Four days until the apocalypse.

After a busy day, Su Jin's fourth-floor apartment was already piled high with supplies of all shapes and sizes.

He spent the morning scouting locations and the afternoon shopping at wholesale markets.

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He started by buying ten water buckets, dozens of bags of powdered milk, twenty bags of salt, vitamin pills, common medications, and a good amount of gauze, alcohol, and iodine. He also... placed a large order for grain and oil from a shop six kilometers away, paid a deposit, and arranged for a delivery in two nights.

In addition, he purchased a large quantity of plastic bags, toilet paper, and several portable plastic toilets.

Toilets were an absolute top-tier necessity among all the supplies.

With the apocalypse looming, the value of water was obvious.

Even if the sewers remained functional, using water to flush toilets would be an impossible luxury.

The only solution was to buy a few toilets and line them with plastic bags.

What if zombies hunted by smell? Maybe it could even serve as a surprisingly effective biochemical bomb.

Plastic buckets would also work, but considering the possibility of his own demise, if he could afford to die with a little dignity, it was better to be dignified...

Beyond that, based on what he'd asked Fu Qingdai, he bought a batch of sanitary pads.

Though they were meant for women during their periods, they had many uses. At the very least, they could serve as shoe insoles.

Another two busy days and he should have everything he needed.

Su Jin was calculating in his head. Just as he crossed the purchased items off his list, his stomach suddenly rumbled, and he glanced toward the door.

He had arranged to have dinner at Fu Qingdai's house today. He hadn't met her parents yet, but he had already done some in-depth research on them.

This step was crucial, and not just for ensuring he could interact with Fu Qingdai openly.

Gaining the couple's trust would be a huge help for his future plans.

Fu Qingdai's father, Fu Hu, was a former soldier. Although he had retired due to injury, his skills were likely far beyond those of an ordinary person.

Even if he had grown lax over the years and wasn't in peak physical condition, with a bit of training, he could definitely surpass the average person.

As for Fu Qingdai's mother, Zhang Wan, a textile factory worker... her sewing skills would also be useful. That was a decent skill to have.

Tomorrow, he planned to buy a batch of ready-made clothes and thick fabric, plus some aluminum rolls from a hardware store.

He could sew pockets onto the clothes and insert cut metal plates to create simple armor.

This kind of protection was simple, practical, and necessary.

He had to succeed today... Maybe he could even get some weapons, like a bow and arrows, through Fu Hu!

.....

Around six in the evening, the sound of footsteps and conversation echoed in the hallway, followed by the jingle of keys in a lock.

With a clatter, the door across the hall closed.

Su Jin straightened up and walked to the mirror to adjust his clothes.

From the sound of it, Fu Hu and his wife had come home together. Perfect.

Winning them both over at once wouldn't be a problem.

After a quick tidy-up, Su Jin pocketed his phone, picked up three movie discs, a pen, and a notebook, and left his apartment.

He stood before Fu Qingdai's door, composed himself for a moment, and then knocked.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with a dark complexion and a somewhat fierce appearance.

Seeing a stranger at his door, Fu Hu's eyes filled with confusion.

"You are..."

"Fu Hu?" Su Jin feigned surprise, then his expression returned to one of calm composure.

"Huh? Who are you? You know me? Do you need something?" Fu Hu opened the door wider but blocked the entrance, sizing up Su Jin with a puzzled look.

Su Jin lowered his head and chuckled, then looked up. "Pardon the intrusion. I'm your new neighbor. My name is Li Haocheng."

"Li Haocheng? How do you know my name? I don't think we've met. Did Lao Li from across the hall tell you?" Fu Hu was clearly a straightforward man, and a hint of displeasure had already crept into his expression.

It was a bit rude for a young stranger to call him by his full name right off the bat.

Su Jin said calmly, "Of course I know you. Fu Hu, soldier of the 12th Group Army, 191st Division, 571st Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 7th Company, 3rd Platoon, 2nd Squad. Your company commander was Huang Chongwen, nicknamed Huang Pao. And there was Yang Huai, from your squad..."

As Su Jin rattled off his information as if it were common knowledge, Fu Hu immediately pulled the door shut and stepped out into the hallway.

His eyes were full of vigilance. "Who the hell are you?!"

Su Jin's smile vanished, his expression turning serious. He looked the other man straight in the eye. "Let me introduce myself. I am Li Haocheng, a director at the National Key Risk Intervention Bureau."

"The Na... what?" Fu Hu didn't register it at first.

He had never heard of such a strange department.

"The NKRIB for short. It's normal that you haven't heard of it; your rank was too low. Our department reports directly to the highest level of command." Su Jin took out his Xiaomi 6 and began to operate it.

After a few swipes, Fu Hu's ID appeared on the screen.

Holding up the phone for the other man to see, Su Jin continued, "I have your file. As for why I know you, it's quite simple. The NKRIB was screening a batch of soldiers for special training, and you were on the list of candidates. Although I hadn't joined yet, I reviewed your file later. The internal evaluation of you was quite high, so I remember it clearly."

"Ah, you... you... you..." Fu Hu was momentarily stunned.

He couldn't tell if this man was real or a fraud.

His first instinct was to dismiss a department he'd never heard of.

But the man knew his service record in detail and even showed him his ID. That was strange.

The most crucial part was that device... It was so advanced! The display was so clear!

An ordinary person could never have something like this.

Fu Hu thought to himself.

*Whatever, I'll just play along for now and ask what he's here for... I haven't gotten into any trouble, have I?*

"Um... Director Haocheng," Fu Hu began tentatively, "you came to my..."

"It's Director Li."

"Ah, right. Director Li, what can I do for you?"

At these words, the seriousness vanished from Su Jin's face, replaced by a smile. "Old Fu, this is quite a coincidence. It turns out we really are neighbors now."

"I've run into a bit of an emergency, and I came over hoping to borrow your TV for a bit. I never expected to run into you. May I come in?"

"Ah... ah... yes, please, come in, come in." Fu Hu, still bewildered, gestured for him to enter.

Su Jin walked into the apartment with perfect composure.

The living room and dining room were connected. Fu Qingdai was in her pajamas, hunched over the table doing her homework.

Her eyes lit up when she saw Su Jin, but she immediately turned back and pretended to be engrossed in her work.

"Go on, go on, Qingdai. We have a guest. Go do your homework in your room!" Fu Hu said, then turned back to Su Jin with a smile. "That's my daughter."

"Oh!" Fu Qingdai grumbled, grabbing her homework and jogging to her room.

Just then, Zhang Wan came out of the kitchen, her hands still wet.

Seeing this unfamiliar face, her gaze shifted to Fu Hu.

"This is..."

"A relative of an old army buddy. This doesn't concern you! Go back to cooking. I need to talk to him alone for a minute." Fu Hu shot Zhang Wan a look. She pouted and turned back to the kitchen.

"Director Li, let's sit and talk." Fu Hu looked at Su Jin and gestured toward the sofa.