DOOMSDAY MERCHANT

​Chapter 1: The Cost of Survival

​The stale crust of bread tasted like cardboard, but Han Qing chewed slowly, making sure not a single crumb was lost.

​Around him, the cold underground shelter reeked of damp soil and heavy dust. Three years. Three exhausting years since the skies cracked, the weather turned toxic, and the paper money in men’s wallets became less valuable than dry rags.

​“Hand it over, Han.”

​The voice was smooth, dripping with the lazy arrogance of someone who had never known real hardship.

​Han raised his head. Standing at the entrance of the dim corridor was Long Wei. In the world before the collapse, Long Wei had been the heir to the multi-billion-dollar Long Conglomerate, a man who used to tear through the city in limited-edition sports cars. Even now, dressed in high-grade, insulated gear, he looked pristine.

​Flanking Long Wei were four armed guards, their expressions hard and unyielding.

​“It’s just a standard resource allowance, Young Master Long,” Han said, his voice raspy from days of silence. He clutched his coat tightly over his chest, where a simple iron key hung beneath his shirt. “I earned it. I cleared the heavy debris in the lower shafts for sixteen hours today.”

“And you did a fine job,” Long Wei sneered, stepping forward. The heavy soles of his boots echoed loudly off the concrete floor. “But the inner sanctuary is running low on supplies. A worker like you doesn’t need a full week’s allowance. Consider it a f*e for staying inside our facility.”

​Han’s fist tightened inside his pocket. Protection?

​When the world fell apart, Han had used his personal savings to help Long Wei’s family secure this underground site. Han had worked for them, scavenged for them, and treated Long Wei like an ally. But the moment the Long family established their authority, they stripped Han of his position, pushed him out to the drafty outer corridors, and treated him like an inconvenience.

​“I have nothing else, Long Wei,” Han whispered, his eyes dark. “If you take this, I won't last until the next trade cycle.”

​“Then figure it out,” Long Wei said indifferently. He flicked his wrist.

​Before Han could react, two guards stepped forward, shoving him back against the cold wall and snatching the resource card alongside the iron key right off his neck.

​Han hit the floor, his breath knocked out of him.

​“Look at you,” Long Wei said softly, stepping closer and looking down at Han. “You spent your whole life working hard, playing by the rules, thinking loyalty meant something. In this world, Han, leverage is everything. Control is everything. And you? You have nothing.”

​Long Wei turned on his heel and walked away, his guards closing the heavy iron vault door behind them with a loud, final click, locking Han out in the freezing, unheated passage.

​The temperature plummeted rapidly. Han lay on the floor, shivering as the cold air settled deep into his lungs. His vision blurred, his energy draining fast.

​If I had another chance... Han’s soul screamed in silence, burning with resentment. If I had control... I would make you all wait in line. I would make you trade your titles, your wealth, your pride just for a single warm meal!

​The darkness swallowed him whole.

​“Sir? Sir, we’re arriving.”

​Han’s eyes snapped open.

​He didn't feel the freezing chill or smell the damp air of the shelter. Instead, the rich, opulent scent of Italian leather and fine cologne filled his senses.

​He was sitting in the back of a pristine luxury limousine. Outside the tinted window, towering skyscrapers glinted beneath a warm, golden sunset. Neon billboards flashed with market indices, luxury brand advertisements, and busy city traffic.

​No ash. No ruins. No collapse.

​Han looked down at his hands. They were smooth, clean, and completely rested. He reached into his tailored suit jacket and pulled out his smartphone.

​The screen blinked to life: May 14, 2026. 4:45 PM.

​Six months. He had been sent back six months before the disaster.

​Before his mind could fully grasp the reality, a faint, translucent blue interface flared directly in front of his vision:

​[System Initializing...]

[Host Soul Re-Anchored Successfully.]

[SSS-Class System Awakened: The Infinite Subspace Warehouse]

[Current Spatial Capacity: UNLIMITED]

[Special Effect: Time-Stasis Active (Items stored will never decay, age, or lose temperature)]

[Trade Point Engine: Unlocked]

​[Initial Host Capital Detected: $120,000,000 USD (Inheritance Liquidity)]

​Han stared at the floating blue screen, his breath hitching. His heart hammered against his ribs. The bitterness and unfairness of his past life were still fresh—but now, his knowledge of the future was his greatest advantage.

​He knew every economic shift that would happen over the next 180 days. He knew which deep mines sat on the underground geographical stability zones that shielded against global surface storms. He knew that in six months, a single basket of fresh produce would be worth more than a fleet of luxury vehicles.

​"Sir?" the driver asked gently from the front seat, looking at Han through the rearview mirror. "We’ve reached the Long Conglomerate headquarters. Young Master Long Wei is expecting you for the corporate agreement signing."

​Han looked out the window. Rising tall against the city skyline was the glass headquarters of the Long Corporation.

​Slowly, a calm, resolute expression settled over Han’s face. He leaned back into the soft seat and swiped his phone open to his main financial portfolio.

​"Cancel the meeting," Han said, his tone perfectly steady.

​"Sir? But the Long family representatives said"

​"I said, cancel it," Han repeated quietly. He tapped the screen, initiating a full liquidation of his corporate shares and transferring the total funds into his private accounts. "And set up a meeting with the receiver for the abandoned underground mines in the Western Valley. All of them."

​Han closed his eyes as the System panel hummed softly in his mind.

​Long Wei... enjoy your executive suites and financial power while it lasts.

​Just then, his phone vibrated sharply in his hand. An incoming call popped up on the screen, displaying the name: Long Wei.

​Han didn't answer. He simply watched the screen flash as a new system notice appeared right beside it:

​[Notice: Global Environmental Transformation Countdown Initiated. Time Remaining: 179 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes.]