After finishing his morning routine, Lin Wei left the house and headed back to the same large hypermarket. Today he planned to complete the main food and household supplies shopping so he would not have to worry about it in the coming days. Two large shopping carts were already waiting for him at the entrance. He took both and began moving methodically through the aisles, carefully examining the shelves.
In the long-shelf-life section, he was choosing between two types of canned meat when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Hey, Wei? Bro, what are you doing here at this hour?"
Lin Wei turned around and saw a tall, athletic guy about his age with a short haircut and a sports bag slung over his shoulder. It was Zhang Hu — his childhood friend. They had grown up in the same neighborhood, started school together, began training at the gym five years ago, and still regularly talked, worked out, and sometimes spent evenings playing games or drinking beer.
"Hu?" Lin Wei smiled slightly, trying to look natural. "What are you doing at the store so early?"
"Decided to grab some protein and a big pack of oats after my morning workout," Zhang Hu nodded at his small basket, which contained a few packages. "But you…" He stared in surprise at Lin Wei's two heavily loaded carts. "Whoa! Are you trying to buy the entire store? Usually you only take a couple packs of chicken breast, rice, and a few cans of tuna. This looks like supplies for an entire squad."
Lin Wei calmly placed the can back on the shelf and shrugged, keeping his voice as casual as possible.
"Just decided to stock up for the future. Prices have been rising a bit lately, so I thought it would be smarter to buy more while they're still reasonable. Saving money, you know."
Zhang Hu raised an eyebrow, clearly not fully convinced. His gaze swept over the carts again, filled with canned goods, grains, bottles of water, and oil.
"Prices rising? Everything seemed normal when I came last week. And anyway, why didn't you show up at the gym yesterday evening? We were waiting for you for almost an hour. You never miss Wednesday workouts. Even when it was forty degrees, you still came."
Lin Wei tensed internally but remained outwardly calm. In his previous life, Zhang Hu had been one of the few people he truly trusted. That was exactly why it was important not to push his friend away now, but to gradually bring him closer.
"Had some urgent things to take care of," Lin Wei replied evasively. "Sorry I didn't let you know. My phone was on silent. Listen, Hu… Gather our guys at the gym tonight. You know, the usual crew: Li Wei, Xiao Ming, Chen Yu, Wang Lei, and the others. Tell them I have important information that we all need to discuss together. It's serious."
Zhang Hu frowned, concern flashing in his eyes. He knew his friend well and could sense that something unusual lay behind the casual tone.
"Important information? Are you okay, Wei? Did something happen? Are you in some kind of trouble? Debts? A girl? Or something worse?"
"Nothing has happened yet," Lin Wei answered calmly and confidently. "But something might happen soon. Just gather the guys, alright? Eight o'clock tonight. I'll come and explain everything in detail. I promise it's not a joke."
Zhang Hu stared at him silently for a moment, as if trying to read his thoughts from his face. Then he slowly nodded.
"Alright… I'll gather everyone I can. But if you're in serious trouble, tell me right away. We're not strangers. We'll figure it out together."
"I'm not in trouble. Just… trust me this time," Lin Wei patted his friend on the shoulder and gave a small smile. "See you tonight. And thanks."
They talked for a couple more minutes about nothing important — recent workouts, the new machine at the gym, and how cold the evenings had become. After that, Zhang Hu headed to the checkout with his small basket, glancing back at his friend with slight confusion.
Lin Wei watched him go and let out a quiet sigh. He understood that his behavior must have looked strange, but it was still too early to tell the truth. He would need to gather everyone first and carefully prepare the ground.
Freed from the conversation, he continued shopping with even greater focus. He added several large packs of spaghetti, buckwheat, lentils, multiple cases of bottled water, extra first-aid kits, wet wipes, batteries, and powerful flashlights. An hour and a half later, both carts were completely full.
Lin Wei paid in cash, called a larger taxi, and with the driver's help loaded all the bags and boxes into the trunk and back seat. It took four trips up the stairs to bring everything into the apartment. When the last bag was finally inside, he locked the door, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked around the living room, which now resembled a small grocery warehouse.
Without wasting any time, Lin Wei immediately began sorting everything. He organized the canned goods by type and expiration date: meat on one shelf, fish on another, vegetables and fruits in their own corner. He transferred the grains into large airtight plastic containers and labeled each one with a marker. Sugar, salt, cooking oil, and spices were neatly arranged in the kitchen cabinets. The first-aid kit, vitamins, and medicines were placed in a separate box in the bedroom for easy access. Gradually, the chaos in the room turned into a clear, well-organized storage system.
When the last can found its place, Lin Wei straightened up, stretched his stiff back, and surveyed the results of his work. The living room now looked much neater. The supplies took up almost an entire wall, but they were carefully organized and did not block movement.
He checked the time. There was still enough time left until evening. He needed to rest a little, eat properly, and prepare for the conversation that might change the lives of not only himself but also his closest friends.
Lin Wei opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of cold water, and took a long sip. An important evening lay ahead.