In the car, Suzy's mind was consumed by one single thought—Richard Stone had a space.
She never would have imagined that simply trying to return his lost ID would lead her to uncover such a staggering secret.
Thankfully… thankfully he hadn't noticed her.
Otherwise...
A chill ran down her spine. She didn't know Richard well. If he was ruthless, there was no telling what he might have done.
Suzy let out a slow breath and pulled the car over. Then she hurried back toward the restaurant.
All the dishes were ready, neatly packed in insulated foam boxes, waiting for her pickup.
She paid the remaining balance and watched as the staff carried the boxes one by one to her car.
When the trunk filled up, she had them stack the rest in the back seat.
Now that she knew such a massive secret about Richard, Suzy had no intention of interacting with him for the time being.
Before leaving, she handed the ID card she'd picked up to one of the servers.
"I found this near your restaurant. It probably belongs to one of your customers."
The server glanced at the photo and blinked in surprise. "Oh—it's him."
Suzy tilted her head slightly. "You know him?"
The photo on the ID looked exactly like Richard in person. Anyone who had seen him would recognize him instantly.
The server laughed. "That handsome guy came in yesterday and ordered over a hundred tables."
Suzy's heart skipped.
"For a banquet?" she asked.
The server shook his head. "No idea. He didn't say. Everything was packed to go."
That day, he'd been so busy he'd nearly taken flight—constantly packing orders without pause.
Richard's order had been enormous, and coupled with his striking looks, it left a deep impression.
Suzy was now certain. Richard definitely had a space.
Most likely similar to hers—complete with preservation effects.
And judging by the scale of his stockpiling, the space was probably large.
This only strengthened her resolve to stock up in City C instead.
If she made a spectacle of hoarding supplies here, Richard would sooner or later notice something was off—and set his sights on her.
That was the last thing she wanted. She didn't know whether he had any powerful backing.
And she didn't dare gamble.
City C, where her uncle lived, was over a thousand kilometers away from City A.
At that distance, no matter how wildly she stocked up, word wouldn't reach Richard.
And when the time came, she could simply return to City A. By then, no one in City C would be able to trace her either.
After thanking the server, Suzy went to the bun shop and picked up her assorted steamed buns.
She was just about to head home and order takeout when a message from Derek Martin popped up.
[Derek: Sorry, Senior. I was a bit busy just now and didn't see your message.]
The moment she saw his name, Suzy immediately thought of the rebate function again.
[Derek: You're treating me to a big meal? Sounds great. When?]
[Derek: excited.jpg]
A flicker of light crossed Suzy's eyes as she typed quickly.
[Suzy: Are you free tonight?]
[Suzy: I'm heading to City C tomorrow. If you're free, I'll book a restaurant.]
The chat window immediately showed typing…
[Derek: I'm free. Tonight works!]
[Suzy: Great.]
They settled on dinner that evening.
Suzy reserved a restaurant in advance and drove home to rest briefly. She decided not to go out again for dinner reservations—she would simply order takeout later.
Before setting her phone down, she glanced at Wendy's chat window one more time.
Still no reply.
What is Wendy busy with…?
She was strangely quiet.
***
In the dormitory, Derek had just put his phone down when his roommate leaned over his shoulder.
"Derek, I've gathered everyone."
In the dorm room, Derek Martin looked up. "I've got something tonight. Let's do it another time."
His roommate froze, then his eyes widened dramatically.
"You're ditching me? I already gathered everyone! They're going to beat me to death!"
Derek replied calmly, "I'll treat you guys to a buffet in a few days."
His roommate sighed. "…Deal."
All traces of dissatisfaction vanished instantly, replaced by an almost flattering grin.
"Go, go. Stay out as long as you want."
Then he couldn't help asking curiously, "So what are you doing tonight?"
Derek leaned back in his chair, the corner of his lips curling upward. "Senior's treating me to a big dinner."
The roommate stared at him blankly for two seconds. "…The buffet better be at Cloud Summit."
Derek smiled lazily. "No problem."
Thinking about the three-hundred-per-person price tag at Cloud Summit Buffet, the roommate felt slightly appeased.
But seeing Derek's smug expression still left him deeply aggrieved.
Unbelievable.
***
On the other side of the city, Wendy was busy stockpiling supplies.
Even though she hadn't activated her space yet, hoarding goods was still the top priority.
The one hundred million George Kale had promised her hadn't arrived yet, so she couldn't purchase supplies in massive quantities.
Fortunately, the original Wendy had saved up several hundred thousand in her own account.
After sending Suzy that message earlier, Wendy immediately contacted a real estate agency and rented a warehouse in the suburbs.
Checking locations, signing contracts—she was so busy she didn't even bother following up with Suzy.
Afterward, she headed straight to a large local supermarket and began sweeping through the aisles.
Food, daily necessities—everything went into her carts.
She filled several carts in one go. The checkout total soared past ten thousand.
She loaded the goods into her car, planning to bring them home first.
Then she approached the supermarket manager, claiming she was purchasing for business purposes. Using that excuse, she ordered several hundred thousand worth of goods directly from the store.
Truck after truck transported supplies to her warehouse. Coincidentally, Wendy's rented warehouse wasn't far from Richard Stone's.
And Richard happened to pass by.
Her deliveries were bold and conspicuous—truck after truck unloading supplies.
Just as Richard was preparing to leave, he spotted Wendy's supply vehicle. If it were anyone else, he might not have paid attention.
But this was Richard.
Just as Suzy had suspected, Richard had been reborn.
In his previous life, he had been betrayed by a vicious woman and ultimately torn apart and devoured.
Now, he knew the apocalypse would erupt soon. Seeing someone else stockpiling supplies on such a scale—how could he not notice?
Richard had originally planned to leave. But when he saw the truckload of goods, his gaze sharpened, and he immediately followed.
Before long, he watched as the vehicle stopped in front of a large warehouse.
Wendy stood at the entrance, counting inventory, completely unaware of his presence.
Richard stored his own car into his space.
He circled around at a distance. Even from far away, he could see the mountain of supplies stacked inside Wendy's warehouse.
A dark glint flashed in his eyes. So she really is stockpiling.
Rice. Instant noodles. Canned goods. All long-term storage items. Could it be… she knew some inside information?
A plan began to take shape in Richard's mind.
A faint smile curved at his lips.
He pulled out his phone, marked the location, and turned to leave. At that moment, a notification popped up on his screen.
His visa for Country M had been approved.
…
North Shore Garden.
After returning home, Suzy quickly took a shower.
The sticky discomfort of the day washed away under warm water.
She stepped out, dried her hair, turned on the air conditioner, and collapsed lazily into a single-seater sofa, scrolling through her phone to order takeout.
She had been running around all day. She was exhausted.
Suddenly, Suzy remembered something.
In the next second, she slipped into her space.