There were four days left until the Apocalypse arrived.
After a busy day, supplies of all shapes and sizes had piled up in Su Jin's fourth-floor apartment.
He had scouted locations in the morning and shopped at the wholesale market in the afternoon.
He had bought ten water buckets to start with, dozens of bags of powdered milk, twenty bags of salt, vitamin tablets, everyday medicines, and assorted gauze, rubbing alcohol, and iodine. He had also... ordered plenty of grain and cooking oil from a grain shop six kilometers away, paid a deposit, and arranged for delivery at night in two days.
Beyond that, he had bought a large number of plastic bags, toilet paper, and several portable plastic toilets.
Among all his supplies, the toilets were an absolute necessity!
With the Apocalypse approaching, water would clearly be precious.
Even if the sewers remained functional, he could never afford to waste water flushing a toilet.
His only option was to line those toilets with plastic bags.
What if zombies tracked people by smell? They might even work wonders as biological bombs.
Plastic buckets would do, too, but considering he might end up dying, he might as well preserve a little dignity while he could...
Besides those, he had bought a batch of sanitary pads based on Fu Qingdai's questions.
Although they were intended for women during their periods, they had plenty of other uses. At the very least, they could serve as insoles.
Another two busy days should be enough to get almost everything he needed.
Su Jin was making plans in his head. Just as he crossed the supplies he had already bought off his notes, his stomach suddenly growled, and he looked up toward the door.
He had arranged to have dinner at Fu Qingdai's home today. He had yet to meet her parents, but he already knew a fair amount about them.
This step was also crucial, quite apart from whether it would let him associate openly with Fu Qingdai without trouble.
Winning the couple's trust would undoubtedly be a tremendous help to his future activities.
Fu Qingdai's father, Fu Hu, had once been a soldier. Although an injury had forced him to retire, his capabilities should still be beyond those of an ordinary person.
Even if he had let himself go over the years and was no longer particularly fit, a brief period of training would surely put him ahead of most people.
As for Fu Qingdai's mother, Zhang Wan, she worked at a textile mill... Knowing how to sew would be enough. That was a useful skill, too.
He planned to buy a batch of ready-made clothes and heavy fabric tomorrow, then get some rolls of aluminum from a hardware store.
Sew pockets onto the clothes and slip in metal plates cut to size, and he would have makeshift armor.
That kind of protection was simple, practical, and necessary.
I have to pull this off today... Maybe Fu Hu can even help me get weapons like bows and arrows!
Around six that evening, footsteps and conversation sounded in the hallway, followed by a key turning in a lock.
After a clatter of activity, the door across the hall closed.
Su Jin straightened up and walked over to the mirror to tidy his clothes.
Judging by the voices, Fu Hu and his wife had come home together. That was perfect.
Winning both of them over at once would not be difficult.
After a quick adjustment, Su Jin pocketed his phone, picked up three movie discs along with a pen and notebook, and left his apartment.
He stood outside Fu Qingdai's door, composed himself for a moment, then knocked.
Soon, the door opened, and a dark-skinned, rather fierce-looking middle-aged man appeared before Su Jin.
Seeing a stranger at the door, Fu Hu's eyes filled with puzzlement.
"You are...?"
"Fu Hu?" Su Jin looked slightly surprised, then his expression settled back into calm composure.
"Huh? Who are you? Do you know me? Did you need something?" Fu Hu pulled the door open and stood blocking the entrance, studying Su Jin in confusion.
Su Jin lowered his head with a smile, then looked up. "Sorry to intrude. I'm your new neighbor. My name is Li Haocheng."
"Li Haocheng? How do you know me? I don't think we've met. Or did Old Li across the hall tell you about me?" Fu Hu was clearly a blunt man, and a trace of displeasure had already crept into his expression.
For some young stranger to address him by his full name right off the bat was rather rude.
"Of course I know you," Su Jin said calmly. "Fu Hu, soldier of the 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, 7th Company, 3rd Battalion, 571st Regiment, 191st Division, 12th Army Group. Your company commander was Huang Chongwen, nicknamed Huang Cannon. And Yang Huai from your squad..."
As Su Jin rattled off his details with effortless familiarity, Fu Hu immediately stepped into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind him.
His eyes were full of wariness. "Who exactly are you?"
Su Jin's smile faded, his expression gradually turning serious as he looked Fu Hu straight in the eye. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Li Haocheng, director of the National Key Risk Intervention Executive Bureau."
"National... what?" Fu Hu could not quite process it.
He had never even heard of this strange department.
"The National Strategic Risk Bureau, for short. It's perfectly normal that you wouldn't know about it, given your former rank. Our department reports directly to the highest leadership." Su Jin took out his Xiaomi Mi 6 and began using it.
After a few swipes, Fu Hu's identification appeared on the screen.
Holding up the phone for him to see, Su Jin continued, "I have your identification. As for why I know you, that's quite simple. Back then, the National Strategic Risk Bureau was selecting soldiers for special training, and you were among the candidates... I hadn't joined at the time, but I read your file afterward. You were rated quite highly internally, so I remember you fairly well."
"Ah, you... you... you..." Fu Hu was momentarily bewildered.
He genuinely did not dare decide whether this man was legitimate!
His first instinct should have been to dismiss a department he had never heard of.
Yet this man knew his service history in detail and had even produced his identification. That was strange.
Most importantly, that device... It was so advanced! The image was so clear!
There was no way an ordinary person could own something like that.
Fu Hu mulled it over.
Never mind. Stay calm and ask what he's here for first... I haven't gotten into any trouble, have I?
"Well... Director Haocheng," Fu Hu ventured, "you came to my..."
"It's Director Li."
"Ah, right. What can I do for you, Director Li?"
At that, all the seriousness vanished from Su Jin's face, and he smiled again. "Old Fu, this is a coincidence. We really are neighbors now."
"Something urgent has come up, and I came over to borrow your television. I didn't expect to run into you. May I come in?"
"Ah... ah... Please, come in." Still bewildered, Fu Hu gestured for him to enter.
Su Jin walked inside with complete composure.
The living room connected to the dining area, where Fu Qingdai was wearing pajamas and hunched over the table doing her homework.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Su Jin, but she immediately turned back and bent over the table, pretending to study hard.
"Go on, Qing Dai. We have a guest. Take your homework to your room!" After speaking, Fu Hu turned back and smiled at Su Jin. "This is my daughter."
"Fine!" Fu Qingdai replied unhappily, picking up her homework and jogging back to her room.
Just then, Zhang Wan emerged from the kitchen, her hands still wet.
Seeing Su Jin's unfamiliar face, she turned her gaze toward Fu Hu.
"This is...?"
"A relative of an old army buddy. Nothing you need to worry about! Keep cooking. I'll have a word with him in private." Fu Hu gave Zhang Wan a meaningful look. She pursed her lips, turned, and went back into the kitchen.
"Director Li, let's sit down and talk." Fu Hu looked at Su Jin and gestured toward the sofa.
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