Chapter 4: Explosion-Proof Doors and Windows

A chubby middle-aged man gave an apologetic smile.

""Sorry about this. A friend gave me half a pig, and my wife is dealing with it right now. Sorry to bother you.""

The crew-cut man waved his hand impatiently. ""Alright, that's enough. Take care of it during the day!""

""Okay, sorry to disturb you."" The man was sweating, his eyes darting nervously.

He quickly closed the door.

The crew-cut man muttered to himself as he went back home.

An Nan glanced at the tightly shut door of 1302, frowning slightly.

Why does this chubby uncle seem so weird?

She thought for a moment, then turned and went home.

Four years of surviving the apocalypse had taught her: mind your own business.

This fat guy was no good. In her previous life, he’d incited a few neighbors to loot and smash things, hiding behind the scenes to reap the benefits.

A real schemer.

The next day, An Nan got up early and went to a loan company.

She needed money, but selling her apartment would take too long—she couldn’t wait.

While the bank could do a mortgage, the amount was limited and the process slow.

So An Nan went straight to a high-interest loan company.

After all, in the apocalypse, she wouldn’t have to pay it back.

Her apartment was 100 square meters, bought at 30,000 yuan per square meter. In recent years, prices had dropped sharply, now down to just over 20,000 per square.

The place was worth about 2.5 million yuan; the company offered her 2 million.

An Nan said, ""I want 2.5 million. Just for one week. I’ll sign an IOU for 5 million.""

She also produced a copy of her old household registration book, using her deadbeat dad’s name to prove her family’s financial strength.

The manager’s eyes lit up. He took her property deed as collateral and happily transferred the money.

They had plenty of ways to collect debts—he wasn’t worried she wouldn’t pay.

He even felt secretly pleased: rich kids’ money is so easy to make.

An Nan took the money and left with a spring in her step. She found a few online loan platforms and borrowed another 500,000, rounding it up to 3 million.

Then she went to a renovation company and ordered explosion-proof glass and armored doors.

She paid extra to have them installed that very afternoon.

All the apartments in Maple Grove Residences had two units per floor, fifteen floors in total. Each household’s elevator card only worked for their own floor.

Every floor’s stairwell and the two apartment entrances were separated by a lockable stainless steel door.

So each floor had its own independent hallway door.

Once that door was locked, you could only reach the floor by elevator.

Soon after the apocalypse began, the power grid collapsed and elevators stopped working. So as long as the hallway door was shut, no one else could get onto the floor.

The apartment across from An Nan’s was vacant; in her previous life, the owner never returned.

So, living alone on the 14th floor, she planned to add another explosion-proof door behind the floor’s stainless steel door.

Then she’d replace her own 1402 apartment’s security door with two layers of explosion-proof doors.

Four doors—four layers of protection. This time, no one was getting into her home.

With security settled, An Nan headed to a big outdoor supply store.

She bought wetsuits and diving gear, sleeping bags, moisture-proof mats, tents, flashlights, radios…

She even managed to find gas masks.

Then she bought masks, windbreakers, thermal clothing, and more.

Last but not least, the most important transportation for a flood—an assault boat and an inflatable raft.

She bought several of everything, in case anything got damaged in extreme conditions.

By noon, after all her errands, An Nan found a small restaurant for lunch.

While eating, she chatted with the owner’s wife and got the contact for her gas supplier.

So she hurried to the outskirts and bought two truckloads of gas canisters.

Even though her space had water, electricity, and gas, she could only enter it for a limited time each day.

Besides, some things in the apocalypse had to be done in the open—she couldn’t just make food appear out of thin air and arouse suspicion.

After buying the gas, she also picked up two truckloads of coal from a nearby factory—essential for the extreme cold.

As soon as she left the factory, An Nan got a call from the renovation workers: the doors and windows had arrived at her home.

She drove back.

When she got there, the workers were carrying several explosion-proof armored doors, staring in disbelief.

""Miss, do you live here alone? Why all this heavy-duty stuff?""

An Nan smiled. ""It’s not for me, it’s for my brother. He’s paranoid—he can’t sleep unless it’s like this.""

The workers clicked their tongues but didn’t ask more, and got to work.

While the workers were busy, Qian Ying’er—who’d slept in late on the weekend—noticed An Nan hadn’t replied to any of her messages.

She sent another one.

A red exclamation mark popped up.

?!

Did An Nan delete her too?

Qian Ying’er sat up in disbelief, a sudden sense of unease rising in her chest.

That bitch was her and her cousin’s ticket into high society—nothing could go wrong.

She hurriedly got dressed and went upstairs to find An Nan.

Qian Ying’er lived on the 8th floor; her elevator card didn’t work for the 14th, so she had to take the stairs.

She rarely exercised, so she was panting and out of breath by the time she reached the 14th floor.

She was stunned to see workers installing an explosion-proof door in the hallway.

""Nan Nan, what are you doing?""

An Nan had just finished speaking with the workers and was about to head out again when she saw the sweaty, gasping Qian Ying’er.

For a moment, she didn’t even recognize her.

After the apocalypse in her previous life, everyone was reduced to skin and bones from hunger and hardship.

Qian Ying’er, who’d always been thin, was practically just a layer of yellowed skin stretched over her face.

When she’d finally raised a knife against An Nan, she looked even more hideous—like a demon from hell.

Compared to the delicate, fair-skinned girl in front of her, it was like two different people.

Qian Ying’er, embarrassed by the lack of response, asked again,

""Nan Nan, why are you adding another door behind the hallway door?""

An Nan wished she could just finish her off right now.

But with the workers around and society still intact, she didn’t want to end up in jail when the apocalypse hit.

So she just glanced at her. ""What do you want?""

Qian Ying’er felt a sudden chill at An Nan’s cold tone.

How had An Nan changed so much in just a few days?

Her eyes were icy, even hateful.

Qian Ying’er was baffled. What had she done to offend her?

She asked, ""Nan Nan, why did you block me and my cousin?""

An Nan’s face was expressionless. ""Because I felt like it. Got a problem with that?""

Qian Ying’er hadn’t expected that and was left speechless. Seeing An Nan turn to enter the elevator, she quickly followed.

""Nan Nan, is there some misunderstanding between us?""

She let her eyes well up with tears, putting on a pitiful expression.

""Is it because you think my cousin is too annoying?

Actually, Wenbin is a really good guy. Lots of girls like him, but he only has eyes for you. He’s really upset and doesn’t know why you keep avoiding him…""

""Ding—""

The elevator reached the first floor. The doors opened, and An Nan walked out without a word.

As she walked, she said, ""He’s too ugly.""

""Huh?"" Qian Ying’er was stunned.

""You asked why I don’t like him. Because he’s too ugly.""

""And,"" An Nan turned to look at her, ""you’re ugly too.""

""I don’t like being around ugly people.""

With that, she turned and left.

Qian Ying’er stood frozen, only snapping out of it after An Nan had walked away.

Aaaaaah—

That bitch! She actually called me ugly!

Qian Ying’er, who’d always thought highly of herself, was instantly furious.

How dare An Nan, whom she’d always envied and hated, look down on her to her face?!

She was so angry her face twisted, and she started screaming hysterically."