"Panpan, you're finally awake!" Bai Yinyin chirped, stepping inside without an invitation. "I came early because I really, really wanted to talk to you!"
Leng Pan closed the door and followed behind her. "Oh, what happened?" She feigned concern.
Bai Yinyin clasped her hands together, her expression turning hesitant. "You know… that jade bangle you got at the antique market the other day? It's really beautiful."
Here It comes.
Of course, I know it's beautiful. That's why I bought it in the first place.
Leng Pan kept her face blank and innocent. "Yeah?"
Bai Yinyin bit her lip as if struggling with something. Then, with a deep sigh, she gave Leng Pan a pitiful look.
"Actually, I found out from my grandmother that the bangle might be special to us," she said, her voice soft and hesitant. "It could be part of an old family heirloom set, and, well, I was wondering if you could give it to me?"
Leng Pan barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes.
The sheer audacity.
In the novel, the original Leng Pan had been so stupidly moved by this fake story that she handed it over without hesitation. And in return? Bai Yinyin immediately started hoarding supplies, never once telling Leng Pan about the apocalypse.
Leng Pan's hand tightened into a fist.
She smiled. "Oh, Yinyin, that's such a coincidence."
Bai Yinyin blinked. "Huh?"
Leng Pan tilted her head. "I actually had it checked out yesterday, and the expert told me it might be a real antique worth a fortune. I sent it to an appraiser to confirm it and will get the results the day after tomorrow!"
No way was she letting her know that the bangle was still in her possession.
Bai Yinyin's face stiffened. How could this be? It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't like this in her previous life. What would she do without the bangle? How can she hoard supplies then?
No, she had to convince this naïve girl to get it back and then give it to her.
"Then how about….."
Leng Pan cut her off with a light laugh. "You wouldn't believe how lucky I am! If it turns out to be real jade, I could sell it for millions!"
Bai Yinyin's expression twisted for a brief second before she quickly covered it with a smile. "Oh… I see. That's amazing, Panpan. But can you go and get it back then I can show it to my grandmother. Once she verifies whether it's the family heirloom, I will return it." She could convince her first; after the apocalypse, I can just claim I lost it. Bai Yinyin thought.
Leng Pan smirked inwardly. Did she really think she was that stupid?
Nice try, but I'm not your stepping stone.
"You know how those experts are, I can't just go back and ask for the bangle. It's only two days then I'll go pick it up. You can look at it then." She had to send her away first.
"Okay, I'll see you later." She could go and start buying supplies then once she got the bangle, she could just transfer them. It won't change anything. So, she turned and left.
After Bai Yinyin left, Leng Pan wasted no time.
She locked her door and went back to her bedroom. She opened the secret compartment and took the bangle out, then sat cross-legged on the bed and focused on the jade bangle.
At first glance, she couldn't tell what was special about it as it was smooth except for a small phoenix pattern carved on it. It was so small and faint, it was almost invisible.
She took a deep breath and made a small cut on her index finger. She followed the same method Bai Yinyin had used as she had read in the novel. She dripped a drop of blood on the pattern and as a white light flashed, the bangle disappeared.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, and in a moment, her vision blurred, and the next thing she knew, she was standing inside a vast, empty space.
It was real.
Leng Pan's heart pounded. This was her golden ticket to survival in the apocalypse.
She clenched her fists.
No more following a doomed fate. No more being used and discarded.
She had seven days before the apocalypse.
And she had to start stockpiling.
Leng Pan wasted no time marveling at the jade bangle's spatial dimension. She had already read the novel. She knew exactly what it was capable of. Instead of standing around in awe, she immediately started assessing what she had to work with.
The space was vast; about the size of a large warehouse, 5,000 square meters. Compared to other spaces she had read about in apocalyptic novels, this space could be considered small, but for her who came from the real world where spatial dimensions are just a fantasy, it was a big blessing.
The space was completely empty except for a small pond of crystal-clear water in one corner. If she remembered correctly, the water was special, possessing purifying and healing properties. A miraculous resource in the apocalypse.
Thinking about how the original Leng Pan had given all this away, she clicked her tongue.
"No wonder she died so miserably."
But she had no time to lament about other people's shortcomings.
Seven days. That was all she had before the world collapsed.
She exited the space, climbed off the bed, grabbed a notepad, and started making a list.
The first priority was to stockpile supplies. So, she started writing down any essentials and food she could think of.
With the jade space, she didn't need to worry about storage. Another thing she had to thank the author of the novel for.
The author wanted the female lead to live as comfortably as she could in the apocalypse, so the space could keep anything fresh no matter how long it has been stored. Which made Leng Pan wonder how a person could breathe in there if time was static.
Really confusing.
She needed food with long shelf lives, medical supplies, weapons, warm clothing, and anything else necessary for survival.