I Hoard Supplies and Raise a Child in the Wasteland World by Drawing Cards (GL) - Chapter 3

It took a full half day to unload the truckload of goods. No one came to cause trouble during that time, but it did attract a lot of onlookers.

Lin Ran had no intention of being a busybody and telling her neighbors about the apocalypse. She knew no one would believe her, and once the apocalypse arrived, they might even turn on her, blaming her for not convincing them that the end was really coming.

Lin Ran didn’t see herself as a living bodhisattva. When the apocalypse came, she’d be doing well just to take care of herself. She had no interest in anyone else’s well-being.

In her previous life, Lin Ran grew up in an orphanage. Later, because of her excellent physical condition, she began studying combat and shooting. She then joined an international bodyguard company. The reason she was in this world was because she was shot and killed while protecting her employer. She had seen too many dead people and was long past feeling joy or sorrow about it.

It wasn’t until all the supplies were moved that Lin Ran went home to check. All six sides of her master bedroom had been torn apart. She expected that tomorrow they would start welding the six steel plates to the building’s rebar.

Lin Ran felt a bit more at ease looking at the room full of food, daily necessities, and bottled water. Tomorrow morning, she needed to go to the hospital for a full physical check-up. Before the apocalypse arrived, she had to get her body in perfect condition. After that, she would need to buy a large amount of medicine from a pharmacy. These were also essential items for the apocalypse. In addition, she needed to buy some weapons for self-defense. The book had mentioned that after the apocalypse, some humans would become zombies after being infected with a virus, so having weapons for self-defense was a must.

Looking at her messy home, Lin Ran didn’t feel like staying. She still had money on her card, so she would just go to a hotel. Just as she was about to leave, a man in his fifties appeared at her door.

In the original book, Lin Ran was just a cannon fodder, and all descriptions of her were related to the female lead. Lin Ran had no idea about the original owner’s family situation. Now, looking at the man in front of her, she didn’t know what to call him.

The man saw Lin Ran standing at the door and said, dissatisfied, “What are you doing standing at the door? Why are you home so early today? Did you cook dinner?”

As he spoke, the man walked inside. Seeing the chaotic living room and the two rooms piled high with things, he almost couldn’t breathe.

He pointed inside with a trembling finger. “What… what… what did you do in the house? Lin Ran, are you okay? We’ve lived here for five or six years, haven’t we? What’s gotten into you? Why are you renovating and making such a mess?”

He was so angry he pointed at his own room and the study. “What’s the meaning of this? My room is filled with food. Are you trying to kick me out? Lin Ran, are you trying to kick your own father out?”

Lin Ran was surprised that the original owner had a father. She frowned slightly. She preferred living alone, but since the original owner had a living relative, she couldn’t just kick him out. This was still a society governed by law, and social order hadn’t collapsed yet. If the original owner’s father wasn’t a troublemaker, Lin Ran might help him survive the apocalypse. But if he was, Lin Ran wouldn’t go easy on him.

“Don’t worry,” Lin Ran lied. “A few of my walls were peeling, so I hired someone to re-do them. Don’t worry about it. I’m spending my own bonus money. And all this food and water? I won them in a raffle at a company event. The company even sent them over in a truck. We shouldn’t turn down free stuff. Don’t be mad. In a few days, I’ll contact a buyer and get all this stuff out of here.”

“Really? Oh, but how can we live here?” Lin Zhong’s brows furrowed in a sigh.

“It’s fine. We’ll stay at a hotel for a few days. Once the renovations are done and it’s not so messy, we can move back in,” Lin Ran explained patiently.

“Staying at a hotel costs money, you know? Oh, you, you’re so old, but you still don’t know how to save money. Does money grow on trees? How much bonus do you have left? Transfer it to me, and I’ll save it for you,” Lin Zhong continued to nag.

Lin Ran’s expression turned cold. It seemed the original owner’s father was not a good person. He was nosy and had a big mouth. If Lin Zhong continued to be like this after the apocalypse arrived, Lin Ran had no intention of letting him live with her.

“If you want to stay in a hotel, come with me. If not, you can stay here on your own. As for the bonus, don’t even think about it,” Lin Ran said. She ignored Lin Zhong’s angry face, grabbed her bag, and left.

As she closed the door, she could still hear Lin Zhong shouting curses inside. “What a disobedient child! Your mom died early, and now you want me to die early, too! You unfilial daughter, you’re going to kill me! I’m your father, and I’m not dead yet! This house still listens to me!”

