The next morning, Xia Yun walked into the law office of Zhang & Associates with her head held high.
The receptionist greeted her with a professional smile. "Good morning. Do you have an appointment?"
"No, but I'd like to speak with someone about filing for divorce."
The receptionist's smile didn't waver. "Of course. Please have a seat. Someone will be with you shortly."
Xia Yun sat down in the waiting area, her hands folded calmly in her lap. She felt surprisingly at peace with this decision. In her previous life, she had clung to her marriage even as it crumbled around her, desperately hoping that Chen Wei would remember the love they once shared.
What a waste of time that had been.
"Mrs. Chen?" A woman in her forties approached, dressed in a sharp business suit. "I'm Lawyer Zhang. Please follow me."
They walked into a private office, and Xia Yun explained her situation—or rather, a simplified version of it. She couldn't exactly tell the lawyer that she knew her husband would cheat on her in a few months because she had traveled back in time from the apocalypse.
"I want a clean break," Xia Yun said firmly. "No drawn-out proceedings. I don't want anything from him except my freedom."
Lawyer Zhang raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You're entitled to half of the marital assets."
"I don't want his money," Xia Yun said. She had her own savings from her work as a doctor, and more importantly, she had three months to stockpile resources that would be far more valuable than money once the apocalypse hit. "I just want the divorce finalized as quickly as possible."
"Very well." Lawyer Zhang pulled out some forms. "We can file the papers today. Given that you're requesting a simple dissolution with no disputes over assets, the process should take about three months if your husband cooperates."
Three months. Perfect timing.
"What if he doesn't cooperate?" Xia Yun asked.
"Then it could drag on for six months to a year." Lawyer Zhang studied her carefully. "Does he have reason not to cooperate?"
Xia Yun thought about Chen Wei's text messages, his irritation when she cancelled dinner, his growing attachment to Liu Mei. "He might contest it out of pride. But he won't have grounds to stop it."
"Understood. I'll draft the papers immediately." Lawyer Zhang made some notes. "We'll serve him within the week."
After signing the initial documents, Xia Yun left the law office feeling lighter than she had in years. One problem down, countless more to go.
She pulled out her phone and opened her banking app. Her savings account showed 280,000 yuan—not a fortune, but enough to get started. She also had access to her hospital salary for the next three months, which would add another 60,000 yuan to her budget.
340,000 yuan total to prepare for the end of the world.
Most people would think it was impossible. But Xia Yun had an advantage they didn't—she knew exactly what would be valuable and what would be worthless once the apocalypse hit.
Money? Useless after September 15th.
Designer clothes and jewelry? Trash.
Food, water, medicine, weapons, and seeds? Priceless.
She opened a notes app on her phone and began refining her shopping list.
Phase 1 - Immediate Purchases (Week 1):
Warehouse/land purchase: 150,000 yuan
Non-perishable food (rice, flour, canned goods, dried meat): 30,000 yuan
Medical supplies (antibiotics, surgical tools, first aid): 20,000 yuan
Water storage and filtration: 10,000 yuan
Phase 2 - Stockpiling (Weeks 2-8):
More food supplies (rotating purchases to avoid suspicion): 50,000 yuan
Seeds (vegetables, fruits, grains): 5,000 yuan
Weapons and protective gear: 15,000 yuan
Fuel and generators: 20,000 yuan
Clothing and practical gear: 10,000 yuan
Phase 3 - Final Preparations (Weeks 9-12):
Shelter fortifications: 20,000 yuan
Remaining supplies: 10,000 yuan
She studied the list with satisfaction. It was aggressive, but doable. And with her spatial storage ability, she wouldn't need to worry about where to hide everything.
Her phone buzzed. Another message from Chen Wei.
Chen Wei: "Yun, we need to talk. Come home early today."
Xia Yun's lips curved into a cold smile. He probably wanted to guilt-trip her about missing dinner with Liu Mei. In her previous life, she would have rushed home apologetically, flowers or a gift in hand to make peace.
Not anymore.
Xia Yun: "I'm busy. We'll talk when I have time."
She turned off her phone and headed to the first stop on her list—a real estate office specializing in commercial properties.
The real estate agent, a middle-aged man named Mr. Wang, greeted her enthusiastically. "Dr. Chen! What can I help you with today?"
"I'm looking for a warehouse or large property on the outskirts of the city," Xia Yun said. "Something private, with good access to roads but not too close to residential areas."
Mr. Wang's eyes lit up. "I have just the place! There's a warehouse in the industrial district that's been on the market for months. The owner is desperate to sell. It's about 2,000 square meters, with an attached office building and parking lot. The area is a bit isolated, but—"
"That's perfect," Xia Yun interrupted. "Isolation is what I want."
Mr. Wang looked surprised but quickly recovered. "Wonderful! The asking price is 180,000 yuan, but I'm sure we can negotiate it down to 150,000 or even 140,000 if you're paying in cash."
"Take me to see it now."
