Natural Disasters Arrive: Hoarding Supplies, Crushing Scumbags, and Eating Hotpot CH7
Chapter 7: Hoarding 04
It was getting late to book a flight, but Nan Xi wasn't picky. A red-eye flight in the middle of the night worked just as well.
With both phones active, she spent her time coordinating deliveries with vendors on one hand and speaking with a renovation company in City J on the other.
There were so many varieties of rice, and Nan Xi wasn't the type to be picky. Jasmine rice, pearl rice, crystal rice, long-grain, oil-slimmer rice—varieties she had never even heard of. Her eyes glazed over looking at the options, so she ignored the "basic" versus "premium" labels and simply ordered one ton of every type she saw in 10-kg bags.
The standard price for a ton was around 10,000 yuan, though some premium types could cost tens of thousands. Since she was buying at wholesale prices, it would only be cheaper!
Of course, she ordered an extra five tons each of the common Wuchang rice and Northeast rice.
Colored varieties like black rice, purple rice, and wild rice—all high in nutritional value—she ordered a ton of each!
Hmm, glutinous rice is hard to digest, but it’s delicious. Let’s get a ton of that too!
She didn't even skip brown rice. When the time came, white rice and flour might be too conspicuous to pull out of her space, but brown rice was easier to justify as "rations." She ordered ten tons of it.
Considering her imminent departure and the current capacity of her warehouses, she forced herself to stop once she hit roughly a million yuan in spending.
Sigh, this urge to spend is refreshingly strong. I just can't help it!
Next was cooking oil. Although she didn't know how to cook, making oil seem unnecessary, the "hoarder’s itch" was persistent. Rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil—the staples of stir-frying—she accepted them all, ordering 2,000 five-liter buckets of each. Then came peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, walnut oil, and Sichuan peppercorn oil in 500ml bottles—1,000 cases of each (12 bottles per case).
Soy sauce and vinegar were mandatory, as were cooking wine, yellow wine, white vinegar, and various other condiments. She barely managed to stop once she hit two million yuan.
Speaking of alcohol... Hmm, cigarettes and alcohol are hard currency in the apocalypse. She had to hoard them, but since they were expensive, she decided to wait until she returned from the States.
Nan Xi’s fingers flew across her screen, punctuated by frequent phone calls. She was busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger.
Despite the chaos, she didn't stay idle. She drove to a nearby snack street and started ordering milk tea.
In the apocalypse, forget milk tea—even clean water was a luxury.
Small milk tea shops have a limited speed. Even at full throttle, they can only churn out a few dozen cups an hour. But this street was packed with shops! Nan Xi ordered fifty cups from each store. Ten stores meant five hundred cups!
Truly blissful.
It wasn't that she didn't want more, but if it took too long, the texture of the tea would suffer. She had to stash them in her space while they were at their peak. Imagine: sitting in an air-conditioned room during the Extreme Heat, sipping on one of these. That’s the dream!
Nan Xi decided that as long as she had time after her return, she would do a "milk tea run" every single day.
By mid-afternoon, she received another transfer notification: all five of her cars had been sold.
Her cheapest car was worth over 500,000 yuan, with several others well over a million. They were all models from the last two years with very low mileage. The newest one had just hit the road last month and was worth over two million.
Thank you, useless dad, for your generosity. She’d just consider it another "gold coin drop."
Because she was in a hurry and demanded a lump sum, the five cars only fetched 5.3 million total. Nan Xi didn't mind at all; it was all capital money to her.
However, the delay made her realize she still had to drop off the rest of her items at the second-hand shop.
The business van’s trunk wasn't big enough, so it took three trips to deliver everything. She told the shop to appraise the items themselves and gave them one instruction: "Transfer the money as fast as possible."
Then, she went back to spending. Today’s main goal was food: snacks, street food—she bought whatever she saw, in whatever quantities she could get. She’d load it into the van, stash it in the space when no one was looking, and head to the next shop.
She had been craving this for five years. She had dreamed of this for five years. Today, she finally got to eat.
It was a bit of a shame that it was only April. While vegetables were plentiful, the main wave of fruit hadn't hit the market yet. There were some available, but the flavor felt a bit off.
