Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 246

According to the information from the travel guide combined with the details from the tourism app, the three of them decided not to stay in a hotel this time. Hotels have too many people coming and going, making it easier to encounter other travelers.
Besides, they couldn’t just hide out in a safe place for all twenty-two days. In addition to finding the hidden station, they also needed to walk around, explore the area, and trigger more hints.
First, to increase their chances of getting train tickets; second, because Lin Wu also had an Easter egg fragment at this station, though its exact location was still unknown.
To accomplish these goals, they needed to go out often, and staying in a hotel with constant foot traffic wouldn’t be convenient.
So, while eating at a Western restaurant, the three of them discussed their options and ultimately decided to rent a seaside villa. It didn’t have to be large, just two bedrooms and a kitchen for cooking would suffice.
In the end, they chose a villa located at the southeastern corner of the island. The villa faced the sea but wasn’t directly on the beach. Instead, it sat atop a low hill, right at the edge, with a wooden terrace extending toward the south.
Its location was ideal—they could use the main entrance or climb up from the hill to enter through a window if needed.
Since it wasn’t a water villa or directly on the beach, the price was quite reasonable. A three-bedroom, one-living-room villa with a kitchen was only 2,000 per day. They paid upfront for ten days.
After that, they booked a car through a rental service. They chose an electric car and paid extra to have it delivered to them.
With their accommodation and transportation settled, the next step was stocking up on supplies. Now that their team had grown, Yu Xi thought it was best not to rely solely on her own judgment when hoarding supplies. Both Ya Tong and Lin Wu probably had their own preferences.
Lin Wu’s 10-cubic-meter space could hold some essential items, while the less critical supplies could go into hers.
“Let’s split up for shopping; otherwise, we’ll draw too much attention,” Yu Xi suggested. After all, once she started shopping, it was never just a few things.
Lin Wu agreed. He wasn’t too picky and mainly needed essentials like tissues and disposable underwear. He also remembered seeing a section for water sports gear at the supermarket.
“I saw a water sports section earlier,” he said. “You only have two sets of diving gear, and there’s just one oxygen tank. I’ll grab some extras while I’m there. You two handle the food and water; I’ll eat whatever you get.”
Yu Xi gave him an OK sign, then headed off with Ya Tong toward the food section.
She had assumed Ya Tong would go straight for the instant food aisle—like instant noodles, self-heating hotpots, and self-heating rice—but instead, she made a beeline for the fresh produce section.
After asking Yu Xi about the types and quantities of fruits and vegetables she already had, Ya Tong gave her a surprised look.
“You didn’t buy a single fresh vegetable? That’s not like you,” she said.
Yu Xi looked embarrassed. “With such short station durations, and me always being alone, I never bothered buying fresh produce. I just grabbed a box of dehydrated vegetables for emergencies.”
Ya Tong messed up Yu Xi’s hair with a laugh. “This store has pre-washed, pre-cut veggies. We’ll grab a few packs—they’re convenient. I’ll do the cooking.”
With that, she headed to the premium ready-to-cook section.
The ready-to-cook packs were sorted by dish type: hotpot, stir-fry, and salads. Each tray contained measured portions of vegetables, along with garlic, ginger, and sauce packets.
While Ya Tong focused on stir-fry and salad packs, Yu Xi grabbed all the hotpot packs she could find. She hadn’t had hotpot since entering the Endless Train world, and now that there were three of them, hotpot suddenly seemed like a fantastic idea.
Their cart was soon loaded with a colorful array of produce packs, leaving just enough room for fruit. Yu Xi restocked her usual fruits, then added tropical options she hadn’t bought before: jackfruit, durian, papaya, pineapple, and starfruit. Only the papaya and starfruit had skins; the rest were pre-cut for convenience. She grabbed ten boxes of each.
Next, she grabbed a case of apples and crystal pears.
Given the island’s abundance of coconuts, the supermarket offered various coconut drinks. After taste-testing a few, they settled on two particularly sweet brands and bought five cases of each—240 boxes in total.
