Volume One, Chapter Four: Racing Against Time

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A few hours later. 12:12 PM.

As he hung up the final phone call, Lin Ye felt a wave of brief dizziness. For a soul that had transmigrated less than an hour ago, the intense demand of accessing the original owner’s memories, issuing commands, and managing massive financial transactions was an immense burden.

He leaned against the cold floor-to-ceiling window, watching as trucks and construction vehicles began to roll in one after another. A scene of chaotic yet efficient construction was unfolding below.

Just then, a strong sense of unfamiliarity and a subtle feeling of rejection welled up from the depths of his body without warning. It was as if the instincts of this robust physical frame were resisting the command of his "outsider" soul.

"Hmph!" Lin Ye let out a muffled grunt, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the window frame. He gritted his teeth, a flicker of fierceness crossing his eyes. "This body... is mine now! Behave yourself!"

He forcibly suppressed the discomfort and took a deep breath. Now was not the time to struggle against his body's instincts! Every ounce of strength had to be used where it mattered most!

He strode toward the villa’s massive underground garage. It had originally been filled with the top-tier supercars the original owner collected, but now it looked empty. Most of them had been moved on his temporary orders to clear space for the influx of supplies.

As he reached the entrance of the garage, he saw a heavy truck branded with "Dashan Logistics" roar through the villa gates, followed by a long line of identical trucks, like a dragon of steel.

A sturdy, ruddy-faced middle-aged man jumped out of the lead truck’s passenger seat—it was Chen Dashan.

"Young Master Lin! Young Master Lin!" Chen Dashan waved his arms, his voice resonant and filled with irrepressible excitement. "First load! It’s all the hard stuff! Compressed biscuits, military canned goods, vacuum-packed rice, bottled water! Plenty to go around! There are over a dozen more trucks behind this!"

"Rice, flour, grain, oil, frozen meat, vegetables, seasonings, daily necessities... I’ve almost emptied every warehouse I could get my hands on! Where should I have them unloaded?"

Lin Ye looked at the truck filled with boxed supplies bearing various logos, and his heart settled slightly. Though Chen Dashan was greedy, his efficiency was truly impressive.

"Unload everything into the underground garage! Sort them by category and stack them neatly! Keep the aisles clear!" Lin Ye pointed to the vast garage space. "Be quick! The generator and security engineering crews are coming next!"

"You got it! Don't you worry!" Chen Dashan turned and shouted into his walkie-talkie, "Boys! Did you hear that? The underground garage! Move it! Young Master Lin won't treat you poorly!"

The workers immediately threw themselves into the work with fervor.

Lin Ye did not linger; he turned and headed toward the villa’s main control room. That was where the villa’s intelligent control system and surveillance network were housed. He needed to ensure that this system could run independently before the power grid failed, and he had to make sure the surveillance coverage extended to every corner inside and outside the perimeter walls.

However, when he tried to unlock the heavy alloy door of the control room with his fingerprint and iris, the first verification failed!

[Identity Verification Failed!]

The cold electronic voice prompted.

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Lin Ye’s heart sank sharply.

Damn it! Was the incomplete synchronization between soul and body affecting the biometric recognition? Or was some instinct left behind by the original owner playing tricks?

He suppressed his mounting agitation and tried again. This time, he focused all his spirit, struggling to fully immerse himself in the identity of "Lin Ye," recalling the subtle habits the original owner had when unlocking the door.

[Beep... Verification passed.]

The alloy door slid open silently.

Lin Ye let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside. The massive curved screen was divided into dozens of surveillance feeds. He began operating it quickly, checking the backup power lines, setting key surveillance areas, integrating the new surveillance cameras on the perimeter walls into the system, and activating the highest-level intrusion alarm mode.

The system itself had a certain capacity for independent power, but it wouldn't last long; he had to finish the grid connection for the solar panels and generators as soon as possible.

Just as he was fully focused on debugging the system, a shrill phone ring echoed in the control room. The screen displayed a name: Young Master Zhao.

Lin Ye frowned. This was one of the sycophants from the original owner’s circle of playboys, a typical fair-weather friend. He intended to hang up immediately, but upon second thought, he connected the video call.

The screen immediately revealed a face bloated from overindulgence and a hangover, with a background of noisy music and the sound of women giggling.

