Chapter 6

On the black mini notebook, the previous line of text had changed from deep black to light gray, seemingly indicating that the task was complete.

Below it, a new line appeared:
[Company punch-in task completed: Received a 5% progress bar for Level 2 Raft; earned an additional 5% progress bonus. (Current Level 2 Raft progress: 10%)]

An extra 5%?!

This surprised Shu Fu pleasantly, but at the same time, it also gave her a hint.

She long-pressed the “book” icon to put away the notebook. Considering all the clues so far, could the key to this task lie with—Zheng Feifei?

Because Zheng Feifei had dropped her phone, causing a delay, she avoided disaster. Conversely, if this 5% progress task hadn’t existed, Shu Fu’s original plan was to take a leave today. Without her there to hold Zheng Feifei back, Zheng Feifei might have been hit by the falling glass from above.

So a new question arose: What would have happened if she hadn’t gone to work and completed this task today?

Would it simply mean missing out on the 5% progress bar, or would there be some irreversible consequences?

For now, she leaned toward the former. If failing to complete tasks would lead to irreversible consequences, there should have been a clear warning when the task was issued.

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The scene was horrific. Among those hit, one was dead and two were injured. Zheng Feifei had witnessed it up close, and the shock, along with her fear, left her both mentally and physically shaken. She couldn’t eat anything at noon and eventually dragged Shu Fu back to the office.

By afternoon, everyone in the building was talking about the incident. Those who narrowly escaped felt a lingering fear.

Each building in the business district had signboards made of lightweight and corrosion-resistant materials, which were regularly inspected and maintained by professionals. Yet this time, a tragedy occurred—the signboard, along with its metal mounting rods, fell. Luck simply wasn’t on anyone’s side…

The incident quickly went viral online. Many people nearby had recorded videos, which couldn’t be contained. Netizens also noticed that today wasn’t the only instance of falling objects from high places.

In some residential areas, outward-opening windows weren’t properly secured. Ordinary glass shattered when strong winds slammed the window frames against walls, sending shards falling to the ground.

Elsewhere, there were no major injuries, as the falling debris only startled pedestrians. But here, it was lunchtime, with dense crowds of office workers outside the building.

Shu Fu hadn’t witnessed the scene up close, but the thought still left her shaken. Unlike future disasters she anticipated, this kind of event was unpredictable, with life and death hanging by a thread. It was impossible to guard against.

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She stayed at the company for an hour before ultimately deciding to take the afternoon off.

With the 5% progress task completed, she didn’t want to waste more time there.

Due to the incident, many employees who had witnessed the tragedy were experiencing varying degrees of stress reactions. Others also took time off. Zheng Feifei even called her boyfriend to pick her up.

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After leaving the company, Shu Fu drove straight to the western part of the city. On the way, she stopped at a gas station to refuel her car and bought five 30L portable fuel tanks. She filled them all to capacity and stored them neatly in the spacious trunk.

Next, she passed by a large auto repair shop. Her current vehicle was a rental on a monthly lease, which was much cheaper than daily rentals. It was an old two-door hatchback, costing just 2,000 yuan per month.

She needed a car but didn’t want to waste money buying one, so she planned to continue renting this one long-term.

After some thought, she drove into the repair shop and requested single-sided window film for privacy.

The installation took just over an hour and cost a little more than 1,900 yuan. The shop allowed installment payments for purchases exceeding a certain amount, which she opted for with the longest repayment plan. Though it incurred some interest, it was more economical given her other bulk purchases.

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If this really was Zhuang Zhou’s butterfly dream, and the apocalypse hadn’t arrived a year later, Shu Fu would willingly repay every cent of the debt and interest.

She arrived at the electronics market at 3:42 PM. By then, the five fuel tanks in her trunk had all been transferred to her wristband storage under the cover of the single-sided film.

Her first purchase was a gasoline generator. Following her earlier research, she found a camping generator known for its low noise. She had heard the quiet sound in a video but confirmed its superior silent operation during an in-store demo.

Originally planning to buy two, she reconsidered after the recent changes. Given a generator’s approximate 15-year lifespan, plus the potential for malfunctions, she recalculated and bought four instead.

Next, she purchased four multifunctional hotpot and grill machines, two energy-efficient cooking pots for soups and meals, three thermos cups, four induction cooktops, ten dual-power energy-saving lamps, a small double-door refrigerator, two microwaves, two ovens, one drum washing machine, one top-loading washing machine, two high-storage smartphones, three tablets, ten extension cords, twenty large-capacity power banks, three space heaters, twenty explosion-proof electric hot water bags, and ten hand warmers…

Some appliances she already owned at home, and they were newly purchased. Rebuying them now was purely for backup purposes.

Smaller appliances were directly loaded into her car, while for larger ones, she provided an address for delivery—specifically, the address of the electric bike garage.

