Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 38: Buying Coal

Mariella didn't allow other bodyguards to bring family, but Chandler was an exception.

The disaster was coming soon, and she needed him fully focused on working by her side.

Any preferential treatment he deserved, she was willing to give.

But if he dared to run when things got tough, she would kill him without hesitation.

Chandler was just about to speak.

"Think it through before you answer," Mariella raised a brow and warned him seriously. "If you say no, you don't get to regret it later."

Chandler closed his mouth and studied her for a long moment.

"No." His voice was quiet, but firm.

There used to be someone, but they were no longer in this world.

Mariella let out a somewhat shameless smile. Good. The less, the better.

She rubbed her hands together, then patted his shoulder.

"As long as you follow me loyally, I guarantee you'll live well. Food, comfort, women, you'll have it all."

Chandler just looked at her.

Here we go again.

Another daily promise. Whether he wanted it or not, he had to listen.

Mariella wasn't just all talk. She also had a real threat up her sleeve. "But if you try to play me, you're dead."

Chandler looked at her calmly and nodded without any visible emotion.

Just when Mariella thought the conversation was over, he spoke in a cool tone, "If no one comes after me, I won't go after them. But if anyone tries to silence me, I'll make sure they don't get the chance."

Mariella paused.

Well damn. He's throwing the warning right back at me.

She was guarding against him leaking secrets, and he was guarding against her killing him to keep him quiet.

...

The next day, the outdoor temperature shot up to 122 degrees.

Government broadcasts announced continued shutdowns of work and schools, urging residents not to go outside unless absolutely necessary to avoid heatstroke.

Mariella waited until the AC inside the pickup cooled down before getting in with Lucky.

She drove straight toward Celestine Ridge.

After 20 minutes driving, the truck entered Celestine Ridge, passing by Brightcastle Kindergarten.

The kindergarten gates were tightly shut, the courtyard silent and empty.

Due to the heat, all schools and kindergartens had been closed.

Mariella thought of Serena and couldn't help frowning.

She'd been so busy these past two days that she hadn't contacted Matthew again.

The sudden early arrival of the heatwave meant storms, typhoons, and floods would follow soon after.

If disaster struck while Matthew was still on leave, the place he was staying could very well be swallowed by floodwaters.

Mariella drove up to No. 98. After the license plate was scanned, the heavy iron gate slowly opened.

The pickup drove into the courtyard, and the gate closed behind it.

When she got out, the courtyard felt pleasantly cool. The temperature display showed 80 degrees.

The powerful ventilation system filtered out the humid heat, while the high-capacity central AC maintained a steady indoor temperature of 77 degrees, making it extremely comfortable.

With only a two-degree difference between indoors and the courtyard, even standing outside didn't feel stuffy.

Mariella was very satisfied with her new home, and Lucky clearly loved it too.

She opened a separate warehouse and took out two barrels of diesel, one barrel of gasoline, and twenty gas canisters from her storage space. Then she brought out twenty diesel generators, along with ten backup solar generators and folded solar panels.

The villa rooftop already had solar panels installed as a backup power source, so the ten solar generators weren't needed for now. They were just being stored here for future trade.

Once the apocalypse hit, currency would rapidly lose value until it collapsed entirely, and barter trading would take its place.

Mariella locked the warehouse door and entered the villa's storage room.

She took out ten large freezers from her storage space and placed them inside with their packaging intact. She also brought out ten air coolers, along with all the military tactical gear Chandler had stockpiled.

These were the supplies she put out in the open. Everything else stayed safely in her storage space.

...

Mariella pulled out the business cards she'd collected during her shopping spree.

They had all confidently told her to call them if she needed anything, promising to help however they could.

Without hesitation, Mariella dialed the liquor store owner and introduced herself.

As soon as he realized she was the customer who had spent several million at his shop recently, his tone immediately turned extremely polite. "Ms. Townsend, what can I help you with?"

"I don't need alcohol or cigarettes right now. I need coal. A large quantity of coal," Mariella stated, not forgetting to offer generous compensation. "I'll add 3,000 per ton as your commission."

"Coal?" The shop owner was stunned. "Right now?"

It's 122 degrees outside. What normal person buys coal in weather like this?

"Yes, it's urgent. If you can deliver today, I want 200 tons of high-grade smokeless coal and 1 ton of premium charcoal for personal use," Mariella said leisurely. "If you can't handle it today, I'll find someone else."