Other shoppers glanced their way, but this was a tourist-heavy area where people often bought souvenirs in bulk. Still, their produce-heavy cart attracted some curious stares.
At checkout, the rental company called to say the car had arrived. Yu Xi instructed them to park at the supermarket’s exit, then wheeled the cart over.
The car was a spacious electric SUV with tinted windows for privacy. After confirming the details with the delivery agent, Yu Xi opened the trunk and started transferring everything into her space.
Once the car was empty, the two women headed back inside for round two.
This time, they hit the condiment aisle, filling their cart with cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, pepper, cumin, and curry powder. They grabbed two large bottles of each, plus a case of salt—fifty bags in total.
Next stop: the hotpot section. They picked out twenty bags of spicy beef broth and twenty bags of clear lamb broth. Then they loaded up on frozen lamb and beef rolls—twenty packs each—along with assorted fish balls, tofu skins, and konjac noodles.
By the time they returned to the car, Lin Wu was already there, holding a bag of supplies with one hand while peeling an orange with the other.
He grinned when he saw their mountain of groceries.
“Looks like you went all out,” he said.
Yu Xi chuckled. “You’ll thank us when you’re eating hotpot later.”
Ya Tong patted the bag slung across his shoulder. “Get what you needed?”
“Yep. More oxygen tanks, underwater flashlights, and even a waterproof drone.”
“Perfect,” Yu Xi said, shoving the last bag into her space. “Let’s go set up the villa.”
The three of them got into the car and drove toward their seaside hideout, ready to settle in for their first night on Paradise Island.
Since this was a task site, they couldn’t treat a hotpot meal as they would in everyday life—having both meat and vegetables was already good enough.
But being on an island meant the supermarket was well-stocked with seafood. After looking around, Yu Xi and Ya Tong selected four types: salmon sashimi, bread crabs, tiger prawns, and oysters.
These choices required little preparation. The salmon could be eaten raw, and the others just needed to be boiled and dipped in a sauce of soy sauce and oyster sauce.
After grabbing the seafood, they moved to the fresh meat section. The most convenient options were lamb chops and beef steaks, so they took twenty portions of each. For other meats, they planned to get takeaway from nearby restaurants later.
Next came breakfast essentials: eggs, milk, bacon, ham slices, cheese, butter, and bread.
Milk was especially important for coffee. In addition to fresh milk, Yu Xi grabbed several cases of shelf-stable milk and stocked up on both instant and drip-bag coffee.
After checking out, they wheeled their cart to the underground garage, transferred everything into the car (and into Yu Xi’s space), and headed back toward the supermarket.
On the way, they passed a liquor store. Yu Xi noticed Ya Tong glancing back at it repeatedly, so she hooked her arm through hers and led her inside. They walked out carrying two large shopping bags filled with cigarettes and alcohol.
A little further along, they passed a snack shop with shelves full of treats: gummy candies, chocolates, cookies, pastries, seaweed, duck tongues, beef jerky, dried fruits, and nuts.
Ya Tong wasn’t much of a snacker, but Yu Xi loved these kinds of things. Small, individually wrapped snacks were great for curbing hunger—or boredom—on long trips.
“Fine, let’s get some!” Ya Tong declared, pulling her inside.
They emerged with four enormous shopping bags and decided to skip the supermarket for now, heading straight back to the car to offload their haul.
With that, they had stocked enough fresh food to last them a while. Rice, flour, and similar staples could wait—they were easy to find at any supermarket later.
But they still needed clothing and daily necessities, so the two women headed to the sportswear section. There, they picked out seven or eight sets of athletic clothes for each person: T-shirts, shorts, long pants, sun-protective jackets, arm sleeves, waterproof coats, sneakers, and sandals.
Then they moved on to household items, grabbing food containers, trash bags, tissues, wet wipes, toilet paper, disposable underwear, and feminine hygiene products.
Yu Xi had barely stocked any period supplies before, so she grabbed a bunch of night pads, day pads, and period pants.
