Five days remained until the apocalypse!
Another sunset, seven in the evening.
Su Jin returned to the Rented Apartment with his backpack, now dressed in a tank top and baggy shorts he had bought locally.
It had been a thoroughly productive day.
He had spent half the day in a bookstore, using Quantum Speed Reading on quite a few encyclopedias and deepening his understanding of this world.
He had spent the other half scouting locations, checking market prices, drawing up a budget, and getting friendly with the residential complex's security guards.
After running the numbers every which way, the money he had on hand was barely enough... though, of course, he had budgeted for far more supplies than strictly necessary.
For food alone, assuming four people, it would last several months.
If he hadn't needed to buy so many other practical supplies, that money could have fed them for over two years.
The purchasing power was genuinely impressive!
Once home, he immediately set down his backpack and took the handbag out of it.
He pulled his pen and notebook from the handbag, followed by two plastic bags.
One plastic bag held rice; the other held stir-fried sliced meat.
After eating a few vegetable leaves last night without any trouble, he had worked up the courage to order a meat dish at a small restaurant today.
It tasted decent, and he had been pleasantly surprised to find ordinary rice and chopsticks at the restaurant.
As for the two portions on the table, they were leftovers he had packed to go.
Su Jin flipped open his notes with one hand and untied a plastic bag with the other.
Before he could open it, warmth seeped into his fingers...
Looking at the still-warm food, Su Jin froze for a moment.
He had read a few novels. Those wish-fulfillment stories always featured something like a Spatial Ring, where food could be stored indefinitely without spoiling.
But actually witnessing it, with the food still warm, felt unbelievably magical... wasn't this effectively stopping time?
That made time-stopping abilities in novels seem far too unimpressive. They were everywhere.
The food was just like when he had bought it. Apparently, he wouldn't have to worry about the things he had brought from home expiring.
After opening the plastic bags, Su Jin picked up a clump of rice with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
After a couple of chews, his expression shifted slightly. Then he took a bite of the meat.
It wasn't stopped time!
The temperature hadn't changed, but the rice had gone stale, and the dish seemed to taste a little different too!
So the space inside this bag was actually a thermally insulated environment... but molecules could still move.
Could microorganisms and bacteria survive in there? I'd need a petri dish to test that.
Oh, damn... then wouldn't things like medicinal pills expire inside a Storage Ring too?
What principle did this space operate on?
Su Jin slapped his forehead and gave a self-mocking smile.
Why bother thinking about that crap? Using science to explain mysticism was unscientific in itself.
Nothing had been normal since I crossed over!
But on second thought, he felt a little sad. He had spent half his life receiving a scientific education and had never learned anything else... what could he believe in besides science?
Surely not the ancestors. They'd never even had enough to eat...
Pushing aside those stray thoughts, Su Jin began organizing his notes as he ate.
Halfway through his meal, someone knocked on the door!
Su Jin instantly jolted, set down his chopsticks, and hurried to the door.
He looked through the peephole. It was Fu Qingdai!
She stood nervously at the door, fidgeting, with no one beside her.
Su Jin quickly opened the door and pulled Fu Qingdai inside.
The sudden tug startled her.
Once she got a clear look at Su Jin's face, she quickly settled down and said nervously, "I got out, Cousin."
"Nicely done! When did you get out? No trouble, right?" Su Jin asked, delighted.
"Today... I got home at noon today. My mom just left for work." Fu Qingdai lowered her head, not daring to look at Su Jin. "There wasn't any trouble. I don't know what got into that nurse, but she kept speaking up for me... oh, right, she told me privately that I still need time to recover, and asked you to call her to report how I'm doing."
Su Jin nodded repeatedly and led her to the dining table.
"Sit. Let's talk sitting down."
"Okay..." Fu Qingdai answered softly, perching on the edge of the chair.
"Cousin, what should we do next?"
Su Jin went to the kitchen, filled a glass with tap water, and slid it toward Fu Qingdai.
He sat down and said, "Leave pretty much everything from here on to me. For anything else, just do what I tell you. Before I give you your instructions, we need to lay down three ground rules. You need to keep them firmly in mind, understand? Do you know what laying down three ground rules means?"
"I understand... go ahead, Cousin," Fu Qingdai said softly.
"Good! First, never act on impulse! Second, never leave out even the smallest thing when telling me what happened! Third, anything I ask you to do must be done properly and cleanly. Can you do that?!"
"Yes!" Fu Qingdai lifted her head and finally began looking Su Jin in the eye.
"Good! That's the spirit!" Su Jin gave her a thumbs-up. "I can tell you're smart, and I believe you can do it!"
"Although I'll have tasks for you later, there's really only one thing you need to do: trust me completely. I know you're still feeling uncertain, but I'm not bragging. I never ask my clients to judge me by my win rate. Judge me by my losses instead, because I've never lost!"
"Really?" Fu Qingdai's eyes suddenly lit up, shining with hope.
"Of course. Trisolarans lie. We Namekians like telling the truth."
"Why are Trisolarans so awful?!"
"Exactly!"
Seeing Fu Qingdai become much livelier put Su Jin considerably more at ease too.
Since he had no choice but to carry out this assignment, he needed to maintain his professionalism.
He couldn't afford to fall apart, and his young client's mental health needed even more care.
"Then... tell me what you want me to do next," Fu Qingdai asked.
"Hmm..." Su Jin was just about to speak when his gaze swept across the outlet in the corner.
Only then did he remember... he hadn't checked the electricity situation all day. Although he had brought two power banks, they would struggle to last through these next few days.
His phone was quite useful now, and it would be even more useful later.
The wall outlet had two holes, and his charger would fit, but he hadn't dared try it for fear of damaging his phone. Now was a good chance to ask.
"Let me ask you something first. How many volts is the outlet?"
"220 volts."
"Do you have a scientist named Volt here? What's the unit of voltage called?"
"There isn't a scientist named Volt. The unit of voltage is named after our country's physicist Li Songxi."
"So the unit of voltage is called..."
"The volt."
"O-kay, then."
Su Jin was speechless. He couldn't help marveling at how absurdly powerful the company's translation function was. It really did adapt automatically and even bridge cultural differences... except, of course, that other people couldn't understand his handwriting.
Still, that didn't matter. His phone should charge normally. He would test it with a power bank first.
The 220V voltage matched what most countries on Earth used. That probably wasn't pure coincidence.
That voltage was likely a reasonable compromise between cost and efficiency.
Which meant science had never stopped working, and his experience and common sense were still perfectly useful.
"What's wrong, Cousin?" Fu Qingdai asked curiously.
Su Jin shook his head and took out another notebook. "Nothing. Now tell me about your parents. Be detailed, and don't get anything wrong or leave anything out. This determines whether we can meet openly and legitimately. If we handle it well, I'll be able to visit your home whenever I like, which will make it easier to help your parents. Go ahead."
Fu Qingdai nodded, but just as she was about to begin, she hesitated. "After I tell you... could you tell me about Namek?"
"No problem. You go first."
An hour later.
"I've told you everything I know." Fu Qingdai held her now-empty glass. "Is there anything else?"
Su Jin closed his notebook. "No more questions. I'll visit your home tomorrow. You have two tasks."
"What tasks?"
"Have your mom cook a few more substantial dishes, and find a way to get me two thousand yuan."
Before you continue