And... after the disasters start in May, there will never be another Mid-Autumn Festival. She suddenly wanted mooncakes.
It was getting late to book a flight, but Nan Xi wasn't picky. A red-eye flight in the middle of the night worked just as well.
With both phones active, she spent her time coordinating deliveries with vendors on one hand and speaking with a renovation company in City J on the other.
There were so many varieties of rice, and Nan Xi wasn't the type to be picky. Jasmine rice, pearl rice, crystal rice, long-grain, oil-slimmer rice—varieties she had never even heard of. Her eyes glazed over looking at the options, so she ignored the "basic" versus "premium" labels and simply ordered one ton of every type she saw in 10-kg bags.
The standard price for a ton was around 10,000 yuan, though some premium types could cost tens of thousands. Since she was buying at wholesale prices, it would only be cheaper!
Of course, she ordered an extra five tons each of the common Wuchang rice and Northeast rice.
Colored varieties like black rice, purple rice, and wild rice—all high in nutritional value—she ordered a ton of each!
Hmm, glutinous rice is hard to digest, but it’s delicious. Let’s get a ton of that too!
She didn't even skip brown rice. When the time came, white rice and flour might be too conspicuous to pull out of her space, but brown rice was easier to justify as "rations." She ordered ten tons of it.
Considering her imminent departure and the current capacity of her warehouses, she forced herself to stop once she hit roughly a million yuan in spending.
Sigh, this urge to spend is refreshingly strong. I just can't help it!
Next was cooking oil. Although she didn't know how to cook, making oil seem unnecessary, the "hoarder’s itch" was persistent. Rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil—the staples of stir-frying—she accepted them all, ordering 2,000 five-liter buckets of each. Then came peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, walnut oil, and Sichuan peppercorn oil in 500ml bottles—1,000 cases of each (12 bottles per case).
Soy sauce and vinegar were mandatory, as were cooking wine, yellow wine, white vinegar, and various other condiments. She barely managed to stop once she hit two million yuan.
Speaking of alcohol... Hmm, cigarettes and alcohol are hard currency in the apocalypse. She had to hoard them, but since they were expensive, she decided to wait until she returned from the States.
Nan Xi’s fingers flew across her screen, punctuated by frequent phone calls. She was busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger.
Despite the chaos, she didn't stay idle. She drove to a nearby snack street and started ordering milk tea.
In the apocalypse, forget milk tea—even clean water was a luxury.
Small milk tea shops have a limited speed. Even at full throttle, they can only churn out a few dozen cups an hour. But this street was packed with shops! Nan Xi ordered fifty cups from each store. Ten stores meant five hundred cups!
Truly blissful.
It wasn't that she didn't want more, but if it took too long, the texture of the tea would suffer. She had to stash them in her space while they were at their peak. Imagine: sitting in an air-conditioned room during the Extreme Heat, sipping on one of these. That’s the dream!
Nan Xi decided that as long as she had time after her return, she would do a "milk tea run" every single day.
By mid-afternoon, she received another transfer notification: all five of her cars had been sold.
Her cheapest car was worth over 500,000 yuan, with several others well over a million. They were all models from the last two years with very low mileage. The newest one had just hit the road last month and was worth over two million.
Thank you, useless dad, for your generosity. She’d just consider it another "gold coin drop."
Because she was in a hurry and demanded a lump sum, the five cars only fetched 5.3 million total. Nan Xi didn't mind at all; it was all capital money to her.
However, the delay made her realize she still had to drop off the rest of her items at the second-hand shop.
The business van’s trunk wasn't big enough, so it took three trips to deliver everything. She told the shop to appraise the items themselves and gave them one instruction: "Transfer the money as fast as possible."
Then, she went back to spending. Today’s main goal was food: snacks, street food—she bought whatever she saw, in whatever quantities she could get. She’d load it into the van, stash it in the space when no one was looking, and head to the next shop.
She had been craving this for five years. She had dreamed of this for five years. Today, she finally got to eat.
It was a bit of a shame that it was only April. While vegetables were plentiful, the main wave of fruit hadn't hit the market yet. There were some available, but the flavor felt a bit off.