Meanwhile, Ya Tong took things a step further and grabbed a pack of birth control pills.
“It delays your period,” she explained matter-of-factly.
Yu Xi gave her a bewildered look, prompting Ya Tong to sigh.
“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, tossing the box into the cart. “I died of natural causes. By the time I died, menopause had already kicked in. Then I get revived in System Tower with a healthy thirty-year-old body, and bam—my period comes back.”
Yu Xi couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s rough.”
Right then, Lin Wu called to say he was done with his shopping. He had bought everything from inflatable life rafts to oxygen tanks and waterproof earplugs. He’d even purchased two manual motors that could be attached to the life rafts, allowing them to operate like small speedboats.
Since the equipment was bulky, he’d arranged for it to be delivered near their villa’s entrance.
The three of them agreed that they’d done enough shopping for the day. There were still twenty-one days ahead—plenty of time for more runs.
They drove back to the villa, which stood alone on a hillside overlooking the sea. It was a single-story house with a spacious wooden deck facing the ocean.
The view was breathtaking: in the distance, the water shimmered deep blue, gradually fading to a crystal-clear turquoise closer to shore. The vibrant green of the shallow water combined with the white sands to create a picture-perfect scene.
Inside, the villa had an induction stove. As evening fell, the three of them set up a hotpot dinner, dragging a table and chairs onto the deck.
The ingredients were simple—just a few vegetables, seafood, and thinly sliced meat—but paired with the stunning view, even a bowl of instant noodles would have tasted divine.
They ended the meal with a box of jackfruit and three iced coffees.
As they cleared the table, they made a mental checklist of what they still needed: bottled water, warm clothing, and fuel.
Gasoline, especially, was a priority. In the Wasteland Zone, having a car without fuel had almost stranded them. The car’s air conditioning had been a lifesaver back there, and they didn’t want to repeat the experience of baking in a scorching vehicle.
Plus, both the raft motors and the portable generator Yu Xi had previously purchased required gasoline.
“Let’s focus on those items tomorrow,” Lin Wu said. “Once we’re stocked up, we can shift to analyzing Paradise Island’s layout.”
Yu Xi opened her notebook and unfolded a hand-drawn map for them. While the tourist guide’s printed maps were colorful, her line drawing was clearer and easier to interpret.
Paradise Island was crescent-shaped, curving from northwest to southeast.
The southern coast, where they were currently staying, boasted the best beaches and coral reefs.
To the west was Moonlight Bay, with its long stretch of beach and bustling hotels and shops.
The island’s center housed the main town with essential public services: the police station, library, school, and hospital. Most locals lived there.
The southeastern side had gentle hills dotted with villas like theirs—perfect for vacation rentals and quiet escapes.
The northeast featured ancient stone buildings and weathered totem poles, some of which dated back to prehistoric times. A small, low-lying island sat offshore, visible only at low tide.
The northern part of the island was mountainous and home to the Black Bora tribe. The tribe still lived in traditional villages and occasionally hosted tourists eager to experience their customs.
Yu Xi tapped the map. “That little offshore island,” she said. “Low tide exposes it. Maybe we should start there.”
“Agreed,” said Ya Tong.
“Let’s head out early tomorrow,” Lin Wu added.
The sea breeze carried away the scent of hotpot broth as they stared at the map. The island seemed peaceful now, but they all knew better than to trust appearances in this world.
The port and the airport are both located in the northwest corner.
Paradise Island has only one port and one airport. The airport is relatively small and can only accommodate light aircraft, while the port is larger, with separate areas for cargo and passenger operations.
Overall, the island doesn’t have many attractions. It’s primarily a leisure and vacation spot known for its natural seaside views, with most points of interest concentrated around the island’s perimeter.
Ya Tong gave Yu Xi an approving pat on the head. “You’ve drawn it so clearly, even marking the main roads. The west side is the beach bay, where the tourists gather. Tomorrow, we’ll drive along the coastline from the southeast corner, heading north, then circle the island to hit all the key locations.”