When passing by an air conditioning store, she hesitated. The wooden house seemed capable of maintaining a comfortable temperature, but the raft currently only allowed for five hours of use per day. Even if it upgraded to level two, there was no guarantee of full-day operation.

In low temperatures, layering clothing and using a kerosene heater could suffice. But if faced with extreme heat, an air conditioner would be indispensable.

The issue, however, was that, as someone with average skills, she couldn’t install an air conditioner by herself. Moreover, in situations where she might seek a shelter with others, it would be awkward to pull out an air conditioner while others were struggling with the heat.

In the end, Shu Fu decided against it. Her living room and bedroom already had a cabinet-style and floor-standing air conditioner, both newly purchased. If needed, she could simply dismantle and take them along. Instead, she planned to stock up on ice to get through hot weather.

With that thought in mind, she headed back to the fridge and freezer section and bought four home ice makers. These machines were compact and affordable, costing just over 300 yuan each, totaling 1,300 yuan.

The heat problem resolved, she shifted her focus to cold-weather essentials, planning to buy some in bulk later at the wholesale market.

Exiting the electronics mall, her stomach growled. Remembering that she hadn’t eaten lunch, she drove to a nearby food court.

The food court was about a ten-minute drive away. Upon stepping inside, the strong aromas of various dishes overwhelmed her, and a thought struck her mind: She wanted to hoard all the food here!

Of course, she knew that wasn’t realistic. But buying from a dozen or so stores, with 10-20 portions from each, seemed feasible. Attempting to purchase everything would only draw unwanted attention.

Shu Fu hadn’t eaten lunch, and now close to dinner time, her hunger intensified. She picked a noodle shop nearby and ordered a bowl of spicy beef noodles and a serving of fried chicken cutlets to satiate her hunger.

Though it was just a small stall in the food court, the broth was rich, the beef tender and flavorful, and the fried chicken cutlets were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside—surprisingly delicious.

Before leaving, she bought 10 servings of spicy beef noodles, 20 fried chicken cutlets, and 20 fried chicken wings to take away.

Both the food court and the parking lot were located on the basement level. The food court also featured stalls selling snacks from all over the country, while the second and third floors housed the wholesale market. Though the building wasn’t tall, each floor was vast, enough to make first-time visitors feel lost.

To avoid drawing attention while hoarding food, Shu Fu made sure to choose shops spaced far apart.

On her way to “unload” the first batch of food into her car, she passed a bubble tea shop. For modern office workers, bubble tea and coffee were essential for survival.

Back in her original world, she worked from home most of the time and usually drank freshly brewed coffee. But after coming to this world and living as a “poor student” for years, she drank mostly bubble tea and instant coffee.

Good bubble tea required real tea leaves, fresh milk, and zero-calorie sweeteners. Luckily, this shop met all those requirements. She ordered three different flavors, with ten of the largest-sized cups each.

Naturally, 30 cups of bubble tea wouldn’t last long. Every shop had its unique taste, so whenever she found another shop, she would stock up again.

In addition to bubble tea, tea leaves, fresh milk, and pure milk powder were added to her shopping list. Green tea was perfect for brewing, while black tea was ideal for making milk tea. Tea leaves provided nutrients and trace elements, and since they didn’t take up much space, she planned to stockpile them in large quantities.

After stashing the noodles and chicken in her car, she returned to the food court through a different entrance. This time, she stumbled upon a row of tea shops selling various brands of green and black tea.

She carefully selected her favorites, including Bilouchun, Longjing, Dahongpao, and Jasmine Green Tea, taking 20 cans of each.

Next, she visited a newly opened bakery offering 50% off for its grand opening. It specialized in handcrafted sweet-flavored toasts: coconut toast, meat floss toast, salted egg yolk cheese toast, and more. Each loaf could last an average person three to four meals, so she bought 30 large loaves in six flavors.

The scent of a candy shop lured her next. Inside, she found various soft, hard, and lollipop candies. The vibrant colors and shapes were irresistibly appealing. She filled ten large bags with different candies, each sorted by type and price.

Passing a coffee shop reminded her to add coffee machines to her list. She decided to buy two standard espresso machines since they could be used to make all kinds of coffee manually. As for roasted coffee beans, their short shelf life meant she never stocked up before. But with her current storage space, she could hoard a few boxes.

She tasted the coffee at the shop and found it satisfactory, so she bought ten large bags of various coffee beans. The shopkeeper provided her with an online store link, mentioning they also sold coffee machines with free home delivery—a perfect solution for future needs.

Shu Fu left the coffee shop and promptly placed an online order for two fully automatic espresso machines and twenty boxes of assorted coffee beans, with each box containing ten packs.

Additionally, she purchased a large quantity of zero-calorie sweetener from the shop. This type of sweetener was highly concentrated, requiring only half a stick for coffee or cooking. Each box contained 40 sticks, and she bought a case containing 100 boxes.

