearest morning market street for breakfast.
Steamed buns, mantou, soy milk, fried dough sticks, fried oil cakes, crepes, wraps, toasted flatbreads, sticky rice balls... she wanted everything she saw.
Pork and scallion, braised meat, char siu, bamboo shoot and pork, pickled vegetable and pork—she ordered a hundred of each type of bun.
She had arrived early, so some shops hadn't finished steaming yet. She just hopped from one stall to the next; there were plenty of shops on this street anyway.
God knew how many years she had been craving this breakfast!
Last night’s hot pot felt like it hadn't even happened. She didn't feel like she’d woken up because she was well-rested; she felt like she’d woken up because she was starving!
She asked the vendors for foam boxes, which worked well for insulation. As she filled a box, she shoved it into the trunk.
She had already folded the back seats down, so there was plenty of room. When no one was looking, she would secretly slip the boxes into her space.
She wanted the mantou (plain buns), too. After the apocalypse, crops failed. While rice could be stored for a while, flour became nearly impossible to find. Flour-based products were the ultimate luxury.
Buying a bit from every stall, she eventually amassed over a thousand mantou.
"Little girl, why are you buying so much? Can you even finish all this?"
"Taking breakfast to the workers at a construction site! We’re doing a taste test today. If the flavor is good, I'll be back for more!"
"Is that so? Try my red bean buns, they're delicious!"
"Red bean filling?"
"Yes, we simmer the beans ourselves to make the paste. Very tasty!"
Hot red bean buns!
Nan Xi, who had just polished off two pork buns, two char siu buns, and two fluffy mantou while chugging soy milk, felt like she was hungry again.
She took a bite. The sweet, smooth red bean paste rolled over her tongue. Nan Xi said with her mouth full, "Auntie, how many red bean buns do you have? I’ll take them all!"
The auntie grinned from ear to ear. "They’re all fresh! This batch just finished steaming. There are over a hundred. You want all of them?"
"All of them! Pack them up, Auntie!"
Nan Xi downed two more red bean buns before she finally, reluctantly, stopped eating.
She wanted to keep going, but she knew she’d actually burst if she did.
What a waste. After being hungry for years, she was greedy for everything she saw.
By the time she finished the street, she had bought over 2,000 meat buns, 1,000 mantou, 100 red bean buns, and another 1,000 mixed fried cakes, wraps, and flatbreads. She also had about 1,000 fried dough sticks.
She skipped the soy milk for now. She planned to hoard soybeans and a few soy milk makers so she could make it herself later.
As for beef noodle soup, lamb rice noodles, hot and sour noodles, and braised noodles—it wasn't convenient to carry them today, so she only bought ten portions of each. Just over a hundred total.
She also found a stall with great tea eggs and bought all 200 eggs straight out of the pot.
Heh. The smell was incredible!
All that food cost her less than 20,000 yuan. What a steal!
Doing the math, this was barely enough for three to five years of breakfast. Her goal was to hoard enough for fifty years! Once she finished her other errands, she’d have to keep buying.
By the time she finished the morning market, it was only 7:00 AM. Nan Xi drove to the wet market next. She picked out the freshest greens, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage, radishes, pumpkins, potatoes, onions, and more. She wanted every kind of pepper available—bird’s eye, screw peppers, erjing tiao, bell peppers, and chili—she took them all!
Regardless of the variety, she aimed for 100 jin of each.
For heavy hitters like pumpkins, radishes, and potatoes, she ordered 500 jin each.
When she hit the dry goods section: soybeans, mung beans, kidney beans, broad beans, red beans, black beans—each in 100-jin sacks.
Then came the seasonings: salt, MSG, chicken bouillon, pepper powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, star anise, cinnamon, cumin, and dried chilies. She also grabbed five-spice powder, curry powder, and BBQ rub. She took 100 bags of each pre-packaged kind and 10 jin of everything sold in bulk.
Spices aren't cheap. Between the spices and the vegetables, Nan Xi made several trips back and forth, spending about 100,000 yuan in the wet market.
In reality, this amount was nothing, but she was anxious. Seeing the goods neatly organized in her space finally gave her a bit of peace.
She stopped there today partly because she was still low on cash and partly because she needed to gather contact info from the vendors for massive bulk orders later.
