Chapter 13

This, too, was only a brief memory of the dream.

Although eighty percent of the dream was filled with heated, indulgent content, the remaining twenty percent still moved the plot forward.

One such passing detail mentioned that, before the apocalypse, a wealthy businessman in City A had commissioned the construction of a safe house.

The contractor had been this very renovation company—

X

.

This service was a hidden offering, available only to the ultra-wealthy.

After all, the cost was astronomical. Ordinary people simply couldn’t afford it.

When Suzy arrived at the company, she asked straight away to see the manager.

The manager was a man in his early thirties, refined in demeanor, with the surname Lin.

Suzy didn’t waste her time. "Manager Lin, I want to build a safe house."

Seeing that she had come specifically for this line of business, Manager Lin’s expression turned serious.

Without further pleasantries, he quickly brought out a tablet and began asking about her requirements.

When he learned that Suzy wanted to build the safe house on the

twentieth floor

, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

"Is there a problem?" Suzy asked.

Manager Lin shook his head and smiled. "Not really. Most of our projects are villa renovations, but recently we’ve had another client—just like you—who wanted to retrofit an apartment building."

Suzy’s heart skipped.

Richard Stone immediately came to mind.

Could it be him?

She suppressed her curiosity and didn’t press further.

As for the safe house itself, Suzy’s demands were straightforward.

First—absolute durability.

Second—it had to withstand the typhoons and extreme cold that would follow.

Money was not an issue. Everything had to be

top-tier

.

The front door had to be the strongest blast-resistant door available. Even the fire escape door needed to be replaced.

Apartments in Starlight Towers were one unit per elevator, with direct elevator access into the home. To be safe, the elevator itself required a custom security door.

Every window had to be reinforced to the highest strength.

The walls needed structural reinforcement.

Inside the apartment: a fireplace, heating system, generators, air filtration systems, rooftop solar panels—everything imaginable.

By the time all the costs were added up, the total was astronomical.

Suzy asked calmly, "Can it be completed within three months? I’m willing to pay extra."

Manager Lin nodded without hesitation. "No problem at all."

Money made everything possible. As long as Suzy was willing to pay, anything could be done.

Besides... the previous client’s requirements had been remarkably similar. Suzy’s project was simply an upgraded version.

With a template already in place, her project wouldn’t be particularly difficult.

They signed the contract, and Suzy transferred a

five-million

deposit.

The estimated final cost of the safe house was

ten million

. The remaining balance would be paid upon completion.

Manager Lin asked, "Miss Kale, I’ll arrange for measurements immediately. May I have the address?"

Using an alias, Suzy replied without batting an eye, "Starlight Towers, Building Eight."

The moment Manager Lin heard

Starlight Towers

, his expression subtly changed.

Suzy caught it instantly. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"N–no," Manager Lin said with a stiff smile, shaking his head.

"I’ll keep you updated regularly on the progress. If you have any ideas or changes, feel free to contact me anytime."

Customers were gods. This deal alone would earn him a sizable commission.

"Alright," Suzy said.

After taking a few steps, she paused. "Manager Lin, I’d appreciate it if you could keep this confidential."

He nodded vigorously. "Of course. Absolute confidentiality is my promise to you."

With the safe house settled, Suzy left the company.

Next stop—the car dealership.

Manager Lin personally walked her out and watched her get into the car.

Back in his office, he stared at the freshly signed contract on his desk, an indescribable sense of unease creeping in.

"Deal closed?" The office door opened, and a man wearing glasses walked in.

"I heard it was a big order—nice commission this time, huh? Mr Lin, what’s with that look?"

The man walked over and glanced at the contract.

Manager Lin hesitated before asking, "Do you think... the end of the world is coming?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "You’ve gone crazy with happiness?"

Manager Lin lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

He was an apocalypse enthusiast himself—he’d watched and read countless doomsday novels and films.

Ever since taking charge of the safe house division, he’d only grown more obsessed. He’d handled plenty of orders over the years, but none had made him feel this strange.

The coincidence was unsettling.

Same residential complex. Same top-floor units.

More importantly—the clients’ requirements were nearly identical.

So specific, so purposeful... as if they

knew

what was about to happen.

It was hard

not

to overthink.

"It’s not that," Manager Lin muttered. "It’s just... this client’s requirements are almost the same as the previous one’s. It feels like they know something."

"Hm?" The man skimmed the requirements sheet. "Starlight Towers again."

And both top floors.

Manager Lin looked up sharply. "You think that’s strange too, right?"

"Strange?" The man shrugged dismissively.

"What’s strange about it? Rich people have always had weird hobbies. Probably read some apocalypse novel and don’t know where else to spend their money."

He was the designer responsible for this type of project.

Designers like him had a dedicated forum—domestic and international peers shared cases regularly.

He’d seen it all.

Wealthy tycoons hollowing out entire mountains to build apocalypse bases.

Others digging dozens of meters underground to create bunkers.

Even airborne fortresses. Ship-based fortresses.

Compared to those, Suzy’s project barely registered.

This line of business had existed since the last century. And after all this time, the world still hadn’t ended.

To the designer, the two owners at Starlight Towers were simply rich people with money to burn.

Honestly, most wealthy clients were like that. It was understandable—after all, rich people valued their lives, and paranoia wasn’t uncommon.

He didn’t think much of it.

"...I guess you’re right." Hearing that, Manager Lin felt he’d probably overthought it.

He’d dealt with clients whose demands were far more extreme than Suzy’s—he should’ve been used to it by now.

Still...

He couldn’t quite shake the feeling.

Better stock up on supplies himself, just in case.

***

At the car dealership, Suzy was discussing her purchase with the sales manager.

She placed a custom order:

Three Hummers.

Off-road models.

Various types of RVs.

Pickup trucks.

Electric vehicles.

Three of each.

All vehicles were to be modified—bulletproof glass throughout, maximum configurations. Price was no concern.

The manager was startled by her requirements.

He didn’t ask questions. Instead, he came up with his own explanation—probably a rich heir buying in bulk for some exclusive club.

All vehicles had to be fully modified and delivered within three months. Extra fees were acceptable.

Seeing how decisive Suzy was, the manager became even more convinced.

Delighted, he accepted the order.

"Rest assured, Miss Kale. We’ll handle everything perfectly!"

After a moment’s thought, Suzy added that she also wanted full sets of spare parts and maintenance supplies for all the vehicles.

Just like that, a deal worth

tens of millions

was finalized.

By the time Suzy left the dealership, it was already afternoon.

Her stomach growled loudly.

She was starving.