At the specialty meat shop, Shu Fu purchased fresh lamb ribs, lamb meat, lamb spine, beef steak, raw cut beef, beef tail, beef marrow bones, and other basic meats. She also bought processed items like beef and lamb rolls, lamb tripe, beef tripe, beef meatballs, and lamb skewers.

Since this shop also had an online store, she bought a small quantity on-site and placed a bulk order online to be delivered to her storage the next day.

She continued shopping at a fresh fruit store, a spicy stir-fry shop, a pizza shop, a burger shop, a fried food shop, a curry rice specialty store, a freshly squeezed lemon tea stand, a chocolate store, and a fresh poultry shop. From each, she stocked up on as much as she could carry.

For items available online, she located the stores and placed bulk orders right away. For example, she ordered 40 boxes of fresh poultry products and 30 boxes of assorted fruits, carefully spacing out delivery times to avoid overlapping orders.

To save time, Shu Fu avoided hesitation in her purchases, quickly buying and moving on. After a few trips, she retrieved a lightweight hoodie from her storage, which she had grabbed at a supermarket the previous day. She swapped her denim jacket for the hoodie, let her hair down from its bun, and changed to a different-colored mask. This disguise allowed her to enter the wholesale market upstairs through another entrance.

The wholesale market was three times larger than the food court, with long, seemingly endless corridors between shops. The market served both retail and wholesale customers, and pushcarts of various sizes were available for rent at the entrance. Bulk purchases were common here, so her actions wouldn’t draw attention.

It was impossible to buy everything she needed in one visit due to the market’s sheer size and variety. Since she had deliveries to sign for the next day, she planned to return frequently to stock up on supplies efficiently.

Her first purchases included portable stoves, replacement gas canisters, alcohol stoves, solid fuel, and camping cookware. These items were versatile and suited for her driftwood house. She also bought a set of windproof, waterproof, and insulated camping gear as a backup for her existing small tent.

Next, she focused on essential fire-starting tools, purchasing a box of 100 windproof lighters equipped with locking mechanisms. These small lighters could burn through aluminum cans in seconds and were reasonably priced, with discounts on bulk purchases.

She also stocked up on batteries. While she had a generator, many devices required batteries. She bought a case of 500 regular batteries and 100 rechargeable ones with charging boxes.

For cold weather, she purchased down jackets, pants, waterproof insulated boots, and gloves rated for temperatures as low as -50°C. She also bought layering clothing such as thermal underwear, fleece tops and bottoms, and waterproof jackets and pants, ensuring she had enough gear for any situation.

Single-use heat packs were another priority. These compact packs provided 8–10 hours of heat and were easy to dispose of after use. She bought a box containing 1,000 packs.

Her shopping spree extended to daily necessities such as towels, underwear, sanitary pads, tampons, tissues, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, disinfectants, regular and alcohol wipes, alcohol sprays, and hand sanitizers. Even though she already had many of these items at home and from her online orders, she continued to stock up because they were consumables.

Finally, she purchased simple DIY curtains for her driftwood house, including blinds, fabric curtains, and sheer panels.

Before leaving for the day, Shu Fu made one last purchase of rain gear: hooded ponchos, buttoned raincoats, umbrellas, waterproof boots, backpacks, pants, and large rolls of transparent waterproof plastic sheeting for DIY projects.

She left the market around 7 PM. Despite the heavy rain outside, the wholesale market remained bustling, and the weather—neither too hot nor too cold—did little to disrupt the city’s usual rhythm.

Every day, a large number of people came to the market to stock up, and Shu Fu’s car was already packed with various items that could be temporarily stored outside. All perishable food and frozen items, however, had been moved into her spatial storage.

As she drove, Shu Fu mentally sensed the supplies in her storage space. She reached out to touch the pile of goods on the passenger seat beside her, feeling once again wrapped in a sense of absolute security.

Her mood was so uplifted that neither the heavy rain nor the traffic jam could dampen it.

Listening to the pattering rain on the car roof, she turned on the car radio. The host on the station was discussing weather-related everyday life tips, sharing safety advice for rainy days, talking about last night’s hailstorm, and analyzing upcoming weather patterns. Every so often, they threw in a joke or a humorous anecdote.

Shu Fu took a pearl peach gum milk tea from her spatial storage and sipped it as she listened to the radio. She was thoroughly enjoying herself when she felt her wristband vibrate again.

At a long red light, she took the opportunity to glance at her wristband. The “book” icon on the display was flashing.

A new line of text appeared in her mini black notebook:

“[Check the group message sent at 6:04 PM within the next 30 minutes and accept the invitation to earn a 10% progress boost on Level 2 Raft (Current Progress: 10%).

Note: Failing to complete this task will result in a 15% deduction from the progress bar.]”

Shu Fu: …

Ridiculous. Can a progress bar even go into negative percentages?