SSFxWD Ch.2

Chapter 2: Stockpiling

At 1:00 PM on December 22, 2021, fog settled over Qingcheng.

The sudden foggy weather caused disruptions to city traffic, with horns blaring one after another on the roadways. Lin Qiukui leaned back in the passenger seat, using an app to check train and flight tickets for the day—all showed as sold out.

In her call logs, there was a string of missed calls from an hour ago.

She tried calling back her parents and brothers' numbers. Normally they would pick up at lightning speed, but today all she got was an unending busy tone.

However, the system hadn't issued any alerts, which meant the Lin family was currently safe, most likely just busy with something.

She tapped idly at her phone keyboard, sending a message to the family group chat on WeChat: "Mom, Dad, bros—Qingcheng is freezing, and school is boring. I'm asking for leave to come home. I'm bringing over a dozen friends with me; we're throwing a party at the house, and we might even go camping outdoors, have a barbecue, stuff like that. Hurry up and get things ready for me."

"We need lots of staples like rice and flour—they eat a ton. Meat and veggies too, plus high-calorie stuff like chocolate, easy-to-carry things like compressed biscuits, instant noodles, self-heating meals, good-quality outdoor jackets and boots—buy all of it. The more, the faster, the better. Once you've bought everything, remember to send me photos right away. I won't come back until I see the pictures, got it?"

She deliberately used a spoiled and willful tone. With the Lin family's unconditional doting on the original body, there was no way they wouldn't comply.

"Hey pretty lady, we're at the agricultural and sideline products wholesale market! I'll park the truck right here. I'll haul the goods to the address you gave me tonight. Deposit's five hundred bucks, right?"

The truck driver's holler pulled Lin Qiukui back to the present.

Following the common procedure seen in web novels, she had rented a truck and a small warehouse as a cover, so she wouldn't arouse suspicion by stockpiling supplies out of thin air.

She got out of the truck. It had been about two hours since the countdown first appeared, and the ethereal mist along the roadside seemed to have thickened a little more.

The agricultural and sideline wholesale market lived up to its name—it carried all the byproducts of agricultural production. From rice, flour, grains, vegetables, and fruits, to livestock, aquatic products, cooked foods, natural medicinal herbs, and processed seasonings...

As far as the eye could see, there was everything one could want.

Learning that the space provided by the system had no concept of time and only supported storing non-living things, Lin Qiukui skipped the live poultry section. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself and focused on the other sections instead, wandering around and taking in the sights until she had a general idea of the layout. Only then did she occasionally stop to ask a question:

"How much for the rice?"

"Do you have any other kinds of canned goods?"

"Is this all the cured meat you have? What about sausages?"

...

For nearly two hours that afternoon, almost all the vendors had taken notice of this eye-catchingly dressed, listless-looking young girl.

Her face was only palm-sized, mostly hidden behind a mask, leaving just a pair of bright, watery eyes exposed. She drifted around like she was sleepwalking, wandering in front of various stalls and shops, occasionally poking two fingers out from her fuzzy sleeves to weigh the goods before asking for a price.

She didn't bother haggling either. If the price quoted was reasonable, she'd buy hundreds of bags or hundreds of catties on the spot—incredibly generous. If the price wasn't right, she'd nod lightly and move on to the next vendor without a second glance, never looking back.

She looked like a big spender!!

The vendors who caught on quickly pulled out all the stops to promote their wares, offering fair and honest prices.

Surrounded on all sides, the cash-flush Lin Qiukui was almost overwhelmed by choices. In the end, she picked and chose her way through, buying two hundred bags each of rice and flour, two hundred boxes of assorted canned goods, hundreds of crates of eggs, fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms, hundreds of freshly processed chickens, ducks, pigs, geese, fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish, along with large quantities of pickled vegetables, cured and smoked meats, and seasonings like oil, salt, vinegar, and sugar.

In the blink of an eye, she'd spent over a hundred thousand yuan, loading everything up in several trips.

Using "checking the inventory" as an excuse, she climbed into the truck's cargo area, but in reality, she stored away most of the supplies in batches, leaving only a small portion visible to avoid suspicion.

Next, she headed to the household and apparel wholesale market next to the agricultural section, following the same pattern to buy several hundred sets of durable, dirt-resistant long clothing, non-slip hiking boots, windproof suits, and essential thermal underwear for winter...

She also bought comfortable, soft undergarments—styles for men, women, young, old, tall, short, plump, and thin. Whether she'd need them or not, she bought them all first.

Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation—she'd covered the first two. The remaining daily necessities could wait.

