The next step had to be handled fast. She needed rooftop access permission, and she needed it now. So she dialed the building manager.
The moment the call connected, she knew this would not be easy. The manager's voice was polite at first, but the moment she explained her request, he became stiff and defensive.
A full rooftop setup, large solar panels, industrial grade generators, a rainwater collection system, structural adjustments… any normal building manager would refuse on the spot. It sounded like she planned to turn the rooftop into a secret lab.
And of course, he refused immediately.
"Miss Bai, I'm sorry but this is not standard procedure… the building rules don't allow… this kind of heavy construction….."
But Bai Li was not someone who got pushed around. A former major general did not lose in verbal battles. Her tone sharpened, steady and calm but filled with the kind of quiet authority that made normal people straighten their backs without thinking.
She explained everything in a flat voice, pressing him logically from one side and pressuring him emotionally from the other. Then she lowered her voice just enough to add weight.
"I will take responsibility for everything. And I will compensate you personally. Five hundred thousand yuan."
The line went silent for two full seconds.
Then the manager's tone flipped completely. Suddenly he was agreeing, assuring her he would handle the paperwork, promising to update the system immediately. Money and pressure worked together perfectly.
Bai Li kept the call recorded the entire time. When he finally accepted, she saved the voice note as proof and transferred the money without hesitation.
Now it is done. Bai Li breathed a sigh of relief after getting another huge piece of work done.
Bai Li glanced at her phone and saw that it was almost nine in the morning. Time was moving faster than she expected. She tried calling out to the system again, quietly inside her mind, but there was no response at all. The only thing that appeared was the usual system panel floating in her thoughts. No voice, no guidance, nothing.
So the system was still offline.
She let out a soft sigh. It would have been nice to get a bit of help, maybe even a reminder or warning, but she could not count on something that might appear or disappear whenever it wanted. She had to do things herself.
She put the phone down and leaned back slightly, thinking about her next destination.
The apartment renovation was already set. Within five days, she would have a fortress strong enough to survive the first wave of chaos. But she knew the truth. That apartment was only her safe heaven for the beginning part of the apocalypse. It was not a forever home.
The book described the world changing rapidly after the first few months. Earthquakes, storms, mutated creatures, infected animals, collapsing cities. Even the strongest buildings would start failing one by one. No matter how well built her apartment was, it could not withstand everything that was coming.
She would have to leave eventually.
And when that time came, she needed a way to move. Not just move, but travel across long distances, through ruined streets, through forests crawling with zombies and mutated animals. She needed a vehicle. A strong one. Reliable, safe, and comfortable.
She opened her phone again and searched for caravan showrooms nearby. This was something she had been considering since the moment she woke up in this world. A normal car would not work for her needs.
Cars were small, easy to flip, easy to break, and not meant for long term travelling. An SUV had more space, but it still could not compare to what she needed. She needed storage. She needed a place to sleep. She needed a place she could live in for days at a time without stepping outside if things got too dangerous.
She imagined driving through an empty highway with zombies wandering nearby. She imagined nights when she could not find a single safe building to hide in. She imagined storms, wild mutated animals, and situations where the streets would be so dangerous that staying inside the vehicle was the only option.
A normal car could not handle that.
She needed a caravan.
Not too small though. A small caravan would feel cramped, lack storage, and would become a problem every single time she needed to sleep or prepare something. Once she added food supplies, weapons, water storage, and emergency kits, there would be almost no room left to move.
But a large caravan was also a bad idea. A luxury caravan was basically a moving billboard that screamed rob me. It would attract humans as much as zombies. People would be desperate. They would be hungry. They would see a large fancy caravan and chase after it, no matter the risk.
Besides, a huge caravan was heavy and slow. Once the streets got blocked with abandoned cars, a large caravan would get stuck easily. It would take too long to turn around or squeeze through narrow spaces. She needed something that could move fast when needed and still hold enough supplies to last her for weeks.
A medium sized caravan.
That was the answer.
Something strong, practical, but not eye catching. Something with a simple design. Something with enough space for a bed, a small kitchen unit, some water storage, and extra compartments for survival gear. She could modify the inside later, add hidden sections, reinforce the doors, maybe even build a small shooting hatch if things got really bad.
She scrolled through the options online, checking the size, the model, the price, and the functions. Some had small solar panels attached, some had backup generators, some had foldable beds and storage under the flooring. They were all expensive, but that didn't matter now. Money would mean nothing when the world ended.
She clicked on a showroom nearby, only twenty minutes away. They had a few mid sized caravans in stock with basic interior setups and strong engines. She bookmarked the address and quickly booked a cab.
Within a minute, a cab arrived to pick her up.
It took her about 15 minutes to get there since the traffic along the way was almost non existent.
.
.
.
To be continued.