Chapter 317: Chapter 317
At first glance, Jing Shu might seem like a coward, far too cautious. But there was no helping it. She was someone who had died once already. Having been reborn with the Magic Cube Space at her disposal, Jing Shu could hardly afford to die again. She finally understood the saying: "The richer you are, the more you fear death." Chapters fırst released on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝗇𝗲𝘵
As for weapons, she had to bring a complete set. Hand Grenades, explosives, handguns, and Crossbows couldn’t be left behind.
In terms of equipment, that was roughly it; she could add more if she thought of anything else. As for food, Jing Shu also needed to bring enough. Although she could sneak in secretive meals when no one was around, her appetite was notoriously enormous. Besides, she didn’t want to starve herself. High-energy protein foods and easily carried snacks were all fair game.
Jing Shu regretted buying a whole box of Snickers before the apocalypse. She had thought the candy was a bit too rich and could serve as a snack when the end times came. But only two years had passed, and she had occasionally snacked on a few. Now, only half a box was left. Well, I might as well bring them all, she decided.
She’d need to pack Compressed Biscuits, self-heating rice, nang, pancake, and Dried Vegetables as well.
Everyday personal items like sanitary pads and a change of underwear were also essential. It seemed as if she was moving house, piling everything up high. And she had yet to add the seventy-plus pounds of War Armor, nor the items she had prepared in the Magic Cube Space.
Wondering how to transport all these items kept Jing Shu anxious for days. Without any solution in sight, she eventually let it be. A way will present itself when the time comes... I hope, she thought.
For someone who has been reborn, the trials and tribulations of the apocalypse become even more unbearable, especially for Jing Shu. She demanded a standard of living unlike ordinary people. Even if she went to the United States for a "shopping spree," Jing Shu insisted on eating well, dressing warmly, and living comfortably.
Last time Yang Yang went, she took so much stuff. There must be plenty of storage space, so what I’m bringing shouldn’t be an issue. If it really comes down to it, I’ll just compress everything and take it with me, she mused. She naturally couldn’t store the above-board items in the Magic Cube Space.
Preparing the various supplies soon wrapped up. Since returning from her elder aunt’s house, Jing Shu had been spinning like a top, busy to the point of dizziness every day.
Most importantly, Jing Shu aimed to successfully upgrade the Magic Cube Space before heading to the United States. To achieve this, she slept only four hours a day, practicing with the Magic Cube day and night like a maniac.
After just over ten days of practice, Jing Shu discovered that continuously using the "Illusion Technique" from the Magic Cube Space could indeed enhance her ability, though slowly. Controlling two people simultaneously was still strenuous. However, the most significant improvement was that the thunderous noise in her ears wasn’t as painful as the first time, and she could now also hear some sounds, albeit faintly.
They say the first time always hurts the most, and then it gets better. Perhaps the development of my brain is similar, Jing Shu mused.
Aside from that, Jing Shu had to spend some of her time at the Pharmacist Association. As the vice president, she had the most leisurely position, so much so that even Zhou Bapi frowned upon it. If not for her contributions to Wu City’s advancement to the preliminaries, she probably would have been fired already. The retest was scheduled for April or May of the following year. This gave everyone half a year to cultivate the medicinal plants for the competition. Thus, Jing Shu regularly went to check in and plant these medicinal herbs for the competition.
She also had to manage the Magic Cube Space in her remaining time. She planned to store a small portion of supplies from the Magic Cube Space in different locations. She couldn’t bring everything to the United States. Firstly, the space wasn’t large, and freeing up more space allowed for more supplies. Besides, if I ultimately don’t advance, wouldn’t this trip to the United States be a total loss after all the trouble? she reasoned.
The second reason was to learn from her previous life’s mistakes. Putting all her supplies in one basket within the space had meant that when she died, everything was lost. This time, regardless of the dangers, she had to leave some supplies at home as a precaution. This way, if something happens and I can’t return, my family can safely get through the next seven years, she planned.
After much thought, Jing Shu decided to bury the giant stone cone, which took up a considerable amount of space, in the back mountains, instantly freeing up 25 cubic meters.
Jing Shu also cleared out the gasoline and diesel fuel from the Magic Cube Space, transferring them into two giant rainwater collection tanks. As for some other food and miscellaneous supplies that needed their shelf life extended, she planned to move them out just before she left. I must ensure I go with an empty space and return with it full, she resolved.
There were many other trivial preparations to make. Jing Shu followed a long list of tasks, executing them one by one. She hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed, even harboring the thought, The rain will stop in a few more days. Then, after a whole year of continuous rain, it suddenly ceased.
Jing Shu, as usual, after practicing with the Magic Cube and finishing a hearty breakfast, went to the yard to feed the leech, red earthworm, and fish in the pond.
But there was no longer the pitter-patter of rain above her head!
Jing Shu pushed open the yard door and stretched out her hand—not a single drop of rain fell. The fat chicken paced restlessly in the yard, emitting different cries that were sharper and more piercing than usual. Lately, the fat chicken had been . It even wanted to stay with Jing Shu at night, only quieting down when it lay beside her bed.
Jing Shu ran back quickly, pushing open the door to the small house she had built for Zijin. Inside, Grandma Jing was holding a hot water bottle, and Zijin was altering clothes.
"What’s the date today?" Jing Shu asked urgently.
Grandma Jing pushed up her reading glasses and replied unhurriedly, "It’s December 31st. We’re about to celebrate New Year’s Day. What would you like to eat today? Grandma will make it for you."
It’s over! Jing Shu realized with a start, then slammed the door and rushed out.
How could I have forgotten such an important date!
She had been too busy lately. Even though she constantly kept that date in mind and was counting down, she somehow miscalculated. I can’t believe time has flown by so quickly!
Today. Yes, today, the first major earthquake would come. She didn’t know the exact time because the third year’s earthquake had a characteristic: its epicenters were widely distributed. This meant that even within one city, many areas could be moving and experiencing earthquakes simultaneously. Some areas would have minor quakes, while others would have catastrophic, landscape-altering tremors.
This was also why Jing Shu had mentioned hearing constant rumbling noises night after night—they were sounds transmitted from the surroundings!
In her previous life, the Banana District had also experienced hundreds of earthquakes. However, the Banana District wasn’t destroyed, partly because there wasn’t a major epicenter nearby. But Jing Shu remembered clearly that frequent earthquakes had caused a section of the embankment to collapse, and on several occasions, entire buildings in the Banana District had vanished.
Of course, the disappearance of an entire building in the Banana District was nothing significant in the grand scheme of things.
Starting today, the floodwaters in Wu City Center began to recede at a visibly fast rate. Many people didn’t know where the water was going, but Jing Shu knew. This is the culprit that will lead to next year’s landslides and mudflows, she thought grimly.
I should have enough time, Jing Shu thought, checking the time.