After comforting his wife, Lu Zhen turned back to old man Zhao and continued.
"If I tell you that by tomorrow night this world will end, would you believe me?" Lu Zhen asked.
Old man Zhao was startled by such a claim but didn't rush to refute Lu Zhen or scold him. He was quiet for a few minutes before he asked, "How reliable is your information source?"
"Very reliable. I would bet my life on it." Lu Zhen answered.
The old man was shocked by how confident the young man in front of him was. There was only one reason he would be so confident. Either he was crazy, or he was certain of the information he had received.
Old man Zhao preferred to bet on the second. He already knew that Lu Zhen was the CEO of Lu Group. A company that had grown rapidly since he took over.
He didn't believe that such a far-sighted young man would be delusional enough to make up stories about the end of the world.
"So, what do you want to do with my bookstore?" Old man Zhao asked.
This shocked both Lu Zhen and Leng Pan.
They didn't understand why he didn't ask more questions or call them crazy.
"Are you wondering why I am not asking more questions?" He asked.
Leng Pan sat up straight and almost blurted out, "How did you know?"
"I have lived for so long and have learnt to read people. I can tell you are telling the truth. Also, if you have read as many books as I have, then you would know that nothing is impossible. Including the end of the world." Old man Zhao said with a sigh.
Both Lu Zhen and Leng Pan were amazed by how accepting the old man was.
"But if the world is ending, what are you going to do with my store?" He asked this question because he was curious.
For many people, if they knew that the world was ending, they would be doing everything they can to fulfill their wishes and dreams, but these two were too calm.
"When I say that the world is ending, I don't mean that everything will cease to exist. It's just that the apocalypse is coming. There will be disasters, civilization will collapse, monsters will emerge, but humanity will always find a way to survive.
We are not just going to give in to fate. We will fight to survive. But in that situation, most of the current civilization will disappear.
You can imagine a world where education materials are lost, production chains break, technology no longer exists. Humanity will basically be beaten back to the stone age.
Children who are still young or those who are born later would have no way of learning. Without what we have now, we cannot count on a better future for the coming generations.
This is what my wife and I are trying to salvage.
Your bookstore has practically everything that could help to re-create civilization. With the materials in your store, humans can pick up the pieces and start over once they gain bearing in a world immersed in chaos." Lu Zhen explained.
"I see, but there are many books and journals in my store. Some are ancient and only a copy exists. If they are damaged, then that part of history will be lost. How are you going to deal with that?" Old man Zhao asked again.
"Don't worry grandpa Zhao, this is the legacy we are going to leave our children and we would not joke around with it. We have a way to keep everything in your store safe and in the best condition no matter the circumstances." Leng Pan replied to him.
Old man Zhao looked at them for a long time before saying, "Alright, I'll give the store to you. Make sure everything is well-preserved in the future." He finally made his decision.
"Thank you Grandpa Zhao." Both Lu Zhen and Leng Pan stood up and bowed to the old man.
"You don't need to be so formal. Sit down." Old man Zhao said.
The two sat back down and Lu Zhen asked, "How much is it?"
"Are we going to use money in the apocalypse?" The old man asked.
"No." Lu Zhen replied.
"Then what do I need money for? You are not preserving everything here for your own benefit but for all humanity. Can't you let me contribute a little?" He asked again seriously.
"Of course you can contribute. But is there anything we can do for you?" Leng Pan asked.
"No need, this is my small contribution to the survival of humanity." Old man Zhao said with a smile.
He was glad that his stubbornness had finally paid off.
If he had sold the store earlier to those profit-driven merchants, how could he make such a meaningful contribution?
"Okay, thank you grandpa Zhao. But I would at least advise you to move to a building at a higher ground. It's best if it's not near mountains as they may collapse due to mad slides if it rains heavily.
Also, buy lots of supplies, food, water, clothes of all seasons, and improve your security." Leng Pan suggested.
"Thank you. Don't worry." Old man Zhao said.
But the two didn't know that the old man didn't plan on surviving for long. He wanted to go and see his wife earlier.
So, even though he took their advice and bought some extra food and water, he didn't do anything else.
When things got bad, he was one of the first people to die. Fortunately, he didn't suffer, and died from some kind of poisonous gas shortly after the apocalypse started.
After finishing their conversation, the old man gave them all the keys to the bookstore and left.
Lu Zhen was glad that his decision didn't backfire.
"That was a huge gamble, but it paid off. I didn't think that Grandpa Zhao would believe you just like that." Leng Pan commented.
"Like he said, he has lived long enough and seen many people. He is a good judge of character. That's why he chose to believe us." Lu Zhen replied.
"I hope he survives," Leng Pan said again with a heavy heart.
"He is a good person. He will survive." Her husband comforted her.