Chapter 4:Stockpiling the Future
I leaned back on the couch and checked my mental tally. After buying the car and renting the mansion, I had less than half a million dollars left. Not nearly enough to start the full-scale preparations I had planned.
I could sell some gold… or better yet, multiply it first, I thought, my mind racing with calculations.
I walked over to the corner of the suite and focused on my inventory—the endless, weightless space that held everything I owned. A faint shimmer appeared as I tapped into it.
Inside, my gold gleamed like sunlight on metal. One hundred kilograms in total. I took out half of it—50 kilograms—carefully feeling the weight as I held it in my hands.
> "Step one," I murmured to myself. "Test it. Multiply it. Then sell only what I need. Smart, controlled, step by step."
The massive black pot sat silently nearby, waiting. I placed the 50 kg of gold carefully into the pot. The metal hit the bottom with a solid thunk, and I stepped back, holding my breath.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then faint ripples spread across the surface, subtle waves that seemed alive. The glow shimmered and danced, and I knew the multiplication had begun.
> "It's working…" I whispered, my pulse quickening. "Fifty kilograms… multiplied a hundred times… that's… five thousand kilograms."
The sheer scale of it made my mind spin. With this, I could secure everything: food, water, medicine, weapons. Nothing could stop me.Then use them many time by multiplying.
The glow from the pot slowly faded as the multiplication finished. I stepped closer and ran my hand along the edge, imagining the weight of five thousand kilograms of gold inside. The numbers were intoxicating, but reality hit me immediately.
I can't just sell this in a legal market… I muttered under my breath. They'd investigate me. Taxes, authorities… even a hint of abnormal wealth, and I'd be in trouble.
The only option was the black market. Risky, yes, but it was the fastest way to convert some of this gold into usable cash without drawing attention.
I sat back on the couch, fingers steepled, calculating:
Five thousand kilograms of gold
Black market rate: 50,000 dollars per kilogram (less than market value, but safer)
Total potential cash: 250 million dollars
Enough to buy everything I'll need and more, I thought with a faint grin.
I picked up my phone and sent a carefully coded message to a contact I had been preparing for situations like this:
> "Five thousand kg ready. Black-market deal. Exchange tomorrow afternoon. Location to be shared."
Within minutes, a reply came:
> "Understood. We'll finalize tomorrow. Security ensured."
I leaned back, exhaling slowly. The plan was risky, but that was part of survival. Risk, calculated and controlled, was necessary when the world itself was about to collapse.
After finalizing the black-market deal, I leaned back in the penthouse and considered the next step. Stockpiling food and essentials was crucial—but I needed massive, secure, climate-controlled storage.
I picked up my phone and dialed the number of a high-end refrigeration company I had researched earlier.
> "Good afternoon, this is Edric Kane. I need a custom fridge built—10 feet high and 30 feet wide. I need it delivered tomorrow."
A stunned silence followed. Then a hesitant voice replied:
> "S-sir… did you say thirty feet wide? And ten feet high? That's… unheard of. What would someone even do with a fridge that size?"
I smiled faintly, tone calm and precise:
> "I'll be storing things that require space and security. Food, medicine, supplies… essentials for survival. I'll pay handsomely for quality and speed."
Another pause. Then the voice came back, cautiously:
> "Well… we can manage it, but it's an extreme request. The price… twenty million dollars."
I nodded, already calculating in my head:
> "Fine. I'll pay half tomorrow and the rest upon delivery. Make sure it's ready exactly as requested—delivered tomorrow."
There was a long pause, then the employee stammered:
> "Half upfront… and the rest… yes, sir. We'll start immediately. This… this will be our largest project yet."
After ending the call with the refrigeration company, I rubbed my chin, deep in thought. If my inventory keeps things fresh indefinitely, then there's no risk of food spoiling. But if I put a fully stocked fridge into the pot… everything inside it should multiply together.
A grin spread across my face. That's efficiency. Not just multiplying one item at a time—but entire batches at once.
I picked up the phone again and began placing orders.
First, I called a luxury supplier.
> "Yes, this is Edric Kane. I need bulk orders of cold beverages—premium soft drinks, bottled juices, mineral water, milk. The freshest you have, large quantities. Deliver it all in two days."
The clerk on the other end stuttered.
> "S-sir, that's… a very large order. May I ask the occasion?"
> "Business," I replied curtly. "I'll pay upfront. Just make sure it's delivered on time."
Next, I called a dessert distributor.
> "This is Kane. I want ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen fruit bars, in industrial quantities. Deliver them in two days, fully frozen."
The supplier was stunned.
> "Sir… we usually sell to chains and hotels, not private individuals. Are you… certain?"
I chuckled.
> "Do I sound uncertain? Bring it."
Finally, I contacted a wholesale food warehouse.
> "Stock meats, fish, and ready-to-eat meals that need refrigeration. I want truckloads delivered to the Grand Astral Hotel. Two days from now."
By the time I hung up, my mind was buzzing with anticipation.
Cold drinks, ice cream, frozen meat… all inside the fridge. Once chilled, I'll store the entire fridge in the inventory, then toss it into the pot. One hundred fridges' worth of supplies—all multiplied at once.
I leaned back, eyes glittering with excitement.
> "Why stockpile piece by piece… when I can stockpile by the ton?"
In just two days, the custom fridge and truckloads of food would arrive.I also need truck to deliver the gold tomorrow.I should make preparation early.