She wanted to keep shopping, but it was after 8:00 AM, and the morning commute was starting. She drove to the Han residence to get her bag and her second phone back from Han Yingxi.
Han Yingxi clung to her car window like a barnacle. "Sis! Sis! Where are you going? Take me with you!"
He looked like he’d crawl through the window if she didn't open the door.
Nan Xi smiled. "Not convenient."
She had too many spots to scout and too many supplies to move this morning. She couldn't have him hovering.
Han Yingxi was stunned. What could his sister possibly be doing that she couldn't take him along?
"Besides, it's Monday. Why aren't you in school?"
Han Yingxi grumbled, "It's not like you're in school either..."
Nan Xi: "..." Miscalculated. She’d forgotten she was technically still a university student.
"I’m busy. Don't have time to chat. I'll call you later!"
She hit the gas and vanished in a cloud of exhaust.
On the way, she painstakingly dug up her counselor’s contact info and sent a text claiming a family emergency and requesting a leave of absence.
As for her roommates and classmates—most of whom she wasn't close to and who were sending "concerned" messages—she ignored them completely.
She made a stop at a second-hand luxury shop she’d contacted the night before. As the Eldest Miss of the Nan family, she possessed the true "capitalist energy" of not caring about the worker’s schedule.
She handed over the bulk of the bags she’d organized last night. Her bags were never cheap—ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands each. Some were still in their original packaging, and most held their value or were classic pieces that had even appreciated.
After clearing out several dozen bags, Nan Xi walked away with another 7.6 million yuan.
Great. More money for the hoard!
Chapter Notes:
Nan Xi laughed at her screen. Is that so, Young Master Tang? You want to buy them? Do you even have that much money? We’re talking 4 billion here—not 400 million, and definitely not 40 million.
Unlike Nan Xi, who held 20% of the Nan Corporation with full authority to dispose of it, Tang Chu Xiao was just a scion of the Tang family. Though he held shares, it was only a 2% stake given to him by the family to boost his social standing and leverage.
In terms of market value, the Tang family was quite a step behind the Nan family.
Her scum dad, Jiang Mingrui, might be a piece of work, but he actually had a knack for business. There was a reason her grandfather had picked him back in the day. Under his management, the Nan Corporation had seen steady growth.
The Tang family, on the other hand, had been on a downward slide for the past few years. As one rose and the other fell, the Tangs no longer looked like a match for the Nans.
The only reason the engagement had stuck to Nan Xi—and the reason Tang Chu Xiao never dared to actually call it off despite hating her—was that 20% stake in her name.
Tang Chu Xiao definitely didn't have 4 billion, but the Tang family did. Specifically, the Tang Patriarch, who held absolute control. If he decided to seize those shares, his checkbook would move much faster than Jiang Mingrui’s, and he wouldn't need to trade properties to make it happen.
However—
Tang Chu Xiao must have stayed up all night too. The sun wasn't even up yet, and Nan Xi hadn't even finished washing her face when his reply popped up: [The Tang family can afford it. If you’re serious about selling, we should sit down and talk.]
Nan Xi actually chuckled.
She had nothing to talk about with Tang Chu Xiao. Even if the one pulling the strings behind the phone was the Tang Patriarch himself, she wasn't interested in a "civilized" chat.
She was the one holding all the cards.
She let the message sit for five minutes—just long enough to apply a face mask—and Tang Chu Xiao lost his patience. He called her.
"Nan Xi, you—"
"You’re late, Young Master Tang. My dad said he’s buying. After all, we’re family; I couldn't forget my dear father when a good deal like this comes along."
"Chairman Jiang can't produce that much cash, and the Nan Corporation doesn't have that much liquidity."
It had to be said—the Tangs kept a very close eye on the Nans' books.
But Nan Xi didn't care.
"That’s fine. He’s my dad; I can sell them to him at a discount. Plus, he has so many assets; I don't mind if he trades those to make up the difference. I'm easy!"
Tang Chu Xiao went silent on the other end.
He was thinking: If she really didn't mind and was willing to sell at a discount because they’re "family," shouldn't a "good daughter" just give the shares to her father?
Then he remembered: Wait, it’s 4 billion.
"Nan Xi, if you actually trade those shares for your father's personal assets, you’re losing money."
