She has seen firsthand how in a war, it's always your fellow humans who will turn around and use you as a meat shield just to survive. So, she has a certain idea how it would be like in a literal zombie apocalypse. She has to be careful, extremely so. She needed to thoroughly prepare everything she could in the next 6 days and for that, she needed money. A lot of it.
As soon as the apocalypse starts, the value of money, the value of every single type of currency in this world would become useless. Completely and utterly useless. But in turn, the value of basic necessities like foods, drinks, water, clothes and other daily utensils would soar through the sky. People would literally kill for a bite of food in an apocalypse.
After all, a zombie apocalypse would collapse the entire ecosystem of this world. Food and drinkable water would become scarce, and people would die for it.
When the apocalypse starts, it doesn't matter how much money one has in his bank because it would all be useless digits with no real value. Bai Li had to secure as much money as possible to do the preparations that she needed. After all, for the next week, money was all that Bai Li needed.
Bai Li picked up her phone again and opened the Bank of China app. The screen glowed softly in the dim light of her apartment, showing the familiar, clean interface with her savings balance, credit score, and transaction history. Everything looked neat, organized, and spotless.
Her financial history in this life was flawless. She had a stable job, a regular income, clean tax records, and zero debts. Not a single late payment appeared anywhere. To the system, she was exactly the kind of person banks liked: quiet, reliable, and never the type to cause trouble.
She scrolled through the options until her eyes landed on a bright red banner near the top that read "Apply for Loan." She tapped it without hesitation.
A new page opened with a list of categories—personal, business, education, vehicle, and housing. Bai Li went straight to personal loan and waited while the app checked her eligibility.
A small loading circle spun for a few seconds before a blue line of text appeared on the screen.
Congratulations! You are eligible to apply for a loan up to Five Million yuan!
Her lips curved slightly. That was the top limit, reserved for people with a perfect score.
Below the message were the terms: a repayment period between three and five years, with an interest rate around six percent. For most people, that would be a huge commitment, something to plan for carefully.
But for Bai Li, none of that mattered. She wasn't thinking about repayment or interest. She needed the money now, not later.
She locked her phone, slipped it into her bag, and headed out.
The car pulled up in front of the Bank of China main branch, a tall glass building standing proud among rows of older offices. The sun reflected off the giant red logo above the entrance. Bai Li paid the driver, adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag, and walked toward the glass doors.
The air inside was cool and smelled faintly of disinfectant mixed with new carpet. The sound of printers and quiet conversation filled the background. A few people were waiting in the lounge area: office workers in suits, an older couple holding a folder full of documents, and a nervous student clutching his ID card.
Bai Li walked straight to the self-service kiosk, tapped the screen, and selected "Loans and Credit." The machine printed a small ticket with her number: A047.
She sat on one of the cushioned chairs near the window, waiting quietly. The digital display above the counters blinked through the numbers. A045. A046. Then, after a short wait, her number appeared.
A047 — Counter 5.
Bai Li stood up, brushed off her skirt, and walked over.
The banker behind the counter looked to be in his mid-thirties. His hair was neatly combed, his glasses gold-rimmed, and his shirt crisp and tucked in perfectly. He gave her a polite smile as she approached.
"Good afternoon, Miss. How can I help you today?" he asked in a friendly, practiced tone.
"I want to apply for a personal loan," Bai Li said.
"Of course." He nodded. "Do you already have an account with us?"
"Yes. For about five years now."
"Perfect," he said, sounding genuinely pleased. "That'll make the process much smoother. May I ask how much you're planning to apply for?"
"The maximum I'm eligible for," she said simply.
He paused for half a second, a faint flicker of surprise in his eyes, before he nodded again. "Alright, let's check your eligibility details first."
He began typing quickly, his fingers moving across the keyboard with practiced ease. "May I see your ID card and bank card, please?"
Bai Li handed them over silently. He scanned both, looked at his screen, and nodded approvingly.
"Your record is excellent, Miss Bai," he said with a small smile. "No defaults, regular income, good transaction pattern. Based on this, you're eligible for a personal loan of up to five million yuan."
"Good," Bai Li said. "I'll take the full amount."
His fingers stopped mid-type. He blinked once, then smiled politely again. "The full five million? That's quite a large amount. May I ask what the loan will be used for?"
"Buying a plot of land," Bai Li said calmly. Her tone was even, steady, and without hesitation.
"Ah, I see." His expression softened. That was a believable and respectable reason. "Alright, that's considered a personal investment, so we can proceed under a personal loan."
He began typing again, slower this time, carefully filling in every field. "Would you like to repay over three years or five years?"
"Three," she said immediately.
He nodded, looking impressed. "Alright. The interest rate will be around six percent annually. The total repayment will come to roughly five point four five million yuan, depending on the final calculation. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes," she replied without hesitation.
He smiled again, probably thinking she was another young professional ready to take a big step toward property ownership. "Very well, let's continue."
He turned the monitor slightly toward her. The screen displayed a long digital document filled with legal text—terms, conditions, penalties for late payments, early settlement clauses, and other details.
"You can review the terms here, Miss Bai," he said politely.
.
.
.
To be continued.