At 4:00 PM, Lin Qiukui walked into a chain outdoor supplies store and bought a batch of ropes, flashlights, telescopes, compasses, helmets, maps, backpacks, quick-dry clothing, protective goggles, tents, sleeping bags, hammocks, and first-aid kits. She also picked up four off-road bicycles and six high-quality, pricey outdoor long knives.

Pharmacies were everywhere along the streets, so she visited them one by one.

During the apocalypse, illness and injury were completely normal.

Medical supplies like gauze, bandages, antiseptic cotton, iodine, cold and cough remedies, fever reducers, anti-inflammatories, painkillers, antibiotics, vitamins, and other essential medicines were indispensable—she bought as many as she could.

As a woman, her physiology had unavoidable special requirements. Setting aside hygiene products, there was also the common trope in apocalyptic settings where monsters were often attracted to the scent of blood.

She stocked up on progesterone capsules (to delay menstruation) and other painkillers, just in case.

At 5:00 PM, she placed orders for two rugged SUVs claimed to be recognized by numerous military forces worldwide, one high-end pickup truck, and one RV. She paid extra for expedited processing. The final answer: it would take a day to handle the paperwork—she could pick them up the next day.

As for gasoline, national law strictly prohibited unauthorized individuals and organizations from selling it privately. She couldn't get any for now—she'd have to find a way to refuel after the apocalypse hit.

Having roughly finished her shopping list, dusk fell, and the driver arrived on time to haul the goods. Seeing the mountain of large and small bags, he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Pretty lady, why are you buying so much stuff? Planning to open a supermarket or a restaurant?"

Lin Qiukui: "For personal use."

"This much would last you till the year of the monkey and the month of the dog! It'll go bad just sitting around."

"Who knows." She propped her chin up and gazed out the window. "Maybe tomorrow really is the end of the world. With all this stockpile, I could survive for quite a while."

The driver brushed it off: "Pretty lady, you've got a sense of humor—you're kidding me, right?"

If it were someone else, someone blessed with kindness and a desire to save as many as possible, they might have pointed at the countdown in the sky and tried every way to convince the other person.

But Lin Qiukui had little energy left and wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs. Catching the driver's look of pity as if she were crazy, she spread her hands and replied: "If that's what you think, there's nothing I can do about it."

...That killed the conversation.

The driver glanced at the countdown, gave an awkward smile, and shut his mouth.

At 7:00 PM, after a long day of running around, Lin Qiukui finished her cafeteria stir-fried noodles, returned to her dorm, and collapsed onto the bed. Looking at the bruises blooming on her arms, she suddenly sighed: "If I'd known I transmigrated into the wrong book, I would've..."

The system: "You would've exercised actively, improved your physical fitness rapidly, and methodically gathered supplies to ensure you'd be in peak condition to welcome the apocalypse?"

"Stop being sarcastic and get lost."

After chasing the dog of a system away, the slacker pulled out her phone and saw dozens more missed calls in the notification bar.

Before she could call back, a new video request popped up. Lin Qiukui sprang up like a fish leaping out of water, quickly fixed her hair, propped up her aching back, and hit accept.

"Xiao Kui, the stuff you asked for is bought."

Her eldest brother's face appeared on the screen—sharp brows and deep eyes, with a serious expression that resembled a stern school dean. Behind him, mountains of supplies were piled up.

Her second brother, in stark contrast, had a pair of flirtatious peach-blossom eyes and was naturally vain and insufferable.

He snatched the phone away and pretended to wipe his eyes dramatically: "How rare, how touching—the conscience-stricken Kuikui finally remembered her poor old dad, mom, and second brother, abandoned at home in the dead of winter, and actually took the initiative to call them! But why are you just like Mom, suddenly reincarnated as a hamster, obsessively hoarding food and clothes?"

"And also to me—" was what the eldest brother started to say, but before he could finish, their dad cut in and grabbed the spotlight: "Didn't Dad send you a goose-down comforter already? How are you still cold? Is the dorm air conditioner not working? Want Dad to install a new one for you? Or better yet, don't stay over there anymore—go buy a proper house outside and live there, okay?"

He was as doting as a loving father toward his youngest daughter, but then turned around and smacked his second son on the head: "Your mom said this afternoon she had a dream that the whole family had nothing to eat and went hungry. Her so-called sixth sense has never been wrong. You don't believe her, huh? Fine—if you've got the guts, don't touch any of this stuff. I don't need a peacock of a son like you, all flashy and showy every day. Starve to death, and it'll save me the trouble!"

"—Hey, who are you guys calling? Is it Kuikui? Oh, my precious baby, Mom's missed you so much!"

