The Frozen Apocalypse: Betrayal and Rebirth Chapter 3

I tallied up my liquid assets.

I also found a quick loan company and mortgaged our marital home for immediate same-day cash, claiming urgent need.

I wasn't planning on keeping that house anyway. In the extreme cold apocalypse, who knew how long it would last? Money in hand, supplies in storage—that's security.

As for Rebecca and them—didn't they want to kick me out and marry the handsome Uncle Derek?

I'd watch how they'd love each other then.

First, I went to the biggest outdoor equipment store and told them directly I was planning to climb the Himalayas after New Year's and wanted to prepare the most complete cold-weather gear in advance.

They were very professional. Sleeping bags, tents, thermal clothing, portable stoves, outdoor cold-weather equipment, emergency gear including knives, lighters, matches, multi-purpose shovels, and survival whistles—they prepared everything for me.

Though expensive, it was comprehensive and thoughtfully delivered to my door.

In extreme cold at minus forty to fifty degrees, with no heat or electricity, home would be like camping on a snowy mountain anyway.

I also went to the supermarket for several thick comforters, down jackets for Emma, the thickest thermal underwear, and twenty boxes of heat packs.

Prepared several electric blankets too. With warm items secured...

Next was food. Though there'd only be Emma and me, Emma was only twelve—I still wanted to ensure proper nutrition.

Besides compressed crackers, self-heating meals, self-heating hot pot, canned goods, and energy bars, I also bought plenty of cooked foods like steamed buns and noodles. After all, they wouldn't spoil right away—they'd just freeze. Heat them when eating.

Since electricity wouldn't be cut initially, stockpiling some normal food would make survival relatively easier. I went to the wholesale market for vegetables, fruits, and meat in bulk.

As for water, I'd ordered lots for next-day delivery last night. Today I bought more empty barrels to store additional water. In extreme cold you won't die of thirst—there's snow.

In the apocalypse, the hardest thing to guard against is human nature. And after the New Year holiday, many people would be away on vacation with nothing prepared at home.

So I split my purchases across multiple routes, having everything packed and delivered downstairs. If anyone asked, I said it was a new tenant moving in.

I remembered in my previous life, power didn't collapse until the third month. But I froze to death the first night it failed. Thinking of this, I went to the market and stockpiled 50 boxes of the small solid alcohol blocks restaurants use for heating food.

I even prepared 100 candles. Later I couldn't resist buying several boxes of smokeless charcoal just in case.

The snow wouldn't stop. Burning things in sealed homes was dangerous—in my previous life, someone burned things for warmth and ended up burning down an entire building.

In extreme cold, a bit of heat is hope.

I also found several other outdoor equipment stores and bought 50 large-capacity power banks and 50 portable chargers. I didn't buy solar panels—too expensive and unsuitable for extreme cold.

Since this apartment was empty, I also purchased some emergency medicines: painkillers, disinfectants, fever reducers, frostbite ointment. Since I didn't plan on going out, I didn't stockpile too many medical supplies.