"I'm doing it because I feel like it!"
Tang Chu Xiao was rendered speechless again.
Nan Xi followed up with a laugh. "But then again, if I only pick the assets of his that I actually like and reject the ones I don't, he might fall short. How about this, Young Master Tang? If you’re interested, you can negotiate with my dad. When I’m 'picking out the goods' later, maybe the Tang family can show a little sincerity too?"
After all, she never planned on letting Tang Chu Xiao off easy.
"Oh, by the way, Young Master Tang... you aren't actually going to be my grandson, are you? We agreed to break the engagement last night. Don't tell me you slept for a night and forgot your own words?"
These words were less for Tang Chu Xiao and more for the Tang Patriarch listening in the background.
"If you're quick about it and actually break the engagement, I might even respect you as a man!"
Under the piercing gaze of his grandfather, Tang Chu Xiao stood frozen, not daring to move or even hang up the phone.
He hadn't expected this. Last night had been a heat-of-the-moment threat. Usually, Nan Xi couldn't stand the thought of him breaking up with her; the moment he mentioned it, she’d always fold. He hadn't taken it seriously, so he hadn't told his grandfather.
But now, Nan Xi was clearly out for blood.
Tang Chu Xiao didn't dare hang up, but Nan Xi felt she had said enough. She tapped the screen and ended the call.
At this hour, the rest of the Jiang family wasn't even awake yet.
Nan Xi went to the garage to pick a car, and her eyelids twitched at the selection.
There were over a dozen cars parked there. Half were in Jiang Mingrui’s name, while Jiang Yiran and Sun Kexin only had one each. The rest belonged to Nan Xi—on the surface, a testament to how much Jiang Mingrui "spoiled" her.
Nan Xi had loved these cars when they were bought. Luxury cars—beautiful, flashy, and expensive. Who wouldn't like them?
But when the apocalypse hit, these cars were useless. Most of them ended up waterlogged and turned into scrap metal within the first few months. Zero value.
She might as well trade them for cash. Right now, she was desperately short on funds.
She picked the most low-key vehicle with the most interior space: a high-end business van. It actually belonged to Jiang Mingrui and was worth over a million yuan.
Nan Xi drove to the nearest morning market street for breakfast.
Steamed buns, mantou, soy milk, fried dough sticks, fried oil cakes, crepes, wraps, toasted flatbreads, sticky rice balls... she wanted everything she saw.
Pork and scallion, braised meat, char siu, bamboo shoot and pork, pickled vegetable and pork—she ordered a hundred of each type of bun.
She had arrived early, so some shops hadn't finished steaming yet. She just hopped from one stall to the next; there were plenty of shops on this street anyway.
God knew how many years she had been craving this breakfast!
Last night’s hot pot felt like it hadn't even happened. She didn't feel like she’d woken up because she was well-rested; she felt like she’d woken up because she was starving!
She asked the vendors for foam boxes, which worked well for insulation. As she filled a box, she shoved it into the trunk.
She had already folded the back seats down, so there was plenty of room. When no one was looking, she would secretly slip the boxes into her space.
She wanted the mantou (plain buns), too. After the apocalypse, crops failed. While rice could be stored for a while, flour became nearly impossible to find. Flour-based products were the ultimate luxury.
Buying a bit from every stall, she eventually amassed over a thousand mantou.
"Little girl, why are you buying so much? Can you even finish all this?"
"Taking breakfast to the workers at a construction site! We’re doing a taste test today. If the flavor is good, I'll be back for more!"
"Is that so? Try my red bean buns, they're delicious!"
"Red bean filling?"
"Yes, we simmer the beans ourselves to make the paste. Very tasty!"
Hot red bean buns!
Nan Xi, who had just polished off two pork buns, two char siu buns, and two fluffy mantou while chugging soy milk, felt like she was hungry again.
She took a bite. The sweet, smooth red bean paste rolled over her tongue. Nan Xi said with her mouth full, "Auntie, how many red bean buns do you have? I’ll take them all!"
The auntie grinned from ear to ear. "They’re all fresh! This batch just finished steaming. There are over a hundred. You want all of them?"
"All of them! Pack them up, Auntie!"
Nan Xi downed two more red bean buns before she finally, reluctantly, stopped eating.
She wanted to keep going, but she knew she’d actually burst if she did.
