RIACMET chapter 18

 

“…”

Jiang Nian was stunned at first, then exclaimed in a low voice,

“Space…space! That ring has storage properties!”

This was incredible. Although the ring might not be able to carry him into the sky, he found this kind of transformation more astonishing than flying.

If you had an invisible mobile warehouse during the apocalypse, wouldn’t you smile in your dreams?

The most important thing was that the end of the world hadn’t arrived yet, so they could stockpile more supplies, including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation!

Cheng Jing smiled and nodded.

“Yes, maybe it’s because I was wearing it when I awakened my superpower. It mutated after being refined by thunder and fire powers. That’s why I asked you.”

When he discovered this, he was so ecstatic that his whole body trembled and he could barely control his superpower.

“This…”

Jiang Nian was so thrilled that he couldn’t speak. What luck!

It must be Heaven’s way of compensating him for the suffering he endured in his previous life!

He immediately took the item and tried it out. Sure enough, he could store things inside.

After exploring its function, he found that the storage capacity of one ring was slightly larger than that of a three-bedroom hideout. The surrounding walls had a metallic sheen, and, although not vast, the combined capacity of the two rings was considerable.

After all, it was a mutated object caused by superpowers—a rare occurrence. However, it couldn’t compare to awakened space-power users, nor could it store living beings. It was just a simple storage space.

However, it allowed objects placed inside to remain in a constant state for a long time.

In other words, the rate at which stored items degraded in the ring was so slow that it could be ignored.

Even perishables like fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit would be perfectly fine—and that was enough.

The supplies in the safe house would be depleted while waiting for rescue, so the items in the space ring could be taken and used later.

Cheng Jing had clearly thought of this, and they reached a consensus without much discussion.

This time, instead of making purchases gradually, they would wait until the toxic rain began and, just before the zombies appeared—like on the night of the 31st, right before the official apocalypse—they would quietly go out and collect what they needed. Cheng Jing had already planned what to buy and where.

“Ah, I’m so happy!”

Jiang Nian rolled around on the bed, hugging a pillow and kissing the ring wildly. He had no way to describe his current emotions. He was so delighted that he felt like going crazy.

So, he went crazy—on Cheng Jing.

“Brother Jing, come on.”

“Huh?”

Cheng Jing was initially stunned. Then, realizing what Jiang Nian meant, he coughed lightly.

“Don’t fool around in broad daylight…”

Jiang Nian didn’t care and began groping him shamelessly.

“What’s the matter? The world is about to end.”

His clothes were like a seal, always making Brother Jing reserved and calm. But once they were unsealed, he became a different person. Jiang Nian loved that!

“You little maniac…”

Cheng Jing’s tone was full of affection and helplessness.

Someone couldn’t help himself:

“Mm-hmm, you crazy little thing!”

Their lips met in a passionate and affectionate kiss, and their love—body and soul—became tangible in that moment.

By the time they were finally done and fell asleep, half the day had passed.

…

At 2 p.m., Cheng Jing and Jiang Nian split into two groups to make final preparations for the apocalypse.

Cheng Jing drove his Hummer and invited Huang Qian to drive another off-road vehicle on an apocalyptic rampage to stock up on fuel and other goods. Since they had special channels, they were very efficient.

What would take others several days took them just an hour or two.

After parting ways with Huang Qian, Cheng Jing went to the company’s material warehouse alone. There, he placed the fuel and car maintenance supplies, procured through special channels, into the storage ring.

He also rummaged through the maintenance area, where he found that some of the medicines and equipment were better than those found in regular hospitals and clinics.

Meanwhile, Jiang Nian rented a small truck and went to an electrical appliance store to buy four large commercial freezers. He found an unpopulated area without surveillance and placed the freezers inside the space ring.

Then, he went to the fresh market and wholesale food shops. Besides fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit, he bought a large quantity of staples like rice and flour, packaged foods, seeds, and other essentials.

He even bought two small electric scooters for personal use, along with the high-quality batteries he had been reluctant to purchase earlier.

In his previous life at the base, electric scooters were highly sought after and expensive.

Fortunately, Cheng Jing had an electricity ability, so he didn’t need to worry about power shortages. As long as he had enough energy storage equipment, he could use all kinds of electrical appliances after making some modifications and conversions.

At the base, water and electricity usage were restricted, so people with those abilities were very popular.

Jiang Nian carefully organized the freezers:

Two were filled with frozen fresh meat. The other two were stocked with frozen snacks and staple foods. These included ice cream and semi-finished cakes. Once everything was ready, the ice could be placed directly into the space ring and preserved without electricity.

If you don’t have that ability, you have to endure. But if you do, why not enjoy it?

After Cheng Jing awakened his powers, he was convinced the apocalypse would arrive and spent freely. Jiang Nian felt they were truly a perfect match.

At around 6 p.m., Cheng Jing and Jiang Nian returned to the safe house. Shortly thereafter, heavy clouds rolled in and strong winds picked up. It had been dry for a long time, and dust filled the air. It looked like the end times were upon them.

After locking the doors and windows, Jiang Nian hummed a tune in the kitchen while preparing dinner. It was a prepackaged meal from a hotel. He had bought quite a few and cleared space in the freezer for them—enough for several days.

Meanwhile, Cheng Jing leaned against a blank wall in the room while having an online meeting with Huang Qian and the others. After confirming that everyone had stocked up on supplies and returned to their safe houses, he gave an order:

“From now on, everyone stay in their safe houses and wait for my instructions. Especially during the rain—don’t go outside. It’s been a long drought, and now there will be heavy rain. Who knows if the rainwater is clean? Be smart.”

As someone involved in security work, he was naturally more cautious than the average person. It made perfect sense that abnormal weather and rainfall after a long drought would make people feel uneasy. It was reasonable to say so.

Huang Qian was the first to respond, and the others followed.

Those who needed a reminder had been reminded. Those who didn’t listen were just asking for trouble.

After the meeting, Cheng Jing called his family to remind them not to go out without permission. He also sent his parents a photo of himself with Jiang Nian, so they wouldn’t be too shocked when the family reunited.

His family knew everything about his relationship with Jiang Nian, from beginning to end, and they would definitely spread the word once they were all together again.

Huang Qian called Jiang Nian on a video call and asked if she could come over for a free meal. Jiang Nian was about to agree, but Cheng Jing immediately rejected the idea and hung up.

“From now on, mind your own business and stop bothering us.”

Everyone had their own supplies, yet she still wanted to come over and freeload while playing third wheel? What a ridiculous idea!

“So cruel, brother…”

Huang Qian whimpered.

Cheng Jing maintained a blank expression.

“If not, how could I be the big brother? You can’t stand firm without a cruel heart. Didn’t you say that yourself?”

After saying that, he hung up and got ready to eat.

Jiang Nian smiled beside him. While Cheng Jing was working, Jiang Nian never complained or objected; he obediently complied when it was time to listen.