Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Chapter 561: An Email from Jiangnan District

Lu Keran's face turned even redder at Zhang Yi’s praise, but she still spoke excitedly, "Big bro, I… I want to build a mech! Can I?"

Zhang Yi blinked in surprise.

"A mech?"

In his mind, that kind of thing only existed in sci-fi movies.

Of course, in the year 2051, humanity had already developed early prototypes of mechs. But they were ridiculously expensive and not yet advanced enough for mass production. No country had fielded a full-fledged mech army yet.

There were, however, a few independent workshops where enthusiasts had built exoskeletons for personal use.

Seeing Zhang Yi’s skepticism, Lu Keran scratched her head awkwardly. "Actually, the reason I became a mechanical engineer in the first place was that I love robots. Building a mech has always been my dream!"

"I never dared to think about it before. The construction is too complicated—there are over ten thousand different components required."

She clenched her right hand, confidence shining in her eyes.

"After replicating the Origin Bullet, I feel like my ability might be able to make mechs a reality."

"What normal humans can’t achieve, maybe superhumans can!"

Zhang Yi chuckled.

"If that’s what you want to do, then go for it! I support you."

Lu Keran fidgeted, clasping her hands behind her back. "But… it’s going to take a lot of materials."

Zhang Yi waved a hand dismissively. "No problem. Just tell me what you need!"

Materials? That was the least of his concerns.

With an entire city like Tianhai at his disposal, how could he not get the materials she needed?

At that moment, he had no idea that his casual promise would bring him major trouble down the line.

He had forgotten to ask just how complicated the materials for a mech would be…

With his new weapons in hand, Zhang Yi was like a child with brand-new toys.

Ever since the apocalypse, he had developed an obsession with high-powered weaponry.

Though the war in Tianhai City was over, he remained vigilant. Every day, he spent hours training.

First, he practiced martial arts with Liang Yue.

His close-combat skills were a weak point, so improving his hand-to-hand combat was crucial. He didn’t have to fight up close, but he needed to be capable of it.

Second, he worked on developing his superhuman ability.

By now, his power level was on par with Bian Junwu’s. Though he wasn’t as monstrous as Yuan Kongye, he was still a formidable superhuman.

With great power came subtle changes in his abilities. Zhang Yi needed time to familiarize himself with his upgraded skills.

His intense training set the pace for everyone else in the shelter.

Even Uncle You and Fatty Xu couldn’t afford to slack off.

After learning about the ranking system for superhumans, they realized they were Delta-tier—meaning their potential had a hard cap.

But Zhang Yi had reminded them that power level wasn’t everything.

A well-trained lower-tier superhuman could still take down a stronger opponent with skill and strategy.

So they trained relentlessly, determined not to be a burden in future battles.

Deep down, everyone sensed that their peaceful days wouldn’t last forever.

At some point—maybe soon—they would face new challenges.

That day came sooner than expected.

Because an email from Jiangnan District had just arrived in Zhang Yi’s inbox.

It was a rare clear evening. The snowfall had stopped, and the weak sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting a pale glow over the shelter.

The sun was white, its light cold and devoid of warmth—just bright enough to illuminate the frost-covered ground.

Inside the shelter, Zhang Yi lounged in the living room, sitting across from the roaring fireplace.

The firewood crackled, its orange flames flickering as wisps of smoke were drawn away by the air filtration system.

Zhang Yi wore a plush blue fleece robe, his bare feet resting on an imported Roman-style couch.

Yang Siyah sat beside him, practicing a new foot massage technique she had recently learned.

As he scrolled through his phone, Zhang Yi’s eyes landed on an email labeled "Jiangnan District Supreme Commander’s Office."

His instincts immediately went on high alert.

"Did Baili Changqing break his promise and leak my information?"

Zhang Yi frowned slightly.

His life was incredibly comfortable right now. The last thing he wanted was to be roped into working for someone else.

He clicked on the email and read through it carefully.

His expression relaxed.

It wasn’t a personal message—it was an open letter.

The contents were a command issued to every major superhuman organization in Jiangnan District.

All superhumans were ordered to report to Jiangnan District Headquarters on April 8th—without exception.

The message was signed by Zhu Zheng, Supreme Commander of Jiangnan District.

There were no threats in the email.

But it didn’t take a genius to figure out what would happen to anyone who refused to go.

Ignoring the summons would be the same as declaring war against Jiangnan District.

And that would mean facing the full wrath of Jiangnan’s military.

Zhang Yi had no doubt that a unit like Bian Junwu’s Black Robe Squad could wipe out an entire city’s worth of superhuman factions with ease.

"So, the day has finally come. No surprise there."

Zhang Yi sighed lazily.

He wasn’t thrilled about leaving Tianhai City, but he had always known this day would come.

Ever since the Glacial Age began, centralized governance had collapsed, leaving each region to fend for itself.

Countless independent factions had risen from the chaos.

Now that things were stabilizing, the larger powers were bound to start reasserting control.

If left unchecked, the fragmented warlord states would eventually plunge the world into deeper chaos.

And if an external enemy appeared, they would be too divided to fight back.

Jiangnan District was simply making its move—consolidating the scattered cities under its rule.

Zhang Yi understood their logic.

He just hated being dragged into it.

His only concern was managing his own little territory.

And he wasn’t the only one who received this email.

Across Jiangnan District’s hundreds of cities, every major faction had been contacted.

Reactions varied.

"Jiangnan District is calling us in? What is this, a pilgrimage?"

"Are we going to war? …Nah, probably not yet."

"Damn, I don’t wanna go! I’m living like a damn king out here! Too bad I can’t fight them—guess I have no choice."

"I wonder what the outside world looks like now… Might as well go check it out."

Zhang Yi lazily scrolled through his phone.

He knew he couldn’t refuse.

Even with his newfound strength, there was no point in going against the biggest power in the region.

But before making any decisions, he needed information.

He pulled up Baili Changqing’s contact number, smirked, and pressed dial.

Author's Note