My Apocalypse, My Rules

3. The Spree

Zhang Yi's demeanor toward Fang Yuqing was noticeably colder than before.

Both women sensed the change, but their conviction that he was a secret heir to wealth only grew stronger. Instead of being offended by his aloofness, they became more determined to win his favor.

"Zhang Yi, were you just dining at that restaurant?" Li Caining asked, feigning casual interest.

Zhang Yi's brow furrowed slightly. This woman was cut from the same cloth as Fang Yuqing - both were equally despicable. She had played her part in cheating him out of his supplies and, ultimately, his life.

"Yeah," he replied curtly, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning toward the supermarket.

Fang Yuqing and Li Caining quickly followed.

"Zhang Yi, where are you headed?" Fang Yuqing asked, her voice dripping with a sweetness she rarely used with him before.

"Supermarket," came the terse reply, his tone frosty and impatient. Had it not been for his plan to let her experience the despair of the apocalypse first, he might have been tempted to end her right there.

Fang Yuqing shot Li Caining a meaningful glance. "What a coincidence! We were just about to do some shopping too. We can go together!"

Zhang Yi understood perfectly. They had seen his extravagant meal and concluded he must be a hidden rich heir. That explained their sudden change in attitude.

He ignored them and walked straight into the supermarket. He grabbed a shopping cart and headed down the aisles, with the two women quickly securing carts of their own and following close behind.

"Zhang Yi, were you eating with someone just now?" Fang Yuqing probed with a practiced smile.

Zhang Yi made his way to the food section. "Can't I eat alone?"

Fang Yuqing's eyes lit up. "Oh, I didn't mean it that way! It's just... that place is so expensive. I assumed you must be treating someone special."

Li Caining couldn't contain her curiosity. "Zhang Yi, you only make a bit over ten thousand a month, right? That meal must have cost you half a year's salary." She leaned in conspiratorially. "Your family must have left you quite the inheritance."

Fang Yuqing shot her a sharp glare. *i***t! You don't just ask things like that!* A top-tier gold digger knew the rules: discuss *feelings* with the wealthy and *money* with the poor.

Realizing her mistake, Li Caining tried to backtrack. "Haha, just kidding! We're all friends here. Money isn't important."

Zhang Yi paid them no mind. He had reached the food aisles, and the sight of fully stocked shelves was like beholding a treasure trove. Having known the agony of making a single packet of instant noodles last two days in his previous life, he felt an almost primal urge to acquire food.

He began clearing entire shelves into his cart. Canned goods, instant noodles, ready-to-eat meals, condiments - he took everything in bulk.

The scale of his shopping left Fang Yuqing and Li Caining speechless.

"Zhang Yi... why are you buying so much food?" Fang Yuqing finally asked, bewildered. "Are you going camping?"

"Yeah," Zhang Yi answered vaguely.

Li Caining's suspicion grew. "Would a rich heir really eat this kind of food when camping?" she whispered to Fang Yuqing.

Fang Yuqing felt equally puzzled, but the memory of that luxurious meal made her reluctant to abandon the "rich heir" theory. She moved closer to Zhang Yi. "Do you need any help?" she offered with exaggerated sweetness.

Seeing no reason to refuse free labor, and watching Fang Yuqing's feigned innocence, a vengeful idea sparked in Zhang Yi's mind. He *wanted* her to know he was hoarding supplies. Then, when the apocalypse arrived and she came begging, he could reject her utterly.

A cold smile touched his lips. "Sure, you can push the cart."

Fang Yuqing eagerly agreed.

Zhang Yi then instructed Li Caining to get another cart. Though filled with doubt, the two women complied.

He focused on non-perishables: instant noodles, canned meat, preserved foods, and plenty of canned goods. He dedicated an entire cart to fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, and even some live fish from the tank - an experiment to test his spatial dimension's preservation capabilities.

Soon, all three carts were overflowing. Zhang Yi assigned the heaviest cart, loaded with frozen meats and canned goods weighing nearly five hundred pounds, to the two women. They were soon sweating and straining under the weight.

Fang Yuqing couldn't suppress a complaint. "Zhang Yi, how many people are you feeding? Are you planning some big event you haven't told me about?"

Zhang Yi let out a cold laugh. "The world is ending soon. I'm just stocking up."

Fang Yuqing assumed he was joking. "Oh, don't be silly! If you don't want to tell me, that's fine." She then added, her eyes full of suggestion, "But since I helped you so much today, you owe me a meal, okay?" Her hope for another Michelin-starred experience was palpable.

Zhang Yi's lips curled. "Sure. But I'm busy lately. Maybe next month."

Fang Yuqing was delighted. "It's a deal then!"

Li Caining quickly interjected, "Great! Let's all go together!" She was thrilled at the prospect of a fancy meal earned just by pushing a cart.

Fang Yuqing shot her an annoyed look for her lack of subtlety, but Li Caining pretended not to notice.

Zhang Yi proceeded to checkout. The bill exceeded ten thousand yuan, which he paid without hesitation. In the coming apocalypse, these supplies would be worth thousands of times their current value.

Due to the large quantity, the supermarket allowed him to borrow the carts.

Zhang Yi unceremoniously ordered the two women to help him push everything home. He could have used his car, but with free labor available, why not use it?

The women complained incessantly about the exhausting task, but the promised reward of a lavish meal kept them going.

And so, the trio pushed three heavily laden shopping carts through the streets, drawing curious and bewildered stares from everyone they passed on their way back to the apartment complex.