Chapter 3 Stockpiling for Survival

Kenneth kept his demeanor cold and unwelcoming toward Grace. Both she and Morgan noticed something was off but didn’t react negatively. Instead, they became more eager, believing Kenneth was secretly wealthy. "Kenneth, did you just eat at that restaurant?" Morgan asked, trying to appear casual. Kenneth’s brows furrowed slightly. She’s just as bad as Grace, he thought. Both of them played a part in ruining me before. Without much emotion, he responded, "Yeah," and then shoved his hands into his pockets, heading toward the supermarket. Grace and Morgan hurried after him. "Kenneth, where are you off to?" Grace asked, her tone soft and sweet. "The supermarket," Kenneth replied bluntly, his voice carrying a tinge of irritation. If I wasn’t planning to make her suffer in the apocalypse, I’d have killed her by now, he mused. Grace subtly signaled Morgan, who chimed in, "What a coincidence. We were going to buy a few things too. Let’s go together." Kenneth figured it out almost instantly. They must’ve seen me at the Michelin three-star restaurant. Now they think I’m some rich heir, which explains their sudden enthusiasm. He didn’t bother responding and continued walking. His indifference only solidified their assumption that he was rich. How else could he afford to be so composed? they thought. The women trailed behind Kenneth. Grace moved closer, occasionally brushing against him. Whenever Kenneth turned to look, she acted bashfully, blushing and looking away like an innocent maiden. Kenneth chuckled internally. What a performance. If you were in Hollywood, you’d win an Academy Award. When they entered the supermarket, Kenneth grabbed a cart and headed straight in. Grace and Morgan each took their own carts and followed closely behind. "Kenneth, were you eating with someone earlier?" Grace asked with a coy smile. Kenneth, already heading toward the food aisle, answered indifferently, "Can’t I eat alone?" Grace’s eyes brightened as she quickly added, "Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that the meals there are so pricey. I thought maybe you were treating someone." Morgan couldn’t hold back and said, "Kenneth, isn’t your monthly salary only around one thousand four hundred dollars? A meal like that would cost you half a year’s income. Your family must’ve left you quite a fortune." Grace glared at Morgan, thinking, What a fool. How can you bring up something so inappropriate? As someone skilled in manipulation, Grace knew one rule above all, which is speak of love with the rich and money with the poor. Realizing her misstep, Morgan hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "Haha, I was just kidding. We’re all friends here. Money doesn’t matter, right?" Kenneth ignored them completely. He reached the food section, where the shelves were overflowing with goods. To him, it felt like stepping into a treasure vault. His past experience of surviving on a single pack of instant noodles for two days gave him a deep appreciation for food. Without hesitation, Kenneth began loading his cart with sausages, instant noodles, self-heating hot pots, and seasonings. He grabbed them all by the armful. This behavior left Grace and Morgan completely dumbfounded. "Kenneth, why are you buying so much food? Are you going camping?" Grace asked, stunned. "Yeah," Kenneth replied nonchalantly. Morgan grew doubtful and leaned in to whisper to Grace, "Would a rich heir really camp with food like this?" Grace also hesitated, but the memory of Kenneth’s extravagant Michelin meal kept her hopeful that he might indeed be wealthy. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, Grace hurried to Kenneth and asked, "Need any help?" Kenneth, seeing no reason to refuse free labor, agreed. Watching Grace’s overly sweet demeanor, Kenneth couldn’t help but plot a little revenge. He wanted her to see his stockpile so that when the apocalypse struck and she begged him for help, he could take pleasure in rejecting her. Kenneth smirked and said, "Sure, help me push the cart." Grace quickly nodded, eager to please. He also told Morgan to grab another cart. Though both women were skeptical, they obeyed without complaint. Kenneth loaded up his cart with essentials such as instant noodles, sausages, preserved meats, and canned goods. He filled another cart with fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, and even live fish, wanting to test how his dimensional space would handle fresh items. By the end, the carts were overflowing. Kenneth handed the heaviest cart, filled with meat and canned goods weighing four to five hundred pounds, to Grace and Morgan. The two women were soon sweating and out of breath. Grace pouted as she pushed the cart, complaining, "Kenneth, who’s going to eat all this? Are you hosting some kind of party?" Kenneth let out a low laugh. "The end of the world is coming. I’m just getting ready." Grace assumed he was joking and laughed along. "Fine, keep your secrets. But since we helped you so much today, you’ll have to treat me to a nice meal later!" She looked at him expectantly, clearly hoping for another Michelin-starred dinner. Kenneth smiled faintly. "Alright, but I’m busy right now. Let’s do it next month." "Great, it’s a deal!" Grace said excitedly. Morgan quickly added, "Yeah, let’s all go together!" She was thrilled by the idea of a free gourmet meal. Grace shot her a sharp look for being so obvious, but Morgan ignored it. Kenneth went to pay, spending over one thousand four hundred dollars on supplies without hesitation. He knew their value would multiply tenfold in the apocalypse. Because of the large purchase, the supermarket happily let him borrow their carts. Kenneth made full use of Grace and Morgan, having them push the carts back to his apartment. While he could have used his car, he saw no reason to skip free help. Though the women grumbled about being tired, the promise of a luxurious meal kept them going. Together, the three of them pushed the overloaded carts through the neighborhood, attracting curious stares from onlookers.