Seeing that his mommy was no longer angry, Xiao Bao explained with a serious face, "Mommy, I just didn't want the auntie and the older sister to fight. My teacher says that if everyone just gives a little love, the world will become a beautiful place."
Chen Momo was speechless. She thought, "You certainly have a lot of love to give. But have you ever considered how worried your poor mother gets?"
She took Chen Xiaobao for another stroll around the large shopping mall, and the mother-and-son duo purchased a substantial amount of daily necessities.
That night, after settling her son into bed, Chen Momo turned on her computer and browsed the news sites. There were no signs anywhere indicating an impending apocalypse. Even the major online forums were as bustling as ever. People were worrying about their jobs, complaining about their bosses, and venting about their mortgages. Absolutely no one was worried about the end of the world.
Chen Momo took a pen and a piece of paper from her drawer, flicked on the desk lamp, and fell into deep thought.
During the last apocalypse, the government had built ten refuge bases in major cities across the country. Each base had a commander responsible for its overall management. If she could get to know these commanders in advance and build a good relationship with them, it would be tremendously beneficial for her and her son's future life in the bases!
While waiting for rescue in her previous life, Chen Momo had firmly memorized the names of the ten major bases and their commanders. Writing them down now was a breeze. With just a moment of recollection, she quickly jotted down all ten names on the paper.
The commander in charge of the Guan Shan Kou refuge base was named Gu Rongjin.
Gu Rongjin was a retired Special Forces soldier who had been working at the street office since his discharge. He was incredibly low-key; hardly anyone knew about his military past. It was only when the apocalypse arrived that his outstanding performance earned him a special commendation on the news, which was how Chen Momo had learned of his background.
In this life, she needed to find Gu Rongjin as soon as possible and get close to him ahead of time!
Chen Momo had never been good at dealing with people in her past life. Years of living as a stay-at-home mother had stripped away her social nature, leaving her "social skills" severely lacking. But now, in order to ensure her and her son's survival, she was determined to change any traits that might hinder them. She would develop the skills needed to thrive in the apocalypse as quickly as possible! Only by becoming strong herself could she protect her son.
She started searching for "Gu Rongjin" online. If nothing unexpected had happened, he should be working at the street office right now. Sure enough, she quickly found some information: "Director of the Guan Shan Kou Community Street Office, Gu Rongjin."
Below that was the community office's phone number and a photo of the man himself. Judging from the picture alone, Gu Rongjin had deep-set facial features and a heroic spirit between his brows. He looked to be around thirty years old.
Chen Momo took out her phone and snapped two pictures of his portrait, the shutter going CLICK CLICK. Then, she took a picture of the street office's landline number. This way, she would be able to recognize Gu Rongjin the very moment she saw him!
After finishing her preparations, Chen Momo got up and walked into the kitchen. The two faucets were running with a continuous SPLASH, filling up containers. They had been running day and night for several days now. The water buckets she used had been ordered online and were arriving in successive batches.
She moved the filled buckets to a corner of the room. The apocalypse would require a massive stockpile of water. Water was the source of life; she had to keep storing it until the taps ran dry. The more, the better. She couldn't afford to stop!
Next, Chen Momo went to the bathroom. A sudden question dawned on her—after the apocalypse struck, how would they solve the toilet problem? She hadn't managed this issue well in her previous life, so she absolutely had to prepare in advance this time!
She hopped back online to search for a solution. After some digging, she was thrilled to discover a perfect answer: cat litter! If cat litter could handle cat waste, it could certainly handle human waste! Without hesitation, she started buying cat litter in bulk online. To ensure she had enough, she split her orders across several different online stores simultaneously so that such large quantities wouldn't arouse suspicion.
After completing her purchases, Chen Momo breathed a sigh of relief. She tiptoed into her son's room. The little guy was already sleeping sweetly.
A warm stream of happiness flowed through her heart like a gentle creek. With her son by her side, she had the motivation to keep living. He was her everything!
Chen Momo tucked him in and turned off the desk lamp. She quietly backed out of the room and returned to her own. Unable to fall asleep just yet, she sat on her bed and continued rewatching *The Legend of Zhen Huan*. This was already her tenth time watching it. Learning a few more palace intrigue tactics might just come in handy during the apocalypse!
Seven days until the apocalypse.
"Xiao Bao, it's time to go," Chen Momo said, holding the steering wheel and glancing at her son beside her.
Looking like a little adult, Xiao Bao flashed an "OK" sign at her. "Mommy, I'm ready. Let's go!"
Today, they were heading to the Guan Shan Kou Street Office. Her excuse was simple enough: she would claim her company needed a certificate of residence from the office. Of course, that was just a cover. Her sole purpose was to meet Gu Rongjin.
Driving her Wuling Hongguang, Chen Momo arrived at the Guan Shan Kou Street Office. She was greeted by an older woman.
"I'm looking for Director Gu to issue a certificate of residence," Chen Momo said, briefly explaining her situation to the receptionist. Naturally, a large part of her story was fabricated entirely to ensure she could meet Gu Rongjin without a hitch.
Once the older woman understood the situation, she said enthusiastically, "Comrade, come with me!"
Inadvertently, the woman's gaze swept across Xiao Bao's face. Suddenly, as if transfixed, her eyes glued themselves to the little boy. Xiao Bao clearly noticed her too and immediately called out with a sweet voice, "Hello, Grandma!"
At her age, the woman was in her prime grandbaby-loving years, and she had rarely ever seen a child as pretty as Xiao Bao. Hearing his sweet, sticky "Grandma" made her smile so hard her eyes crinkled into crescents.
"Oh my, what an adorable child!" she gushed, reaching out to pinch Xiao Bao's cheeks. Pinching cheeks was the universal gesture of affection from the elderly toward children.
Chen Momo's mouth twitched. Thinking fast, she reached out and intercepted the woman's hand, turning the gesture into a handshake. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."
The woman's mouth twitched as well, but she had no choice but to shake Chen Momo's hand. Sporting the signature warm smile typical of enthusiastic older women, she said, "Nice to meet you too. Comrade, welcome to our Guan Shan Community! We're glad to have you two moving in!"