Two hours later.
After inspecting several warehouses, Jiang Yan and Du Ziteng reconvened in front of the largest but most remote one.
"Yan-jie, this warehouse should best meet your requirements. Back when your family's courier company was still operating, this was one of their transit hubs, so the surrounding transportation is convenient, and the sealing is excellent. The only drawback is that there are surveillance cameras inside. If you need them removed, some compensation might be required."
After speaking, Du Ziteng opened the warehouse door and added, "Also, there are a bunch of shelves stored inside—leftovers from a big supermarket that closed down. They're temporarily kept here while looking for buyers. But the owner can clear them out for you within a day if needed."
Jiang Yan peeked inside and felt a surge of delight.
Talk about perfect timing!
The warehouse was indeed massive, fully equipped with unloading docks and everything.
All the bulk orders she planned to purchase in the coming days could be delivered here.
As for the shelves, Jiang Yan gave them a quick glance—they were top-quality, made of extra-thick steel plates, and looked almost brand new.
They would be perfect for her dimension.
And being second-hand, the price should be reasonable too.
"You said they're selling these shelves?"
"Yes, Yan-jie." Du Ziteng nodded, slightly puzzled.
Jiang Yan smiled and waved her hand decisively. "I'll take them all!"
"Yan-jie, are you sure?" Du Ziteng froze for a second before blurting out, "Are you planning to open a supermarket?"
Jiang Yan nodded.
Du Ziteng: "..."
He couldn't wrap his head around it. A wealthy heiress worth billions, who could easily coast through life as an influencer, suddenly taking an interest in the grueling, low-margin supermarket business?
But pressing further would be overstepping.
Scratching his head, Du Ziteng led Jiang Yan to another nearby warehouse with better conditions and multiple external water faucets.
During the trip, Jiang Yan had already planned ahead. After the apocalypse arrived, food and water would be the most critical resources to stockpile.
Aside from shortages caused by natural disasters, there was also the issue of nuclear-contaminated water discharged by a certain island nation.
While this contaminated water wouldn't immediately spread globally, it contained over 60 types of radioactive isotopes that current technology couldn't fully treat. Some residual isotopes would evaporate with seawater, enter the atmosphere, and eventually rain down across the entire planet.
Not to mention, post-apocalyptic disasters like torrential rains, floods, and seawater backflow would exponentially accelerate this deadly contamination.
In terms of water stockpiling alone, she had researched online—a person would consume roughly 50 to 100 tons of drinking water in their lifetime, while daily usage (laundry, cooking, gardening, showers, flushing toilets, etc.) would require 7,000 to 10,000 tons.
But she couldn't stockpile based on a 1:1 ratio.
After all, if she could already wield carnivorous flowers and experience rebirth, perhaps she should think bigger—maybe she could even "borrow" another five hundred years from the heavens.
The key point was, in the later stages of the apocalypse, paper money and gold would lose all their original value.
At that time, anything could happen. Stocking up on more supplies might prove useful in other ways.
As for how much to buy, the more the better—after all, she had both money and a dimension to spare.
She had calculated that transporting 1,000 tons of drinking water would require hundreds of trucks. Delivering such a quantity to her villa under public scrutiny was unrealistic.
Instead, she planned to negotiate bulk purchases directly with bottled water manufacturers, have them delivered to a warehouse, and then transfer everything into her dimension at once.
Concerned that manufacturers might struggle with short-term supply for such large orders, she decided to split purchases among several well-known brands.
As for daily water usage, she couldn't possibly rely solely on bottled water—no matter how wealthy she was, that level of extravagance was excessive. At most, she'd invest in a water purification system for supplementary use.
On Taobao, she found food-grade PE water storage tanks, each capable of holding 30 tons. She placed an order for 1,000 units.
These tanks were durable—resistant to acids, alkalis, and sunlight—and came with convenient valve taps. However, they weren't cheap, starting at ¥20,000 each. With a few taps on her phone, ¥20 million was effortlessly spent.
Once all the tanks were filled with tap water, they'd be moved into her dimension.
She had estimated that even with a faucet running nonstop, it would only yield about 30 tons of water. So the idea of protagonists in novels frantically filling buckets at home seemed somewhat unrealistic.
Recognizing her own limitations, she decided to have Du Ziteng hire temporary workers. Once the tanks arrived, these workers would handle the filling process at the warehouse. After everything was filled, she'd collect them into her dimension.
Jiang Yan also considered hiring a professional procurement team, given how overwhelming the task was alone.
She remembered that her parents' company would engage specialized bidding firms for large-scale temporary purchases. These firms would conduct price comparisons and select the most suitable suppliers, ensuring cost efficiency, process oversight, and quality control.
As Mother Jiang often said: "Leave professional tasks to professionals."
However, given the types and quantities of supplies Jiang Yan needed, she'd likely have to establish a supermarket-related trading company before approaching bidding firms.
Registering a company was easy, and some supporting certifications could be postponed.
But given her current high-profile status, any public move could spark unpredictable gossip and consequences.
Of course, she could appoint an agent to act on her behalf while she pulled the strings behind the scenes. Yet, despite being surrounded by people, she lacked someone she could trust completely.
After brief consideration, Jiang Yan decided to handle it herself.
By dealing directly with major manufacturers, she could rely on long-term cooperation to ensure they wouldn't expose her within at least three months.
As for whether her bulk purchases would draw government attention, she wasn't worried. Private dealings with officials were far preferable to trending on social media under the scrutiny of millions.
After all, keyboard warriors excelled at sensationalizing and exaggerating the slightest hint of speculation.
Moreover, she still had ample time left. It might be tiring, but secretly hoarding supplies like a little hamster wasn't so bad after all.
-
By the time she finished inspecting all the warehouses she had her eye on, evening was approaching.
Du Ziteng handled matters efficiently, and since Jiang Yan was willing to pay generously, all the warehouses could be leased with agreements signed and keys handed over the very next day after clearing out the existing goods.
Jiang Yan wasn't renting for long.
Each warehouse had a different lease period based on her plans, with the longest being just two months.
(End of Chapter)