2026-08-15 00:29:31Chapter 2: Liquidation and Leverage
The ringtone of Han’s phone buzzed continuously on the leather seat, vibrating with Long Wei’s persistent arrogance.
Han didn't decline the call. He simply let it ring until it died out, only for the screen to immediately light up again with a text message:
Han Qing, where are you? The board is waiting. Do not make me wait.
A small, cold smirk touched Han’s lips. In his past life, he would have panicked, rushed up the glass tower, and signed away his family’s remaining equity just to keep Long Wei’s favor. Now? He swiped the notification away and blocked the contact entirely.
"Driver, head straight to the Western Valley Municipal Land Bureau," Han ordered, his voice crisp.
"Understood, Mr. Han." The limousine smoothly merged into the evening traffic, leaving the towering glass monolith of the Long Conglomerate behind.
Han leaned back and called up the translucent blue interface floating in his field of vision.
[SSS-Class System: The Infinite Subspace Warehouse]
[Current Spatial Capacity: UNLIMITED]
[Current Capital: $120,000,000 USD]
[Trade Point Engine: Level 1 (0 / 10,000 Points to Upgrade)]
[System Feature: Subspace Purchasing Interface Unlocked]
"System," Han whispered in his mind. "How does Subspace Storage work?"
[Host can store any inanimate object within a 50-meter radius instantly via mental command. Stored items do not age, decay, or lose energy. Items can be retrieved at any designated spatial node controlled by the Host.]
Han’s eyes gleamed. Unlimited capacity, zero decay.
That meant he could buy millions of tons of fresh meat, crisp vegetables, milk, and grain right now, store them in the subspace, and six months later when the surface world turned into a frozen, toxic wasteland they would still be steaming hot or ice-cold fresh.
Thirty minutes later, the limousine pulled up in front of a modest government building. Han walked into the private office of Director Vance, the official in charge of regional industrial land sales.
Vance, a middle-aged man with thinning hair, blinked in surprise as Han sat down across from him. "Mr. Han? I heard you were negotiating a merger with the Long Group today."
"Plans change, Director," Han said smoothly, placing a heavy leather folder on the desk. "I want to purchase the deed and mineral rights to the entire abandoned Western Iron Mine complex. All twelve sectors."
Director Vance paused, looking at Han as if he had lost his mind. "The Western Mine? Mr. Han, those tunnels have been depleted for twenty years. The structural surveys are dead, the land is barren, and the tax alone is a money pit. It's practically a dumping ground!"
"Which is why you’ll sell it to me for pennies on the dollar," Han replied calmly, leaning forward. "I will pay $15 million upfront, cash, if the transfer is signed and processed within the hour."
Vance’s jaw dropped. To the city government, those dead mines were useless liabilities. To Han, who possessed memories of the apocalypse, that specific subterranean network sat directly on a primary geological stability zone, a natural barrier that completely negated the destructive energy of the future mana-storms.
"Done!" Vance blurted out, slamming his desk drawer open to retrieve the ownership deeds before Han could change his mind. "We can finalize the contract right now!"
[Transaction Completed: Western Valley Underground Mine Complex Acquired.]
[System Domain Established: Underground Base Blueprint Unlocked.]
As the official stamps were placed on the deeds, Han’s phone buzzed with a non-contact number. He answered and put it on speaker.
"Han Qing!" Long Wei’s furious voice echoed through the speaker. "What the hell is wrong with you? You stood me up, you liquidated your shares in our joint venture, and my secretary says you’re throwing cash at dead rock quarries? Have you gone completely insane?"
Han looked at the signed land deeds in his hands, his expression utterly indifferent. "My money, Long Wei. I spend it how I choose."
"You idiot!" Long Wei spat, his tone thick with condescension. "Without my family’s backing, your capital is useless! You think you can build an empire on your own? I’m giving you one last chance. Bring your investment capital to my office by tomorrow morning, or I will personally see to it that every financial institution in this city blacklists you!"
Han let out a short, quiet laugh that sent a strange chill down the line.
"Blacklist me?" Han said softly. "Long Wei, hold onto your fancy suits and your champagne tight. Enjoy every single bite of luxury you have left. Because very soon... money won't buy you a single piece of bread, and you will be begging on your knees for what I own."
"You!"
Han hung up and instantly blocked the number.
He stepped out of the land bureau into the cool night air. Step one was complete: he had his fortress foundation. Now came step two filling the infinite vault.
He pulled up his digital banking terminal on his phone. With $105 million in cash remaining, he needed to maximize his purchasing power. He opened an encrypted financial app and initiated high-leverage loans using the newly acquired land deeds as collateral, pumping his available capital up to $300 million.
"Next stop," Han instructed his driver, "the Central Agricultural Wholesale District."
An hour later, Han stood inside the massive, quiet staging yard of the region's largest food distribution hub. Rows upon rows of giant cold-storage warehouses filled the perimeter, packed with thousands of tons of imported beef, pork, fresh grain, and frozen produce awaiting morning dispatch.
Han walked up to the main vault door of Warehouse 1, pretending to inspect the lock while the night guard was asleep in the security booth.
He extended his palm, lightly touching the cold steel door.
Subspace Storage: Activate.
[Target Area Identified: Warehouse 1 Cold Storage]
[Contents: 1,200 Tons of Grade-A Prime Beef & Pork]
[Processing Absorption...]
Before his eyes, the massive rows of suspended meat vanished instantly without a sound, vanishing into the infinite dark space of his system inventory.
[Storage Successful!]
[System Alert: Trade Point Value Increasing...]
Han smirked, stepping toward Warehouse 2. But just as he placed his hand on the next vault door, a sudden heavy mechanical clatter rang out across the yard.
The bright floodlights above the complex suddenly snapped on, blinding the yard in white light. High-pitched security sirens began to wail, and the heavy iron gates of the distribution hub slammed shut, locking the exits.
From the shadow of the main office building, three heavy black SUVs pulled into the yard, blocking Han's path.
The door of the lead SUV opened, and out stepped Long Wei’s personal head of security, flanked by six armed guards holding company security credentials.
"Mr. Han," the security chief said with a cold, mocking smile, holding up a tracking device. "Young Master Long figured you’d do something foolish tonight. You're coming with us."
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