Ring Space

"..."

Jiang Nian froze for a moment, then exclaimed under his breath:

"Sp... space! The rings gained a storage space attribute!"

This was incredible. They weren't Wind Fire Wheels that could carry him into the sky, but to him, this mutation was an even bigger surprise than flying!

Who wouldn't laugh in their sleep at having an invisible mobile warehouse in the apocalypse?

Most importantly, the apocalypse hadn't arrived yet. They could stockpile even more supplies and take everything they needed for food, clothing, shelter, and travel!

Cheng Jing nodded with a smile.

"That's right. It was probably because I was wearing them when I awakened my abilities. They mutated after being tempered by my lightning and fire abilities. That's why I asked you."

When he discovered it, he had been so excited that his body trembled, and he had nearly lost control of his abilities.

"This..."

Jiang Nian was too excited to speak. What kind of heaven-defying luck was this?

Heaven must have given it to him to make up for how miserable his last life had been!

He immediately picked something up to try it, and sure enough, he could store it away.

After getting familiar with them, they discovered that the storage space in each ring was a little bigger than the three-bedroom apartment that served as their safe house. The barriers surrounding it had a metallic sheen. It wasn't huge, but the combined capacity of the two rings was considerable.

After all, it was a rare mutation caused by an object's exposure to abilities. It couldn't compare to awakened space ability users, and it couldn't hold living things. It was simply a storage space.

However, the space could keep anything placed inside it in a constant state for a long time.

In other words, anything placed in the storage ring's space would spoil so slowly that the rate was negligible.

Even fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit, which were difficult to preserve, would be fine. That was enough.

The supplies in the safe house would be consumed while they waited for rescue, while the supplies in the storage rings could be taken along for later use.

Cheng Jing had clearly thought of that too, and they reached an agreement without much discussion.

This time, however, they wouldn't buy things slowly. Instead, they would wait until after the poisonous rain fell but before the zombies appeared-on the evening of the thirty-first, for example, on the eve of the apocalypse's official arrival-and secretly scoop up supplies. Cheng Jing had already worked out what to take and where to get it.

"Ah, I'm so happy I could die!"

Jiang Nian hugged a pillow and rolled around on the bed, kissing the ring over and over. He had no idea how to describe how he felt at that moment. He was so happy he wanted to go crazy.

And so, in his frenzy, he turned his attention to Cheng Jing:

"Brother Jing, come on."

"Hmm?"

Cheng Jing froze for a moment. Once he realized what Jiang Nian was saying, he coughed lightly.

"Don't fool around in broad daylight..."

Jiang Nian didn't care in the slightest and shamelessly began running his hands all over him.

"What does it matter? It's almost the end of the world."

Clothes were like a seal, making his Brother Jing especially reserved and composed at all times. Once the seal was removed, he seemed to become a different person, and Jiang Nian loved it!

"Little madman..."

Cheng Jing's tone was helpless and indulgent.

Someone was being utterly wanton:

"Mm-hmm~ Your little madman!"

Their lips met in a passionate, lingering kiss, and the love that united their bodies and hearts became tangible in that moment.

By the time they had had their fill of fun and sleep, half the day had passed.

At two in the afternoon, Cheng Jing and Jiang Nian split up to make their final preparations for the apocalypse.

Cheng Jing drove his Hummer and brought Huang Qian along in another off-road vehicle to have both vehicles extensively modified for the apocalypse. They also stockpiled gasoline and other fuel along the way. Thanks to a special channel, things went quite efficiently.

Modifications that took others days took them only an hour or two.

After parting with Huang Qian, Cheng Jing went alone to the company's supply depot and stored the gasoline he had procured through a special channel, along with vehicle repair tools, in his storage ring.

He also cleaned out the infirmary. Some of its medicines and equipment were better than those at ordinary hospitals and clinics.

Jiang Nian rented a small truck and went first to an appliance store, where he bought four large commercial freezers. He found a place with no people or cameras and put them in his storage ring.

After that, he made the rounds of the fresh food and wholesale markets. Besides fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit, he stocked up on plenty of rice, flour, and other staples, as well as various packaged foods, seeds, and miscellaneous items.

He even bought two electric scooters for their own use, along with the super storage batteries he had previously been reluctant and afraid to buy.

In his last life, electric scooters had been highly sought after in the base, and outrageously expensive.

Cheng Jing had an electricity ability, so they didn't need to worry about running short of power. As long as they had enough power storage equipment, they could use all kinds of appliances after modifying it to convert the electricity.

At the base, water and electricity usage were both restricted, so ability users of those two types were in great demand.

Jiang Nian had a clear plan for the freezers:

He filled two with fresh food and frozen meat, and the other two with frozen snacks and staples such as ice cream and premade pastries. Once everything was ready, he packed them with ice and put them straight into the ring space, so they would work well even without electricity.

When there was no choice, they could make do, but if they had the means, why not enjoy themselves?

After awakening his abilities, Cheng Jing had become completely convinced that the apocalypse was coming and spent money without restraint. Jiang Nian thought they really were a match made in heaven.

Just after six in the evening, Cheng Jing and Jiang Nian returned to the safe house. Before long, dark clouds began to fill the sky and a fierce wind sprang up. After the long drought, dust flew everywhere, giving the scene the unmistakable air of an omen of the world's end.

After locking the doors and windows, Jiang Nian hummed a tune in the kitchen as he prepared dinner. It was ready-made food packed up from the hotel. They had bought quite a lot and cleared some space in the freezer inside to store it, enough to last them quite a few days.

In the room, Cheng Jing leaned against a bare wall and held an online meeting with Huang Qian and the others. After confirming that they had all prepared enough supplies and returned to their safe houses, he gave an order:

"From now on, everyone stay put in your safe houses and wait for my instructions. Don't go out when it's raining, especially. Heavy rain after a long drought-who knows if the rainwater will be clean? Stay sharp, all of you."

As security professionals, they were more cautious than ordinary people about everything. With the abnormal weather, it was natural to think that rainwater after a long drought might be dirty, so there was nothing wrong with putting it that way.

Huang Qian was the first to respond, and the others also acknowledged the order one after another.

He had given the warnings he needed to give. Anyone who refused to listen was courting death.

After the meeting, Cheng Jing called his family and told them not to go out unnecessarily. He also sent his parents a photo of himself with Jiang Nian, so the family wouldn't be startled when they reunited later.

His family had known about him and Jiang Nian from beginning to end, so of course he had to tell them they had gotten back together.

Huang Qian made a separate video call to Jiang Nian and asked if she could come over for a free meal. Jiang Nian had been about to agree, but Cheng Jing, who had just hung up and come out, refused her.

"From now on, everyone takes care of themselves. Don't come bother us."

Everyone had supplies, yet she still wanted to mooch off them and be a third wheel while she was at it. Dream on!

"Big Brother, you're heartless..."

Huang Qian let out a beauty's wail.

Cheng Jing's face remained expressionless.

"How else could I have become Big Brother? You can't stand firm without a ruthless heart. Weren't you the one who said that?"

With that, he hung up and got ready to eat.

Jiang Nian smiled beside him. When Cheng Jing made a decision, he usually didn't object or argue. He could be very well-behaved when he needed to be.