Chapter 2: Hoarding
The next morning at 9 a.m., I drove my pickup truck to Marcus's company.
Country music was playing on the car radio, and the desolate scenery of the Texas border was visible outside the window.
I had a cigar in my mouth, my expression calm.
On the phone screen, bank transaction records were flashing wildly—the prepayment from Dade Moving Company had arrived, and the balance on Marcus's authorized supplementary card had decreased from 5 million to 4.5 million.
The real show has only just begun.
Marcus's company is located in the business district of a border town, in a three-story building with a sign that reads "Steel Logistics Center" at the entrance.
I walked in, and the receptionist immediately greeted me with a smile: "Mr. Kane, President Marcus is waiting for you in his office."
I went up to the third floor and pushed open the office door.
Marcus, dressed in a custom-made suit, sat in his executive chair with his signature fake smile on his face.
"brother!"
Marcus stood up and gave me a warm hug.
"Come, sit down! Let me tell you, this new project has a profit margin of at least 30%. If we work together, we're sure to make a fortune!"
I sat down, appearing calm on the surface.
idiot.
In my previous life, it was this project that swindled me out of a large sum of money, and then the project "failed," and all the money went down the drain.
In this life, I will not be fooled again.
But I still have to pretend that I "know nothing".
Vivian was also present.
Today, she was dressed in a business suit and had exquisite makeup on. She sat next to Marcus, putting on a poised and elegant "fiancée" act.
"Honey, you're here~"
Vivian came over and tried to take my arm.
I turned slightly to the side, avoiding her hand.
"Be mindful of your behavior at work."
Vivian paused for a moment, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face, but she quickly regained her smile.
"You're right, I'm so excited!"
Marcus handed me a contract.
"Brother, look at this, it's an investment agreement. You invest 2 million, I invest 3 million, and we split the profits 50/50."
I flipped through the contract and signed it casually.
Anyway, the apocalypse is going to break out in three days, so 2 million is just a number.
"By the way,"
I asked "casually".
"I'd like to go to your warehouse to check the specific inventory. After all, we've invested so much money; we need to have a clear understanding of the situation."
Marcus's eyes flickered.
He and Vivian exchanged a glance.
"Of course, brother, you're welcome anytime!"
Marcus said with a smile.
"Shall we go now?"
"No rush."
I waved my hand.
"I'll go check it myself in a couple of days. Just give me the access card."
Marcus handed over a access card.
"Here you go, feel free to look around the entire warehouse."
I took the card.
This card is the last key I used to empty my warehouse.
Just as I was about to leave, Marcus's phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the caller ID and his expression changed slightly.
"Excuse me, bro, I need to take this call."
He walked to the window and spoke in a low voice.
I pretended to be looking through documents, but actually I was eavesdropping.
"...What?! The supplementary cardholder spent 500,000 last night?!"
"Are you sure you're not mistaken?!"
"I understand... Don't tell anyone... I'll investigate myself..."
Marcus hung up the phone, turned around, and his smile returned.
"Brother, you should go back first. I still have some things to take care of here."
"good."
I stood up and patted him on the shoulder.
"Contact me anytime if you need anything."
As I walked out of the office, a cold smile crept onto my lips.
He discovered it.
But it was too late.
After leaving Marcus's company, I immediately launched my action plan.
Starting early last night, twenty large trucks entered Marcus's border logistics center warehouse in batches.
The warehouse manager received a "company authorized transfer order"—which I forged, assuming it was a normal transfer of supplies, and had no suspicions whatsoever.
I hacked into the warehouse's surveillance system beforehand, making the footage loop through the "normal state" screen.
The movers were working hard, loading boxes and tons of supplies onto trucks and transporting them to the temporary transit point I designated—an abandoned farm warehouse.
Then, I went there in person and activated the pocket watch's space.
With a thought, all the supplies vanished instantly, transferred into the spatial dimension.
The whole process was clean and efficient, leaving no trace.
Meanwhile, the construction team I contacted has entered the ranch and started working in shifts 24 hours a day.