It was a solid plan, and both Yu Xi and Lin Wu agreed.
Although the three of them had spent a relatively laid-back and easy day, they didn’t let their guard down. They scheduled night shifts to ensure someone was always awake.
The first night passed peacefully, the only sounds being the steady rhythm of the ocean waves.
Ya Tong took the last shift. She’d gone to bed first and slept for six hours straight. By the time Yu Xi and Lin Wu woke up, she had already prepared breakfast.
The meal was simple but delicious: butter-toasted bread with ham, cheese, lettuce, and fried eggs. She hadn’t just made breakfast; she’d used up all the bread from the day before to make sandwiches, neatly packing them into containers that she lined up on the table.
When Yu Xi came into the kitchen and saw the thirty-odd containers, she clapped her hands in admiration. No wonder Ya Tong had asked her to leave the bread in the fridge the night before—she’d planned to turn it all into grab-and-go meals.
When the three of them stepped out of the villa, they bumped into the family of four staying in the villa next door.
The neighbors explained they were there for vacation and had only arrived half a day earlier. They mentioned smelling the hotpot during dinner and asked where they had bought their ingredients.
“Over by Moonlight Bay’s commercial street on the west side. There’s a big supermarket there with just about everything,” Yu Xi answered casually, pointing them in the right direction.
The family thanked them, and the trio set off.
They spent the entire day driving around the island, stopping at every major landmark. Nothing seemed unusual; everything remained peaceful and normal. No strange events, no ominous encounters, and not a single notification from their phones.
By afternoon, they reached the Black Bora Tribe’s village in the northern rainforest.
The village was lively, full of tourists dressed in traditional attire with colorful face paint. People joined in the dances and enjoyed local delicacies prepared in massive fire pits.
However, the tribe’s language was completely unintelligible to the trio. Ever since entering the Endless Train world, language had never been an issue—every station’s language had been automatically translated.
This was the first time it didn’t.
The realization made the three of them stay on high alert throughout dinner, but even when the event ended and the tribe members saw them off, nothing unusual happened.
That night, they drove south along the coastal road bordering Moonlight Bay.
The businesses along the road were already closed, and without the neon signs, the island seemed to dim considerably. The only exception was the sea: the moonlight reflected brightly off the calm waves.
The moon was nearly full, and with no pollution to soften its glow, it lit the water like a lantern suspended over the ocean.
For the next three days, they combed through the entire island. They even wandered around the town’s library and hospital but found nothing out of the ordinary.
During this time, Lin Wu successfully located his first Easter egg fragment after deciphering a clue.
Yet despite this small victory, none of them felt particularly optimistic.
By the fourth day, it was hard to remember they were in a task world at all.
Each day felt like a vacation: driving around, exploring the island, stopping for meals and snacks. They hadn’t seen a single hostile traveler or any sign of the violent, desperate behaviors common in other stations.
That night, as Yu Xi was closing the curtains, she glanced out the window and noticed the moon.
It was dimmer than before.
At first, she thought it might be cloud cover—but no, the moon was waning.
She noted the change and went to bed.
Just before dawn, she woke to the sound of screaming.
The noise came from a neighboring villa. Yu Xi immediately threw on her clothes and rushed outside, meeting Ya Tong and Lin Wu at the front door.
The villas were spaced apart, separated by clusters of tall trees. To reach the source of the sound, they had to follow a narrow, winding path.
The sky was still dark, and when they rounded the bend, the screaming had stopped.
The villa’s front door stood wide open. No lights were on, leaving the interior shrouded in shadow.
The three of them stopped at the entrance and exchanged wary glances.
No sounds came from inside.
Not even breathing.
The villa was empty.
Yu Xi’s pulse quickened.
That villa belonged to the family of four they had met just days before. From the moment they’d heard the scream to their arrival here, barely two minutes had passed.
The house sat on the same cliffside ridge as theirs, with only one road leading in and out.
The height of the cliff made escape without climbing equipment nearly impossible.
And yet, the entire family had vanished.