Chapter 131: Who will cook for me?
"Where are we headed now, Miss April?" Samuel asked as he adjusted the rearview mirror, steering the vehicle smoothly down the winding mountain pass.
April looked up from her phone, glanced over at Rufus, who was staring longingly out the window at the passing forest and then at the basket on her lap. "Let’s head to a pet shop. A big one. I need to buy supplies for Lily and Rufus."
"Right away, Ma’am," Samuel replied, mapping out the highest-end pet boutique in the commercial district on his GPS system.
The drive back down the mountain took over forty minutes, lengthening slightly as they transitioned from the quiet forest roads into the bustling traffic of the upper-class city sectors.
By the time Samuel pulled up to a massive, multi-story luxury pet emporium, the afternoon sun was beginning to dip, casting long, golden shadows across the pavement.
April got down from the car, glancing at the tall building and said, "Okay, guys, time to get you your own property."
Inside the store, April spent a considerable amount of time picking and choosing.
It was exhausting work, much more tedious than buying standard steel sheets or bulk grain.
She carefully selected specialized nutritional formulas, grooming tools, and interactive toys that would appeal to both of their distinct temperaments. She made sure to choose extra-durable items, having a feeling that their unique auras might wear down regular plastics. She even got a cat climber.
April bought automatic feeders for mealtimes, a self-cleaning litter box for cats, and automatic water fountains so they always had fresh water. She even made sure Rufus had his own fountain.
Since she would be by herself, she needed to be sure they had enough to take care of themselves if she decided to sleep in.
April asked Samuel to take note of all the things she bought since they’ll be buying them in bulk later. Also getting a list of medicines and medication set for animals, which she planned to get when she began her pharmaceutical hoarding.
Before checking out, April had the store staff create two customized leather collars.
Lily’s was a delicate, soft pink leather with her name engraved in a graceful italic script, while Rufus’s was a broad, heavy-duty black leather band with his name stamped in a bold serif font. Additionally, she picked out a cute little matching bowtie for Lily to make the arrogant little thing look less grumpy.
Once everything was paid for, April rubbed her temples slightly.
"Have them sent directly to Mr. Reed’s estate," April instructed Samuel, who nodded and went to submit the address and directives to the clerk.
She kept only the collars and the bowtie. She carefully fastened the sleek black band around Rufus’s thick neck, making the massive dog puff out his chest with immense, proud dignity.
Then, she gently clipped the collar and the cute bowtie onto Lily. The little white kitten woke up just long enough to let out a tiny, soft meow, admiring her own reflection in the store’s glass counter before curling right back up into April’s arms.
It was dark, but April had her schedule. She didn’t think she’d want to come out the next day so it was better to get things over with. After that, they would have dinner.
As they climbed back into the car to head toward Xavier’s transit warehouse, April leaned her head against the headrest, her mind already shifting into a different thought as she visualized dinner.
Who will cook delicious meals for me when the apocalypse hits?
As it turns out, April did not know how to cook. Or rather, she could not remember ever touching a spoon and ingredients to cook something. Maybe she did before she was 16, and if she held a spoon now, it may all come back to her, but could she make something as delicious and mouth watery as the ones she ate in the restaurant and Xavier’s house?
With all the time in the world, I might make a habit out of cooking but before then, I need to have what to eat in the early days.
She already hoarded thousands of tons of raw ingredients and this thought had never crossed her mind in all that time. Seriously, what was she thinking when she was hoarding?
No matter how I look at it, whether I learn or not, I want cooked, ready-to-eat meals from skilled chefs, she thought, her eyes fixed on the passing city lights.
In the dark, timeless vacuum of her spatial dimension, time stood completely still. If she put a dish inside while it was fresh and steaming, it would come out weeks or months later exactly the same—perfectly hot and ready to serve.
Hm, what do I do? Do I go to every five star restaurant and order their very best, taking it all into my space right there? She wondered, thinking deeply about it when a sudden, brilliant plan formed in her mind. A cooking competition.
If she hosted a massive, high-profile culinary tournament and used the immense influence of Xavier Reed and the Greels family to back it, elite chefs from all over the world would flock to participate.
She could simply claim all the test dishes, the preliminary entries, and the final gourmet creations as part of the operational tracking, effortlessly sweeping thousands of master-tier cooked meals straight into her inventory.
It’s perfect. She thought, her eyes gleaming at the idea.
Samuel happened to glance up at the rearview mirror just then. Seeing April staring blankly ahead with a tiny, incredibly subtle dark glint in her eyes, he felt a sudden shiver run down his spine and involuntarily gulped.
She is definitely planning something again, he thought, sweating slightly behind his glasses, though he knew better than to try and fathom the mind of the legendary seer.
The transport finally pulled up to the heavy steel gates of her private commercial warehouse. This was the same location they had come the previous time where she had seven full warehouses ready for her.
Now, it was just one, and it was filled with industrial gas cylinders, fuel barrels, and specialized chemical containers had been delivered.
"Wait outside, Samuel," April said, stepping out of the vehicle with Lily nestled in one arm and Rufus trotting at her side.
"Understood, Miss April."
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