"Great! Straight to the point!"Gao Qiqiang clapped his hands and asked, "So, Brother Su—how much do you need?"
"One million."
Hearing the amount, Gao Qiqiang's brow twitched slightly.
Though he was indeed wealthy, handing out one million yuan in cash wasn't something he took lightly.
Noticing his hesitation, Su Chen chuckled and said,"What's wrong? Don't tell me you can't cough up that kind of cash, Brother Gao?"
"Hah! Don't insult me. A million? I could loan you ten if I wanted!" Gao snorted, clearly falling for the bait.
"But tell me, Brother Su... how do you plan to repay it?"
"That Nomadisen parked outside? I just bought it for twelve million.And I also have a downtown apartment. If I can't repay, you can take it all."
The apartment his parents had left him wasn't new, but its location in a top school district made it worth at least a million.
Gao Qiqiang didn't reply immediately. His sharp eyes locked onto Su Chen's expression, trying to read him like an open book.
He had spent years in the underworld—his aura alone was enough to make most people squirm.
But Su Chen remained calm, unmoved, like still water.
Gao couldn't help but feel uneasy.
This kid… he's not ordinary.
After a long moment, Gao finally nodded.
"Fine. We'll do it your way."
He snapped his fingers, signaling for his assistant to prepare the loan paperwork.
After verifying Su Chen's vehicle registration, property deeds, and personal documents, they quickly finalized the deal.
Of course, loan sharks never play fair.
Though the agreement said Su Chen was borrowing ¥1.3 million, he only received ¥900,000 in cash.
This trick was known on the streets as "nine out, thirteen back."
No wonder so many people fell into ruin from predatory lending.
But Su Chen didn't care.
A month from now, money would be as worthless as paper. Would Gao even be alive to collect?
"Pleasure doing business," Gao said, shaking Su Chen's hand, grinning ear to ear.
After all, where else could you make ¥400,000 in one month?
Su Chen returned the smile, though inwardly, he was sneering coldly.
Let's see if you're still smiling when the world burns.
"I've heard Brother Gao has incredible connections here in the city," Su Chen said smoothly. "There are two more favors I'd like to ask."
"Say the word. If I can help, I will."
"First, I need a large quantity of gasoline. Can you help me get some?"
Although the Doomsday Fortress System could eventually produce fuel, Su Chen still had no idea how to gain energy points. It was best to prepare some backup fuel.
But in the current world, gasoline was tightly controlled. Buying large quantities was nearly impossible.
Gao Qiqiang looked surprised.
"You want gasoline?"
"Yes," Su Chen said. "As much as you can get—preferably stored in standard barrels."
Standard fuel barrels held about 150 liters each.
Gao Qiqiang was even more confused.
What the hell does he want that much fuel for?
But Su Chen didn't offer any explanation, and Gao didn't press further.
"Alright. I'll make a few calls later."
"Second... Brother Gao, I'm not sure if you can get me this—"
Su Chen lifted his hand and mimed the shape of a pistol.
Cough!
"Brother Su, you're kidding, right?" Gao laughed nervously."I run a legitimate business here!"
"Relax. I only want it for self-defense," Su Chen said with a smile.
The apocalypse would be full of danger—not just from zombies, but from desperate people. Having a weapon could mean the difference between life and death.
"Come on, Brother Su. Don't make things hard for me."
Su Chen didn't argue. He simply smiled and said,"We just did a big deal. You're not going to turn me down for something this small, are you?"
Gao Qiqiang hesitated for a moment, then gave a sly grin."Well, if you're that insistent... I might be able to help."
"But it'll cost extra."
"No problem."
Su Chen didn't care how much it cost—as long as he could get what he needed.
After a few more pleasantries, the two men shook hands and parted ways.
Su Chen returned to the Nomadisen.
"Where to now, Mr. Su?" Old Xu asked over the intercom.
"Take me to Walmart."
"Yes, sir!"
Old Xu steered the RV through the city and headed toward the nearest Walmart branch.
Unlike regular supermarkets, Walmart was more like a massive warehouse, with enough supplies to feed a city for a week.
Su Chen's goal: buy as many survival essentials as possible.
Upon arriving, he went straight to the service counter and requested to speak with the store manager.
When Manager Zhao heard that a man had arrived in a Nomadisen to make a bulk purchase, he personally came down to greet him and escorted him to the office.
"I'd like to place a large order. Here's my list."
Su Chen handed over a pre-written supply list.
Zhao glanced at it—and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
The list was long and comprehensive.
Bottled water
Instant noodles
Compressed biscuits
Thick cuts of beef and lamb
Beer and liquor
And countless other necessities
The quantities were staggering.
For example, Su Chen wanted 10,000 twelve-liter barrels of Wahaha-brand mineral water—and that was just the start.
Most items were requested by the crate or pallet.
Roughly estimated, the total value of the list exceeded ¥30 million.
If these were for personal use, even three lifetimes wouldn't be enough to finish them.
"Mr. Su… what exactly do you need all this for?" Zhao asked hesitantly.
"That's my personal business. Why? Walmart isn't in the habit of prying into customers' affairs, is it?"
"N-no! Not at all," Zhao waved his hands, trying to smooth things over.
"It's just... some items, like Wahaha mineral water, aren't stocked in large quantities. Would you be open to a different brand—like Nongfu Spring?"
"No."
Su Chen had no interest in Nongfu Spring.
"Alright... but if we have to source it from out of town, it may take a few days."
"You've got one week. No later."
With only a month left before the apocalypse, time was critical.
Su Chen had to gather supplies, modify his RV, and prepare for everything to come.
"One week? That's doable," Zhao nodded. "How should we handle payment and delivery?"
"Once everything is loaded, park the trucks at this address. I'll have someone unload."
Su Chen gave him the location of the remote lot where the Nomadisen had been parked.