Chapter 3 The Supplies Are In Void

• Startled and shaken, Nadia used her consciousness to check on her domain.
• My domain is there, and so are my supplies. She tried to retrieve an item with her mind. A coal briquette was materialized in her hand.
• As she scanned the domain, she noticed that the timer had reset to zero.
• Realization dawned on her. The domain had a two-hour usage limit. Two hours. Well, it's better than nothing!
• After she took a shower, it was already past midnight.
• When she checked her domain once more, she saw that the timer was reset, granting her another two hours. This was a relief to her.
• Nadia lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. She decided to resort to melatonin to ease herself to sleep.
• Yet, she was haunted by nightmares of being chased and attacked by a group of people wielding blood-stained knives.
• She awoke in a cold sweat and a pounding heart.
• It was 5 a.m. The sky was still dark. She entered her domain to check on her stockpiled supplies and found some peace in the sight of her careful preparations.
• Unable to fall back asleep, she grabbed her car keys and headed to the largest agricultural wholesale market.
• By the time she arrived, dawn was breaking. The market was bustling with the sounds of vehicles and the chatter of early-morning traders.
• Nadia made her way to the vegetable section, where the fresh produce still glistened with morning dew.
• She purchased winter melons, pumpkins, lotus roots, red and white radishes, eggplants, string beans, bitter gourds, celery, tomatoes, and more, each in 100-kilogram quantities. As for potatoes and sweet potatoes, she doubled the order to 200 kilograms.
• She also bought 100 kilograms of ginger and garlic, knowing they could be both planted and used as seasoning. During the extreme cold weather, a bowl of ginger tea could be a lifesaver.
• She inspected and selected her purchases methodically, ensuring she got everything she needed except for leafy greens. By the time she finished, she had spent around 4,000.
• After she grabbed her breakfast, it was nearly 9 a.m. The once bustling wholesale market had quieted down significantly with fewer people around.
• Nadia compared prices carefully and stocked up on staple foods. She bought 100 bags of rice, each weighing 50 kilograms, and 50 bags of flour of the same weight. Additionally, she purchased 500 kilograms of white noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, and sweet potato noodles. For legumes and nuts, she bought 200 kilograms of soybeans, red beans, mung beans, black beans, and peanuts. She also secured 50 large barrels of soybean oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil.
• The total cost came to just under 30,000. But after some bargaining, the shop owner threw in three extra bags of rice.
• With these edibles, she could survive the next 30 years.
• While the shop owner prepared her order, she walked over to the condiments section.
• She ordered ten large 20-liter barrels of soy sauce, vinegar, and white liquor. She also bought 30 kilograms of star anise, fennel, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and peppers along with 300 kilograms of brown sugar, white sugar, and rock sugar. For salt, she ordered 3,000 kilograms.
• In the apocalypse, food was crucial, but salt was even more vital. Without sufficient salt, the body couldn't function.
• Nadia vividly remembered seeing someone trading a single package of salt for 30 kilograms of grain during the third year of the apocalypse.
• Despite the substantial amount of salt, it didn't take up much space. She knew that when the resources became scarce, salt would be invaluable for bartering. If she had more space, she would have stored much more.
• She drove to a secluded spot and stored her supplies in her domain before she headed to the frozen foods section.
• She ordered ten large boxes each of steamed buns, flower rolls, red bean buns, custard buns, brown sugar buns, and shumai. Wary of the quality of meat-filled buns, she opted for 200 kilograms of frozen dumpling skins instead, knowing that they would help pass the time during floods.
• Next, she visited the dried goods section for shiitake mushrooms, deer horn mushrooms, tea tree mushrooms, black fungus, kelp, seaweed, red dates, pickled vegetables, and various flavored sunflower seeds. Another 10,000 was spent.
• In the meat section, she found a stall that supplied school cafeterias. The owner greeted her warmly, "What can I get for you today, Nadia?"
• The oppressive heat before the typhoon had left the stall with little fresh meat, but the prices were reasonable.
• She ordered 200 kilograms of pork belly, lean meat, ribs, beef, lamb, and rabbit, along with 100 chickens and ducks, 50 geese, and various pig and cow offals.
• The owner was stunned. "Nadia, are you joking?"
• Nadia had often referred customers to his wife, who worked at the slaughterhouse. This had earned her a discounted price. "Some relatives are hosting a banquet. Just looking for a good deal."
• "Seeing how much you've helped me, do I need to say more? I won't make a profit on this deal. I'll give you a thirty percent discount on everything!"
