Jiang Yan also took the opportunity to purchase a batch of kerosene and alcohol in the wealthy country.
Kerosene had many uses besides serving as fuel and for lighting.
Meanwhile, alcohol had a freezing point of -117 degrees Celsius, making an alcohol stove a good choice in extremely cold weather.
Additionally, during her trips to these countries, she stocked up on common medications, bought a thousand first aid kits, and acquired twenty AED devices.
As for prescription drugs, they were strictly controlled abroad, just like in China.
She managed to buy some through certain channels, but the quantities were limited.
After her whirlwind tour through several countries, the 3.2 billion in her account had dwindled to mere change.
However, she had bought almost everything she needed and could get her hands on.
Early on the morning of July 6th, Jiang Yan, exhausted but with two small goals left on her card and a dimension full of supplies, boarded her flight back to China.
-
As soon as she stepped out of the cabin, scorching sunlight and a wave of heat hit her face.
Jiang Yan frowned slightly.
Before returning, she had checked the domestic weather, and the plane had also announced the local temperature before landing.
She was aware that Anming had experienced a sudden temperature spike in the past couple of days.
But she hadn't expected the actual temperature to feel much higher than the forecast—much, much higher.
Could the disaster set to begin on August 8th be arriving early?
A bad feeling crept into Jiang Yan's heart.
"Welcome back to Anming, ma'am. This way, please!" As soon as Jiang Yan descended the airstairs, a young man in a white shirt, black trousers, and white gloves warmly greeted her.
After her mother sold the company, the family no longer even hired a driver.
As a super VIP of the airline, she always had their car take her straight home upon returning to the country.
This time was no exception.
The young man politely took her simple carry-on suitcase and waited until she boarded the business car before hopping into the driver's seat.
The car soon left Anming International Airport and entered the ring expressway.
"Ma'am, is the air conditioning temperature comfortable?" the young man asked softly while driving.
Jiang Yan gave a noncommittal "Mm" before glancing at the dashboard and frowning again.
Anming had always been famous for its pleasant, spring-like climate year-round.
July was typically the hottest month.
But usually, the temperature hovered around 18-25 degrees Celsius—very comfortable.
Standing under a tree or in the shade could even make it feel chilly.
Yet the car's external temperature display now read 38 degrees.
This was clearly abnormal.
Suddenly remembering something, she took out her phone and opened the Doomsday Warning Posts she had previously posted on various major websites.
As expected, some sites had already deleted her posts.
One had even banned her anonymous account.
Only on the country's second-largest website did one post linger—one she had made while in the Windmill Country, with the IP address naturally showing as such.
A quick scan of the comments revealed mostly mocking tones, with a few particularly hostile ones.
Most, however, dismissed her warning as a prank or a ploy for attention.
@Pretty Little Guo: The Apocalypse is coming? Should I panic now? smirk.jpg
[@I am the First Emperor, Give me Money: The IP address isn't domestic—be careful of ulterior motives!]
[@Ah Haha: Exactly! The experts haven't even spoken yet! Some people out there are downright malicious!! If you don't believe me, come out and prove it. If you can predict the Apocalypse, why not predict the exact date of your own death?]
[@Foot-Picking Hooligan Loves Noodle Soup: Damn it, another fearmonger! The rice I stockpiled years ago is already full of bugs!]
[@Half-Cute_Baby: Timidly asking... is being too poor to sleep related to this warning? If so, can we hold the blogger accountable for compensation?]
[@Three and a Half Inches of Leg Hair: If the Apocalypse comes, does that mean my mortgage, car loans, and debts are wiped out? Doge.jpg]
[@King Gigi Who Loves to Eat Mangosteen: May our land remain unharmed and our nation prosper! Praying.jpg]
[@Account Deactivated: Only fools would believe this]
[@Living in Sanlitun: The weather has been really weird lately. Luckily, I have a fridge and freezer at home—time to stock up on everything. Getting older makes you wary after scrambling for groceries before.]
[@Zhang Daming Who Fears Nothing: In that case, I'll take my Doomsday Battle Car and hide in the mountains! Bringing my dog along too. Grin.jpg]
[.]
BANG!!!
Jiang Yan was engrossed in reading when a violent crash against the windshield jolted her.
At the same time, the van screeched to a sudden halt, throwing her forward uncontrollably.
Fortunately, the seats were spaced widely, and the seatbelt kept her from hitting her head.
It wasn't peak traffic hours either—otherwise, the abrupt stop would've caused a rear-end collision.
Jiang Yan nearly teleported into her dimension on reflex.
"Damn it! What the hell?!"
The young driver cursed under his breath before quickly remembering his passenger and turning apologetically. "Sorry, ma'am. That must've startled you. Are you hurt?"
Jiang Yan murmured, "It's fine," but froze when she glanced at the windshield. "What's—?"
The upper right corner of the glass was smeared with a bloody, sticky mess mixed with black, segmented insect remains. Thick red liquid oozed slowly downward.
The sight was horrifying.
One of the mangled limbs twitched slightly before going limp.
It was impossible to identify what it was.
Splat!
The gory mass slid off the windshield and onto the ground.
"Ma'am, please wait here for a moment. Some kind of weird bug hit the car—I'll check it out."
The driver took off his sunglasses, stepped out, and placed a red warning triangle behind the van before jogging to the front. He snapped photos of the windshield and the ground with his phone, then made a call.
Since the van was company property, he'd be responsible for damages unless he could prove it wasn't his fault.
Jiang Yan stared at the bloody residue for a few seconds before pulling a medical mask from her pocket—actually, her dimension—and putting it on. She then exited the vehicle.
The sun was blinding today, so she was already wearing a hat and sunglasses. Now, with the mask, she was fully covered as usual.
Even through the mask, the strange metallic scent of blood lingered in the stifling air.
The moment Jiang Yan saw the lump on the ground, her scalp prickled, and she instinctively stumbled back several steps.
Because in that sticky red mess, she could clearly see the slender proboscis that only a mosquito would have—along with shattered wings and a few black, speckled legs!
(End of Chapter)