And... after the disasters start in May, there will never be another Mid-Autumn Festival. She suddenly wanted mooncakes.
She happened to be on call chatting with Han Yingxi, and mentioned it in passing.
"Sis, if you want to eat something, you just have to say the word. If you like a specific brand, just pay them to fire up the machines and make a custom batch!" Han Yingxi said through her bluetooth earpiece as Nan Xi continued to drive.
Mooncakes were usually a Mid-Autumn seasonal delicacy, but if Nan Xi was willing to throw enough money at it, she could get them.
Nan Xi: "That actually sounds doable."
Han Yingxi: "Sis, what is going on with you? Is there something you can't tell me? We’ve been through life and death together. If something’s up, tell me!"
Nan Xi: "What could be wrong? I think I'm actually doing pretty great!"
Han Yingxi: "Have you checked your Friend Circle or the Big Eye app lately?"
Nan Xi: "Don't have the time."
Han Yingxi: "No wonder. I see people being all passive-aggressive, saying you’re liquidating your assets. Are you out of pocket money? Or is that Jiang guy mistreating you?"
Nan Xi: "Liquidating assets?"
Han Yingxi sent a screenshot. It was a group of socialites who had spotted Nan Xi selling her clothes, bags, and shoes. They were currently whispering behind her back.
[When did the Great Miss Nan fall so far?]
Some were even theorizing that the Nan Corporation was going bankrupt. Why else would the proud Nan Xi start selling off her wardrobe?
Likely worried about the company's stock price or the value of his newly acquired shares, Jiang Mingrui didn't speak up, but he had Jiang Yiran make a statement: "Nothing is wrong with the Nan Corporation. We are doing great!"
As for why Nan Xi was selling her things, Jiang Yiran’s explanation was simple: "Out with the old, in with the new. No need for everyone to worry."
Han Yingxi: "Sis, you aren't going to clap back? "
Normally, Nan Xi would have been all over them.
Today, however—
Nan Xi actually posted a status on Big Eye.
[Nan Xi: Recently obsessed with apocalypse novels. I’m picking 10,000 lucky winners to receive a "Survival Gift Pack" worth 1,000 yuan each.]
The moment the post went live, Nan Xi—who usually only had a small following—instantly went viral.
That was 10 million yuan!
This proved one thing: Miss Nan was definitely not short on cash, which meant the Nan Corporation was likely not going bankrupt.
Han Yingxi saw it too: "Sis! What’s in a survival pack! I want one!"
Nan Xi sent a list over: "I’m putting you in charge of this. Help me prepare 10,000 units."
Along with the list, she sent a transfer for 1 million yuan for the down payment.
Han Yingxi: "Wait, what?"
Thinking about her flight tonight and her arrival in the States tomorrow afternoon, Nan Xi edited the post.
[Nan Xi: Recently obsessed with apocalypse novels. I’m picking 10,000 lucky winners to receive a "Survival Gift Pack" worth 1,000 yuan each. Winners will be announced at 12:00 PM on April 25th (China Time). Winners, please provide your address within 8 hours so the packs can be sent out immediately.]
She attached the list she had sent to Han Yingxi. The pack included basic food and water, medicine, gas masks, and a few survival gears like ropes, utility knives and flashlights. The whole kit was worth about 1,000 yuan in value.
After posting and setting up the auto-draw with filtering conditions, Nan Xi ignored it.
Immediately, her phone rang. The caller ID: [Tan Jiancheng]
"Uncle Tan."
"Xiao Xi, are you okay?"
"I’m fine, really. As long as Uncle Tan doesn't blame me for selling the shares to my dad."
"How much did you sell them for?"
"A little less than 4 billion."
"You sold them too cheap."
"Hahaha, Uncle Tan, I love talking to you. But I had no choice. You know my dad, he couldn't produce more cash. Even 1 billion of that came from Grandpa Tang, and my dad had to trade a bunch of assets to cover the rest."
"Hmph. I figured. He can't touch the company's liquid capital."
Tan Jiancheng had been guarding against Jiang Mingrui for years. Without him, Jiang Mingrui would have hollowed out the Nan Corporation long ago.