"Yo! Young Master Lin! Did the sun rise in the west? How are you at home at this hour instead of being in some soft bed?" Young Master Zhao smirked, his tongue slightly tied.

"We're throwing a huge party at 'Dynasty' tonight. Some top-tier foreign beauties just arrived. I saved a spot specifically for you, brother—you have to come! It won't be fun without you!"

Looking at that face, which showed absolutely no sense of impending crisis, Lin Ye felt only cold disgust and a sliver of pity. In one day, the scene of indulgence before him would turn into hell.

"No time." Lin Ye’s voice was as cold as ice.

"No time?" Young Master Zhao widened his eyes exaggeratedly, leaning closer to the screen as if trying to read Lin Ye’s expression.

"What are you doing? Hatching eggs at home? Holy crap... what’s on the screen behind you? A construction site? Why does your place look like it’s being demolished?"

Young Master Zhao had clearly seen the construction footage on the surveillance screens behind Lin Ye.

"Renovations." Lin Ye’s reply was concise; he didn't want to waste his breath.

"Renovations? With this kind of setup... are you building a fortress or something?" Young Master Zhao tutted in amazement, then broke into a lewd grin.

"Got it, got it! Are you trying out some new tricks? Building a themed escape room? Heh, only you, Young Master Lin, would know how to play! Once it's done, let me have a look, yeah?"

Lin Ye couldn't be bothered to talk to him anymore and pressed the hang-up button.

The screen went black instantly, cutting off the world that was about to fall into the abyss.

He looked up at the giant electronic clock in the control room:

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[December 31, 2109, 13:47:22]

18 hours, 12 minutes, and 38 seconds until the Scarlet Rain.

Time ticked away mercilessly amidst the roar of construction, the noise of supply transport, and the cold glow of the surveillance screens.

Lin Ye’s gaze swept across the surveillance feeds: the mountain of supply crates in the garage, the workers welding alloy plates onto the perimeter walls with sparks flying, and the busy figures of engineers in the courtyard directing the hoisting of a massive diesel generator base.

A discreet box truck also pulled in silently and parked at the villa’s side door—that was the truck delivering "special equipment" from Old Wu.

The prototype of a fortress was taking shape at this hundred-million-dollar Cloud Villa at a near-manic speed. And Lin Ye, the reborn soul occupying the body of a billionaire, was leveraging vast wealth and connections to engage in a race-against-time gamble with the apocalypse.

He walked to the giant floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the manor, which now resembled a massive construction site. The sun was still bright, the city skyline was clearly visible, and it was a scene of prosperity. Only he knew how deep the despair hidden beneath this prosperity truly was.

"Gurgle..."

Lin Ye paused and rubbed his stomach. He only then realized that after a busy morning, he hadn't had a single bite of food or drop of water.

He turned and dashed into the villa’s open kitchen, which rivaled the kitchen of a five-star hotel, and pulled open the massive double-door refrigerator. It was packed with a dizzying array of imported fruits, top-tier steaks, caviar... all proof of the original owner's lifestyle.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lin Ye grabbed several boxes of high-calorie chocolate, a few bottles of energy drinks, and sliced off a large piece of premium ham, devouring it hungrily.

The energy from the food quickly replenished his nearly exhausted body. Meanwhile, his brain continued to run at high speed, checking for omissions.

Food and water were being handled by Chen Dashan; hardware, engineering, and security were being handled by the firm; weapons were Old Wu’s responsibility... what else?

Medicine! Yes, medicine! In the apocalypse, even a small infected wound could be fatal! Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, hemostatic bandages, rubbing alcohol, suture kits... and various vitamins and medications for chronic illnesses.

Although he didn't currently have any needs, one could never be sure if he would need them later or if they could be used for trade.

He immediately placed orders on his phone, clearing out the inventory of several large pharmacy chains in the city, setting the delivery address to Cloud Villa, and requesting "immediate delivery, no limit on shipping costs."

At the same time, he contacted the head of a private high-end medical institution from the original owner’s memories and, under the guise of "assembling a personal emergency kit," ordered a batch of professional-grade battlefield first-aid kits and specialized prescription drugs at a premium. Although the other party was puzzled, in the face of the "money power" Lin Ye displayed, all doubts transformed into efficient execution.

Time slipped away rapidly amidst frantic calls, orders, and wolfing down food. The hands of the antique wall clock pointed coldly to 3:30 PM.

16 hours left until the end of the world...