Chapter 4: Is the Coastline Villa a Pigsty?

Jiang Qiyu’s eyes darkened as memories of the tortures she endured in her past life flooded her mind.

In that previous life, her eight-person team, unable to bear the exploitation of the Dawn Base, had sought out a base of their own to survive independently. Since they all possessed supernatural abilities or special skills, they had lived quite comfortably for a time.

But good things never lasted. One day, Jiang Qiyu woke up to find herself trapped in a laboratory, her limbs securely restrained. Beside her, a zombie with a face of rotting flesh shrieked in excitement. She had been bitten, yet she had not turned. The researchers grew even more ecstatic, proclaiming her the key to ending the apocalypse. Thus, day after day, they drew her blood, sliced into her flesh, and subjected her to various machines, until her consciousness became increasingly fragmented and chaotic. She had thought that was the worst of it—unable to live well, yet unable to die.

But then, the man in red stole a key from somewhere, waited for the guards to change shifts, and tossed her into the zombie cage.

The rot, the stench, the pungent smell of blood, the frenzied shrieking...

Jiang Qiyu died. She was not infected; she was eaten alive. She watched helplessly as she was consumed bit by bit, feeling her mangled body grow lighter and lighter until only a skeleton remained, her internal organs hollowed out, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell.

Her soul, having nowhere to rest, drifted back to the summer ten years ago.

Jiang Qiyu glanced behind her, a flash of hatred crossing her eyes before she quickly masked it, reverting to her usual demeanor. Now was not the right time for revenge. Aside from the two bodyguards visible downstairs, the two black business cars parked nearby were also filled with his men. If she rushed in now, she would likely be eliminated before she even saw his face.

She had to plan carefully. As long as he joined the base just like in her past life, she would inevitably come for his life.

...

"Boss, check, please!"

Having eaten her fill, Jiang Qiyu let out a satisfied burp. It had been a long time since she’d had such hot, delicious food.

"Braised pork, shredded pork with green peppers, stir-fried celery with beef, dry-pot shrimp, preserved vegetable pork belly... that comes to 1,150 yuan in total."

The owner counted the dozens of plates piled on the table, his eyes widening. Several plates were wiped so clean that one couldn't even tell what had been served; it was only with Jiang Qiyu’s help that he managed to tally them up.

"Paid. By the way, boss, do you do delivery?" Jiang Qiyu asked casually.

The owner laughed heartily. "We only serve dine-in, no delivery. But if you order enough, we can send it over."

"Fine. Give me a hundred portions of everything on the menu, delivered to Villa 10, Coastline Villas. We’re having a company gathering tonight."

The owner’s jaw dropped, and he almost doubted his own ears. "A hundred portions?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"Of course not!" The owner patted his chest in assurance. "Don't you worry, miss. My chefs will cook only for you today; I guarantee it will be delivered on time!"

Including the soups and cold dishes, his restaurant had 108 items on the menu. With this single order, he wouldn't have to worry about money for half a month! He’d just pay his staff extra to work overtime and get it done today.

After receiving the owner’s guarantee, Jiang Qiyu paid the full amount with peace of mind and continued to stroll and eat. The restaurant wasn't going anywhere, and paying the remainder later would be a hassle, so it was better to pay in full at once.

The owner watched her retreating figure as he cleared the table, his expression complex. He couldn't help but wonder to himself: *She looks so small, how does she have such a massive appetite?*

Could she be an influencer filming a video? He didn't see any cameras, though... The owner scratched his head. *Forget it, if I can't figure it out, I won't bother.* Regardless of who she was, a paying customer was a god!

...

Jiang Qiyu continued to explore the food street, ordering five hundred portions of everything delicious she wanted and having it all delivered to the villa.

Ice cream cones, sundaes, various milk teas, boneless chicken feet, grilled sausages, iron-plate tofu, giant grilled squid, takoyaki, shrimp paste soup... Once the apocalypse arrived, these delicacies would vanish, and getting a single taste would be harder than reaching the heavens.

Fortunately, she had experimented yesterday. Although her space couldn't hold living creatures, it was a completely stagnant environment. Whatever food was put in stayed exactly as it was when taken out. This meant that even in the apocalypse, she could enjoy these hot, chewy, spicy, and icy treats to her heart's content!

Jiang Qiyu then went to the wholesale market and bought a thousand bags each of various meatballs and semi-processed foods to send to her warehouse, along with five hundred boxes of hot pot base and various seasonings like oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.

