The group fell silent for a moment. For the first item on the large screen, Bai Chen finalized: "Enroll in advanced psychology courses."
For the second item, he typed, "Set up defensive layers, an air-raid shelter, and a basement. Reinforce the villas. (Total of 2 properties: the current residence + the small mountain villa)."
"Mom and Dad will be in charge of this, with Bai Jiao assisting. You've read plenty of novels, so you might have some experience and know what modifications to make."
Bai Jiao nodded excitedly when her name was called.
The third item: continue to stockpile supplies.
Bai Chen explained the Jade Pendant. "For any object placed inside the space—other than me, Bai Jiao, and the Spiritual Spring—time stands still. And from the looks of it, the storage capacity is infinite."
"The Spiritual Spring should be able to strengthen the body. I drank a few mouthfuls myself. After my body secreted some black, viscous fluid, I actually felt healthier and lighter."
Bai Jiao's expression was one of excitement. She pulled up the interface of her favorite novel and projected it onto the screen. "This is exactly how they describe it in the novels! I wonder if superpowers will show up in the future."
Bai Chen's expression was solemn. "Even with a major advantage like this, it can only protect me and Bai Jiao during extreme weather. The rest of you can't let your guard down."
"The side effects of the Spiritual Spring are unknown. I've had the research institute I own look into it, but with so little time before the apocalypse, it's unlikely they'll discover anything useful. So, I'm going to give each of you a mouthful of Spiritual Spring Water. After you drink it, go take a shower and get some sleep."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
The fourth item was about Bai Xi.
"Bai Xi, you'll handle preparing supplies for Xiao Yunduo. Her favorite formula and snacks, clothes for all her growth stages... you need to account for everything."
The fifth item: everyone must set aside two hours every day to exercise in the gym.
When order begins to crumble, might is right.
A dark glint flashed in Bai Chen's eyes. 'Those bad guys Little Yunyun mentioned... I'll get rid of every single one of them.'
'But there's no need to make my family get their hands dirty.'
Finally, Mr. Bai said, "When you have free time, chat more with Little Yunyun. For one, we can uncover potential threats around us. For another, it's a good way to build a bond with her."
"Can I take Xiao Yunduo to my school to play, then?" Bai Jiao asked. "We can look for future prospects and identify the bad eggs. Besides, Little Yunyun doesn't have much time left to be carefree. We should take her out to see more of the world while we can."
The others were silent for a moment before Bai Xi answered, "You can. I'll go with you."
"Yay! Thanks, Sis!" Bai Jiao gave her a bear hug and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Bai Xi chuckled. 'It's so nice to see my sister so full of life.'
By the time the meeting ended, it was late into the night. Mr. Bai, Bai Chen, and Bai Xi still hadn't eaten. Mrs. Bai and Bai Jiao, who had already had dinner, took charge of the kitchen, whipping up three simple bowls of hand-pulled noodles topped with fried eggs.
Shi Tou caught the scent and trotted over happily, his tail wagging.
With a thought, Bai Chen materialized a small pool of water in his palm. He offered it to the dog, and Shi Tou eagerly lapped it up with his long tongue.
Almost instantly, all signs of old age vanished from Shi Tou. He grew slightly larger, his fur became sleeker and glossier, his teeth grew sharper, and his presence became more formidable.
He was now like a top-tier fighting dog in its prime—a mutated version, at that.
"For the same amount of Spiritual Spring Water, the effect on animals is much greater. It might be related to their body mass."
Bai Chen came to a conclusion. He poured a little on a potted flower in the corner, and it instantly shot up to be taller than a person!
Moreover, its stem and leaves were exceptionally tough; even a small knife couldn't scratch them.
'The Spiritual Spring Water can enhance physical constitution and strength. I just don't know if it will cause a species change when pushed to its limit.'
'Now isn't the right time for research,' Bai Chen thought, regretfully stopping his experiments.
Watching his son return to his seat, Mr. Bai said nonchalantly, "Try not to do anything too outlandish. Don't make our family so strange that we can't even hire a part-time cleaner."
"I'll run my experiments at the other villa," Bai Chen said.
Bai Xi added, "Remember to take Jiao Jiao with you. You're both masters of the space, after all."
「The next day」
Workers had already begun dismantling the main gate and perimeter wall, replacing them with a bulletproof-grade metal gate and a wall topped with sharp spikes. An additional layer of security fencing would be installed around the very outside.
Inside, workers started demolition for the basement. Mr. and Mrs. Bai planned to install a fireplace so they would have a source of heat even if the power went out.
They also added multiple generators: solar, wind, and kinetic-powered—they had all kinds.
Bai Chen held down the fort at the company, working to generate a steady stream of cash while occasionally fending off hypocritical backstabbers.
As Bai Chen processed documents, he thought, 'I need to borrow Ye Yunyun next time, too. I can use her to pick out reliable subordinates to fight alongside us in the apocalypse.'
Meanwhile, Bai Xi had workers come to her home in disguise to start installing pinhole cameras.
When the neighbor—who was also the mistress—inquired, she simply said they were elders.
Afterward, she paid the workers a hefty sum for their silence.
The cameras could run on batteries or be plugged in. Considering that signals would grow weaker after the apocalypse, Bai Xi also had the broadcast channel boosted.
She didn't want to see that scumbag right now. 'The more I used to love him, the more he disgusts me now.'
She video-called Ye Jun, telling him that Xiao Yunduo was sick and fussing to stay with her grandparents. Therefore, she was going home to pack a few things so she and Xiao Yunduo could live at her parents' house for a while.
Ye Jun feigned surprise. He first expressed concern over Ye Yunyun's illness, then said he was too busy with work to be with Bai Xi.
Bai Xi smiled faintly. "It's alright. I understand."
Ye Jun said, "Darling, you're still the one who cares about me most."
"You work so hard, honey. While I'm gone, I'll make sure to tell the cleaning lady to take good care of you," Bai Xi said, smiling sweetly at the camera.
The moment she ended the video call, Bai Xi immediately called for movers. She had them pack up all of her and Ye Yunyun's personal belongings and clothes. She also took Ye Jun's winter clothes and the comforters from their bed. She emptied the refrigerator, leaving only a few pieces of fruit with short shelf lives and a single small bag of rice.
If she weren't afraid of tipping him off, she would have cleared out the furniture too, just to deny him any firewood.
'Oh, right! The lighters!'
Bai Xi rounded up every lighter in the house, leaving behind just one that was full.
Ye Jun was a smoker. The amount of fuel in the lighter was calculated so that he wouldn't quite be able to use it all up, but there would be very little left by the time the apocalypse hit.
Finally, Bai Xi called the cleaning lady. She instructed her that when she restocked the fridge, she should just add some fruit like strawberries or grapes—just enough to fill one shelf. After all, with only one person at home, he couldn't eat that much. As for dry goods, she told her to just buy some sunflower seeds.
Most importantly, to ensure the meals she made for "the mister" were fresh, the cleaning lady was to bring just enough groceries for one day when she came to cook in the morning. When she left in the evening, she was to take all the leftovers with her and not leave anything in the refrigerator.
With one last glance at what was once her love nest, Bai Xi walked away without looking back.
「Meanwhile」
Bai Jiao took Ye Yunyun to the largest supermarket in the area.