Nan Xi opened her mouth, wanting to tell Tan Jiancheng about the apocalypse. But when she spoke, it came out as:
"Uncle Tan, you’ve worked so hard all these years. Why not take some time off? Take Auntie Qi, Liang-ge, and Hua-jie and go for a vacation."
"Xiao Xi? Is something wrong?"
"Oh, I just think you deserve to some time to relax. Among the things my dad offered, I picked two resort villas. One is in City J. I think it’s pretty nice. I’m planning to stay there for a while once I’ve got things settled. You should come, too!"
"Alright, we'll see."
She didn't know if Tan Jiancheng would actually take a break. In her past life, Tan Jiancheng—who had stayed in City B—lost his family and died in the Extreme Cold.
"I heard you’re going abroad?"
"Yeah, booked a flight for tonight. Just going to clear my head."
"That’s good. Have fun. If you need anything, let me know." Tan Jiancheng hesitated for a moment before asking, "And you and Tang Chu Xiao?"
"The engagement is off. I have nothing to do with him anymore."
"Good, good. Tang Chu Xiao isn't worth it. You deserve better."
See? Everyone knew Tang Chu Xiao wasn't worth it. Only she had been a fool, chasing after him for years in her previous life.
After hanging up with Tan Jiancheng, Nan Xi was silent for a few seconds before calling Han Yingxi.
"Sis! You finally called!"
Nan Xi had told him not to call because she was busy, so Han Yingxi had been holding back. Now that she called, he practically jumped!
"Yeah, I need your help with something."
"Say the word, Sis!"
"I remember your family developed a new villa complex this year?"
"Uh..." Han Yingxi was a bit confused by the sudden pivot to family business. He quickly checked his secondary phone. "Sis, are you talking about Bihan Xiangdu?"
Yes, Bihan Xiangdu. In her past life, when she finally struggled back to City B, she learned that their own villa complex had been wiped out. Bihan Xiangdu, however, had survived due to its geography and became the origin point of the City B Base.
The Han family had seen their status skyrocket because of it and the resources they controlled.
"What, Sis? You want to buy a house in Bihan Xiangdu?"
"Yeah, I do."
Not many houses had sold there yet because the location was quite remote. The Han family wasn't in a rush to sell, so there should be plenty of inventory.
"Then I’m buying one too!"
Han Yingxi had plenty of pocket money. Even though he was a minor, he had substantial assets. He was the classic "pitiful orphan" with wealthy deceased parents, leaving his status in the Han family somewhat awkward.
The villas in Bihan Xiangdu were already partially finished. If you weren't too picky, you could move in with just your bags.
But Nan Xi had other ideas. "For the building, don't pick the best location. Pick something on the edge, near the mountain range. Our two units should be close together. Then, we renovate."
"Got it. I remember the south side borders the mountains, it’s pretty isolated. We can pick that. Sis, how do you want to renovate?"
"Ever heard of an Apocalypse Bunker?"
Han Yingxi: "...Huh??"
"Since we’re picking a corner spot and it’s your family’s development, we can be a bit 'creative' with the renovations. Make the villa walls high—two or three meters, high enough that a normal person can't climb them. Then, build a massive glass conservatory in the courtyard that connects to the second floor. Use high-end materials—the kind that are heat-resistant, cold-resistant, acid-rain-proof, and ideally bulletproof and earthquake-proof. Double-paned. The exterior walls of the house should be recoated with specialized industrial paint that meets those specs. Replace all the windows and door glass. Then, reinforce the basement, install a fireplace, and a fresh-air filtration system. Time is tight, so let’s stick to that for now. Can you handle it?"
Han Yingxi was completely dumbfounded.
"Sis, are you serious? And 'time is tight'? How tight?"
"Hmm... I’ll give you twenty days?"
Han Yingxi: ?!?!?!?!
"Sis, it's not a question of whether I can do it, it's whether the renovation company can! Just sourcing the materials you described would take forever!"
"We can just pay extra."
Han Yingxi: "..."
Chapter Notes:
"Sis, if you want to eat something, you just have to say the word. If you like a specific brand, just pay them to fire up the machines and make a custom batch!" Han Yingxi said through her bluetooth earpiece as Nan Xi continued to drive.
