Blue Star, Western Calendar 2031.
Yunhai City.
Inside a four-story villa, the air was permeated with an aura of luxury and power.
On the sofa, a burly man in a black suit with a fleshy face had his legs casually propped on the coffee table, a cigar dangling from his mouth, exuding an air of arrogance as he puffed out smoke.
"Alright, how much do you need to borrow?"
"I need twelve million," the young man opposite said.
"Pfft!" The burly man in black couldn't help but chuckle softly, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
He opened the property deed on the table and casually glanced at it twice. "Your name is Li Zhao, right? With just this 180-square-meter second-hand apartment, who gave you the courage to ask for twelve million? Do you take me for a fool?"
As he spoke, he suddenly picked up the property deed, making as if to throw it at the person opposite.
Li Zhao's expression remained unchanged, his voice steady. "The house isn't in an old neighborhood, and it's not too far from the city center. Also, Mr. Han might not know yet, but one of the exits for Yunhai City's newly planned subway line is actually set right near my residence; when that happens, the surrounding property prices will definitely rise."
Han Kun paused, then asked with a puzzled look, "How come I've never heard about this subway matter?"
"I work at a financial company, so I know more things; if you don't believe me, you can pay more attention to the local news in the next few days," Li Zhao said casually.
Han Kun felt that Li Zhao shouldn't have the guts to lie to him, but he still frowned.
Even though Yunhai City has a population of nearly thirty million and a developed economy, making it one of the top metropolises in the country, he still felt that twelve million was a bit much, mainly because he was worried the other party wouldn't be able to repay it.
As if seeing through his thoughts, Li Zhao continued, "Three percent interest, I'll pay you back within two months; I have a local household registration, and many of my relatives are in Yunhai City."
Han Kun couldn't help but feel curious. "Why are you in such a hurry for money? What do you plan to do?"
Li Zhao revealed a mysterious smile. "Of course, it's to make a fortune."
"Tell me in detail, and perhaps I'll lend you more," Han Kun said with a hint of probing in his words.
Li Zhao gently shook his head, his expression as composed as ever.
Han Kun stared intently at him, and slowly, a sinister look appeared on his face.
"I have a friend who owns a large ship on the high seas. Do you know what kind of business is conducted on it?"
"If I can't pay back the money by then, I'm willing to board that ship," Li Zhao said calmly.
"Good!" Han Kun laughed heartily; he always liked talking to smart people.
"If there really is news about the subway plan, you can come to me for the money."
"Thank you, Mr. Han." Li Zhao stood up and shook his hand, then left the house without looking back.
Stepping out of the villa and onto the road outside, Li Zhao finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Inside the house just now, Han Kun had given him a very bad feeling.
This man had spent a few years in prison when he was young, had dozens of thugs under him, and was rumored to be involved in other illicit dealings behind the scenes.
If Li Zhao hadn't been in urgent need of a large sum of money, he definitely wouldn't have wanted to come to a place like this.
At this moment, the street not far away was bustling with people coming and going, traffic flowing, and a vibrant atmosphere.
In the park, elderly people were exercising on fitness equipment, and children were laughing freely on the grass; everything seemed so beautiful and harmonious.
Li Zhao strolled among them, eventually sitting on a long bench, quietly gazing at his surroundings, his expression complex and difficult to describe.
Although everything in the world is unpredictable.
But who could have foreseen that a year later, this place would transform into a scene akin to hell?
The weather changed drastically, Mutated Species roamed everywhere, wantonly wandering.
It was initially thought that humanity, with its various high-tech weapons, could easily resolve the situation.
However, the development of events exceeded everyone's expectations.
The few humans who survived either stayed in Refugee Areas or were forced to hide trembling in dark corners.
Li Zhao's power was too insignificant; he was powerless to change the future.
In fact, until the very last moment, he didn't know how this catastrophe had occurred.
It came too suddenly, and too strangely!
Li Zhao occasionally closed his eyes, and a scene often appeared in his mind: their clothes were tattered, they swayed when they walked, their skin was cracked, and their eyes were hollow and lifeless; only when they found prey would their eyes flash with fierce and crazed light, opening their fanged mouths to emit low growls.
What kind of creatures were they, after all?
Whether day or night, the Mutated Species moved in groups, surging like a tide, as if to drag the entire world into endless darkness.
Just thinking about it sent shivers down one's spine.
Survival is the most fundamental instinct of human nature.
Li Zhao was no exception.
He was unwilling to sit idly by; while there was still some time, the most urgent task was to build a dwelling as safe as possible.
Twelve million was not a small sum, but in reality, it was far from enough.
In Li Zhao's plan, this amount of money wasn't even a fraction of what he needed.
In the past two days, relying on his good credit, he had applied for more than ten credit cards at once and cashed them all out; he also called a few university classmates in Luo'an City and borrowed some money from them.
Just as he told Han Kun earlier, the purpose of borrowing money was to earn more wealth.
Li Zhao opened his phone and carefully reviewed the recent stock market trends.
He was preparing to take a gamble in a few days.
If he won, it would naturally be a great thing.
If he lost, he would basically be finished.
He would only be able to find a deserted small island in the vast ocean and live out his remaining days there.
Suddenly, his phone rang, interrupting Li Zhao's thoughts.
He looked down and saw it was a call from Lin Xiao, his department head at Longke Company.
Li Zhao frowned, feeling a bit annoyed.
After connecting, an angry voice immediately came from the other end of the line: "Where did you disappear to? It's working hours now, do you know this counts as absenteeism?"
"Today is Saturday, what kind of work am I absent from?" Li Zhao retorted unceremoniously.
"So you don't have to work on Saturday? Do you know what your monthly performance is?"
"Out of over twenty people in the department, when have I not been among the top few?"
Lin Xiao was clearly enraged, his voice rising, "Do you still want to work here? If not, then get out! There are plenty of people in the company, we don't need just you."
"Either constant overtime or various team-building activities, I haven't wanted to work here for a long time!" Li Zhao's voice was even louder than his.
"Fine! You said that, remember it." Lin Xiao said through clenched teeth.
"Tell HR that I'll come in next Wednesday morning to process my resignation." With that, Li Zhao immediately hung up the phone.
The Longke Company, where he worked, was a relatively large financial group in Yunhai City, with business covering various fields such as securities, funds, and trusts.
Due to its prominent reputation and generous benefits, many people scrambled to get in.
Presumably, even now, Lin Xiao was still convinced that Li Zhao wouldn't dare to resign.
Sure enough, the phone screen suddenly lit up with a new message from the instant messaging app, Changxin.
Lin Xiao had posted a notification in the company group, asking Li Zhao to come to the company early on Monday to prepare for a business report.
Li Zhao's lips curled slightly, and he tapped the screen a few times, directly exiting the company group.
Lin Xiao waited for a long time without a reply, then looked at his phone again and was immediately filled with rage.
He used his personal account on Changxin to send continuous messages to Li Zhao: "Don't challenge my bottom line."
After reading it, Li Zhao couldn't help but let out a scoff.
Their relationship had never been good on ordinary days.
During that time, they had even had several big arguments over some matters.
He was too lazy to bother with Lin Xiao and decisively clicked on the other party's avatar, then selected "Add to Blacklist."
Instantly, Li Zhao's world became peaceful.