They thought they were "expanding the wine cellar and underground shooting range," but in reality, they were transforming an underground weapons depot into a post-apocalyptic fortress.
The upgrade project includes:
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Replace with bank-grade alloy door (requires triple verification: password + fingerprint + iris scan)
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Install a three-proof fresh air system (filters viruses, toxic gases, and radiation).
-
Dig a deep well and install water purification equipment (to ensure a water source)
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Install an off-grid solar power system + diesel generator backup
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Full-coverage monitoring network (360-degree coverage with no blind spots)
-
The yard was filled with traps: infrared animal traps, spike traps, and automatic flamethrowers.
-
A high-voltage power grid is laid on top of the wall.
The construction team leader is my old comrade-in-arms, a retired Marine Corps engineer, and he's reliable.
After looking at the design drawings, he whistled.
"Dude, are you trying to start a world war?"
"It's always good to be prepared."
I spoke casually, a cigar dangling from my lips.
3:15 PM.
Marcus's phone received another text message from the bank.
"The supplementary card has accumulated $3.8 million in spending, exceeding the risk control warning threshold."
His expression changed drastically, and he immediately ordered the finance director to check the accounts.
The CFO spent half an hour compiling all the expense details—all were orders for purchased goods, with the delivery addresses all being his logistics warehouse.
"President Marcus, these orders..."
The CFO frowned.
"It all looks like normal company procurement; it has your electronic signature authorization, as well as a proposal and renovation plan..."
"but……"
"But what?!"
Marcus gritted his teeth.
"But these proposals and plans were only uploaded to the system in the last two days, and..."
The CFO retrieved the file properties.
"The creation time shows it was 3 AM yesterday."
"At that time, you were on a business trip in Los Angeles and were not at the office at all."
Marcus's face turned completely ashen.
"Cort!"
He spat out the name through gritted teeth.
"You fucking mess with me!"
Marcus immediately called me.
"Hello?"
I said it in a lazy tone.
"Cort! What are you doing? Why are you swiping my card?!"
Marcus's voice trembled.
I was prepared.
I spoke in a trembling, tearful voice.
"Marcus...I'm sorry...I...I saw the photos..."
"What photo?"
Marcus paused for a moment.
"A photo of you and Vivian..."
My voice was filled with pain.
"I'm so upset... I can only vent by going on a shopping spree..."
Marcus felt guilty.
He remembered the "show-off photo" Vivian had sent him last night.
Damn it, he thought it was pretty exciting at the time, but now that he thinks about it, he was just asking for trouble.
"Brother, don't overthink it. Vivian and I are really just friends..."
Marcus's tone immediately softened.
"Naka..."
I said, my voice choked with emotion.
"Didn't you say I could spend as much as I wanted? Are you... are you going to back out?"
Marcus was speechless.
He did say, "Just keep refreshing, even if it goes crazy."
If he goes back on his word now, wouldn't that just confirm his guilty conscience?
"No, no!"
Marcus quickly replied.
"Bro, buy whatever you want, as long as you're happy! You can max out your card!"
"Really?"
My voice carried a hint of "hope".
"real!"
Marcus said through gritted teeth.
"Go ahead and buy it, I don't care anymore!"
After hanging up the phone, I immediately stopped crying, lit a cigar, and let out a cold laugh.
The construction foreman standing nearby was dumbfounded.
"Boss, your acting...you deserve an Oscar."
"Only those who can act well live long."
I exhaled a puff of smoke.
But Marcus isn't stupid.
After hanging up the phone, he felt increasingly uneasy.
The items he bought for 3.8 million were all delivered to his warehouse.
It should be piled high with things now.
He immediately sent his deputy to conduct a surprise inspection of the warehouse.
Half an hour later, the deputy called, his voice trembling.
"Boss... the warehouse... the warehouse is more than half empty!"
"What?!"
Marcus grabbed the car keys and sped off to the warehouse.
The moment Marcus pushed open the warehouse door, he was completely stunned.
