Frozen Rebirth: My Infinite Storage in the Apocalypse

Chapter 3: The White Lotus's First Time Caring

Ethan Cole pushed open the building door. The morning sunlight fell on him, but it couldn't dispel the gloomy aura that felt out of place with his surroundings.

The residential complex was full of the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Elementary school students in uniforms carried backpacks, chatting and chirping as they headed to school together.

Elderly people pushing strollers walked slowly, making the children inside giggle.

There were also housewives carrying grocery bags, loudly discussing last night's TV dramas with their neighbors...

These people wore the simplest smiles, completely unaware of the Extreme Cold Apocalypse that would swallow the world in a month.

Their lives were as steady as gears in a clock, turning step by step, never imagining that fate would suddenly derail.

Ethan watched all this, his footsteps unconsciously slowing down.

If he hadn't lived another life, he would be just like them now, foolishly going to work at Crown Corp, continuing to be Ashley Carter's simp, knowing nothing about his impending death.

In his previous life, he had rushed into the Apocalypse unprepared, and in the end, his life was ended by a blade from the two people he trusted most, using "food shortage" as an excuse.

He knew all too well that the food shortage was just a pretense.

From the first day the Apocalypse arrived, Ashley Carter and Ryan had no intention of letting him go.

They stayed with him for a month just to squeeze out his last bit of value:

The food stored in his apartment and his ability to go out and find more.

"Heh."

Ethan gave a cold laugh, withdrew his gaze, and quickened his pace.

He wouldn't be stupid enough to warn these people that "the Apocalypse is coming in a month" right now.

Having experienced the ugliness of human nature in the Apocalypse, he understood better than anyone:

Without the constraints of law and morality, humans are scarier than temperatures sixty degrees below zero.

Even with relatives, he would have to think twice before revealing anything, let alone these strangers with no relation to him.

Their life or death had nothing to do with him; he wasn't a savior, and he certainly didn't want to be a saint.

His naivety in his previous life had already caused him to die once; in this life, he only loved himself.

Besides, if he said it now, he would only be treated as a lunatic.

Most people would treat his words as mad ramblings, and some might even think he was intentionally spreading rumors and call the police to arrest him.

Even if someone did believe him, those people would become his competitors, fighting him for supplies and survival resources.

He would never do something so disadvantageous.

The once naive young man had realized that loving himself was the most important thing.

For his own sake, he could completely sacrifice everyone else.

He would rather betray the world than let the world betray him.

Walking out of the residential complex's main gate, the bustling street view rushed toward him.

The Riverside Heights complex where Ethan lived was a famous high-end community on the Upper West Side, with an excellent location; a three-star Michelin restaurant was just a few hundred meters away.

A meal here would cost at least several hundred dollars, easily reaching a thousand; the old Ethan couldn't bear to spend that.

But today, he wanted to be extravagant. Having returned from the dead, he had to celebrate properly, even if he was alone.

Pushing open the heavy glass doors of the restaurant, the melodious sound of a violin greeted him.

Warm yellow lighting, exquisite tableware, and polished floors, everything exuded refinement and expense.

Ethan found a seat by the window. Outside was the busy street with pedestrians in a hurry; no one knew that the city beneath their feet was about to become a frozen purgatory.

The waiter handed him the menu; its gold-embossed cover felt heavy.

The service at this restaurant was exceptionally thoughtful, with a dedicated waiter for each table, though the 20% service f*e deterred many.

Ethan didn't even look at the menu carefully, his finger sliding down the prices from highest to lowest:

"This black truffle foie gras, Wagyu sirloin, Maine lobster... and this caviar, one of each. Also, open a bottle of your most expensive red wine."

The red wine he pointed to was priced at $1,800. In fact, he liked neither white wine nor red wine; he usually only loved drinking soda.

But today, he wanted to make an exception, consider it a toast to his reborn self.

Ethan didn't even ask about the portion sizes when ordering, only choosing the expensive ones.

