The salesman enthusiastically helped Nina Jacobs set up an installment plan.
This took Nina by surprise, as she had already applied for several loans in a short amount of time.
"An installment plan is much more cost-effective than paying in full.
I've already set up a special arrangement for you.
Plus, not only will you get a subsidy, but I can also get you a ton of freebies."
The salesman rattled on eloquently, calculator in hand.
The freebies included over ten blankets, plus dinnerware, rice, cooking oil, and more.
"Thank you."
Nina had never met such an enthusiastic salesman.
"Of course, of course. Business has been slow recently.
You're saving my sales numbers for the month."
The salesman said, handing Nina a cup of coffee with a grateful look on his face.
"Here, this is for you. It's portable and very convenient."
Before driving off, Nina gave the salesman a palm-sized object: a compressed, foldable adult raincoat.
"Wow, this is great. So practical."
The salesman was pleasantly surprised; it was rare for a customer to give him a gift.
It wasn't anything valuable, but after Nina left, he still tucked it carefully into his bag.
Now that she had a car, Nina didn't plan on sitting idle. She decided to head to City D's wholesale market to buy more supplies.
The only problem was, she hadn't unlocked her system's storage space yet, so she'd have to drive back and forth to her old house several times.
[System Task Activated:
Collect Seeds (0/100)
Requirements:
No limit on type or quantity.
Task Reward:
1 System Storage Slot.]
'Just what I needed.'
Nina's eyes lit up.
In her last life, she hadn't bonded with the system until the acid rain began.
She had thought she'd have to wait for the acid rain to arrive before she could get any quests this time, but a quest had appeared much earlier than expected.
A single system storage slot was more than enough for her stockpiling needs.
Nina drove straight to the seed wholesale market without a moment's hesitation.
The quest didn't specify the type of seeds, so Nina planned to focus on buying seeds for grains and vegetables.
The acid rain wouldn't just corrode human flesh; it would also destroy plants, animals, and even the soil itself.
Any plant touched by the acid rain would die instantly, and nothing would be able to grow in the contaminated soil.
She recalled certain events from her past life. To avoid attracting unwanted attention,
Nina visited every shop in the seed market, placing separate orders for different seeds at each one.
The quest had no quantity requirement, so Nina only ordered about ten pounds of each type of seed.
Collect Seeds (78/100)
An hour later, Nina glanced at the system panel. She still needed over twenty more types.
The local varieties of grains and vegetables were limited, so Nina also bought small quantities of fruit tree seeds and medicinal herb seeds.
Before she knew it, she had collected over 140 different types of seeds.
[Host task complete. Claim reward?]
"Claim."
As soon as she got back into her jam-packed SUV, Nina immediately claimed her reward.
The initial system storage slot was only 10 square meters.
But it was enough to solve her immediate problem.
In a 10-square-meter storage space, she could stack items as high as she wanted.
With a mere wave of her hand, all the bags of seeds inside the car vanished into the storage slot.
As evening fell, Nina drove around by herself, hitting up every pharmacy she could find along the roads in City D.
She bought plenty of fever reducers, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, styptics, and various balms for bruises and sprains.
She could have easily bought everything in one go.
But she remembered that in her previous life, a mysterious organization had appeared within Drakonia.
That organization not only monopolized Crystal Cores, but also continuously recruited Superpower Users with special talents.
She'd heard they had even captured some Prophets, though they apparently didn't find whatever it was they were looking for.
It was precisely because of this that she came up with the idea of establishing a base.
'I wonder if that organization is the "someone" Renee Strong mentioned was watching me.'
'Either way, I need to be more cautious in this life.'
As for stockpiling, Nina's next goal was to focus on hoarding prepared meals.
Her system's storage slot had another important function: food placed inside would never rot or spoil.
Even if freshly cooked food was put in for a year, it would still be hot when taken out.
The nights in City D were still bustling and vibrant. Nina went to several different restaurants and ordered takeout of all her favorite dishes.
In her past life, she never had to worry about food or drink, but she never again got to enjoy the simple pleasure of a hot, freshly made meal.
Nina went to a street food stall by herself and picked an inconspicuous corner to sit down.
The moment the sizzling lamb and beef skewers were placed in front of her, Nina finally felt her heart begin to settle.
"Boss, I'll take these too. To go, please."
The thought that she might never eat something so delicious again prompted Nina to use a group-buy app to order five twelve-person family meals, all to-go.
"You got it! I'll have that right out for you."
The owner was bustling about happily; he never expected such a young woman to be such a big spender.
Nina continued to eat while she waited. She pulled out her phone again and ordered more food and drinks from other nearby places through the app, planning to pick them up on her way out.
"Nina Jacobs. Long time no see."
An abrupt voice sounded from behind her, and Nina's fingers froze, but only for an instant.
She turned around, her eyes filled with confusion. "Do I know you?"
The person behind her was Ivan Lawson.
In her past life, Ivan Lawson's family had abandoned him to lure away zombies.
Nina had been passing by and saved his life.
She had thought he would be eternally grateful, but she never imagined that he, too, would turn on her.
"Looks like what Liam Grant said was true."
Ivan Lawson walked over and sat down opposite Nina, making himself comfortable.
"You know Liam Grant too?"
Nina feigned shock.
In her last life, right after the base was established, Ivan Lawson had used his position to force himself on two women, even accidentally killing one of them.
She had his legs broken for it. He must have started hating her then.
"Of course I know him.
I also know he's already moved on with someone else.
Why don't you come with me instead? I promise you won't regret it."
When Nina didn't say anything, Ivan Lawson continued,
"Something big is going to happen in the next couple of days. Nina, I can protect you."
When Liam Grant and Renee Strong had found him, he'd learned that Nina Jacobs hadn't come back with them.
'The Nina in front of me doesn't know what we did to her in our past life.'
'I can definitely make her obey me.'
Ivan Lawson's gaze on Nina was fervent. He seized her wrist and tried to pull her into his arms.
"Are you insane?
I don't even know you!"
She still had the zombie-killing skills from her past life, but not wanting to reveal them, Nina just grabbed a beer bottle, smashed it, and pointed the jagged end at Ivan Lawson.
Her actions successfully drew the attention of the surrounding diners.
"Ivan Lawson, that's enough!"
Renee Strong finally rushed over.
She had brought Ivan Lawson to a nearby mall to do some shopping; she never thought they would run into Nina here.
'What I expected even less was that Ivan's old feelings for Nina would reignite after he learned she hadn't been reborn?!'
'In their last life, Ivan always had a crush on Nina, to the point where it became a 'if I can't have you, no one can' obsession.'
"What are you doing here? You two know each other?"
Nina understood perfectly, but she put on a confused expression.
"Strong, you're just in time. Go on, tell her,
aren't you with Liam Grant now?"
Ivan Lawson had no intention of dropping it. He had to make Nina give up on Liam Grant for good.