Wendy Keller had already dismissed the nanny and driver, giving them a generous severance package. Wendy even urged them to stock up on food, mentioning that the news had forecast a severe winter. She also gave each of them a special insulated jacket from the Glacius Research Base, having done all she possibly could for them.
After several days of frantic activity, only three women and a child remained in the house. Sue Lawrence didn't stay idle; she had the family start packing up essential items.
"I'll go make lunch. You guys go to your rooms and pack. Figure out a way to sell everything non-essential, or just trade it directly for gold."
'Gold might be useless during the apocalypse, but after it ends, it'll be needed for rebuilding. Bases will need a stable metal like gold.'
"I'll go with Grandma," Leo piped up.
Leo followed behind Vivian Young. The two adults and one child hurried upstairs, and Sue Lawrence turned to start cooking.
She made three dishes and steamed a large pot of rice for the four of them. When she went out to call everyone to eat, she found the living room already piled high with things.
All sorts of luxury goods were heaped on the floor. Suitcases lay open, filled with tracksuits, sneakers, and warm clothing—in short, not a single dress or useless garment in sight.
Upstairs, the two adults and one child were still continuously carrying things down.
"Let's eat first."
"Okay!"
With an unspoken understanding, they all washed their hands and sat down to eat.
Meanwhile, Elliot Lawrence finally met with Silas Hawthorne.
The man was tall, with features as perfect as a sculpture. His tailored suit was impeccable, and he carried the aloof air of someone in a position of great power.
Getting a meeting with Silas Hawthorne was difficult; Elliot Lawrence had to ask a friend to pull some strings. No matter what, he had to find out what really happened at that bar six years ago.
"Mr. Lawrence, you were looking for me?"
Elliot Lawrence nodded. "I heard that you specialize in network technology and artificial intelligence, Mr. Hawthorne. I was wondering if you could help me recover a video recording from six years ago."
"I'll try."
'He didn't refuse, so there's a chance? A six-year-old video... I've scoured the entire internet, and no one could recover it. Silas Hawthorne can actually do it?'
Elliot Lawrence was astonished. He watched Silas Hawthorne's long fingers tap away at the keyboard. The video should have been completely irretrievable, yet he somehow had a way to extract it.
Though filled with questions, Elliot didn't press the matter. It wasn't his place to know such things.
"Done."
The laptop was pushed in front of Elliot Lawrence, and Silas Hawthorne prepared to leave.
"Mr. Hawthorne!"
Elliot Lawrence called out to him, glancing around to ensure they were alone. "I hear this winter will be particularly harsh."
'If something really is going on, the Hawthorne Family is likely the only one in all of Stellaport with access to so-called classified information.'
'Besides, the man who vanished for six years has now returned to Stellaport, hasn't he?'
The man paused, turning back to look at him with a meaningful expression. "Mr. Lawrence, you might want to turn on the television and watch the news right now."
With that said, he left without a backward glance.
Elliot Lawrence's expression turned grim, but he immediately pulled out his phone and opened a news app.
At the same time, the four people eating at home also turned on the television.
"This year is forecast to be the most severe winter on record, with minimum temperatures at least ten degrees lower than previous years. The coldest period is expected to occur in deep winter, accompanied by a massive cold wave. Experts are urging all citizens to take precautions against the cold and to stock up on basic supplies..."
Sue Lawrence froze for a moment when she saw the news report.
'This news report didn't exist in my past life. Why has it changed now that I'm back? It's almost as if the government is deliberately telling everyone that extreme cold is coming and that they need to prepare.'
Vivian Young pointed at the television. "Sue, does this count as an official announcement? Tomorrow, you and I will go stock up on supplies. Jenny is pregnant, so she can stay home and look after Leo."
The three women nodded in agreement. Jenny Norris's mood grew heavy, and she touched her abdomen with a worried expression.
'This baby... should I keep it or not?'
Elsewhere, after watching the entire video by himself, Elliot Lawrence slammed his hand on the table in a rage, his eyes turning bloodshot.
