Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Apocalypse Plan Book
Buying so many things required a lot of money. Over the past few years, besides buying a house, they had only about two hundred thousand left. Now, the house wasn't very important since during the apocalypse, all economic systems would be destroyed. Thus, mortgaging the house was the quickest way she could think of to get money; selling the house would take too long, so mortgaging it was better.
In their previous life, they had survived extreme cold, plague, and intense heat in this large flat. Later, when a national base was established, they went there. So, at least they could continue living here for now. The money from the mortgage could be used to buy supplies, and it wouldn't affect their ability to continue living there. Perfect.
She also had an old house left by her grandmother, a bungalow with a large yard, which could also be mortgaged.
They were in a provincial capital in the north. The housing prices weren't as high as in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, but these two houses together could still be mortgaged for two to three million. That was roughly enough to stock up on supplies. When things became chaotic outside, they could also scavenge for items in shopping malls and other places, things that others couldn't take but they could.
After figuring all this out, she thought of trying the "Space" again. Control the space with her mind?
She looked at the tea table in front of the sofa, thinking about putting it into the space, and indeed, it went in.
She managed to put the fridge and TV in as well, smoothly, and then thought about taking them out, and they came out.
Moreover, she put an apple with a bite taken out of it into the space. After a while, she took it out and it showed no signs of oxidation. Did that mean she could even buy some food to keep inside, like roast fish or barbecue?
She could eat these foods at any time, tasting the flavors from before the apocalypse.
At noon, she didn't order food but cooked some noodles instead. After eating, she put the leftovers into the space and continued writing what else they needed to buy and do.
Their personal relationships were simple. After grandmother passed away, Gu Pan didn't have much family left, and Lu Ruisheng was an orphan. This was a big reason they ended up together—both had no one to rely on, even spending holidays alone.
Gu Pan had supported Lu Ruisheng in starting a business for six years now. They had just gotten married two months ago, so they hadn't considered having children yet. This was good because being pregnant and having a baby during the apocalypse would be extremely perilous. Now, they needed to be cautious about contraception—definitely stock up on family planning supplies.
Thinking of this, she quickly wrote it down. It was vital to jot down everything she could think of immediately, or she might forget, and lacking even one item during the apocalypse could mean losing a chance at survival.
In the afternoon, the groceries Lu Ruisheng ordered arrived. Gu Pan didn't go out to receive them directly but had them placed at the door. She made sure it was safe before taking them inside.
By early evening, Gu Pan had written a full ten pages.
The sound of the password lock came from outside the door. Gu Pan dashed to the door, and upon confirming through the peephole it was Lu Ruisheng, she swiftly opened the door and threw herself into her husband's arms. "Ruisheng, I missed you so much."
With Lu Ruisheng's height of 185 cm and his regular exercise, he easily lifted Gu Pan with one arm. A smile appeared on his resolute, handsome face. "Missed me after just one day? Then I must satisfy my wife's wishes," he said, heading towards the bedroom.
Gu Pan then realized her husband had misunderstood, now was not the time for that. She quickly said, "No, Ruisheng, I have something very important to tell you."
Lu Ruisheng, seeing his wife's sincere tone, knew it was indeed something serious. He carried her to the sofa and set her down. "Whatever it is, I'm here."
Hearing her husband's continuously indulgent and pampering tone, she felt truly warm inside. This was the reason she could endure the hardships of the apocalypse.
She knew talking about rebirth and apocalypse would waste time. It would be more direct to show her husband the space, and then explain it, so he would have to believe it.
She pulled her husband up and, using her mind, entered the Space.
Inside the Space, Lu Ruisheng was baffled. "What place is this?"
Gu Pan said, "Space, the space brought by the pendant my grandmother left behind." After saying that, she used her thoughts to move the living room sofa and coffee table in as well.
From surprise to full belief, Lu Ruisheng asked, "Is this for real?"
"Yes, and this is just one of the secrets I wanted to tell you. Let's go outside and talk; we can only stay in the Space for three hours a day for now." Gu Pan led Lu Ruisheng out and moved the sofa back out as well.
Sitting on the sofa, Gu Pan told Lu Ruisheng about the apocalypse, her rebirth, and the matter with Zhuang Jie. Then, she placed the pendant on the table, "I'm not sure which of us should use this, but it can make our lives during the apocalypse more comfortable."
She trusted her husband deeply; in her previous life, her husband had died for her. Even if she couldn't trust herself, she wouldn't doubt Lu Ruisheng. She also disliked keeping secrets between spouses. Thus, their way of interacting over the years had been to face and resolve everything together.
Holding the pendant, Lu Ruisheng suggested, "Keep it on you. My martial arts are good and my self-protection skills are stronger. If you hide in the Space when in danger, I can fight the enemies with more peace of mind. That's the best option for us. As for this pendant, I suggest we destroy it. There's no need to keep it for future generations. Giving birth in the apocalypse is dangerous, and I wouldn't want you to risk it. Even if life returns to normal later and we have children, the children will have their own blessings, and no one is more important than you."
Gu Pan agreed that Lu Ruisheng's words made sense; if she could protect herself well, her husband would be more at ease. Besides, they were always together, and if he were gone, she wouldn't want to live alone.
The existence of the pendant indeed always brought danger, so she nodded, "Alright, I'll listen to you."
Lu Ruisheng promptly picked up a nutcracker from the coffee table, crushed the jade pendant, then took a small bottle, filled it with the shards, and handed it to Gu Pan, "Keep this as a memento."
Gu Pan placed the small bottle into the Space, marking it as the first meaningful item in her Space.
Then, Gu Pan pushed the ten pages she had written towards Lu Ruisheng. "These are all my thoughts for now. Take a look, add anything missing, and then we must start hoarding supplies. Seven days is too tight."
After reading it, Lu Ruisheng said, "I'll get weapons and outdoor survival gear from a friend. We can't take out loans now and farmers' markets are also closed. Let's head to the mall first and buy the electronics."
Gu Pan nodded, "Okay, let's go now." She had already changed her clothes and was waiting for Lu Ruisheng to come back.
Lu Ruisheng suggested, "Let's also stop by a rental company on the way and rent a small truck. It'll be more convenient for us to shop with it tomorrow."
Gu Pan thought this was a good idea, as it wouldn't alert Zhuang Jie, they could store the purchased items in Space at an isolated spot, and then go buy more.
Both put on an extra windbreaker, a hat, a mask, and sunglasses before stepping out together.
At the doorway, Lu Ruisheng looked at the wall and door, "Tomorrow, let's get some steel bars and an iron door. When the apocalypse arrives, we need to reinforce these."
"Yes, extreme heat and cold will also be severe; the windows need to be dealt with too."
"Once we get back, we'll measure the windows, and I'll call the window and door dealer to rush order some one-way bulletproof glass to replace them as soon as possible."
Gu Pan didn't need to worry about these details; her husband worked in renovations, so he could handle it all well.
During their conversation, they took the elevator downstairs. Their residential complex was among the better ones in the city, with over twenty buildings. Theirs, a mid-rise building with eleven stories, was located in the second row along the street, apartment 701 on the seventh floor. Even if the elevator stopped working later, walking wouldn't be too difficult.