Chapter 9 The Mega Warehouse Plan

The gun acquisition was settled, and Kenneth felt much more at ease. With a weapon like that, he could face both humans and non-humans in the apocalypse with greater confidence. The following day, Kenneth packed all his essential belongings into his spatial dimension. Since his house was being remodeled into a safe house, he planned to temporarily move into a hotel. Early in the morning, three black vans entered Osvaria Residence. A team of ValorGuard Security workers in uniforms got out and began taking measurements of Kenneth's home. The neighbors watched the activity with great curiosity. "Is Kenneth on something lately? Why is he always making such a fuss?" A few colleagues joked, "Exactly. I saw him at the supermarket a couple of days ago. He bought three shopping carts full of food!" "Haha! If someone didn’t know better, they’d think the world was ending. Stockpiling so much food, it’ll all just expire and go to waste!" "Maybe something’s wrong with his head!" Everyone found Kenneth’s behavior baffling, but no one really cared. To them, he was just a laughingstock. Even Grace and Morgan believed Kenneth had lost his mind. Morgan exclaimed as if she’d had a revelation, "I get it now. No wonder he went to that Michelin three-star restaurant the other day. His brain must’ve gone bad!" Grace furrowed her brows, clearly irritated. She recalled how she had taken the initiative to talk to Kenneth that day and even helped him push loads of groceries back to his place. She’d been so exhausted her legs felt like jelly, and the memory only made her angrier. "What on earth is Kenneth trying to do?" Morgan voiced a small concern. "He promised to treat us to a feast. He wouldn’t forget, would he?" She had been eagerly anticipating a meal at that Michelin three-star restaurant. Grace laughed derisively. "Forget it. Seeing how unhinged he’s been lately, I wouldn’t go even if he invited me. Imagine how embarrassing it would be if people saw us eating with him!" Grace had plans to marry into wealth, and preserving her reputation was paramount. Morgan felt a bit disappointed but couldn’t argue with Grace. She reluctantly let the matter go. Kenneth, meanwhile, paid no attention to what others thought. In a month, they’ll realize who the real joke is. Kenneth stepped out of his house and drove to the Walmart warehouse. It was a Monday, his regular workday. He intended to not only fulfill his duties but also conduct a thorough inspection of the facility to prepare for future actions. Located in the economic development zone at Valkyrean’s edge, the Walmart warehouse was part of a district where low land prices had attracted many major corporations to establish storage facilities. Some pharmaceutical companies had warehouses there as well, making it easier for Kenneth to later acquire high-priority medications. Upon reaching the Walmart warehouse, Kenneth clocked in as usual. As the supervisor, he was deeply familiar with every corner of the facility. He could confidently claim he knew every room, every aisle, and every shelf down to the last detail. Normally, coming to work was mundane and uneventful. But today, gazing at the colossal warehouse filled with goods worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Kenneth felt a thrill he couldn’t suppress. Soon, all this will be mine. These supplies will be my lifeline in the apocalypse. As Walmart’s main Aeloria distribution center, the warehouse was stocked beyond imagination. For instance, there were tens of thousands of cases of soda alone. Covering thirty million square feet, the facility was packed to the brim with every kind of household item imaginable. This included food, clothing, hardware tools, vehicles, drones, diesel generators, and barrels of fuel. Simply put, if it could be sold in a supermarket, you could find it here. Having worked there for years, Kenneth had an encyclopedic knowledge of the inventory and its layout. He also knew the shift schedules and surveillance camera placements perfectly. Despite the robust security measures, Kenneth was fully aware of the weak spots. With his expertise, he could disable the surveillance system in under ten minutes and transfer everything into his spatial dimension. For now, though, Kenneth saw no reason to act hastily. Time was still on his side, and he had no intention of raising suspicion. After making a quick round through the warehouse, he left quietly. Kenneth walked to the neighboring Rainhurst Pharmaceuticals warehouse with a pack of cigarettes in hand. Since his job was nearby, he was familiar with the staff there. He found Skyler Gray, one of the managers. Skyler was well-known for taking advantage of his position, a common occurrence in large corporate warehouses. Skyler’s brother-in-law was a vice president at the Rainhurst Group, and he often used that connection to discreetly take medications from the warehouse to sell. Kenneth struck up a conversation with Skyler before subtly bringing up his request. He wanted several cases of high-demand medications for treating critical illnesses. Initially wary, Skyler hesitated, but when Kenneth offered to pay double the usual market price, he relented. They settled on five cases of medication for four hundred twenty thousand dollars. With this transaction completed, Kenneth had nearly everything he needed to prepare for the apocalypse. With less than a month remaining, Kenneth no longer felt like working. He went to the warehouse manager’s office and fabricated a story about a distant relative’s passing, requesting a twenty-day leave to attend the funeral. Thanks to Kenneth’s friendly rapport with the manager, his request was easily approved. Over the coming weeks, Kenneth planned to enjoy the luxury of a five-star hotel while waiting for his supplies to arrive and his safe house to be completed. As he exited the manager’s office, Kenneth noticed Grace leaning over to make coffee at the machine. Her posture and movements seemed intentionally alluring, emphasizing her natural charm. Sure enough, a group of eager young men surrounded her, each trying to win her favor. One man, smiling broadly, waved a pair of concert tickets and invited Grace to join him at a celebrity event. His name was Clark Parker, and Kenneth recognized him immediately. Not only did they live in the same neighborhood, but Clark was also one of Grace’s most devoted admirers. In Kenneth’s past life, Clark was among those who contributed to his downfall.