What a waste. After being hungry for years, she was greedy for everything she saw.
By the time she finished the street, she had bought over 2,000 meat buns, 1,000 mantou, 100 red bean buns, and another 1,000 mixed fried cakes, wraps, and flatbreads. She also had about 1,000 fried dough sticks.
She skipped the soy milk for now. She planned to hoard soybeans and a few soy milk makers so she could make it herself later.
As for beef noodle soup, lamb rice noodles, hot and sour noodles, and braised noodles—it wasn't convenient to carry them today, so she only bought ten portions of each. Just over a hundred total.
She also found a stall with great tea eggs and bought all 200 eggs straight out of the pot.
Heh. The smell was incredible!
All that food cost her less than 20,000 yuan. What a steal!
Doing the math, this was barely enough for three to five years of breakfast. Her goal was to hoard enough for fifty years! Once she finished her other errands, she’d have to keep buying.
By the time she finished the morning market, it was only 7:00 AM. Nan Xi drove to the wet market next. She picked out the freshest greens, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage, radishes, pumpkins, potatoes, onions, and more. She wanted every kind of pepper available—bird’s eye, screw peppers, erjing tiao, bell peppers, and chili—she took them all!
Regardless of the variety, she aimed for 100 jin of each.
For heavy hitters like pumpkins, radishes, and potatoes, she ordered 500 jin each.
When she hit the dry goods section: soybeans, mung beans, kidney beans, broad beans, red beans, black beans—each in 100-jin sacks.
Then came the seasonings: salt, MSG, chicken bouillon, pepper powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, star anise, cinnamon, cumin, and dried chilies. She also grabbed five-spice powder, curry powder, and BBQ rub. She took 100 bags of each pre-packaged kind and 10 jin of everything sold in bulk.
Spices aren't cheap. Between the spices and the vegetables, Nan Xi made several trips back and forth, spending about 100,000 yuan in the wet market.
In reality, this amount was nothing, but she was anxious. Seeing the goods neatly organized in her space finally gave her a bit of peace.
She stopped there today partly because she was still low on cash and partly because she needed to gather contact info from the vendors for massive bulk orders later.
She wanted to keep shopping, but it was after 8:00 AM, and the morning commute was starting. She drove to the Han residence to get her bag and her second phone back from Han Yingxi.
Han Yingxi clung to her car window like a barnacle. "Sis! Sis! Where are you going? Take me with you!"
He looked like he’d crawl through the window if she didn't open the door.
Nan Xi smiled. "Not convenient."
She had too many spots to scout and too many supplies to move this morning. She couldn't have him hovering.
Han Yingxi was stunned. What could his sister possibly be doing that she couldn't take him along?
"Besides, it's Monday. Why aren't you in school?"
Han Yingxi grumbled, "It's not like you're in school either..."
Nan Xi: "..." Miscalculated. She’d forgotten she was technically still a university student.
"I’m busy. Don't have time to chat. I'll call you later!"
She hit the gas and vanished in a cloud of exhaust.
On the way, she painstakingly dug up her counselor’s contact info and sent a text claiming a family emergency and requesting a leave of absence.
As for her roommates and classmates—most of whom she wasn't close to and who were sending "concerned" messages—she ignored them completely.
She made a stop at a second-hand luxury shop she’d contacted the night before. As the Eldest Miss of the Nan family, she possessed the true "capitalist energy" of not caring about the worker’s schedule.
She handed over the bulk of the bags she’d organized last night. Her bags were never cheap—ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands each. Some were still in their original packaging, and most held their value or were classic pieces that had even appreciated.
After clearing out several dozen bags, Nan Xi walked away with another 7.6 million yuan.
Great. More money for the hoard!
Chapter Notes:
- Drop Gold/Loot (爆金币 - Bao jinbi): A gaming term often used in Chinese internet slang to describe forcing someone (usually a parent or someone wealthy) to give up money.
- Jin (斤): 0.5kg. So 100 jin is 50kg, and 500 jin is 250kg.
(Cubbie: As I mentioned back in CH1, we're still organizing the chapters on each project so there won't be a regular update schedule for this novel yet. We'll try to have a fixed schedule by in a few weeks but for now, expect irregular updates. Thanks for checking this novel out!)
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