Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 58: Expanding Territory

The garden expanded to about 650 square feet, and the vegetables and fruits she'd planted earlier were now ripe and ready to harvest.

The small pond beside it had widened, grown deeper, and the aquatic plants inside were thriving even more.

The two-story villa expanded to about 3,000 square feet. A large bathtub had appeared in the second-floor bathroom, along with 2 additional studies, while three new fitness rooms had been added on the first floor.

It looks like the safes she pried out of that private vault were packed with gold, easily worth hundreds of millions.

Harvey's mother had climbed her way up from being a mistress. Only after the original wife's sons all died did it become his turn to inherit the Grahams' fortune.

The man had always been deeply insecure, hoarding supplies whenever he could. Gold, cash, even weapons. He stockpiled it all.

In her past life, it had actually worked out for him. But this time, everything he hoarded had fallen straight into Mariella's hands.

Mariella let out a cold laugh. This was nothing more than a little interest collected in advance.

Between old grudges and new, she would settle everything with him sooner or later.

After regaining some strength, Mariella left the storage space with Lucky.

...

The night was pitch black, the storm relentless, as if it would never end.

But Mariella knew the typhoon would gradually weaken until it finally stopped.

In her past life, the storm had raged for a full week. This time, it was already showing signs of easing in less than three days.

She didn't see that as a good sign. If anything, it meant the disasters were accelerating.

Restarting the engine, Mariella followed her phone navigation toward a nearby auto repair shop.

There was a large one just a mile away, capable of servicing both heavy trucks and regular vehicles.

Once the disaster fully took hold, industrial production would come to a halt. Many manufactured goods would become scarce, non-renewable resources.

Aside from fuel, all kinds of auto parts would become essential, high-demand supplies.

Mariella had Lucky stay on the boat while she suited up in diving gear and tied the boat to a utility pole.

She exhaled bubbles as she descended, entering the large repair shop underwater.

There were plenty of vehicles inside. Mariella picked out four newer luxury cars and stored them, then moved deeper into the shop.

Taking out a crowbar from her storage space, she pried open the door in a few quick motions and got into the parts warehouse.

Michelin tires of all sizes, oil filters from different brands, and countless types of auto repair parts. She swept everything into her storage space without hesitation.

Many items were still sealed, including brand-new engines and even packaged seat covers. All of it went into storage.

After working for over half an hour, her oxygen tank ran low, forcing her to return to the surface.

She untied the rope from the utility pole and climbed back onto the motorboat.

Lucky wagged his tail, licking her cold face over and over.

After catching her breath, Mariella took Lucky back into the storage space.

...

It was already 11 p.m. She was completely drained, so she took a shower, then washed Lucky as well.

After drying off, she changed clothes, put her raincoat back on, and returned to the boat.

Lucky had long gotten used to going in and out of the storage space with her, transitioning smoothly without the slightest confusion.

Chandler called. "Our team wrapped up tonight's operation. We're heading back to Celestine Ridge. What's your status? Need us to come get you?"

"I'm fine. No need," Mariella said casually. "I'm heading back too. You guys go ahead and organize the supplies."

After hanging up, she saw a message from Matthew asking if she was safe. She simply replied, "I'm safe. On my way back."

Matthew replied instantly, "Good. Be careful on the road."

Mariella returned to Celestine Ridge, stored the motorboat, then took some supplies out of the storage space and loaded them into the pickup.

She drove back to the villa. Chandler and the others had already returned.

The team was counting tonight's haul while Matthew logged everything into the digital ledger.

When Chandler saw her, he walked over and gave her a quick once-over. After confirming she was unharmed, he reported, "The ATMs in Celestine Ridge are basically emptied out."

Mariella nodded. "The bank will probably send people to restock them in a few days."

Most of Liraelith's ATMs were already underwater, but the ones in Celestine Ridge were still functional. In a few days, when the homeowners realized they needed cash, they'd find the machines empty.

Once they reported it to the bank, priority would definitely be given to these wealthy residents.

So there would likely be one more round of cash restocking for Celestine Ridge, but chances like that would only get rarer as the disaster worsened.

The good news was that her team had already withdrawn most of their savings, so they didn't have to worry about it turning into meaningless numbers on a screen.

"We found a large supermarket," Chandler continued. "The guys geared up and went diving. We salvaged quite a bit. Too bad the inflatable boats couldn't carry more, or we'd have brought back even more supplies."