Chapter 1 – Discovering the Space

An Ran was still in a daze. Just moments ago, while cooking, she accidentally cut her finger. The blood dripped onto the jade bracelet her grandmother had left her—and then, somehow, she discovered she had gained access to a mysterious space.

“Isn’t this the kind of thing that only happens in novels?” she thought, stunned.

She told herself to stay calm. First things first—check out the space. With something this surreal happening, An Ran figured there wasn’t much left in the world that could truly scare her.

She tried various ways to enter the space, and finally, when she silently said “enter,” her vision went black. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in a vast, open area.

It looked to be the size of five football fields, and the ceiling—if you could call it that—seemed at least 50 meters high. There were no magical springs, herbs, fertile soil, or ancient scrolls like those described in novels, but even so, An Ran couldn’t help feeling excited.

She calmed down quickly, drawing on her years of reading web novels.

“If there’s a space, it usually means the apocalypse or time-travel is coming. Looks like I’d better start preparing in advance.”

She didn’t have anyone to worry about anyway—no one loved her. After her parents divorced when she was little, they each quickly remarried and formed their own new families. An Ran became the extra piece that didn’t fit anywhere.

But living with her grandmother, she’d never felt deprived. Her grandmother had poured all her love into An Ran. She had given her a happy childhood and was a wise old woman who often said:

“Relationships are about fate. If there’s no investment, there’s no debt.”

Although her parents didn’t live with her, they sent her money every month. They both ran businesses, weren’t short on cash, and didn’t mind spending money to avoid trouble.

But after her grandmother passed away, that warmth she’d once had vanished completely. So whether it was the apocalypse or time-travel, An Ran figured—maybe it was just a different kind of life.

“Whatever. Let’s stop overthinking it.”
“First, I need to find out what this space needs. Time to make a list,” she muttered, beginning to wander around.

First thing—she needed to figure out how time flowed inside the space compared to the outside world.

She silently thought “exit” and found herself back in her familiar room. The lighting outside hadn’t changed much since she’d entered the space. A quick glance at the clock—5:20 PM.

“Hmm… I was in there for at least three hours, right? I’ll have to do more testing to be sure.”

Also, she wondered if the space had any preservation features.

After some tests, she confirmed it: time inside the space was frozen. Nothing spoiled, and the environment had a built-in freshness-preserving effect. And thankfully, she could come and go freely without any negative effects.

She checked her bank account. Over the years, the money from her parents and the inheritance from her grandmother had accumulated to around fifty or sixty million yuan. If she sold her apartment, that’d bring in even more. That meant she could start stockpiling serious supplies.

“Okay. Sleep now.”

The Next Day

After breakfast, An Ran went to a real estate agency to list her apartment for sale.

The agent greeted her cheerfully.

“Miss An, your apartment is in a prime location—it’s in a top school district. If we wait it out, you’ll get a great price.”

But An Ran had her priorities.

“I need the money fast. Just sell it as quickly as possible—I don’t mind lowering the price.”

“What a shame,” the agent sighed. “Alright, Miss An, I’ve got a few clients who might be interested. I’ll contact you right away.”

“Just make sure it’s fast,” An Ran reminded him.

Leaving the agency, she headed straight to the largest wholesale market in Y City. First stop: the seed shop. After all, if she ended up traveling back to ancient times, she’d need to be ready for anything.

When she entered the store, an older man behind the counter saw her come in. Despite her young age, he treated her seriously.

“Hey there, young lady. What are you looking for?”

“Uncle, I’ll take one of every kind of seed you’ve got in the shop.”

He stared at her in disbelief.

“Miss, that’s going to be hundreds of kilos! That’ll cost tens of thousands. What do you need that many seeds for?”

“Group order. Can you sell them or not?”

“Yes! Of course!” The uncle got excited—this was a huge order. No way he was letting this business go.

“Can you deliver them?” An Ran asked.

“Buying this much? Definitely, we deliver.”

“Great. Then Uncle, start getting everything ready. I’ll pay a deposit first. Once I confirm the address, you can send it over. Is that okay?”

“Perfectly fine.”

Then she asked,

“Uncle, do you know where I can buy fruit tree saplings around here?”

“I’ve got connections. What kinds are you looking for?”

An Ran started listing her favorites.

“Cherries, durians, apples, pears, peaches, grapes… If there’s a sapling available, I want five of each.”

The uncle was speechless.

He silently thought, “Is this some spoiled rich kid?”

After paying the deposit, An Ran left the shop, ignoring the uncle’s curious gaze.

Her next step was to find a warehouse. She called the real estate agent again and asked him to help her rent a large, secluded warehouse for short-term use.

Half an hour later, the agent got back to her: the paperwork was done, and the warehouse was ready to use.

So efficient.

Having money really does make things easier.