Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 9: Let's Go Home

Mariella didn't know much about Chandler. But after what happened yesterday, she had enough trust in his character.

He couldn't stand Kingston bullying others and had stepped in to help a stranger, which alone proved his innate sense of justice and responsibility.

He would rather be fired by an employer than lower himself to apologize to the Shepherds, which showed both his unyielding pride and a strong sense of dignity.

Most importantly, aside from him, Mariella hadn't found anyone else she could trust for now.

So, she handed him a card loaded with a million and entrusted her five bodyguards to him, then turned around and went back to stockpiling supplies.

...

Mariella's storage space was limited, so she only stocked life-saving supplies for herself.

In addition, she had to reserve a separate batch of communal resources specifically for team expenses.

She planned to hire 16 bodyguards, but she would keep only eight to ten in the end, which meant a nearly 50% elimination rate.

The apocalypse was harsh, so she had to be strict with her team selection.

The ones who didn't meet the standards would be filtered out, and her time was limited.

This time, Mariella went straight for the liquor and tobacco store, starting with various brands of high-proof distilled liquor, red wine, fruit wine, rice wine, and champagne. Then, she bought strong liquors like vodka, whiskey, and Martell cognac.

Next came all kinds of cigarettes, especially the premium soft-pack and hard-pack ones. She bought all of them.

The store owner was so stunned that his mouth widened. Once he realized what was happening, he happily helped carry the goods into the pickup truck bed.

Mariella swiped her card for over three million without blinking. The store owner was so excited that his eyes nearly filled with tears, silently exclaiming the arrival of a walking fortune.

As she left, he respectfully handed her his business card. "Welcome to visit anytime. If there's anything you need, just let me know. I'll do my best to help."

...

Mariella drove back to the rented garage and stored all the liquor and tobacco in her storage space.

In the apocalypse, liquor and tobacco could serve as hard currency to trade for supplies. High-proof distilled liquor, in particular, had no expiration, making it a nearly foolproof investment.

She checked her account balance and found that she still had over 87 million.

Before the natural disasters struck, she had to convert as much money as possible into supplies to preserve its value.

Mariella then headed to the hardware store to stock up on cold weapons.

Since firearms were strictly controlled, the only weapons she could legally obtain were at hardware stores.

She bought 50 of the largest nail guns and 30 high-powered chainsaws.

The former had a shooting range of nearly 30 feet, which was highly practical in combat. The latter had tremendous damage and deterrence power.

The store owner looked at her differently now. "Miss, why are you buying so much? What are you planning to do?"

She didn't even look like a construction foreperson.

Mariella smiled faintly and made up another story. "My friend is starting a construction team. He's too busy, so I'm helping him gather some tools."

"These two things are dangerous. You have to be careful," the store owner warned repeatedly. "The largest nail gun shoots steel nails up to 30 feet. If someone gets hit by accident, it could be fatal."

Mariella nodded obediently. "I know."

The power wasn't quite enough yet. She planned to have a mechanic upgrade them later, boosting the range to 60 feet for perfection.

She also bought ten buckets of camouflage paint, electric drills, arc welders, steel nails of various sizes, pliers and wrenches of various sizes, and expansion bolts of various sizes.

The store owner helped load everything onto the truck bed.

She drove back to the garage and stored everything in her two-bedroom apartment in her storage space.

The two-bedroom apartment was packed with all kinds of supplies, including deflated inflatable boats and kayaks. It left the space fairly tight.

Additionally, Mariella had stored over three million worth of liquor and tobacco, which took up about 350 cubic feet of space. Only around 710 cubic feet remained for perishable items.

She moved all the boxes of high-proof distilled liquor, which didn't have to worry about expiring, into the apartment, packing the rooms even tighter.

Luckily, she freed up an extra 140 cubic feet, enough to store plenty of perishable supplies.

She decided that once Chandler rented a new site, she'd transfer some of the bulky goods there, freeing up more space for stockpiling.

...

Mariella drove out again. Just then, her phone vibrated with a call from an unknown number.

Since she'd just hired six bodyguards, she assumed it might be an urgent contact and answered.

"Ms. Townsend, this is Heartpaw Hospital. The dog you're boarding with us is due for a renewal. Would you like to continue boarding him?" A young nurse's sweet, pleasant voice came over the line.

Mariella was stunned. The dog she was boarding?

It's Lucky!

Lucky was the stray dog she had adopted.

From a frail little stray on the roadside, he had grown into a majestic black shepherd. She loved him dearly.

But since Harvey didn't like dogs, and she'd moved from the Shepherds' villa to a cramped apartment ill-suited for a pet, she had boarded Lucky at an animal hospital.

In her previous life, she never managed to bring him back before the flood struck. He had most likely drowned.

Lucky's death had always been a hidden pain in her heart.

In this second chance at life, she would never let him suffer the same fate again. She was determined to bring him back.

...

Mariella drove to the animal hospital and went straight to Lucky's kennel.

"Lucky!" she called.

Clang!

"Woof!"

The tall, strong black shepherd lifted his front paws, scratching at the kennel nonstop. Lucky let out a low whine that was part sorrow, part plea.

He hadn't seen his owner in so long and thought she had abandoned him!

"Lucky!" Mariella couldn't hold back tears, her heart full of guilt and regret.

In this life, she would never let Lucky leave her again.

She had the nurse open the kennel. Lucky immediately bounded out, jumping into her arms.

Mariella was almost knocked over by his strength, startling the nurse beside her.

"Ms. Townsend, are you okay?" the nurse asked worriedly. "Do you need a doctor?"

Mariella waved her off. "He's just excited from not seeing me for so long. You can put down the leash and step back."

She held Lucky and cried for a long time, and he kept whining softly.

"I'm sorry, Lucky. I'll never abandon you again."

She fastened his leash and gently patted his head. "Let's go home."

The other dogs in the kennels grew restless, scratching and banging on their cages as they howled loudly.

Lucky nuzzled Mariella's leg affectionately and proudly followed her out under the jealous gazes of the other dogs.

My owner is taking me home!

Bye-bye, buddies!

...

Mariella bought 30 boxes of different-flavored canned dog food, 50 bags of kibble, and 30 packs of freeze-dried treats. Then dog beds, dog potties, pet bathing tubs, pet shampoos, and pet wipes.

Lucky was both excited and overjoyed. His owner had bought him so many goodies. He really was a lucky pup!

Mariella had staff help load everything into the pickup truck bed, then opened the back doors.

Lucky immediately jumped in and even picked up his leash.

Mariella closed the doors, thanked the hospital staff, and reminded them, "A friend of mine works at the weather station. I heard a super typhoon is expected in the next month, which could cause severe flooding. Your hospital is in a low-lying area, so you'd better move the pets to higher ground sooner."

The staff froze for a second, then smiled and nodded.

Mariella didn't know if they would follow the advice, but at least she had warned them. Fate would take care of the rest.

Just as she settled into the driver's seat, another call came in.

Since she had just picked up Lucky, she was in a good mood and answered.

"Mariella!" Harvey's voice came through, dripping with barely contained rage. He gritted his teeth as he warned, "Don't push things too far!"

"Huh?" Mariella frowned.

His voice was sharp, like ice shards. "You're only doing this because you're jealous of Roxanna and want my attention, right? Everything you've done has just made me hate you more. Stop now while you still can!"