A cold smirk appeared on Lin Ran’s lips. These words might have had an effect on the original owner, but they meant nothing to her. After all, she didn’t consider Lin Zhong her father.

Lin Ran went downstairs and checked into the best hotel across the street. She also ordered a meal. The money would be worthless in less than five days, so she might as well spend it.

Lin Ran took a nice, long shower at the hotel. Afterward, she ate the food the hotel delivered while scrolling through her phone. Lin Zhong called her several times, but after answering once and hearing his angry voice, she just hung up.

If he could be a good boy after the apocalypse, she wouldn’t kick him out. But if he became a troublemaker, Lin Ran’s lips curled into a cold smile. She didn’t have much patience for other people.

After a good night’s sleep, Lin Ran woke up early and went to a private hospital for a physical exam. Since she was in a hurry, she paid for a VIP service, and all her test results would be ready by the afternoon.

She had a quick lunch and waited for her results at the private hospital.

Even though Lin Ran’s body had been injured before, her physical condition was excellent, and all her old injuries had healed well. If there was one problem, it was a wisdom tooth on the right side of her lower jaw.

Lin Ran looked at her results and decided it was necessary to get the wisdom tooth removed. Every time she got angry or stressed, the wisdom tooth would get inflamed. Under normal circumstances, this would be a minor issue that could be solved by taking some anti-inflammatory medication and drinking more water. But in the apocalypse, an inflamed wisdom tooth could become a serious problem. Where would she find a dentist to pull a wisdom tooth then?

So Lin Ran had the wisdom tooth pulled right there at the private hospital. She also got an anti-inflammatory IV drip and took some medicine home.

Stitches for wisdom teeth usually need to be removed after seven to ten days, but that was easy. Once it healed, Lin Ran could remove the stitches herself. It would just be a little difficult.

She also ordered a large batch of medicines from the private hospital: medicine for heart disease, diarrhea, colds and fevers, painkillers, antibiotics, plenty of liquid glucose, IV tubes, and sterile supplies. Lin Ran bought everything. Everything was packed into five large boxes.

This time, there wasn’t as much stuff, but Lin Ran still had the private hospital deliver the five large boxes of medical supplies to her building.

The delivery vehicle this time was a pickup truck, so it easily entered the complex. However, as the two movers helped carry the boxes into the elevator, they still attracted the attention of other neighbors.

“Oh, Xiao Lin, you’ve bought more stuff again. Have you become rich recently? A truckload yesterday, and so much more today. What did you even buy?” a curious woman in her fifties asked.

“Oh, nothing much. The mall was having a sale, so I bought some cheap stuff. I have to go now, Ma’am,” Lin Ran said, quickly making her escape.

The five large boxes of items filled two elevators, and they were all taken up to Lin Ran’s floor in one trip.

It was almost dark now. Lin Ran had the movers stack the boxes near the window in the living room, and the two movers then left.

Lin Ran went to her room to check and found that the thick steel plates on the ceiling had all been welded to the building’s rebar. It was a complete weld, with no gaps, which the foreman had already confirmed with a video call that afternoon.

Lin Ran went inside to check again and felt very satisfied. Just as she was about to leave for the hotel, Lin Zhong came home.

When Lin Zhong saw Lin Ran, he was furious. “Where did you go yesterday? Are you really not going to care about me? You go stay in a hotel and leave me here to sleep on the sofa? Lin Ran, how did you become like this?”

He scanned the house and, seeing five more large boxes, almost died of anger. “What did you buy again? Lin Ran, this isn’t how you spend money. You need to return all that stuff right now.”

“There’s no way I’m returning them. These things are useful. I’ve already paid for them. If you throw them out, someone else will get them for free. I got an internal tip that these things will be in short supply in a few days. If I sell them then, I can make a fortune. I’ll split the money with you,” Lin Ran said, making up a story. But the first part was true: once the apocalypse came, these things would indeed be in short supply.

“Really? Well, okay. Just leave the stuff here for now. You can sleep at home, too. Just clean up the living room a bit and sleep on the floor,” Lin Zhong babbled on.

“No, I have something to do later. I’m going out now,” Lin Ran said, ignoring the curses behind her and heading straight for the door. She could still vaguely hear Lin Zhong’s yelling.

The spot where Lin Ran had her wisdom tooth pulled was still a little painful and swollen. She went out to buy an ice pack to put on it, then went to the hotel. She only ordered a bowl of porridge for dinner, and she didn’t dare to eat it while it was hot. She had to wait for it to cool down before she could eat some, which at least filled her stomach.