Chapter 4: The Eve of the Apocalypse

That's right! Custom crossbows could be ordered. Crossbows require very little strength, making them entirely suitable for women. As for blades, Su Miao thought carefully and decided to commission an umbrella sword—something that could shield her from rain and wind, and, in the face of danger, reveal a slender blade for defense.

With that in mind, Su Miao quickly opened Photoshop and drafted a blueprint for the umbrella sword, noting down all her requirements. Once her design was ready, she browsed shopping apps for suitable cold weapon manufacturers.

At first, all the vendors she contacted refused outright. They explained that crossbows were considered dangerous and regulated weapons. Swords with sharpened edges were even more strictly forbidden.

However, upon seeing Su Miao's offer of a hefty 100,000 yuan, one vendor agreed to take the order, promising to use the finest alloy materials for the job.

Ten days later, a van drove over five hundred kilometers to the tourist area where Su Miao lived, delivering her custom crossbows and umbrella swords.

Six crossbows, five hundred bolts. Two umbrella swords, two spare slender blades. They also gifted her two short swords, three light swords, complete with scabbards, and two practice targets for the crossbows.

All these weapons were sharpened, their blades keen enough to slice hair, with no quality issues whatsoever.

“Miss Su Miao, please sign for the delivery,” said the middle-aged driver, who appeared honest and solid. The calluses on his right hand suggested he was a blacksmith himself. Because these were regulated weapons, delivery by courier or freight would risk detection, and if reported, they could end up in trouble with the authorities. Orders like this were always handled with personal delivery.

“Alright,” Su Miao signed the receipt.

Once the goods were handed over, the driver got back in the van, performed a quick drift, and left the tourist area. As for why Su Miao was buying so many weapons, they wouldn't ask. As long as the money was earned.

Su Miao moved the umbrella swords, crossbows, light swords, and short swords into the villa. Then, she tested the crossbow on the practice targets gifted by the vendor. At a distance of ten meters, the fifteen-centimeter-thick target was pierced clean through by the bolt.

Su Miao stared, dumbfounded—the power of this crossbow was terrifying!

She tried the umbrella sword as well. With a single stroke, a pig's big bone cleaved in two as easily as cutting tofu.

Seeing the umbrella sword’s immense power, Su Miao nearly dropped the slender blade in her hand—it was frightening!

A few minutes later, Su Miao calmed herself. From the moment she saw the apocalypse prophecy, rented the villa in the tourist area, purchased all kinds of supplies, and ordered custom crossbows and umbrella swords, twenty-three days had passed. Only three days remained until the end.

She glanced at the calendar. It was August 29th, 2123.

She checked her account—over sixty thousand yuan remained.

“When the apocalypse comes, money will be useless. I should spend it all now.”

Suddenly, she remembered something: she’d been storing supplies in her magical space, where cooked food and cold drinks could be kept for long periods without spoiling. This meant she could completely discard the framework of suggestions from online forums.

For example, she could stockpile rice and flour in massive quantities. She could also order huge batches of delicious cooked food from her favorite vendors, storing them in her magical space—her previous test with dry-fried chicken rice had already proven this method worked without any issues.

Su Miao acted on her thoughts. She called the wholesale market and, using her remaining money as a deposit, placed orders for dozens of tons of rice, flour, and large quantities of ice cream and frozen desserts, arranging for delivery to the warehouse.

Ice cream and the like—once the third stage of the apocalypse brought scorching heat, hardly anyone would have the privilege of tasting them. If she were to auction off a single ice cream in those times, it would fetch an unimaginable price.

Of course, Su Miao was only entertaining the idea. If she actually did that, it would be as good as courting death.

On August 31st, Su Miao received the last batch of supplies at the warehouse. She enjoyed a meal in the city and, at 1:15 in the afternoon, took a taxi back to the tourist area.

As she sat in the car, rain began to fall softly outside. Su Miao frowned slightly.

She looked out the window, a bit anxious, fearing a flash flood or landslide might cut off the road—a disaster she hoped to avoid.

Luckily, nothing of the sort happened. She arrived safely at the tourist area and returned to her villa.

Barely five minutes later, the customer service representative, Xiao Yan, arrived at her doorstep, carrying a gift.

“Hello, Miss Su Miao. You’re not planning to check out anytime soon, are you?” Xiao Yan looked a bit worried.

“No...” Su Miao stood at the door, shaking her head. If there was something to discuss, WeChat would suffice—no need for a personal visit.

“That’s good. These are complimentary gifts from our company, please accept them.” Xiao Yan visibly relaxed. “The weather forecast predicts several days of torrential rain. Please don’t leave the villa area until the rain stops.”

Because of the forecast, many guests who had planned to stay long-term had checked out. This put great pressure on Xiao Yan’s performance metrics. That’s why she was making rounds, delivering gifts and reminders to guests who hadn’t left, advising them to stay safe during the storm.

After all, this was a mountainous region. If a guest left the villa area and encountered a flash flood or landslide, no one would be able to rescue them under such extreme conditions.

Moreover, if an accident occurred, the company would face lawsuits and compensation claims. As the direct contract manager, Xiao Yan would surely be dismissed.

“Mm-hmm.” Su Miao nodded.

A forecast of torrential rain...

The apocalypse was truly upon them!

She felt a surge of fear.

“This is the tourist area’s WeChat group, Miss Su Miao. Please join. If anything comes up, you can contact us directly in the group—we’re on duty 24 hours a day to assist you,” Xiao Yan said sincerely.

“Alright.” Su Miao joined the group, quietly setting it to Do Not Disturb.

“Um, may I ask—are there any residents in the nearby villas? In case something happens, could I ask them for help?”

“Currently, these few villas are unoccupied, but the row ahead is fully occupied.” Xiao Yan smiled warmly. “Don’t worry—if anything happens, contact us directly. We’ll help solve any problems.”

Su Miao nodded. “Okay.”

Xiao Yan took her leave, heading to the next villa to check in with the tenants.

Su Miao carried the gift inside and locked the door.

The gift consisted of two boxes of tea, two packs of cigarettes, a box of cold medicine, a box of pastries, several packs of biscuits, and a few pieces of candy.

It was clear the company was earnest in its efforts to retain clients.

However, in the WeChat group, some remaining guests were still complaining:

“What bizarre weather—days of torrential rain! How is anyone supposed to enjoy their vacation? [Photo: Rolls Royce in the rain]”

“Just a bit of tea and cigarettes? What a joke—I tossed them straight in the trash. [Photo: Trash bin and corner of a Rolex]”

“The business here must be struggling to keep us around. At least they’re sincere. [Photo: 1982 vintage wine]”

“I threw mine in the trash as well. [Photo: Trash bin and distant 200,000 yuan evening gown]”

“Where do you do business, boss? Let’s connect! [Photo: Desk with a photo alongside CEO Ma]”

“To be honest, I still have some tea cakes worth over 2,000 yuan at home, gifted years ago. Later I’ll bring some over for you. [Photo: Pu’er tea worth its weight in gold]”

“……”

Su Miao was speechless as she scrolled through the chat. These people seemed to toss the gifts in the trash, but their photos flaunted their Rolex watches and other luxury items—a subtle display of wealth.

They likely didn’t realize that, come tomorrow, when the apocalypse strikes, these complimentary gifts would be worth far more than all their luxury possessions combined.

Su Miao exited WeChat.

Just then, she noticed a burst of 99+ red notification replies on the forum.

Huh?