In the waiter's eyes, he had such an aura; this kind of aura was very attractive.

A sweet smile filled her face, and the light in her eyes was almost palpable.

The man before her was wearing a plain T-shirt and jeans, looking unremarkable in a crowd; she hadn't expected him to be a low-profile second-generation rich kid.

She diligently noted down the dishes, occasionally glancing at Ethan from the corner of her eye, trying to send some flirtatious signals.

Ethan ignored her advances and simply urged:

"Serve the food as quickly as possible, I'm hungry."

He really was hungry.

The feeling of being so hungry in the Apocalypse that he gnawed on tree bark and chewed on grass roots seemed etched into his bones; just thinking about food made his stomach instinctively twitch.

Before long, exquisite dishes were served one after another.

The black truffle foie gras glistened with oil, the Wagyu sirloin was seared perfectly, and the Maine lobster shell was steamed bright red...

Ethan picked up his knife and fork, but showed no gentlemanly grace, directly stabbing a large piece of steak and stuffing it into his mouth.

He ate too fast, sauce staining the corners of his mouth, and the sound of chewing was particularly obvious in the quiet restaurant.

The smile on the nearby waiter's face stiffened, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly.

She had thought he was a low-profile rich kid just now, but now he looked like an uncultured nouveau riche; his eating manners were so ugly, without a shred of refinement.

Though she cursed him in her heart, she still wore a professional smile, diligently helping Ethan crack the lobster and explaining how to eat each dish.

Such is the helplessness of a worker.

No matter how much you despise them in your heart, you still have to greet customers with a smile.

Ethan's eating manners not only drew dissatisfaction from the waiter but also caused surrounding diners to glance over frequently.

Some frowned, signaling their companions with their eyes to "look at that uncouth person";

Some simply put down their utensils and whispered in small voices, their tone of disdain undisguised.

But Ethan didn't care. He knew all too well that when the Apocalypse came, the "refinement" and "rules" these people took pride in wouldn't even be worth half a loaf of bread.

At that time, let alone exquisite fine dining, even a pack of expired instant noodles could make a group of people fight until they were bloodied; seeing dead people would be commonplace.

"The refined die the fastest, while the scoundrels live the longest."

Ethan sneered in his heart.

If these people had experienced what he did, their eating manners would be a hundred times uglier than his.

He continued to bury his head in his food until the dishes on the table were mostly finished. Only then did he pick up a warm towel to wipe his mouth, letting out a burp without any inhibition.

"Sir, your total is $2,340. Would you like to pay by card or contactless?"

The waiter handed over the bill, her tone much less eager.

Ethan tapped his card to pay and left immediately, without giving a single glance to the waiter who wanted to say more.

As soon as he walked out of the restaurant, the waiter behind him couldn't wait to take out her phone and send a message to her group chat:

"Met a bizarre nouveau riche today. Dressed like a nobody, ordered a table full of expensive dishes, and ate like a starving ghost with sauce all over his face. So disgusting."

The group chat instantly became lively, with everyone chiming in to mock him.

No one knew that this "nouveau riche" they despised carried a world that was about to be destroyed in his heart.

---

While Ethan was feasting in the restaurant, rumors about him cursing out Department Manager Linda Fletcher were already spreading like wildfire through Crown Corp.

The gossiping nature of office workers was fully on display at this moment.

Whether it was employees at their desks or cleaners in the restrooms, everyone was discussing it.

In the marketing department office, Ashley Carter and Ryan sat across from each other, their feet quietly entangling under the table.

They were college classmates, all three having graduated from Northeastern University together with Ethan.

The three of them used to be the "Iron Triangle" in others' eyes; Ethan and Ryan were roommates, and Ashley was the campus beauty they both pursued.

After graduation, Ashley and Ryan entered the same department. With the advantage of proximity and Ryan's sweet talk, Ashley soon agreed to his pursuit.