"So she really was set up!"
In the video, he saw a strange man furtively sprinkle some white powder into Sue Lawrence's drink. The action was covert, but the surveillance camera captured it clearly. Not long after Sue drank from that glass, her eyes glazed over and she became disoriented. The man who drugged her then pretended to help her up, half-carrying and half-dragging her toward the exit. And in a booth not far away, Jason Sterling sat watching. His gaze swept over the scene more than three times, the corner of his mouth even curling into a faint, cold smirk. He never once moved to stop it, not even to offer a single word of warning!
"That animal!" Elliot Lawrence snarled, veins throbbing on his temples. "For all these years, you, Jason Sterling, have been playing the victim, crying 'thief' while being the thief yourself! You spread rumors that Sue was pregnant with another man's child and had betrayed you, all while you just sat back and watched her get set up! Even if you weren't the mastermind, you're still an accomplice!"
What infuriated him even more was the realization that for years, the Lawrence Group had been lenient with the Sterling Group. All to protect Sue Lawrence's reputation and because they had bought into Jason Sterling's "victim" narrative. They had yielded on projects, given up the largest share of profits, turned a blind eye to debts, and even deliberately humbled themselves, all for fear of provoking the "wronged" Jason and causing Sue further embarrassment.
"Get me the executive department!" Elliot Lawrence snatched the intercom phone, his voice as cold as ice. "Immediately sever all cooperation with the Sterling Group and terminate all ongoing projects! Reclaim every cent of profit we've conceded. As for the debts the Sterling Group owes, give them three days to pay it all back. If they're late, charge the highest penalty interest. If they dare to delay, take immediate legal action!"
The executive on the other end of the line didn't dare hesitate and immediately began carrying out the orders, instantly unleashing a tempest.
In just twenty-four short hours, the Sterling Group felt the full force of a cataclysmic disaster.
Cooperative projects that had been sailing smoothly were abruptly halted, rendering all preliminary investments a total loss. The Lawrence Group suddenly tightened its credit, and collection notices for several large debts flew in like a snowstorm, completely draining the Sterling Group's liquid assets. On the stock market, the Lawrence Group mercilessly dumped all of its Sterling Group shares, triggering a chain reaction. The Sterling Group's stock price plummeted off a cliff, its market value evaporating by hundreds of millions as panicked shareholders sold off their holdings and fled.
In the chairman's office of the Sterling Group, Wyatt Sterling stared at the loss report before him, his brow furrowed into a tight knot. He dialed Jason Sterling's number, his voice filled with suppressed fury. "What the hell is going on? The Lawrence Group suddenly turned on us. Did you do something to offend them?"
Jason Sterling, on the other end of the line, was already at his wit's end. But knowing that Sue Lawrence had now returned to the Lawrence Family, he could only bite the bullet and say, "Dad, I officially broke up with her."
"Idiot!" Wyatt Sterling exploded. "Other people might not know that Sue Lawrence is the heiress to the Lawrence Group, but how could you not? If we hadn't been banking on our connection to the Lawrence Family all those years ago, would the Sterling Group even be where it is today? You break up with her now? Do you think this company isn't dying fast enough?"
"Dad, what are you panicking for?" Jason Sterling replied nonchalantly, a hint of smugness in his voice. "The apocalypse is about to begin. Money and companies are meaningless. The only way to survive is to hoard enough supplies and find a safe shelter! When the end of the world comes, what good will all the Lawrence Family's money be? They'll have to rely on us! When that time comes, the Sterling Group will be the sole power!"
Jason pressed his advantage. "Dad, we need to hurry and find a way to buy an abandoned mine! Something remote with a lot of space. It'll be perfect to convert into a shelter where we can stockpile food, medicine, and fuel. Doesn't Sue Lawrence have a mine? If she refuses to sell, then let her hold on to that useless piece of rock! Only I know how to use a mine to survive the apocalypse. After all," he added, "I'm the one who came back with memories from a past life!"