How could she have hot pot without staples? She bought a ton of flour, a ton of noodles, and a ton of vermicelli. She would be able to eat whatever she wanted, however she wanted!

But living off her stores wasn't enough. Jiang Qiyu knew that the post-apocalyptic environment was harsh, and humans had often resorted to "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs," leaving very few seeds for cultivation. She visited the seed market and bought out every variety of seeds and seedlings available on the market. If she could expand her territory later, she would plant them herself. If she only remained self-sufficient, she could sell these seeds to other bases; after all, in the later stages, seeds would be incredibly valuable. Either way, it was a win-win.

After having the goods sent to the warehouse, Jiang Qiyu went to the building materials market to order reinforced materials for her walls, doors, and windows. She paid extra to schedule a measurement for tomorrow, with installation beginning the day after. The villa was too large, and the front and back gardens weren't covered by the protective shield. She didn't feel at ease relying solely on that; strengthening the defenses was the best policy. One shouldn't over-rely on the shield—it was only basic, and if its defense points were depleted, she’d have no final safety net left.

Next, Jiang Qiyu rushed to a hardware store and ordered two 1,000kW silent generators. They were a million each! Expensive, but high quality and with astonishing power. A single 1,000kW generator could power about 200 households, let alone her small villa. This way, she could watch movies and eat popcorn during the apocalypse, living the life of a pampered "salted fish."

"Good luck comes, wishing you good luck..."

Her pleasant ringtone played. Jiang Qiyu pressed answer. "Who is this?"

"Is this Ms. Jiang? The instant noodles have been loaded and are ready to be transported. Are you at the warehouse now?"

Jiang Qiyu checked her watch. "I'm heading there now. Contact me when you arrive."

"You got it!"

Calculating the time, the other items should be arriving soon as well. Jiang Qiyu hailed a taxi and arrived at the warehouse shortly after.

Half an hour later, a line of large trucks slowly pulled into the loading area, winding like a long dragon—a spectacular sight. After counting the cargo, workers began moving boxes of instant noodles into the warehouse. The unloading alone took three full hours! Fortunately, the owner had hired extra temp workers, or they wouldn't have finished today.

"Boss, there's one truck left, but the warehouse is full."

The three massive warehouses were completely packed. There was no room left. But that wasn't a problem.

Jiang Qiyu said casually, "Just leave it in the loading area. I’ll have someone move it to another warehouse shortly."

"Alright, boss."

Once the unloading was finished, Jiang Qiyu paid the workers on the spot, treated them to a few bottles of water, and watched as the convoy departed in a grand procession.

As soon as they left, Jiang Qiyu locked the main gate and couldn't wait to tuck all the instant noodles into her spatial dimension. With the supplies secured, she felt a sudden rush of confidence. Nothing felt more secure than having items in her own hands. The stockpile of instant noodles alone would be enough to feed a small-to-medium-sized base for three years!

Her personal space hadn't been large enough to hold it all, but the system's mall interface allowed her not only to buy items but also to act as a seller. The primary mall only allowed one type of item to be listed at a time, with a custom price and unlimited inventory. Jiang Qiyu had exploited this loophole by listing the noodles as a product; all the noodles she "sold" were converted into product inventory, saving her a huge amount of space!

It was a pity that each item category had to be the same product at the same price, or she would have had infinite space. Jiang Qiyu couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. Still, her starting line was already far ahead of everyone else; one had to be content.

Soon, the other ordered goods arrived one after another. Jiang Qiyu followed the same procedure, moving everything into her spatial storage. After confirming nothing was left behind, she locked the door and hailed a taxi home.

Strangely, the villa was located in a remote suburb, and the roads were usually clear, but today, they were jammed to the point of absurdity.

The driver was puzzled. "What's going on? Why are there so many vehicles today?"

"Not sure."

Jiang Qiyu didn't see anything wrong, so she let out a yawn and closed her eyes to rest.

At a crossroads, the red light flickered. The delivery riders waiting to pass caught sight of each other, noticing the piles of takeout boxes strapped to the back of their bikes. As if struck by a sudden realization, they spoke in unison.

"So much?"

"Where are you heading?"

The rider in blue ventured, "Are you also..."

The rider in yellow finished the sentence, "...to Coastline Villas?"

"Me too."

"Me too."

The tricycle and van drivers waiting at the light poked their heads out to respond, all of them seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

Was that Coastline Villa raising a pigsty?