BEFORE THE WORLD FROZE, I BUILT MY OWN KINGDOM

Chapter 3: Hunting for Freebies

Reborn and spellbound by his new power, Ethan had been so lost in the extradimensional space that he hadn't noticed his hunger until it nearly knocked him over.

Who could blame him? Three years of apocalypse had trained him to ignore an empty stomach for hours on end.

But now, remembering the clean, plentiful food of the old world, he swallowed hard.

The apartment he rented was small and a little worn, but it had everything he needed, including a kitchen and a bathroom. Right now, he couldn't have cared less about its flaws.

He walked straight past the fridge, which was empty anyway, and stepped into the kitchen. His eyes landed on a large jar of white rice.

Rice. In the apocalypse, it was a luxury beyond dreams.

Back then, food was so scarce that people ate anything just to stay alive. Tree bark. Grass roots dug out from under the snow. They had all become regulars on the dinner table.

His heart swelled with excitement. He could barely remember the last time he had eaten freshly cooked rice.

He hurried to the jar and gently ran his palm over the glistening grains, as if he could feel the life inside them.

Then he pulled a pot from a drawer, scooped out two bowls of rice, added water, and turned on the gas stove.

The flames flared up in a familiar yellow glow. A wave of safety washed over him from head to toe.

"Damn it! Mixed gas again!" he muttered at the flames. They should have burned pale blue, but this was a cloudy orange-yellow.

He had chosen the stove to save time. So much for that.

With the rice still a long way from done, his eyes drifted over the rest of the kitchen.

Oil. Salt. Pepper. Vinegar. Sugar. Every one of them was a treasure.

In the apocalypse, ordinary seasonings were worth more than rice or meat. During holidays, Ethan had sometimes been lucky enough to eat a small bowl of watery rice porridge, which was still better than nothing. And the high-end goods, like seasonings, did exist in Ember Haven.

But a low-level hauler like him could never afford them.

Faced with that temptation, he couldn't hold back anymore.

He opened the sugar jar, grabbed a handful, and shoved it straight into his mouth.

Sweetness flooded his tongue. It felt like it could wash away every ounce of weariness and bitterness in his heart. A pure, simple happiness bloomed inside him.

"Amazing..." he sighed.

Then he turned to the salt, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in his mouth.

"Pfft!"

He spat it out at once, his face twisting in disgust.

He had forgotten that salt wasn't like sugar. You couldn't just eat it by the spoonful.

He lunged for the tap and gulped down water, trying to wash the bitter, burning taste away.

When the worst had passed, his mind cleared, and a wry smile crept onto his face.

"I've been reborn. Why am I still acting like a starving refugee?"

He laughed at himself.

"I want a real feast!"

He switched off the stove, pulled on his clothes and shoes, and burst out of the door.

Downstairs on the street, the first thing that hit him was the dazzling sun.

In the apocalypse, the sun had grown pale and weak. Even on the clearest day, it shone no brighter than a full moon had before the world ended. The sky was a permanent gloom that pressed hopelessness into every heart.

After years in that dim, gray world, the bright light stung his eyes. He had to shield his forehead with a hand and wait a long time before he could adjust.

Then he began to walk.

It was a little past two in the afternoon on a Friday, so the street wasn't crowded. Shops and stalls lined both sides in a dazzling row, and the smell of cooking food drifted toward him from every direction.

His stomach rumbled again, as though protesting.

He had once planned to celebrate his rebirth with a grand, high-class meal. But faced with all these smells, he couldn't take another step.

"Fine. I'll make do with this for now," he told himself.

…………

By the time darkness fell, Ethan stepped out of the last restaurant on the street.

One hand patted his round, full belly. The other held a toothpick between his teeth. "So comfortable," he murmured, with a deeply satisfied look.

With his hunger finally defeated, he had no desire to wander any longer. He headed back to his rented room.

He took out his phone and checked the balance on his bank card.

$13.50.

Ethan fell silent.

To prepare for the end of the world, he would need a huge amount of money, and it had to be done now, while society and order still stood. What he needed was to earn money. A lot of it.

He had already set his sights on the lottery draw on December 2nd, 2023. But today was only November 5th. Nearly a month still lay between him and that jackpot.

He couldn't let that time go to waste.

And with a bank balance like this, he would struggle to find food tomorrow, never mind building a fortress and stockpiling supplies.

Even if Victor Hargrove, that scheming boss, paid back every cent of the wages he owed...

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But a few wages would be nothing but a drop in the ocean for his doomsday plans.

Besides, he had no intention of working another day in his life. How much could a job ever earn him anyway?

What about using the extradimensional space to run deliveries or smuggle goods? Impossible. The apocalypse was still far away, and the secret of his space had to stay buried. He had no desire to end up locked in a laboratory when the world froze over.

He needed another way to make money, and fast.

Then, suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind.

"No money? Then borrow some! There are online lenders everywhere these days!"

Ethan had only ever heard of them. He had never touched one in his life.

So he picked up his phone and started searching, studying how these lending platforms worked and where their weak points were.

An hour later, twenty-three loan apps sat on his screen.

They all had one thing in common. Every one of them was a shady platform that promised lightning-fast approval and brutal interest rates.

Once your identity was verified, your credit limit appeared and the cash landed almost instantly. They ignored your background completely. They had plenty of ways to collect, and they weren't afraid of anyone refusing to pay.

Ethan opened one at random. He registered, logged in, filled out his details, and applied for a loan.

Ding!

A message arrived within moments.

"Dear Mr. Cole, your loan of $30,000 has been sent to your linked bank account. Please check your balance."

Ethan blinked. Wow, that was fast.

Without thinking twice, he opened his banking app.

Card balance: $0.50.

He frowned. He had borrowed thirty thousand. Why hadn't the money arrived?

He went back to the loan app and studied it carefully. And there it was.

These shady platforms really did live up to their reputation.

Yes, the loan said $30,000. But just beneath it, in tiny letters, was a single word: *Expand*.

It took him real effort to unfold the hidden text. When it finally opened, a few lines of microscopic print appeared:

1. To protect the rights of both parties, you voluntarily purchase an insurance policy with a premium of $2,000 per month (three installments in total).

2. The platform takes a 5% commission, the customer service manager takes a 3% service f*e, and a 10% management f*e applies.

3. To protect the rights of both parties, all of the above payments are deducted in advance. Please be aware.

And below it all, in large, eye-catching letters:

*Loan term: three months. Total interest: $600. Monthly repayment: principal installment plus $200 interest. Please repay on time. We wish you a pleasant borrowing experience!*

Ethan finally understood. He had been tricked.

No wonder they were called shady. At first, he'd thought he had misjudged the whole thing, since only $600 in interest on a $30,000 loan seemed almost generous. Then this hidden trap appeared, and he could only mutter, "Wow."

After every sneaky deduction, he had received only about $16,000 of the $30,000 he borrowed. And in three months, he would be expected to repay the full amount.

"Ha..."

After a brief moment of shock, Ethan burst out laughing.

A shady platform? That was exactly what he wanted! He would never have borrowed from a legitimate lender in the first place.

The money was already in his account. Why on earth would he pay it back?

Dream on!

You lent money to someone with nothing, and you expect to get it back?

No way.

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