Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 297 Out of Stock?

Xu Xiaoyan drifted off to sleep while scrolling through her phone. When she opened her eyes, for a moment, she didn't know where she was.

She rolled over, buried her face in the pillow, reached for the small folding table by the bed, picked up her phone and glanced at it—6:03.

She slept for nearly eight hours at 6:03 a.m. the next morning.

Xu Xiaoyan sat up, rubbed her eyes, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom.

She saw that she looked good in the mirror, smiled at herself, and then began to wash up.

After washing up, she changed her clothes into a black T-shirt with a windbreaker over it. The temperature in Zone B was around 20 degrees Celsius, so she didn't need to wear too many layers.

She tied her hair into a ponytail, checked herself in the mirror, then slung her backpack over her shoulder, opened the door, and headed towards the parking lot.

Xu Xiaoyan spotted her small truck at a glance, got in, started the engine, the truck shook slightly, and then ran smoothly. The battery still had three-quarters full, enough to run for a few days.

There was a toll booth at the exit that automatically displayed the points she needed to pay. Xu Xiaoyan scanned the QR code on her phone to make the payment.

The barrier lifted, Xu Xiaoyan stepped on the gas, and the car slowly drove out of the parking lot.

Xu Xiaoyan drove the car onto the main road, silently calculating the costs in her mind.

The parking fee was one point, and she parked for about ten hours yesterday? She remembered the posts she had seen on the dungeon forum before.

Some people say they have to spend one parking point every day because their place is too far from the free parking area, so they can only park at the nearest paid parking lot.

Some people said they shared a car with several neighbors, taking turns driving it to save on parking fees and gas money.

Some people say they have to leave home forty minutes earlier every morning just to walk to a free parking lot further away to drive their cars.

She didn't think much of these posts when she first read them, but now that she's driven a car herself, she realizes that these choices are fraught with problems.

If you want convenience, you have to spend more money; if you want to save money, you have to spend more time. No matter which option you choose, it will take both time and money.

She sighed and continued driving. She had studied the route to the supply depot the night before; the navigation showed it would take about thirty minutes.

The traffic system in Zone B is similar to that on the ground, with traffic lights, zebra crossings, and traffic signs.

However, the sky here is simulated. The high dome is inlaid with light panels that simulate the sky, and it is currently showing what morning looks like: a light blue, a few white clouds, and some simulated sunlight.

Xu Xiaoyan glanced at it and thought it looked a bit fake.

About thirty minutes later, she arrived at the supply point.

Several trucks were already parked at the entrance. Xu Xiaoyan parked her truck in an empty space, turned off the engine, and got out to walk towards the entrance.

When she went closer to take a look, she was completely stunned.

Those trucks weren't there to pick up goods.

Several people in overalls were unloading goods from the truck, and boxes of goods were being unloaded and piled up on the open ground in front of the door.

A person holding a tablet was counting things up nearby, swiping something on the tablet as they counted.

Xu Xiaoyan stood aside, watching this scene, somewhat bewildered.

She thought this was the prime time to buy goods, so she quickly brought them back before the store opened, just in time for it to open.

But these vehicles in front of me seem to be there to deliver goods, not to haul cargo.

What about the person who buys the goods?

She looked around and saw that there were indeed people waiting at the entrance, but they were obviously waiting to receive goods, not like her who had come in an empty car. Apart from them, there were no other cars in line.

Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but wonder and peeked inside. The room was brightly lit, with rows of shelves neatly arranged and filled with all sorts of supplies.

What's going on? She suddenly remembered a post on the forum that said supply points sometimes adjust delivery times, sometimes limit the flow of people, sometimes... wait, what day of the week is it today?

She took out her phone and glanced at it; it was Wednesday.

Nothing special.

She looked at the delivery trucks again. She recognized the logos on them; they belonged to several major supply suppliers that frequently appeared on the Dungeon GG brand.

They have their own warehouse and their own transportation team, delivering goods to various supply points every day. In theory, they should deliver goods in the early morning, before the supply points open. They unload the goods and leave, so as not to delay the people who come to pick up goods in the morning.

It's already 6:30, and they're still unloading.

What does this tell us?

Either they arrived late, or the supply point opened late.

Xu Xiaoyan stood there, watching the busy unloading workers, and suddenly felt that something was wrong.

After thinking about it, she decided to go in and take a look. She walked around the trucks unloading goods and headed towards the entrance of the supply point.

A middle-aged man who looked like a security guard was sitting on a plastic chair at the entrance, holding a thermos and slowly drinking water.

"Excuse me, sir," Xu Xiaoyan said, walking over and trying to keep her tone casual, "Why are there so few people coming in to buy goods today?"

The security guard looked up at her, then looked down again, took a sip of water, and slowly said, "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

The security guard gestured with his chin toward the inside, "No stock today."

Xu Xiaoyan was taken aback. "Out of stock? What do you mean?"

"We're out of stock," the security guard said impatiently. "Yesterday's shipment wasn't fully replenished, and this morning there was even less. Those people—" He gestured with his chin toward the unloading truck, "Only half of what we usually deliver has arrived. We don't know when the other half will arrive."

Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

The security guard shrugged. "How would I know? What happens upstairs has nothing to do with us." He took a sip of water and added, "If you want to stock up, come back this afternoon. Maybe we can get some."

Xu Xiaoyan thanked them and walked into the supply point. It was indeed deserted inside, with only a few staff members moving around between the rows of shelves.

A woman in blue overalls pushed a cart past, carrying several boxes of carrots. Xu Xiaoyan stopped her. "Excuse me, ma'am, why is there so little stock today?"

The woman stopped, glanced at her, and asked with a hint of wariness in her eyes, "Are you new here?"

"Yes, we just moved here yesterday."

The woman's expression softened slightly, and she lowered her voice, saying, "Things haven't been quite right these past few days. I heard there's a problem with the shipping line, but nobody knows the specifics. If you have any stockpiled goods, hold on for a few days and don't rush to sell them."

"A few days?"

The woman shook her head. "Nobody knows."

She pushed the cart away, then turned back after a few steps and said, "By the way, if you really need it urgently, you can try your luck in the North District."

Xu Xiaoyan walked out of the supply point, returned to the car, started the engine, but did not start driving immediately.

How long have we been in the dungeon? How come the transport line is already having problems? Could it be that some people are hoarding goods and deliberately holding them back from being released?

If you enjoy stories about surviving the apocalypse by stockpiling supplies, please bookmark: Apocalypse Stockpiling Survival Story