Mooncakes were usually a Mid-Autumn seasonal delicacy, but if Nan Xi was willing to throw enough money at it, she could get them.
Nan Xi: "That actually sounds doable."
Han Yingxi: "Sis, what is going on with you? Is there something you can't tell me? We’ve been through life and death together. If something’s up, tell me!"
Nan Xi: "What could be wrong? I think I'm actually doing pretty great!"
Han Yingxi: "Have you checked your Friend Circle or the Big Eye app lately?"
Nan Xi: "Don't have the time."
Han Yingxi: "No wonder. I see people being all passive-aggressive, saying you’re liquidating your assets. Are you out of pocket money? Or is that Jiang guy mistreating you?"
Nan Xi: "Liquidating assets?"
Han Yingxi sent a screenshot. It was a group of socialites who had spotted Nan Xi selling her clothes, bags, and shoes. They were currently whispering behind her back.
[When did the Great Miss Nan fall so far?]
Some were even theorizing that the Nan Corporation was going bankrupt. Why else would the proud Nan Xi start selling off her wardrobe?
Likely worried about the company's stock price or the value of his newly acquired shares, Jiang Mingrui didn't speak up, but he had Jiang Yiran make a statement: "Nothing is wrong with the Nan Corporation. We are doing great!"
As for why Nan Xi was selling her things, Jiang Yiran’s explanation was simple: "Out with the old, in with the new. No need for everyone to worry."
Han Yingxi: "Sis, you aren't going to clap back? "
Normally, Nan Xi would have been all over them.
Today, however—
Nan Xi actually posted a status on Big Eye.
[Nan Xi: Recently obsessed with apocalypse novels. I’m picking 10,000 lucky winners to receive a "Survival Gift Pack" worth 1,000 yuan each.]
The moment the post went live, Nan Xi—who usually only had a small following—instantly went viral.
That was 10 million yuan!
This proved one thing: Miss Nan was definitely not short on cash, which meant the Nan Corporation was likely not going bankrupt.
Han Yingxi saw it too: "Sis! What’s in a survival pack! I want one!"
Nan Xi sent a list over: "I’m putting you in charge of this. Help me prepare 10,000 units."
Along with the list, she sent a transfer for 1 million yuan for the down payment.
Han Yingxi: "Wait, what?"
Thinking about her flight tonight and her arrival in the States tomorrow afternoon, Nan Xi edited the post.
[Nan Xi: Recently obsessed with apocalypse novels. I’m picking 10,000 lucky winners to receive a "Survival Gift Pack" worth 1,000 yuan each. Winners will be announced at 12:00 PM on April 25th (China Time). Winners, please provide your address within 8 hours so the packs can be sent out immediately.]
She attached the list she had sent to Han Yingxi. The pack included basic food and water, medicine, gas masks, and a few survival gears like ropes, utility knives and flashlights. The whole kit was worth about 1,000 yuan in value.
After posting and setting up the auto-draw with filtering conditions, Nan Xi ignored it.
Immediately, her phone rang. The caller ID: [Tan Jiancheng]
"Uncle Tan."
"Xiao Xi, are you okay?"
"I’m fine, really. As long as Uncle Tan doesn't blame me for selling the shares to my dad."
"How much did you sell them for?"
"A little less than 4 billion."
"You sold them too cheap."
"Hahaha, Uncle Tan, I love talking to you. But I had no choice. You know my dad, he couldn't produce more cash. Even 1 billion of that came from Grandpa Tang, and my dad had to trade a bunch of assets to cover the rest."
"Hmph. I figured. He can't touch the company's liquid capital."
Tan Jiancheng had been guarding against Jiang Mingrui for years. Without him, Jiang Mingrui would have hollowed out the Nan Corporation long ago.
Nan Xi opened her mouth, wanting to tell Tan Jiancheng about the apocalypse. But when she spoke, it came out as:
"Uncle Tan, you’ve worked so hard all these years. Why not take some time off? Take Auntie Qi, Liang-ge, and Hua-jie and go for a vacation."
"Xiao Xi? Is something wrong?"
