"Mr. Stone, if you can help me out, we're definitely going to make a fortune together." Ethan Cross stated.
"Hahahaha!"
Victor Stone burst into loud laughter, a sentiment he strongly agreed with. "Helping you out is no problem, but let's set the ground rules. My interest rates are steep, and I need collateral. You know what I do, Victor's got to cover his risks."
"Understood. No issue. I have a grocery store chain and two Condos," Ethan replied, nodding.
Victor had long since done his homework on Ethan's assets.
The two properties were in prime downtown locations, both high-end luxury lofts with considerable square footage, valued conservatively at thirty million dollars.
The grocery store was even better—close to his home and in a fantastic retail area, easily worth fifty million.
"Ethan, you use those as collateral, and I can lend you eighty million. How does that sound?"
"Perfect."
Ethan agreed without hesitation.
Victor was secretly thrilled, convinced this was a risk-free deal guaranteed to profit. He truly was a business prodigy!
"Hahahaha, Ethan, you'll need to sign a promissory note, give me your thumbprint, and hand over the deeds to the properties."
"Can do."
Ethan complied.
Just like that, he sold the ranch and took out an eighty-million-dollar loan, securing a total of two hundred million in capital.
Victor was smug. He grabbed the purchase contract and the eighty-million-dollar IOU, and with his crew in tow, drove off.
Ethan wiped his hands with a disposable white towel. Standing at the farm gate, he watched Victor Stone disappear down the road, wondering what the man would think when the apocalypse hit.
Oh…
He probably wouldn't think anything at all…
With the ranch sold, Ethan planned to pack up what he could, take anything worth keeping, and head to the supermarket.
He needed to store the newly arrived provisions.
The store inventory included not only raw meat but also clothes, towels, Dial soap, Clorox bleach, Lysol disinfectant, and other cleaning supplies.
Even though Ethan was turning into a zombie, he retained his human intellect.
And, crucially, he kept the habits he had before.
For example... his germophobia!
BEEP BEEP!
Just as Ethan was about to start moving, his phone chimed with a text message. He pulled it out; the sender's name was 'Brittany'.
"The Mess is getting closer…" Ethan muttered inwardly.
Brittany was the campus sweetheart at Silver Lake State University (SLSU), the epitome of the sweet, charming 'Girl Next Door.' She had many admirers on campus, practically a campus celebrity.
Perhaps due to his loneliness as an orphan, Ethan had craved a family, leading him to start a relationship with her.
"Honey, my birthday is next month. What are you planning to get me?" Brittany texted.
"The gift is already taken care of," Ethan replied, his eyes remaining cold.
Brittany sounded happy.
"Thank you, babe. The gift isn't what matters; it's your effort and attitude."
"Attitude, huh… You'll certainly find out about my attitude…" Ethan typed back.
In his previous life, after turning into a zombie, he received a desperate plea for help from Brittany. She was trapped in her dorm, starving.
Using his new zombie identity—and thus immune to bites—Ethan dragged his numb body and stiff gait through the terrifying horde to bring her food.
When he reached the dorm, he found her with three other guys.
And the moment they realized Ethan was a zombie,
They bludgeoned him to death!
Ethan had tried desperately to explain himself, but having lost the power of speech, only helpless, pathetic growls—like a beaten dog—came from his mouth.
Perhaps… whether he was a zombie or human didn't matter to them at all when they killed him.
Knowing the apocalypse was just weeks away,
Ethan was definitely going to show them his 'attitude' and bring them a little 'surprise.'
Besides, living people were just another form of 'inventory' to Ethan.
Time to put them in storage…
After replying to Brittany, Ethan began clearing out the ranch.
Generators, solar panels—anything useful in the apocalypse—were teleported into the storage space. Even a CAT-brand excavator was added to the hoard.
The space was huge; he couldn't possibly fill it yet.
Of course, there were a few sentimental items.
On the wall of one room hung a framed photograph.
It was a group picture from his days at the Foster Home, encompassing nearly all his childhood memories.
Most kids at the foster home were abandoned, often with physical disabilities or cognitive impairments.
The two best-looking kids in the photo were Ethan and a girl named Scarlett.
The little girl was hugging a Teddy Bear, her skin fair, like a porcelain doll. Her wide, dark eyes held an innocent, childlike purity.
But later, the caretakers said she had issues—psychological problems. At age twelve, she had bitten half the face off another boy.
Scarlett was subsequently sent to a mental institution, and Ethan never saw her again.
Before that incident, though,
They had been close, often making paper crafts, drawing, and playing together.
Ethan never thought she was 'crazy.' What he remembered most was her distinctive smile: she would always narrow her big eyes into little crescent moons when she looked at him.
Ethan took the photo and placed it into his storage space.
Once everything was cleared out,
He hopped on his white Scooter (small motorcycle) and headed to his supermarket.
Outside the store, several Panel Vans were parked, and a group of loaders were moving stock inside.
"Boss, you're back! Here's the invoice for the latest shipment. Can you check it?"
A young woman, sweating profusely and panting, ran over with a clipboard.
This was Chloe, the store inventory manager. The continuous stream of massive orders had thoroughly exhausted her.
"Sure."
Ethan nodded. Noticing her tired state, he said, "It's getting late. Go home and rest."
"Oh, thank you, Boss. I have a class tomorrow morning, so I might not be able to come in until the afternoon."
Chloe was a college student working part-time to pay tuition.
Ethan looked at her.
"You don't need to come back anymore."
"Huh?"
Chloe's smile froze. She seemed to understand his meaning. "B-Boss, are you firing me? Did I do something wrong?"
"You're not fired. I'm just dealing with some complications. The store won't be operating for a while."
"Oh…"
Chloe nodded obediently, though she looked dejected.
Ethan continued,
"I'll pay you double your monthly salary. Go home."
"Thank you, Boss."
Chloe was grateful, but as she looked down, her eyes were filled with a sense of disappointment and loss.