Twenty minutes later, Xia Yun stood in front of a large, weathered warehouse surrounded by chain-link fencing. The building was old but structurally sound, with reinforced concrete walls and a metal roof. The office building attached to the side had two floors and several rooms that could be converted into living quarters.
Most importantly, it was far enough from the city center that no one would question what she was doing here, but close enough to major roads for easy supply runs.
"I'll take it," she said. "140,000 yuan, cash payment, paperwork completed within three days."
Mr. Wang stammered. "I—well, I need to contact the owner, but I'm sure we can arrange—"
"Today," Xia Yun said firmly. "I want to meet the owner today and finalize the deal. I'll pay an extra 5,000 yuan for the expedited process."
Money talked. Within two hours, she was sitting across from the warehouse owner, signing contracts. By the end of the day, the property was hers.
145,000 yuan spent. 195,000 remaining.
As Xia Yun drove away from the real estate office, she felt a surge of satisfaction. In less than 24 hours since her rebirth, she had already filed for divorce and secured her base of operations for the apocalypse.
Chen Wei and Liu Mei had no idea what was coming for them.
Her phone—which she'd turned back on—was flooded with messages.
Chen Wei: "Where are you? Why aren't you answering?"
Chen Wei: "Yun, this is ridiculous. Stop being childish."
Chen Wei: "Fine. If you want to play games, I'll be at Liu Mei's place. At least she appreciates my company."
Xia Yun read the last message and laughed out loud. In her previous life, this kind of threat would have sent her into a panic. She would have called him immediately, apologizing and begging him to come home.
Now? She didn't care at all.
Let him go to Liu Mei. Let them start their affair early. It would just make the divorce easier and give her more ammunition if he tried to contest it.
She typed out a response.
Xia Yun: "Enjoy your time with her. I've filed for divorce. You'll be served with papers within a week."
She hit send and immediately blocked his number.
Then she called Lawyer Zhang.
"Lawyer Zhang? It's Xia Yun. I need to add something to the divorce filing. My husband just admitted via text that he's spending time with another woman. I'm sending you screenshots now. Use them."
Lawyer Zhang sounded impressed. "This will strengthen your case considerably. If he contests the divorce, we can cite emotional infidelity."
"Good."
After hanging up, Xia Yun drove to a large wholesale market on the edge of the city. This was where restaurants and small businesses bought their supplies in bulk—and where she could make large purchases without raising too much suspicion.
She spent the next four hours filling a rented truck with supplies: 50kg bags of rice, industrial-sized containers of cooking oil, cases of canned vegetables and meat, sacks of flour, and boxes of dried noodles.
The warehouse workers helped her load everything, assuming she was stocking a restaurant or catering business. She paid in cash and drove the truck to her new warehouse.
Once inside with the doors closed, Xia Yun focused on the strange sensation she'd felt earlier when the System activated. She closed her eyes and thought, 'Storage.'
Immediately, her vision shifted. She could see a vast, empty space in her mind—her spatial storage, a void that could hold 100 cubic meters of material.
'Store these supplies,' she commanded mentally.
The bags of rice vanished from the truck bed, appearing in neat stacks inside her spatial storage. One by one, all the supplies she'd purchased disappeared from physical space and materialized in the System's dimensional space.
It was incredible.
She could see everything clearly in her mind, perfectly organized and preserved. The System even displayed the quantity and condition of each item.
[Spatial Storage: 15/100 cubic meters used]
[Rice: 500kg]
[Cooking Oil: 50L]
[Canned Goods: 200 units]
[Flour: 100kg]
[Dried Noodles: 150 packages]
Perfect.
Xia Yun returned the empty truck and drove home as the sun began to set. She was exhausted but energized. Day one of her new life was a complete success.
When she arrived at the apartment she shared with Chen Wei, she found it empty. He was probably still at Liu Mei's place, sulking.
She walked into their bedroom and started packing her personal belongings. Clothes, documents, medical textbooks, her laptop—anything that belonged solely to her went into a suitcase. She left behind everything they'd bought together.
She didn't need any reminders of this failed marriage.
As she was packing, her eye caught on a framed photo on the nightstand. It was from their wedding day five years ago. Chen Wei looked handsome in his suit, and she looked radiantly happy in her white dress.
What a lie that happiness had been.
Xia Yun picked up the frame and stared at her younger self's smiling face. 'You were so naive,' she thought. 'So trusting. You thought love would conquer everything. But you were wrong.'
She removed the photo from the frame, tore it in half, and threw it in the trash.
Then she continued packing.
By midnight, she had moved all her essential belongings to a hotel near the hospital. She left a note on the kitchen table:
"The divorce papers will arrive next week. Don't contest it. We both know this marriage is over. - Xia Yun"
As she locked the apartment door for the last time, Xia Yun felt no sadness, no regret.
Only cold determination.
Chen Wei and Liu Mei had destroyed her in her previous life. This time, she would be the one who destroyed them.
But first, she had an apocalypse to prepare for.