In the huge warehouse, two-thirds of the goods on the shelves had already been moved away.
All that was left were some worthless odds and ends.
"How could this be...?"
Marcus's voice trembled.
He rushed up to the warehouse manager, grabbed him by the collar, and roared.
"Where's the stuff?! Hundreds of tons of goods! Where the hell did they all go?!"
The administrator turned pale with fright.
"I...I don't know! A moving company came yesterday, saying they were authorized by the company to transfer goods. I checked the documents and everything seemed fine, so I let them go..."
"A file?! What file?! Show it to me!"
The administrator handed over a "transfer authorization form" with trembling hands.
Marcus took a look—it was stamped with the company's official seal, and the signatory was "Cort Cain," using the very same authorization he had given me for the supplementary card.
Marcus's face went from red to white, then from white to blue.
He finally understood.
I've been plotting against him from the very beginning.
Those "procurement of supplies" were not about buying new goods at all, but about moving all the existing stock out of the warehouse!
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Marcus smashed the desk in a fit of rage.
"Cort! You bastard!"
He immediately turned on the warehouse surveillance system, wanting to retrieve the recordings.
However, the screen displayed: "Monitoring data is corrupted and cannot be read."
Marcus punched the screen.
He realized that I had hacked the surveillance system.
He has no evidence.
Moreover, since it was a secondary card authorized by himself, even if the police are called, they will only say, "This is an internal economic dispute between you."
He was completely manipulated by me.
Marcus stood in the empty warehouse, his face ashen.
He clenched his fists, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes.
"Cort...you think you've won?"
"I'll fucking make you understand what regret really means."
He dialed an unfamiliar number.
"Hello, is this Blackwater Security Company?"
"I need to hire someone."
"The kind that carries a gun."
" Fifty men, come with me to a place tomorrow night."
"What are you doing?"
Marcus sneered.
"Take back what's mine."
Meanwhile, I was at a temporary transit point—that abandoned farm warehouse.
The last batch of supplies has arrived.
I stood at the warehouse entrance, and with a thought, activated the pocket watch's spatial storage.
All supplies vanished instantly, transferred into the spatial dimension.
Clean and efficient, leaving no trace.
I glanced at my watch.
There are 40 hours left until the apocalypse begins.
"Marcus, you should have found out soon."
I whispered.
"Come on, I'm waiting for you."
Just then, I heard the sound of a car engine outside.
More than one.
I immediately turned off the warehouse lights and hid in the shadows.
Through the window, I saw five black SUVs parked outside the warehouse.
The car door opened, and more than a dozen burly men got out, each with a bulging waistband, clearly concealing a gun.
The one leading them was Marcus.
"That bastard, he reacted so quickly?"
My heart sank.
It seems that Marcus is more difficult to deal with than I thought.
He not only discovered my plan, but also found this temporary transit point.
Marcus led his men toward the warehouse door.
"Cort!"
He shouted.
I know you're in there!
"Come out! Hand over the stuff!"
"Otherwise, you won't be leaving this warehouse today!"
I remained hidden in the shadows, offering no response.
Marcus waited a few seconds, and when he saw that I didn't come out, he simply waved his hand.
"Kick the door!"
Several burly men rushed forward and kicked open the warehouse door.
They rushed in with guns at their feet.
"Search! Find him for me!"
Marcus gritted his teeth.
Taking advantage of the chaos, I quietly crept to the back door of the warehouse.
But just as I was about to slip away, a burly man suddenly turned around and saw me.
"Boss! He's over there!"
Marcus immediately led his men to surround them.
"Cort!"
He walked towards me with a cold smile.
"You still want to run?"
"You must return the supplies to me today!"
"otherwise……"
He pulled out a gun and pressed it against my forehead.
"Otherwise, I'll send you to meet God."
I raised my hands, appearing calm.
"Marcus, what do you want?"
"It's very simple."
Marcus sneered.
"Give me back the supplies."
"Then, transfer your ranch ownership to me as well."