The head of the family, Lin Mom, made her grand entrance, first refuting Lin Dad: "Sixth sense my big head! This is the fox spirit sending me a prophetic dream! What do you know!"

Then she shoved her two useless sons aside: "Shoo, shoo—grown men without a single girlfriend, and all you do is pester your sister. The warehouse doesn't have enough tissues—go buy another two hundred boxes right now."

Finally, she cradled the phone like a treasured jewel: "Baby, Mom and Dad bought everything you asked for. When are you planning to come back? Honestly, Jingdu isn't much warmer than Qingcheng these days, but don't worry—Mom's got electric blankets ready, and tomorrow I'll have the auntie tidy up the guest rooms for your friends. Then I'll personally cook you a full Manchu-Han banquet..."

The warmth and care from her family was overwhelming.

After a few more exchanges, Mother Lin brought up "Jiaowang"—the only interregional virtual network communication platform in the country.

Five years ago, the couple had taken their daughter hiking in the mountains and unexpectedly rescued a white fox. After bringing the injured fox home and caring for it for several months, their luck inexplicably took a turn for the better. They'd win whatever they drew in lotteries, and whatever they lacked would appear out of nowhere.

Later, the fox left, and because of their koi-like luck, the Lin parents became a hot topic on the Jiaowang platform. Countless netizens found their accounts and flooded them with comments—some asking, "Mom, Dad, do you need another daughter? I can take care of myself!" and others begging, "Ahhh, let me rub off some of your good luck, please!"

Over time, the couple earned the title of "National Parents," and their online "children" numbered nearly six figures.

As for the possibility of famine, whether people believed them or not, they felt at ease only after speaking up. Since the parents had made their decision, the sons naturally couldn't fall behind. Every single one of them had been told to post on their WeChat Moments, reminding everyone to prepare for food shortages.

Only their precious little daughter at home wasn't forced to do the same.

Still, the original body was already a minor internet celebrity. It was just a matter of a few taps, so Lin Qiukui spent a few seconds copying and pasting her brothers' WeChat Moments posts onto her own feed.

Whether it would help or not wasn't for her, a mere cannon fodder, to decide.

After posting, she quickly switched to her alt account.

At the moment, the trending topics were, unsurprisingly, all about the countdown and nothing else.

From renowned experts in various fields to ordinary netizens and bot accounts, nearly everyone was passionately discussing this inexplicable phenomenon that had appeared out of thin air.

Some guessed it was new technology; others claimed it was a hoax.

One amateur astronomer popped up, asserting that they had ruled out the possibility of human manufacturing through professional means. Then an expert jumped in, confidently declaring that it was merely a temporary illusion caused by the movement of some kind of particles in the atmosphere, and that it would disappear in a few days—there was no need for excessive concern or panic.

But the rebuttal came swiftly when five major airlines announced a suspension of operations.

"This is absolutely beyond the reach of current human technology!"

"Personally, I believe it's highly likely some form of undeciphered special communication from an alien civilization! This is their response to Blue Star but it may not be friendly! Whether we reply or not concerns the fate of all humanity we must tread carefully!!"

An impassioned sci-fi enthusiast had said something along those lines.

Didn't understand.

Oh well.

It was about 8:15 PM now. Outside the window, the night was pitch black, and even through the glass, one could clearly make out the thick fog.

Its color was murky, carrying a faint putrid odor, seemingly flowing in some imperceptible rhythm that defied all known laws of the universe. Like a dense swarm of insects, it silently wrapped the entire city, the entire planet, in a cage of its own making.

Listen.

If you quieted your mind and listened carefully, you could vaguely make out a strange, low hum within the fog. It was like the faint buzz of insects beating their wings at high frequency, yet also like some ancient, unknown human language repeating incantations of unclear purpose. The malice embedded within it was enough to drive all living beings to madness.

Was it just an illusion?

Lin Qiukui tugged at her ears but the sound seemed to be gone again.

She raised her gaze. Above the thick fog, in the sky, no matter how cautiously humans probed or how heatedly they debated, the countdown hung there. Unwavering, its edges radiating a soft glow, silently ticking away the seconds against the backdrop of the stars.

01:45:00

There would surely be many people tonight staring up at the sky, waiting eagerly to see what would happen once the countdown ended.

But what did that have to do with a slacker like her?

For her, even if the next dawn brought the end of the world, she still needed to get one last good night's sleep tonight.

Already starting to feel drowsy, Lin Qiukui didn't hesitate to pull the blackout curtains shut.

Lights off. Time to sleep.

At exactly 10:00 PM Beijing time on Blue Star, the faintly glowing numbers paused for a moment, then finally reached zero.

And then, under the gaze of countless eyes, they vanished into the distant sky.