After finishing another round of online shopping, Renault leaned back, feeling a strange sense of exhaustion despite not having physically done much.

“What else can I possibly need?” Renault wondered as he surveyed the mountain of supplies he had just purchased.

Stocking up on booze: whiskey, beer, red wine, barrels of spring water, and various soft drinks. 

Instant hot pot kits, canned food, snacks, jerky, and instant noodles.

Tents, sleeping bags, cooking utensils, fire starters, flashlights, radios, binoculars, water purification tablets.

Portable solar panels, portable diesel and gasoline generators, backup power systems, solar lamps, hiking backpacks, first aid kits, and even a portable projector—he had bought it all.

The more he bought, the more he felt like he needed.

By the time he finished, Renault had spent over 30 million yuan on this spree alone. 

Looking at the receipts, he noticed alcohol alone took up a significant portion of the expense. He chuckled at the absurdity, but it seemed like a necessary indulgence for surviving the end of the world.

Lighting up a cigarette, Renault pondered whether he should buy more. "I should get some more smokes," he thought, logging onto another website to place an order.

Finally, after everything was done, Renault’s mind felt like it had hit its limit. Shopping for the apocalypse was exhausting.

"Never thought spending money could be this tiring," he mused with a wry smile.

Later that day, Mu Wanqing contacted him with an updated supply list.

Renault, feeling mentally drained, thought a nice dinner might be a good way to unwind. He decided it was time to thank Mu Wanqing properly.

“Miss Mu, how about I treat you to dinner to express my gratitude? Pick a place; don’t hold back!” Renault suggested with a grin, driving the two of them through the city.

“Anywhere?” Mu Wanqing raised an eyebrow, a little taken aback by his enthusiasm, but smiled and responded, “Alright, let’s go to Haijiao Hotel. The food is excellent, and the prices are reasonable.”

“Haha, whatever you say! Lead the way!”

...

The Haijiao Hotel was located near the city's coastal area, in a lively district.

Though it wasn’t a fancy five-star restaurant, it was immensely popular, with lines often stretching out the door.

By the time Renault and Mu Wanqing arrived, the dinner rush had already begun, and there was a long queue.

“Wow, this place really is popular!” Renault observed, somewhat surprised by the crowd.

“I told you, it’s one of the best spots in town,” Mu Wanqing said proudly.

The wait dragged on, and Renault’s stomach growled impatiently. “I’m starving. Just pick whatever you want; you’re in charge of the menu,” Renault said, handing her the responsibility of ordering.

Mu Wanqing laughed, seeing how eager he was. Without hesitation, she started listing dishes to the waiter.

“One serving of braised prawns, one Ma Po tofu, one plate of spicy pig trotters, and one of your famous crab casseroles,” Mu Wanqing ordered confidently.

The waiter hesitated slightly and said, “You’re lucky. The crab casserole is a specialty here, but we only make a limited number of servings each day. You just got the last one. Enjoy!”

Renault raised an eyebrow. “Limited servings?”

Mu Wanqing smiled. “Yep, it’s one of their signature dishes, but they only make about 200 servings a day. We got lucky!”

Renault chuckled. "Clever marketing technique."

Just then, as the dishes started to arrive, a woman in a short black dress, sporting heavy makeup, suddenly blocked their table.

“That crab casserole… whose table is it for?” she asked coldly.

The waiter replied, “It’s for table four.”

The woman, not satisfied, pressed further, “Why did they get it? Can’t you serve it to us instead?”

The waiter, growing uncomfortable, repeated, “It’s already been served to them, ma’am. They ordered ahead of you.”

The woman turned, her sharp eyes landing on Mu Wanqing, and her expression changed.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Mu Wanqing. What a surprise to see you here,” she sneered.

Mu Wanqing looked up, recognizing the woman as Wang Min, a fellow student from the dance department at her university.

“What a coincidence, Wang Min. You here for dinner too?”

“Of course,” Wang Min replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm as her gaze flickered over to Renault. She was clearly sizing him up.

Wang Min’s eyes filled with disdain when she noticed Renault’s simple attire. She looked down on him, clearly thinking he wasn’t worth her time.

“How interesting. You’re dining with this guy? Is he your boyfriend?” she asked, her voice laced with mockery.

Mu Wanqing quickly waved off the assumption. “No, he’s just a friend.”

“Oh really? Well, I was hoping to treat my ‘friend’ to some crab casserole tonight, but it seems there’s none left. Shame, really,” Wang Min continued with a smirk, trying to rile them up.

She leaned closer, her condescending attitude on full display. “My friend here is the owner of one of the largest cold chain meat suppliers in the city. We’re used to dining at five-star restaurants, so I thought we’d try something different tonight. Too bad we missed out on the crab.”

Renault listened quietly, growing more and more amused by the situation. It was clear Wang Min had come over just to flaunt her status, and she couldn’t stand seeing Mu Wanqing dining with him.

“Why don’t we just buy the crab casserole from them?” Wang Min suggested smugly, turning her eyes back to Renault.

Renault remained calm, glancing at Mu Wanqing’s discomfort. He could see she was trying to avoid making a scene.

With a slight smile, Renault casually waved over the waiter.

“Waiter, please bring over the crab casserole now,” he said firmly.

The waiter hurriedly brought the dish to their table, clearly nervous about the tension.

“And while you’re at it,” Renault continued, “could you kindly get rid of this annoying fly buzzing around our table?”

The waiter froze, unsure how to respond.

Wang Min, her face turning red with anger, snapped, “What did you just say?! How dare you?!”

Renault’s expression didn’t change as he said calmly, “I’m not interested in dealing with entitled people like you. If you’re looking for a place to show off, go somewhere else.”

Wang Min’s voice rose in fury, “Do you even know who I am? How dare you speak to me like that! I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Her outburst quickly drew the attention of the entire restaurant, and soon all eyes were on their table.

Just then, a man in a suit rushed over, clearly a friend of Wang Min’s, asking, “What’s going on, Wang Min? Who upset you?”