Chapter 11: Cheng Yali’s Hoarding
1265 Words
The Zhou family’s farm wasn’t far from Jiazhou City—less than a thirty-minute drive.
When Ai Bing stepped into the newly purchased luxury duplex, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She nudged Zhou Lin and whispered, "How much did this place cost?"
"This isn’t Deep City," Zhou Lin replied casually. "Mom said it was just under five million. Oh, and we can go register the property at two o’clock. Are you sure you want to lend me the money?"
If Ai Bing had been hesitant before, stepping into this 380-square-meter, seventeenth-floor penthouse—with its additional 150-square-meter rooftop garden—erased all doubts.
If this were Deep City, she would never let Zhou Lin go. Marriage. This had to end in marriage.
"You write up an IOU first. I’ll transfer the money in a bit."
The reason she needed time was simple—she didn’t have much in savings, just around two hundred thousand. Despite mingling with rich second-generation heirs, those people weren’t stupid. They’d cover food, drinks, and gifts, but rarely handed out cash. On top of that, she had her own expenses. Having saved this much over the years was already an achievement.
To secure as much of the property’s ownership as possible, Ai Bing decided to max out her credit cards, take out loans from online platforms, and even borrow from Yang Qiqi. She had it all planned: she’d impress Zhou Lin’s parents by covering the down payment, then slowly recoup her money from Zhou Lin once they returned to Deep City.
She had never known Zhou Lin’s family was this well-off. Now that she did, his wallet would belong to her. And if he couldn’t earn enough? That’s what his parents were for.
Ai Bing thought she had everything figured out, but a clever fox was no match for a seasoned hunter. The moment she assured Zhou Lin that seventy thousand wasn’t a problem, he knew she was borrowing money.
Online loans took time to process, so Ai Bing asked if they could delay the registration until tomorrow.
"That’s fine," Zhou Lin agreed easily. "Mom and I are going shopping for the farm later. Want to come?"
At the mention of "farm," Ai Bing immediately pictured animal feed and manure. She wrinkled her nose. "I’ll pass. I think I’ll explore the city instead—try some Jiazhou specialties."
Zhou Lin had expected that. "Suit yourself. We’ll meet back up later."
"What exactly are we buying today?" Cheng Yali asked.
"Ten gas tanks, as much cured meat and sausages as we can get, frozen goods, various seeds, fertilized eggs for chickens, ducks, and geese—"
"Enough! I can’t remember all that. You talk, I’ll drive."
"Deal."
Cheng Yali was no stranger to these items. Running a farm meant she had connections with suppliers, and a few phone calls ensured everything was ready for pickup. Once they arrived, they could load up, pay, and leave immediately.
The pickup truck, despite its rough appearance, far outperformed any family car in terms of cargo capacity. They secured a ton of cured meats and frozen goods, another ton of rice, flour, and grains. It still wasn’t enough, but buying too much at once would attract suspicion. Zhou Lin suggested spreading out the purchases across multiple vendors and arranging staggered deliveries near their residence.
"Why not have them delivered straight to our door? Moving all this ourselves is exhausting," Cheng Yali grumbled after spending half the day hauling goods.
"If I had my way, I wouldn’t let anyone know who’s buying," Zhou Lin replied, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Mom, think about it—when the whole city runs out of food, what do you think those suppliers will do?"
"They wouldn’t rob us… would they?" She hesitated. "Is it really going to be that bad?"
"It’ll be worse than you can imagine."
Cheng Yali was silent for a moment, then said, "Should I call your grandfather?"
"Yes," Zhou Lin nodded. "See if he wants to come stay with us."
He had deep feelings for his grandparents.
When he was young, both of his parents were busy with work, so he spent most of his childhood between his maternal and paternal grandparents’ homes. Even during school vacations, he would go to the countryside. It wasn’t until high school, when academics became more demanding, that he stopped visiting as often.
After his maternal grandmother passed away, his grandfather moved in with his eldest uncle’s family in his mother’s hometown. Meanwhile, his paternal grandparents lived in a rural county, close to his father’s younger sister’s family.
Last night, Cheng Yali and Zhou Caijun had discussed whether to tell their extended family about the impending disaster. In the end, they decided no one would believe them. They had only given vague warnings to Zhou Lin’s eldest uncle and youngest aunt. Beyond that, they’d take things one step at a time.
"When did you say communications will go down?" Cheng Yali asked.
"Once the snow starts falling, cell towers will begin failing. The government will try to repair them, but at minus fifty degrees, working outside means risking your life. Whether or not we have service will be a matter of luck."
As they talked, mother and son continued making their rounds. By the time they finished, it was already dark.
Cheng Yali checked her watch and was stunned. "It’s only five in the afternoon."
Confirming that they had collected everything on their list, Zhou Lin picked up Ai Bing and they all returned to the farm.
Zhou Caijun was still busy.
"I’ve processed half the livestock. Should finish the rest by tomorrow. I’ve also paid the workers," he said quietly to Zhou Lin. "By the way… it got dark early today."
"Tomorrow, the sun will rise even later and set even earlier." Zhou Lin’s voice was grim. "Dad, humanity’s good days are numbered."
Zhou Caijun clapped his son on the shoulder. "Tomorrow, pick up Lili first. I’ve already arranged for her leave from school. She’s packed her things, but I didn’t tell her the real reason."
Zhou Lili, his thirteen-year-old sister, attended a private boarding school and couldn’t leave without a guardian.
"Got it," Zhou Lin agreed. "I’ll take her straight to Lanshan. Mom arranged for more deliveries there tomorrow."
After a full day of work, the three of them were utterly exhausted and turned in early.
Meanwhile, in a classified underground research facility in the capital, dozens of scientists anxiously awaited the results of a supercomputer simulation.
"It’s out!"
A few minutes later, a researcher monitoring the system called out.
Climate modeling required immense computational power and cutting-edge algorithms. Only two nations—their country and the so-called "Beautiful Nation"—had the capability to run such advanced simulations.
"What’s the result?" someone asked.
"The report has been pushed to your terminals," the researcher replied.
As the experts lowered their heads to check their screens, an elderly general seated at the center of the table spoke in a deep voice:
"Let me remind you all—what you are about to see is classified as a state secret. Any unauthorized disclosure will be treated as treason."
Yet no one lifted their heads.
Because at that moment, every single scientist was frozen in shock.
"This… this can’t be real."
"A global blackout… Are we talking about the end of the world?"
"How much time do we have? Less than ten days? What can we even do in ten days?"
Someone suddenly spoke up:
"The Fireseed Project. General Zhang, is it time to activate the Fireseed Plan?"
- Writer