"After you've done these two things, I might consider sparing your life."
"otherwise……"
He pressed the muzzle of the gun hard against my forehead.
"You know the consequences."
I looked at him and suddenly laughed.
"Marcus, do you really think you've won?"
"What's the meaning?"
Marcus frowned.
"Take a look at this warehouse."
I said it casually.
"Empty."
Marcus paused for a moment before noticing that the warehouse was empty, with nothing inside.
"Where are the supplies?!"
He roared.
"Where did you hide it?!"
"Guess."
I sneered.
Marcus's face turned ashen; he realized that I had tricked him again.
Search! Search the entire farm!
He roared at his men.
"Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we have to find it!"
A dozen or so burly men spread out and began searching the entire farm.
But they are destined to find nothing.
Because the supplies were already in my storage space.
Half an hour later, his men returned empty-handed.
"Boss, we didn't find anything."
Marcus's face was extremely grim.
He stared at me, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes.
"Okay, very good."
"Cort, you've got guts."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
He raised his gun and aimed it at my knee.
"I'll break your legs and your arms, one shot at a time, until you tell me where the supplies are hidden."
Do you believe it or not?
I looked at him and said calmly.
"I believe you."
"But you also have to believe one thing."
"What?"
Marcus asked.
"You need to think before you fire..."
I took a USB flash drive out of my pocket.
What's in here?
Marcus was stunned.
"What's this?"
"Your money laundering records."
I said it casually.
"Your offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, the shell companies you use for money laundering, your transaction records with Mexican drug cartels..."
"It's all in here."
"There are also high-resolution photos and videos."
"Enough to put you in jail for life."
Marcus's expression completely changed.
"You...you investigated me?!"
"Likewise."
I sneered.
"You investigate my warehouse, I'll investigate your secrets."
"Marcus, you think you've hidden yourself well?"
"I've investigated everything thoroughly."
I shook the USB drive in my hand.
"Now, do you still want to shoot?"
"If the gun is fired, this USB drive will be automatically sent to the email addresses of the FBI, DEA, and IRS."
"Guess how long you can last?"
Marcus's hands were trembling.
He knew he had lost again.
"good."
He took a deep breath and lowered the gun.
"We're even."
"The supplies are yours; I won't pursue the matter."
"But don't hand these things over either."
"make a deal."
I nodded.
Then he turned and left.
Marcus stood there, his eyes filled with resentment and bitterness.
"Cole..."
He muttered to himself.
"I've noted this down."
I left the farm and got into the car.
They started the engine and sped away.
Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw Marcus standing at the farm gate, his face ashen.
I lit a cigar and exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Marcus, you think this is the end of it?"
"No."
"The game has only just begun."
I glanced at my watch.
There are 36 hours left until the apocalypse begins.
"You'll regret not killing me today."
"But by then, it was too late."
That evening, Vivian called me.
Her voice was trembling with tears.
"Cort...can we meet? I have something I want to tell you..."
I know this is her usual trick—feigning weakness to gain sympathy and then extracting information.
Where shall we meet?
I asked calmly.
"The ranch... I want to see the place where we used to live together one more time..."
She said, her voice choked with emotion.
"Okay, come tomorrow afternoon."
I hung up the phone.
Then turn on the monitoring system and switch to the drone's view of the area around the ranch.
really.
A black SUV was parked in the woods three kilometers away from the ranch.
Marcus sat in the car, holding binoculars, observing the ranch.
Vivian's phone call was a test for them.
If I agree to let Vivian into the ranch, Marcus will know my trump card—where the supplies are hidden and how strong the defense system is.
"Trying to spy on my strategy?"
I sneered.
"Then I'll let you see enough."
I pulled up the surveillance footage, deleted all the footage of the bunker renovation, and kept only the clips of "normal life".
Tomorrow, I will show Vivian a ranch that is "completely unguarded".
Let them think that I'm just a pathetic wretch who's been betrayed and is hiding at home to heal.
"The more you underestimate your enemy, the more gruesome your death will be."