However, Crown Corp had a strict "no office romance" policy, so the two could only date secretly, and even their closest colleagues hadn't noticed.

Completely unaware, Ethan launched a fierce pursuit of Ashley.

He brought her breakfast every day without fail, and on weekends he invited the two of them out for dinner and movies, always rushing to pay the bill.

Ashley originally wanted to reject him completely, but just then, Ethan's parents died in a car accident, leaving behind an inheritance of 20 million dollars.

After Ryan found out, he immediately persuaded Ashley:

"Don't reject him. Keep stringing him along. He's loaded now; we can just get more out of him."

From that day on, the two treated Ethan as an ATM, enjoying his generosity while mocking his stupidity behind his back.

"Ry, is it true that Ethan cursed out Department Manager Fletcher?"

Ashley lightly rubbed Ryan's calf with her toe under the table, her voice very low.

Ryan sneered, his eyes full of disdain:

"Of course it's true. He was always a brainless idiot; it's not surprising he'd do something like this.

This is great; he won't be able to stay in New York anymore. No serious company will want him."

He paused, his sense of superiority growing even stronger:

"He just got lucky with his birth; otherwise, with his limited ability, he wouldn't even be fit to carry our bags."

He had never treated Ethan as a true brother.

Befriending Ethan in college was only because Ethan had a monthly allowance that was more than four times his own.

Every time he wanted to eat somewhere good or go out, he would egg Ethan on to treat him, and Ethan always valued "brotherhood" highly, willingly paying every time.

"Exactly. He circles around me like a fly all day; it's so annoying."

Ashley spoke coquettishly, but a hint of pride was hidden in her eyes.

She enjoyed being pursued by Ethan but disliked his "pestering." Now that Ethan was fired, she felt relieved instead.

Ryan's thoughts were different.

He hadn't completely gotten his hands on Ethan's 20 million dollars yet; Ethan's reckless behavior had disrupted his plans.

In his view, Ethan didn't deserve that money at all; those assets should have been his.

He was smarter and more calculating than Ethan; only he deserved the status of a "rich person."

"Ash, did Ethan send you a message?"

Ryan took out his phone and refreshed his messages several times but didn't see anything from Ethan, feeling a bit uneasy.

In the past, Ethan would tell him immediately no matter what happened; even if he didn't seek advice, he would "show off" to him.

But today, more than half the day had passed, and Ethan hadn't sent a single message.

"No."

Ashley also took out her phone to check. "Isn't he closest to you? Why didn't he tell you?"

Ryan frowned, his unease growing.

He thought for a moment and said to Ashley: "Send him a message and ask what's going on."

Although Ashley was reluctant, she still obediently opened her messages and sent Ethan a text:

【Ethan, I heard you had some trouble with Manager Fletcher. What exactly happened? Ryan and I are both very worried about you.】

After sending the message, she put her phone on the table, waiting for Ethan's reply.

In her view, Ethan would definitely reply instantly as before, complain to her about Department Manager Fletcher's faults, and maybe even ask her out to clear his head.

At this moment, Ethan had just reached the street when his phone buzzed.

He picked it up and saw Ashley Carter's name on the screen, the message content full of "concern."

A cold, mocking sneer curled the corners of Ethan's mouth.

This was the first time Ashley had proactively shown concern for him. If it were his previous life, he would have been moved to tears and would have immediately asked her out to pour out all his grievances.

But now, he only felt disgusted.

"Worried about me? You're worried about my money."

His fingers tapped on the screen, and he quickly replied:

【Ash, I've long been unable to stand that woman Fletcher, so I just resigned. I don't want to work anymore; I plan to buy an RV and travel around the country. The money I have should be enough for me to spend for a lifetime.】

【From now on, let's just forget each other.】

He could imagine how anxious Ashley and Ryan would be after seeing this message.

Their ATM was about to run away.

And this was only the first step of his revenge plan.

When the Apocalypse came, he would make this pair of scumbags pay a price more painful than death.