Jiang Si used her consciousness to measure the space's height. It was about ten meters tall. If she squeezed things in, the roughly one-sixth of an acre of floor space could hold quite a lot.
A thought suddenly struck her. 'I can breathe in here... Does that mean I can farm and raise livestock? Could I bring my family into the space to ride out the apocalypse?'
In the post-apocalyptic world, most of the land would be contaminated. Even if you found an uncontaminated plot, others would covet it, and various disasters could still leave you with nothing to harvest.
If her family could live safely inside the space, they wouldn't have to fear anything.
Jiang Si brought a hydroponic pothos and an apple into the space to test her theories.
The pothos remained in the same condition as it was outside; it hadn't died and could continue to grow.
She cut the apple in half, and after a short while, it oxidized. This indicated that time flowed at the same rate inside the space as it did outside.
Jiang Si then ran downstairs to the trash heap and caught two flies.
The flies, not subject to her will, couldn't be brought into the space.
Jiang Si was a little disappointed. She then snuck into the garden, found an anthill, and tried for a good while, but it still didn't work.
No living things other than herself could enter the space.
And food couldn't be stored for long periods.
Fortunately, she could still grow crops. With careful planning, the plot of land could barely be enough to feed her whole family.
But that left no room for storing survival supplies.
Jiang Si looked online and found information about the Sun Country's vertical greening technology for growing vegetables.
All she needed to do was purchase factory-style vertical planting units. They utilized multiple levels to provide crops with light, and the system could adjust the units' angle and height for easy harvesting.
The fertilizer circulation and drainage systems also made the cultivation racks easy to clean.
Over twenty different kinds of vegetables could be planted simultaneously, all under the same environmental controls and using the same liquid fertilizer.
From sowing to harvest, it only took forty-two days of growth.
As for rice, it could be harvested three times a year.
The cultivation racks could also be stacked high. With this system, just half of her plot would be enough to achieve self-sufficiency in grains, fruits, and vegetables.
S-City was the country's largest modern metropolis, and this company's "Urban Farm" was located near her home.
As soon as Jiang Si entered, she was captivated by the vibrant office building.
Whether in the cafe or the office areas, you could feel the presence of flowers, plants, and vegetables everywhere, as if you were really living on a farm.
After touring the rice paddies and vegetable gardens, Jiang Si found the person in charge of the Urban Farm. "I'd like to buy a batch of your products. Can I only use your company's seeds, soil, and fertilizer?"
The manager smiled. "Any seeds, nutrient soil, or fertilizer can be used with our company's vertical circulation planting system. Of course, our company's seeds are certainly better. They've all been meticulously cultivated and selected by hand for superior quality and taste."
Jiang Si asked, "Is the rice yield high?"
The manager stated confidently, "The yield can be as high as eleven hundred pounds."
Jiang Si nodded. 'I'd better stick with the domestic hybrid rice seeds,' she thought. 'After all, they can yield two thousand, or even up to three thousand pounds.'
After calculating the required height and area, Jiang Si estimated how many cultivation racks could fit in half of her plot. "I'll take six sets of the vertical circulation cultivation systems. Can you have them delivered tomorrow?"
In a city where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, wealthy people who actually bought this equipment to farm were few and far between.
Jiang Si wanted six sets right off the bat, which made the manager very happy. "We happen to have exactly six sets in the warehouse. If Miss Jiang needs them, we can arrange for our workers to come and assemble them for you tomorrow."
Jiang Si thought for a moment. "I'll pay now, and I'll send you the address in a bit."
The six vertical circulation cultivation systems cost a total of 1.8 million yuan. The manager also threw in a lot of vegetable and fruit seeds, fertilizer, and farming tools for free.
After leaving the Urban Farm, Jiang Si took a taxi to the suburbs and rented two separate factory buildings—one for assembling the vertical circulation cultivation systems and the other for storing supplies, to act as a cover.
Without electricity, modern equipment would become useless junk after the apocalypse. People would have to brave great dangers just to go out for heating, lighting, and cooking.
Jiang Si then went and bought a high-power industrial generator, a solar generator, and five thousand barrels of fuel.
The global blackout would happen on June 1st. It would be half a year before the electromagnetic interference subsided enough for generators to work.
'If I use them inside the space, they probably won't be affected, right?'
Two-thirds of her three million yuan was gone in a flash. Jiang Si still wanted to buy a fully-equipped RV and a luxury survival yacht.
Ordinary RVs and yachts weren't sturdy enough, nor could they withstand the high temperatures and radiation of the scorching suns.
A better one, large enough for her family of five, would cost at least a million yuan each.
Jiang Si didn't have that much money, so she could only rent them.
It wasn't exactly an honorable thing to do, but she had no other choice.
That evening, she contacted a rental company and chose the most luxurious, top-of-the-line models. The price was a bit higher than she expected: eight hundred thousand for both the RV and the yacht. But because she was renting for a long term, the company gave her a discount. Including the administrative fees and security deposit, it cost her seven hundred thousand.
That left her with only three hundred thousand yuan of disposable cash.
Jiang Si also wanted to rent a small helicopter. The cheapest one that could fit five people cost five hundred thousand a month.
It would be too difficult to deal with the sudden disasters of the apocalypse without a helicopter to respond to emergencies.
'I have to find a way to get more money,' she thought. 'Besides, there's still so much I haven't bought!'
Jiang Si opened WeChat and sent a message to the general manager of the Extreme Club: "President Zhang, I'm resigning now. Can I get my deposit back tomorrow?"
Jiang Si's grandfather, Jiang Chengwu, was a retired veteran who had raised her. Thanks to his influence, she was bold and adventurous. She'd joined the Extreme Club as a coach, which allowed her to earn money while living a thrilling life.
At the Extreme Club, twenty percent of the payment from each client was withheld as a deposit, which would be fully refunded upon leaving the club.
Jiang Si had officially joined after graduating from college two years ago. Her refundable deposit amounted to 2.6 million yuan.
In her past life, the blackout had made bank transfers impossible, so President Zhang had paid everyone directly in gold bars.
In the early days of the apocalypse, those gold bars had been a great help to Jiang Si.
President Zhang replied a moment later. "Everything's going fine. Why the sudden decision to quit?"
It was very difficult for the Extreme Club to train an outstanding female coach.
Jiang Si quickly replied, "Something came up at home, and my family doesn't want me working such a dangerous job anymore, so I have to resign."
It was normal for a family to worry about their daughter.
President Zhang didn't overthink it and said generously, "Alright then, come to the club tomorrow to handle the paperwork. I can have the money transferred to your account by the afternoon."
"Okay, thank you, President Zhang."
Finishing the exchange, Jiang Si immediately began organizing the outdoor gear she already had at home.
A polar climbing suit, first-aid kit, tent, paraglider, wingsuit, wetsuit, diving goggles, oxygen tank, climbing rope, envelope-style sleeping bag, anti-slip gloves, a low-energy waterproof flashlight, compass, thermometer, detector, magnifying glass, whistle, hunting knife, entrenching tool, multi-tool survival axe-hammer, first-aid manual, solar charger, flint and steel, life jacket, raincoat...
In the downstairs warehouse, there were also a jet ski, a kayak, and a mountain bike—all provided by the club. The gear was surprisingly complete. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'When I go to the club tomorrow, I can use my own equipment as a benchmark and get a set for everyone in the family.'