Inside the RV, Su Chen was lying leisurely on the memory foam mattress, scrolling through Douyin.
It was only the second day since the apocalypse began, and social order hadn't completely collapsed yet.
On Douyin, there were still plenty of black-stocking beauties energetically performing inside air-conditioned rooms.
Su Chen was quite entertained, even sending the streamer a few big rockets, prompting the girl to gush with delight.
"Thanks for the top donor's rockets! Love you!"
The streamer blew heart signs at Su Chen while requesting to add him as a friend.
Su Chen just smiled and ignored it.
If it were before, he might have been interested—maybe he would have used that connection to arrange a surprise visit.
But under the current circumstances, he had zero interest.
As mealtime approached, Su Chen flipped to a food vlogger's video, planning to decide what to eat tonight by watching.
"Child of the soul... pour it on!"
Hearing the devilish whisper from the video, Su Chen perked up.
He opened his storage space and after a quick search, found a few frozen sheep heads.
He put them in the microwave to heat for a bit, then got the hot rapeseed oil ready.
Just as he was about to pour the oil, a sharp "knock knock knock" came at the door.
Su Chen frowned, set down the oil, and walked to the door.
Through the onboard camera, he clearly saw dozens of people gathered outside, led by the hotel manager.
"What's the matter?"
Su Chen pressed a button and answered politely.
Besides the camera, Su Chen had also installed a microphone on the RV so he could communicate without leaving the vehicle.
Hearing Su Chen's voice, the manager hesitated, then quickly smiled and said,
"Mr. Su Chen, right? I have a small matter to discuss. Would you allow us to come in for a talk?"
"No."
Su Chen refused directly.
Having experienced the apocalypse, he was deeply wary of letting strangers inside.
The manager's smile froze.
"Look, Mr. Su,"
"It's this hot weather, and the hotel's electrical room is malfunctioning, so all the air conditioning is out."
"Several elderly and children have already suffered heatstroke."
"Your RV is so spacious, why not do a good deed and let them stay inside?"
A good deed?
More like inviting trouble.
Su Chen smirked.
In his previous life, he'd seen many "kind" people who got themselves into trouble trying to help others.
"Sorry, not interested."
After being rejected again, the manager looked embarrassed.
"Sir, you're in our hotel's underground parking lot. If you want to stay here, it'd be best to cooperate."
"What if I don't cooperate? Can you make me leave?"
Su Chen's tone was teasing.
"Uh…"
The manager was at a loss.
If Su Chen refused, he really didn't know what to do.
"Sir, just show some kindness..."
"Yeah, my old lady is over seventy and has already passed out…"
Seeing the manager's words ineffective, other travelers stepped forward, voicing complaints.
Su Chen was too lazy to argue and went back to his seat, starting to enjoy his sheep head.
Outside, the crowd grew angry at his silence.
"You're heartless!"
"Yeah, seeing the old and young suffer, and you show no mercy!"
"When this is over, we'll expose him for sure!"
Hearing the accusations, Su Chen just smiled.
No morality means no hostage-taking.
Good thing he didn't let them in—otherwise, with their character, things would only get worse.
The crowd complained for a long time but got no response.
They reluctantly licked their dry lips and returned to rest.
The manager drove over to Zhang Mingyuan's Porsche and shook his head in frustration.
"Zhang Shao, that Su Chen guy is really a piece of work."
Zhang Mingyuan was also surprised.
Even he wouldn't have been indifferent seeing so many people begging.
But he seized the opportunity, putting on an angry face.
"That guy really lacks sympathy. Oh, sorry, Ling'er, I shouldn't say that about him."
"It's okay, Zhang Shao. That Su Chen was just my ex."
Xiao Mei's delicate face showed utter disdain for Su Chen.
"Didn't expect him to be such a cold-hearted person. Luckily, Ling'er, you broke up with him early."
Liù Líng'ér furrowed her brows, full of confusion.
She knew Su Chen well enough to be sure he was a kind-hearted person.
But what happened to make him so cold and heartless?
Though they failed to get inside the Nomadisen to enjoy the comfort, at least they'd tarnished Su Chen's image.
Zhang Mingyuan was laying groundwork to win over Liù Líng'ér.
As for Xiao Mei, in his mind, she was already in the bag.
...
As time slowly passed, the sun set, and the once scorching temperature dropped a few degrees.
Though still hot, it was more bearable than midday.
But a new problem arose: food shortage.
As a five-star hotel, Green Forest sourced fresh ingredients daily from the mountain below.
Out of goodwill, the hotel wanted guests to enjoy the freshest food.
However, today's sudden heatwave, combined with power outage disabling freezers, caused massive food spoilage.
The manager and staff searched every corner of the hotel thoroughly, only managing to find some instant noodles and compressed biscuits—non-perishable items.
But the supplies were limited; after distributing to the hundreds gathered, little was left.
"Zhang Shao, I specially reserved this for you."
The manager handed Zhang Mingyuan a cardboard box, beaming.
To conserve fuel, after lowering the temperature to bearable levels, most had left their cars.
Zhang Mingyuan was no exception.
He opened the box and found several cans of food.
"Manager Dang, this is great!"
Zhang Mingyuan was both surprised and pleased, praising the manager.
"You can't neglect Zhang Shao, right?"
Manager Dang smiled.
Mingyuan Group was a super company, holding shares in Green Forest Hotel, which explained the special treatment.
"Xiao Mei, Ling'er, come, let's eat together."
Zhang Mingyuan generously invited them.
"Thanks, Zhang Shao!"
"Zhang Shao really has power!"
The two ladies, somewhat hungry, didn't hesitate and opened the cans.
For someone like Zhang Mingyuan, used to delicacies, these cans tasted exceptionally good under the circumstances.
After eating, they laid down to rest.
Suddenly, footsteps and commotion came from the underground parking lot entrance.