Anastasia woke up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. She took a bath, grabbed one of the meals she had stored in her space warehouse, and enjoyed the hot, fresh food. With her energy replenished, she headed to the food court at Windmere, a popular spot in the city.
Upon arrival, Anastasia instructed the vendors to close down the entire food court and start cooking. She ordered each stall and restaurant to prepare at least a hundred servings of their specialty dishes, including milk tea, tea eggs, shawarma, steamed buns, roast duck, and more. Anastasia collected the hot meals in her car and stored them in her space warehouse in a secluded area before returning for more.
The vendors were surprised by her request, but they were happy to oblige, especially since she was willing to pay a premium for their services. As Anastasia collected the food, she told them she needed it for her workers, and many people in the city were left wondering why they couldn't have a boss like her who would buy food for them.
The food court was abuzz with activity, with many people trying to figure out what was going on. When they were told about the big boss, many were envious of Anastasia's workers, who seemed to be getting a great deal. As Anastasia finished collecting the food, she ordered another batch to be prepared for the next morning and paid a deposit to secure the order.
Next, Anastasia visited KFC and ten other fast-food restaurants in the city, ordering 200 servings for three days and paying a deposit at each location. She ran around collecting the meals, using her efficiency to manage the task.
Using her brother's influence, Anastasia ordered 50 servings of their signature dishes from seven out of ten 5-star restaurants. Most of these restaurants didn't even do takeaways, so she had to pay more. At one of the 5-star restaurants, she ordered two tables full of food, exceeding her appetite, and stored the remaining food in her space warehouse before checking out.
Anastasia visited Wethill village, where she purchased tea leaves and tea trees. She knew that tea was a staple for many people, especially the older generation, and she wanted to ensure she had a steady supply. She bought different types of tea leaves and tea trees, planning to transplant them into her space.
The first shipment was dedicated to tea leaves, and she stocked up on a large quantity. The villagers were happy to sell to her, and Anastasia was pleased to have secured a valuable resource.
The second shipment was for tea trees, which she also purchased in large quantities. Anastasia planned to transplant these trees into her space, ensuring a continuous supply of tea leaves. With her tea supplies secured, Anastasia felt confident that she could provide for herself and others in the face of the impending apocalypse.
After completing her tea purchases, Anastasia headed to Tallowby village, where she ordered a large shipment of coal. She filled her truck with coal and repeated the process three times, each time taking the coal to a secluded area and storing it in her space.
With her coal and tea supplies in order, Anastasia returned to the warehouse to check on her other supplies. She then went to collect the remaining food and meal servings, putting everything in her space before calling it a night.
Anastasia woke up on the next morning feeling refreshed. She entered her space to cultivate, focusing on breaking through to the second level of the Embryonic stage. However, she found herself struggling to overcome the barrier, and she decided to put it out of her mind for the time being.
Instead, Anastasia turned her attention to her swordsmanship skills. She recalled the sword she had used in her past life, she cherished it, but when she found that sword in the dojo, she realized it was ten times better, she felt like she had used it a million times. The sword's material was unknown to her, but she knew it was superior to the one that had almost killed her in her past life.
After practicing her swordsmanship, Anastasia entered the hotel and had a bite to eat. She then went to the filling station to refill her truck with fuel. She bought diesel and petrol, filling up the truck, some kegs, and big drums. She stored the fuel in her space, ensuring she had a sufficient supply for the moment.
With her truck refueled, Anastasia changed back to her car and put the truck in a secluded area within her space. She then refueled her sports car and started collecting food from the food court, fast food restaurants, and five-star restaurants.
Anastasia's plans for the Jaelsville hospital and research institute seemed to be falling into place. After collecting food for the morning, she reached out to Dr. Christine Brown, a contact from Lysven City Hospital who had connections with three pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Brown was willing to join Jaelsville hospital as a specialist once it's built, seeking a quieter life away from Lysven's hustle and bustle.
The pharmaceutical companies would supply drugs in two quantities: one shipment would go directly to Jaelsville hospital's warehouse, while Anastasia would collect the other. Aaron had already ordered the necessary materials and equipment for the hospital and research center.
The research institute, is to be led by Anastasia's maternal grandparents Bernard and Victoria Jensen. Although, they hadn't started building of the research institute, these two old people wanted to oversee the construction of these facilities while also cultivating internal energy as much as they could. They had left their jobs to be in one place with their family, given the uncertainties surrounding the apocalypse.