"Oh, I just think you deserve to some time to relax. Among the things my dad offered, I picked two resort villas. One is in City J. I think it’s pretty nice. I’m planning to stay there for a while once I’ve got things settled. You should come, too!"
"Alright, we'll see."
She didn't know if Tan Jiancheng would actually take a break. In her past life, Tan Jiancheng—who had stayed in City B—lost his family and died in the Extreme Cold.
"I heard you’re going abroad?"
"Yeah, booked a flight for tonight. Just going to clear my head."
"That’s good. Have fun. If you need anything, let me know." Tan Jiancheng hesitated for a moment before asking, "And you and Tang Chu Xiao?"
"The engagement is off. I have nothing to do with him anymore."
"Good, good. Tang Chu Xiao isn't worth it. You deserve better."
See? Everyone knew Tang Chu Xiao wasn't worth it. Only she had been a fool, chasing after him for years in her previous life.
After hanging up with Tan Jiancheng, Nan Xi was silent for a few seconds before calling Han Yingxi.
"Sis! You finally called!"
Nan Xi had told him not to call because she was busy, so Han Yingxi had been holding back. Now that she called, he practically jumped!
"Yeah, I need your help with something."
"Say the word, Sis!"
"I remember your family developed a new villa complex this year?"
"Uh..." Han Yingxi was a bit confused by the sudden pivot to family business. He quickly checked his secondary phone. "Sis, are you talking about Bihan Xiangdu?"
Yes, Bihan Xiangdu. In her past life, when she finally struggled back to City B, she learned that their own villa complex had been wiped out. Bihan Xiangdu, however, had survived due to its geography and became the origin point of the City B Base.
The Han family had seen their status skyrocket because of it and the resources they controlled.
"What, Sis? You want to buy a house in Bihan Xiangdu?"
"Yeah, I do."
Not many houses had sold there yet because the location was quite remote. The Han family wasn't in a rush to sell, so there should be plenty of inventory.
"Then I’m buying one too!"
Han Yingxi had plenty of pocket money. Even though he was a minor, he had substantial assets. He was the classic "pitiful orphan" with wealthy deceased parents, leaving his status in the Han family somewhat awkward.
The villas in Bihan Xiangdu were already partially finished. If you weren't too picky, you could move in with just your bags.
But Nan Xi had other ideas. "For the building, don't pick the best location. Pick something on the edge, near the mountain range. Our two units should be close together. Then, we renovate."
"Got it. I remember the south side borders the mountains, it’s pretty isolated. We can pick that. Sis, how do you want to renovate?"
"Ever heard of an Apocalypse Bunker?"
Han Yingxi: "...Huh??"
"Since we’re picking a corner spot and it’s your family’s development, we can be a bit 'creative' with the renovations. Make the villa walls high—two or three meters, high enough that a normal person can't climb them. Then, build a massive glass conservatory in the courtyard that connects to the second floor. Use high-end materials—the kind that are heat-resistant, cold-resistant, acid-rain-proof, and ideally bulletproof and earthquake-proof. Double-paned. The exterior walls of the house should be recoated with specialized industrial paint that meets those specs. Replace all the windows and door glass. Then, reinforce the basement, install a fireplace, and a fresh-air filtration system. Time is tight, so let’s stick to that for now. Can you handle it?"
Han Yingxi was completely dumbfounded.
"Sis, are you serious? And 'time is tight'? How tight?"
"Hmm... I’ll give you twenty days?"
Han Yingxi: ?!?!?!?!
"Sis, it's not a question of whether I can do it, it's whether the renovation company can! Just sourcing the materials you described would take forever!"
"We can just pay extra."
Han Yingxi: "..."
Chapter Notes:
- Red-eye Flight (红眼航班): A flight that departs late at night and arrives early the next morning.
- Wuchang Rice (五常大米): Widely considered the highest quality rice in China, grown in Heilongjiang province.
- Big Eye (大眼): Internet slang for Weibo, China’s version of X/Twitter.
- Bihan Xiangdu (彼岸香都): "Bihan" often refers to the "other shore" or "paramita," implying a place of salvation or a new beginning.
Comments
Post a Comment