I installed blackout curtains on every window in the warehouse. A comprehensive surveillance system was installed throughout the building, and the space was divided into two floors.

I also partitioned the second floor into several smaller rooms. I kept the largest one for myself and fitted it with the same blast-proof door and bulletproof glass as the main entrance.

Once the structural reinforcement was completed, I commissioned a specialized manufacturer to custom-make solar panels for the entire roof. The project was originally expected to take two weeks, but the workers finished it in just three days after I repeatedly increased their pay.

With only ten days left until Christmas, I had to move quickly to stock up on supplies. I stockpiled goods using apocalypse survival guides from online bloggers and bought 50 times the amount of every item on their lists.

I bought 100 boxes each of long-lasting foods such as dry rations, canned goods, and dehydrated meals. I also bought 100 crates each of staples like rice and flour, which were easy to store and prepare.

I stocked up on drinking water and water filtration equipment to ensure I could access clean water when the apocalypse came.

I also spent a fortune on basic first-aid tools and medicine, such as disinfectants, bandages, and painkillers. Additionally, I stocked up on 100 boxes of protective masks, gloves, and sanitizing fluid.

I prepared plenty of lighting equipment and spare batteries in case of power outages. Clothing for both summer and winter to stay warm and dry was another thing I made sure not to leave out.

I gathered daily cleaning products and personal hygiene items, such as toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, soap, and toilet paper. I stocked anti-theft and self-defense tools, including flashlights, alarms, and knives. I also stocked essential maintenance gear such as hammers and screwdrivers.

To ensure a renewable supply, I also prepared farming and gardening equipment. That way, even if I was stuck inside for a long time, I could still grow my own food. I set aside a dedicated room for storing fruit and vegetable seeds along with some potting soil.

In just three days, the warehouse was packed. The entire first floor was filled with supplies, and more than half of the second floor was taken up as well.

During that time, Victoria messaged me on and off, but I couldn't be bothered to respond. She was of no use to me right now.

Once the supplies were mostly sorted, I reached out to a security firm in the city and hired ten bodyguards at the highest market rate. I told them to report to my safe house on the night before the zombie virus broke out and to be on time.

With all of that handled, there were two days left until Christmas and one day until the outbreak. Just as I was about to shut the doors, the system suddenly appeared and reminded me of my task.

Right—I almost forgot about that.

Victoria and Tristan still hadn't paid for what they had done to me in my past life. I called Victoria and gave her the safe house's location, telling her to come by that evening. It was time to have a little fun with them.

Before long, Victoria pulled up at the safe house in the car I had bought her.

The moment she stepped inside, she was stunned and asked what all the supplies were for. I told her that she would find out after that night and asked her to stay the night.

Out of habit, she put on a look of disdain, but she quickly realized that I was no longer just a small-time supermarket owner.

Her attitude shifted immediately. She moved closer, looped her arm through mine, and spoke in a much softer tone. "Alright, I'll do whatever you say. I'm yours now."

The old me would have been thrilled to hear those words. But now that I had been reborn, everything she had done to me in my past life was still vivid in my mind.

She had taken over my shelter and treated me like an animal. I could only eat whatever scraps they felt like giving me. The final image of her sitting on Tristan's lap as they drove me out was seared into my mind.

But it didn't matter anymore. I was reborn. This time, I would be the one in control of the game.