Snowstorm: I'm Super Rich in the Apocalypse

Gu Pan's chat groups weren't many: a high school group, a university group, and a homeowners' group. She and Lu Ruisheng were both busy with their business, having little time to chat in groups, but now there was plenty of time.

The university group's members were from all over the place, and useful information was scarce, but it was clear that disasters were global. The buildings in the south weren't very cold-resistant, so the disaster situation there was more severe. According to classmates from the south, many families had already lost lives.

Of course, when the extremely hot weather arrived, the north would have more fatalities than the south. Gu Pan was more aware of this, but the things she knew she couldn't share—so she just read and didn't join the discussions.

The high school group was all local, so their understanding of the city's situation was more detailed. However, likewise, nobody had anticipated the disaster would be so severe, and few had stockpiled supplies.

Now, everyone was pinning their hopes on the government, believing that even if they couldn't go out, the government would distribute food, so there wasn't much panic.

Gu Pan remembered from her previous life that after the blizzard ended, the country indeed airlifted food supplies by helicopter, but only once.

She watched and discussed these past-life memories with Lu Ruisheng, then opened the homeowners' group of their building, which was bustling.

Some people were glad they had stored a lot of items, even sharing photos. Others thought the state would manage everything; they wouldn't starve, so stockpiling was the stupidest thing to do.

Lu Ruisheng, looking at the photos of the piled goods, said to Gu Pan, "Isn't that the one who'll be robbed first?"

Gu Pan laughed, "Your insight is too strong. Indeed, if not the first, definitely among the first batch to be robbed."

"So, there are benefits to being discreet. Let's also hold off on installing the burglar-proof iron doors; don't let people think we knew something in advance."

"I was thinking the same thing. Right now, let's try to minimize our presence as much as possible."

Mid-conversation, Gu Pan's WeChat group for Building 301's homeowners pinged everyone: The pipes are frozen, and water has stopped. Do you guys have any stored water?

The homeowner of 402 replied: We have lots of plants at home, so it's a habit to store water year-round. Fortunately, we have enough for two days. The cold spell should be over by then, and the water supply will come back.

The homeowner of 901 replied: Our family always drinks purified and mineral water, so we also have water to drink. It's just all frozen now.

The homeowner of 501 replied: "Us old folks like to keep some water stored. Not like you young people who live without a plan."

The homeowner of 802 tagged 901: Buddy, sell me a few bottles of mineral water, will you? I haven't got any at my place, and I can't even make noodles.

The homeowner of 901 replied readily: Sell what? It's not worth much. We're all neighbors here; come upstairs later and take two bottles.

The homeowner of 802 thanked 901.

At this moment, the homeowner of 501, who had just criticized the young for not storing water, posted in the group: My grandson is small and I fear the water I stored for a few days isn't clean enough. Homeowner 901, can you give me two bottles of mineral water too?

She didn't know how to tag people in the group, so she just said it directly, but nobody picked up the conversation because she had just acted very wise, claimed she didn't lack water, and was now asking for some—everyone pretended not to see.

Anyway, she wouldn't @ someone directly, so 901 didn't play along.

The group suddenly cooled down.

Gu Pan said to Lu Ruisheng with a laugh, "This old lady in 501 is a troublemaker. And the community leader loves to play the moral high ground, causing lots of issues in the previous life. We had no supplies back then, but this time around, we need to be wary of them."

Lu Ruisheng replied, "In any case, our strategy is not to make a sound or stand out."

"Right. The last thing you want to be in an apocalypse is the Holy Mother."

After saying this, Gu Pan took out a portion of soy milk, a portion of tofu pudding, and two dough sticks from the Space: "Let's eat breakfast."

They turned on the TV, watched the news, and had breakfast together.

The current news was still very positive, saying that the cold snap wouldn't last long, so people needn't worry.

Gu Pan sighed, "Just like in my past life."

Lu Ruisheng said, "If it weren't for you, I would also think the disaster would pass soon."

Just after they finished eating, Zhuang Jie called and upon answering, went on and on with concern for them, with no other emotions.

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng confirmed that he did not yet know they had already emptied the warehouse; his call was merely a preamble for grabbing the pendant in the future.

There was no need to waste time, so Lu Ruisheng said they were busy and ended the call.

The reason for maintaining contact was to keep track of Zhuang Jie's whereabouts, to avoid having to waste time looking for him if he moved somewhere else in the meantime.

In her past life, Zhuang Jie and his wife looted the Space and even tried to kill for it. In this life, Gu Pan had to ensure that the Zhuang couple longed for but could never obtain the Space, dying with regret.

Just as Lu Ruisheng hung up, Gu Pan's phone also rang; it was her childhood friend Tian Zhenzhen calling.

Gu Pan didn't have many friends, Tian Zhenzhen, and Dong Mingyue were old neighbors. The three went to the same elementary school, continued on to the same middle school, and only parted ways for high school. They still hung out during the holidays. Besides her grandmother, these were the closest people in Gu Pan's life.

In her previous life, once communication broke down, they lost contact and never saw each other again. In this life, Gu Pan wanted to help them within her capabilities.

But she would not reveal her rebirth or the apocalypse, much less the Space. After all, during the apocalypse, human nature was severely tested. There were too many instances of relatives fighting over a bite of food.

Having returned to this life, other than her husband, Gu Pan couldn't fully trust anyone. She would try to help Tian Zhenzhen and Dong Mingyue without exposing herself.

She picked up the phone, and Tian Zhenzhen sounded happy on the other end, "It was you who sent me those items by express delivery yesterday, right?"

Gu Pan couldn't deny it, and she had also thought of an excuse, "I have a client at the Meteorological Bureau who said this weather might last a long time. The news is just stabilizing public sentiment. So he suggested we stock up just in case—I took it as a rumor, but just to be safe, I hoarded some things and brought you some too."

Tian Zhenzhen blew kisses over the phone, "Baby, you are really too kind. Do you know? I've been working overtime until midnight recently and had no time to shop. All three meals a day are at the office. It's a good thing you bought me these things, otherwise, I'd be starving today."

She lives alone in a small apartment she bought, still paying the mortgage, with a goal to be single and childfree, leading a carefree life.

Gu Pan replied with a smile, "Save it and eat sparingly. My client at the Meteorological Bureau sounded quite frightening, saying this snow could last a long time. If you can't go out for an extended period, having food means you won't panic. Also, don't lend your food to others. As a woman living alone, try to avoid drawing attention to yourself—it's safer."

Tian Zhenzhen agreed, "Understood, I'll be careful. I nearly froze to death when I got up this morning. This is when I really envy you, having someone to warm the bed."

"I envy myself for that too."

"There you go, feeding me dog food first thing in the morning. I'm going to eat my bread."

"Go ahead, call me if you need anything."

"Will do."