Anastasia's family, including her grandparents, uncle, and his family, were all aware of the impending apocalypse. Her grandparents were focused on overseeing the construction of the research institute, aiming to find a cure for the zombie virus and explore other aspects of life.
Meanwhile, Anastasia visited Mosswick, where she collected the drugs she had ordered from two refrigerated warehouses, each with a 10-ton capacity. She stored them safely and then headed to Aurelthorn Antique City's Ancient Jade City. There, she spent a staggering eight hundred million on antique jade stones.
Anastasia's fascination with jade began when her mother's jade items disappeared from her space, causing the barriers to shift and expand. The northern part of her space revealed a new room, and the mist beyond the stream shifted, exposing a mountainous landscape.
Intrigued, Anastasia bought jade stones in large quantities, using her connection to internal energy to sense their authenticity. She purchased numerous stones without allowing them to be opened and took them back to her space.
Upon her return, Anastasia observed that the barrier in the northern part of the castle had changed. The mountain was now visible, but the barrier still blocked her view beyond the next floor. The jade stones seemed to have an effect on the barriers, but the extent of their influence remained unclear. So Anastasia called her brother to source for more jade and he directed her to the Livingstone complex at the heart the antique city.
As Anastasia met Michael Livingstone, the old man who owned the Livingstone Jade Complex, she sensed a deep respect and curiosity in his eyes. The manager had called him, and he had come out to meet Anastasia, intrigued by the young woman who had been referred by her brother.
"Ah, you must be the one my... acquaintance has told me about," Michael Livingstone said, his voice measured and thoughtful. "I've heard a lot about you, young lady. You're interested in acquiring more jade, I presume?"
Anastasia nodded, her eyes locked on the old man's. "Yes, sir. I'm looking to acquire a significant quantity of jade. My brother mentioned that you might be able to help me."
Michael Livingstone's expression changed, and for a moment, Anastasia saw a glimmer of something else in his eyes. "Ah, yes. Your brother. He's a good man. I've known him for some time."
As Anastasia met Michael Livingstone, the old man's eyes locked onto hers, and he seemed to see right through her. "Do you know why I'm willing to sell the jade to you?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly.
Anastasia shook her head, curious. "No, sir. I don't. But I'm willing to listen."
Michael Livingstone's expression softened, and he took a step closer to Anastasia. "You look just like your grandmother," he said, his voice filled with nostalgia. "You look like my sister. Your brother never told you, did he? You're my great-niece, and I'm... well, I'm your grand uncle."
Anastasia's eyes widened in surprise as she processed the revelation. She hadn't known about this connection, and it seemed her brother had forgotten to tell her about it.
As Michael Livingstone looked at Anastasia, his eyes seemed to linger on the jade pendant around her neck. It was an heirloom passed down from her grandmother, and Anastasia wore it as a reminder of her heritage.
The old man's expression changed, and he nodded to himself. "I'll give you the jade," he said, his voice firm. "Not sell it to you, but give it to you. You're family, after all."
And with that, Michael Livingstone handed Anastasia a chest filled with aged and quality jade. It wasn't until later, when she had already acquired the jade, that she understood the complexity of their family's connection. Michael Livingstone was the older brother of her paternal grandmother, Raquel Livingstone, who had passed away due to a generational hereditary sickness. The old man's bitterness towards Anastasia's grandfather stemmed from his belief that he had not taken care of his sister properly, leading to her untimely death.
However, Anastasia knew that the truth was more nuanced, and the sickness had been a part of their family's history. Despite this, Michael Livingstone's pain and regret were palpable, and Anastasia felt a pang of sympathy for the old man.
As she prepared to leave, Anastasia invited Michael Livingstone to meet her grandfather in Jaelsville, and he agreed. She instructed her brother, Aaron, to send someone to pick the old man up, as she didn't want him to travel alone. Aaron arranged for a vehicle to fetch Michael Livingstone, and Anastasia looked forward to seeing the old man again.
After returning to the warehouse, Anastasia stored the items sent there in her space and paid out the bills. With her tasks completed, she headed back to her hotel to rest. Instead of sleeping immediately, Anastasia entered her space to cultivate. As she focused on her inner energy, she was able to gather enough energy to continue opening her body's meridian. Her refining speed increased, and her spirit-forging speed accelerated. Anastasia realized that since put the jade in the space, the internal energy had multiplied, allowing her to break through to the next stage easily.
In what was half a day in her space – equivalent to just an hour and half outside – Anastasia successfully broke through. After stabilizing her new stage, Anastasia finally went to sleep, feeling accomplished.