• Buying meat was a costly affair. Pork prices had just dropped recently, but beef and lamb remained expensive. That's why getting supplies from a familiar source was the most economical option.
• The total came to nearly 30,000, but Nadia didn't haggle. Instead, she made an additional request for two cleavers and a butcher knife.
• Having weapons for self-defense was essential. But she neither had the time nor the means to procure them properly, so she had to make do with what she could get at that moment.
• The owner was taken aback. "What do you need these for?"
• "Don't worry. I'm not planning to commit any crimes," she reassured him.
• Considering both the profit and their relationship, the owner agreed without hesitation.
• Nadia then headed to the fish stall, ordering 100 fish to be gutted but left whole. She planned to pick them up later once they were cleaned.
• Next, she bought 3,000 chicken eggs and 1,000 duck eggs. Thinking the disaster might eventually end, she also purchased two trays of fertilized chicken, duck, goose, and quail eggs, along with a small household incubator.
• With her domain's garden in mind, she visited a seedlings store. She selected vegetable seeds with short growth cycles, such as lettuce, bok choy, water spinach, and various other greens.
• The seeds were inexpensive, costing only 500 for a supply that would last decades.
• Although she only had 10 square meters of black soil, her two balconies could be put to good use. The gardening instinct in her was awakened, prompting her to buy planting pots, a hoe, a shovel, and some potting soil.
• Fueled by hope for the future, she ran to the fruit tree section. She bought three various types of mature trees like apple, grape, tangerine, mandarin, and others. These older trees promised quicker yields.
• She knew that as the disaster persisted, fresh meat would become a rare luxury. Eventually, even those in power would struggle to find resources.
• Nadia decided to buy a pair of breeding rabbits. Rabbits could be sustained on vegetables and reproduced quickly, ensuring a steady supply of meat.
• She loved braised dishes and cold appetizers, so she bought 200 kilograms of frozen chicken and duck feet, and 100 kilograms each of duck intestines, duck kidneys, and chicken hearts.
• Spending money felt like pouring water, and it pained her deeply. However, seeing her supplies steadily accumulate in her space gave her a sense of satisfaction and security that was hard to describe.
• She spent the entire day at the wholesale market. By the time she left, the streets were brightly lit and bustling with activity. Her day was just about to begin.
• Nadia went to a restaurant and indulged in a hearty meal of braised ribs, steamed meatballs, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes. She didn't forget to take the leftovers home.
• When she arrived home, she spent hours organizing her domain. She filled up her large room completely. Vegetables and fruit tree saplings were placed in the living room, and the breeding rabbits were kept on the balcony.
• She had thought things through, leaving the domain with ten minutes left on the timer.
• As soon as she exited, the two breeding rabbits were ejected as well. They landed on the floor with a thud, nearly injured.
• Nadia was speechless.
• At first, she felt a wave of frustration, but it quickly turned into exhilaration.
• It seems that the domain not only has a time limit, but other living creatures are not allowed to remain inside if I'm not in there. This means that no one could take my domain away from me.
• In high spirits, she sat down to review her preparations, ensuring she had covered everything she could think of.
• With around 20,000 left in her account, she realized that only the living room and the bathroom in the space remained unused. To survive extreme disasters, she needed to be strategic about her remaining purchases, avoiding items that took up too much space.
• Opening her food delivery app, she ordered from highly-rated restaurants, indulging in dishes she had always wanted but previously couldn't justify. She ordered ten servings each of oil-braised prawns, Hakka salted chicken, stuffed tofu, Dongpo pork, and more than twenty other dishes.
• She also got a variety of breakfast items and snacks. Fried dough sticks, steamed dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, hand-grabbed pancakes, beef patties, fried buns, skewers, braised dishes, roasted meats, milk tea, and dozens of other items.
• Spending over 10,000, she arranged for everything to be picked up at specified times to ensure freshness.
• Though exhausted, Nadia was determined to savor the city's final moments of prosperity.
• She received a notice in the afternoon. The school would be closed for three days to prepare for the upcoming super typhoon. The exact date for resuming classes to be announced later.
• The students cheered with joy, eagerly inviting friends out for a night of revelry, celebrating before the typhoon's arrival.
• The southern coastal regions experienced a dozen typhoons a year. Students always hoped for school cancellations. This time, their wish came true.
• Nadia felt the same excitement, but she knew this was different. They didn't realize that after this, they would never have to return to school again.
• Eating barbecue and drinking beer, she had mixed feelings as she continued to collect her orders.
• Upon returning home, Nadia felt she had forgotten something important. Yet, she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.