Jing Shu frowned. Truth be told, she had been worrying about steel bars and wire mesh these past few days.
In her previous life, she had never stockpiled large amounts of these materials. She only knew that at this time, every household was installing security bars and reinforcing doors, causing the prices of these materials to skyrocket. By the time she needed them in this life, the factories had already shut down.
Jing Shu had considered stealing some but found every major factory empty. That was when it hit her: all strategic supplies had long been quietly seized and stored by the government for emergencies.
After all, there was a law stating that during national crises, local governments had the right to requisition all strategic materials.
At least half of Wu City's police force was likely tied up in these operations. Otherwise, how could she explain why everything she needed was gone, and why armed police and SWAT had mysteriously vanished from sight, claiming that catching criminals was no longer part of their jurisdiction?
And then there was Heng Jin, the young master who had become the logistics king of Wu City before the apocalypse. Over the past half-year of the apocalypse, he was somehow busier than Jing Shu herself.
Three months ago, the express delivery industry had suddenly been consolidated into a single state-owned enterprise. Giants like SF Express, China Post, and Cainiao became leaders managing all other delivery companies, and soon after, private logistics services disappeared entirely.
Even Alipay's Huabei and Jiebei loans had ceased operations. Jack Ma had quietly shifted his focus elsewhere.
Wanda's Wang Jianlin, still burdened with hundreds of billions in debt, remained a towering figure. If such a giant fell, countless others would be crushed, so he was still supplied with the best resources. His son Wang Congsi even announced that he had established dozens of "Wang Congsi's Secret Granaries" across the country, ready to be opened in desperate times.
People across China sighed in awe. Seeing Wang Congsi squander resources so freely was proof enough that his father was still immensely wealthy.
In her previous life, Jing Shu had been too busy trying to survive to notice any of this. In this life, she began to see the signs: many industry giants had received the news early, switched industries, and were carving out new slices of the pie.
In her WeChat fitness feed, Heng Jin was always in first place, consistently logging over twenty thousand steps per day. When asked what he was doing, his answer was always the same: delivering goods, unloading shipments, fulfilling orders.
Even in the apocalypse, why was a logistics guy so busy? Who was still placing orders?
Now Jing Shu finally understood. Real power and resources always remained in the hands of the top three percent.
"Hello? Hello?"
The anxious voice on the other end of the line interrupted Jing Shu's thoughts.
"Alright, send me your location. I'll come get you," Jing Shu said.
She grabbed bandages, alcohol, and wound medicine, then hurried off to Wu City County, thirty kilometers away.
Wang Dazhao lay pale on a bed in a closed-down motel, groaning faintly. His right shoulder to his neck was split open by a deep cleaver wound, down to the bone. Blood had soaked the bed and pooled on the floor. When Jing Shu arrived, he was close to shock but still forced his eyes open.
The first thing Wang Dazhao said to Jing Shu was, "Save me. I thought I killed them all, but one got away. I have to kill him myself." He panted heavily, speaking in broken sentences. "I got revenge. This life is yours now."
Wang Qiqi paced in panic. "Every hospital is out of medicine. The blade's still lodged in your artery. Pulling it out is certain death. You should say some last words. I'll avenge you properly. Let's at least get home. I have medicine there. We can try taking it to a doctor."
Wang Dazhao gave a bitter smile. "Without my wife and daughter, it's not home anymore. If I die, don't avenge me."
"This wound will kill him before we get home," Jing Shu said. "Let me handle it." She dropped her medical kit and tore open his clothes in one swift motion.
"Hey! Hey, Jing Shu, what are you doing?" Wang Qiqi rushed forward. "You can't pull that knife out! The wound is too big. We need clamps and sutures!"
Jing Shu ignored him.
"This life is mine now, so take better care of it." She pried Wang Dazhao's mouth open, poured in a drop of Spirit Spring and a mix of hemostatic drugs, then forced some water down his throat. Before either of them could react, she yanked the cleaver out in one smooth motion. Blood sprayed across Wang Qiqi's face.
"It's over," Wang Qiqi thought in despair as Wang Dazhao screamed in agony.
But within minutes, Jing Shu had swiftly dressed the wound and bandaged it tightly. "Done. Let's go."
Wang Qiqi stared in shock, frozen in place, swallowing a mouthful of blood. "It's… done? How did you stop the bleeding? It clearly severed an artery."
"Caught it off guard," Jing Shu said calmly. "Take him home to recover. Once he's healed, after he gets his revenge, I still have tasks for him."
Her eyes narrowed. Jing Shu had lived through ten years of apocalypse, often eating meals while watching people die—some from illness, some from cold, some abandoned in snow during migration. She never had the habit of saving everyone like Hua Tuo.
Death was an everyday occurrence.
But if saving Wang Dazhao could earn his loyalty, she was willing to try. She needed someone for certain jobs. If he disappointed her, she could always reclaim his life.
Before they left, Wang Qiqi carefully spread newspapers over the backseat. "Didn't want to dirty your car. Found some paper," he explained.
Wang Qiqi was detail-oriented and good at handling people, which was why he had connections at the steel processing plant. He had even secured some rebar for Jing Shu, though not enough.
Seeing the massive, idle machinery in the plant, Jing Shu proposed manufacturing heavy spiked steel plates. She also discovered rebar mesh, which gave her a strong sense of security.
Ultimately, Jing Shu traded a single black pig for steel bars worth tens of thousands pre-apocalypse. From it, she produced five spiked steel plates and a steel mesh spanning the villa courtyard.
Of course, the pig's value exceeded that. Jing Shu also commissioned a true steel spiked mace. Due to limited craftsmanship, the mace and its spiked head were made separately and connected by an internal latch.
The mace head was an oval steel sphere welded with 20 cm steel spikes. Its destructive power was terrifying.
The benefit of the design was its versatility. Separated, it could become a steel cudgel, or, with a chain, a spiked flail.
The entire mace weighed 52 kilograms, the same as Jing Shu's body weight. It was a bit heavy for her now, but without the head, it was just right.
Jing Shu's strength was still growing. She believed it wouldn't be long before she could fully wield this weapon. With her natural strength, the spiked mace would be the best way to maximize her advantage.
After several days of work, Jing Shu finally brought all the finished products home. Jing An and Grandpa Jing immediately started on the final modifications.
On the morning of May 16, Wang Dazhao came to visit. "You saved my life that day. I've gotten my revenge. From now on, this life is yours," Wang Dazhao declared.