Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess

As Qingran drove out of the warehouse district, she tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. Fuel would be a trickier purchase than food. She couldn't just walk into a gas station and start filling dozens of containers without raising suspicion.

The most obvious solution was to buy fuel in bulk from suppliers, but those transactions were often regulated. If she wanted to secure a steady supply, she'd need an alternative method—preferably one that didn't leave a paper trail.

Lingquan's voice chimed in.

[Ding! Suggesting potential fuel acquisition methods:

1. Establish connections with black-market fuel suppliers.

2. Secure a direct purchase from gas station owners.

3. Buy fuel storage tanks and siphon gradually over time.]

Qingran considered her options. The black market would be risky, but dealing directly with station owners might be viable. If she could find someone willing to sell under the table, she could stockpile without drawing too much attention.

"Find independent gas stations with private ownership," she ordered.

[Ding! Searching…]

A few seconds later, a map flashed in her vision, highlighting several locations. One of them was a small family-run station on the outskirts of the city.

She changed lanes, heading in that direction.

Half an hour later, she pulled up to the modest gas station. It wasn't a major chain, just a small business that had likely been running for years. The owner, an older man in his late fifties, leaned against the counter inside, flipping through a newspaper.

Qingran stepped out of the car and walked inside. The man barely looked up until she spoke.

"I'm looking to buy fuel in bulk. Cash payment. No receipts."

That got his attention. He set the newspaper down and studied her. "How much are we talking?"

"Enough to fill a few storage tanks. I can take it in batches if necessary."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "You running some kind of business?"

"You could say that." Qingran smiled faintly. "I'm willing to pay 2% more for convenience and discretion."

He seemed to weigh his options before nodding. "We can work something out. But you bring your own containers. I don't handle transport."

"That's fine."

They agreed on a price, and Qingran left with a deal in place. She would come back later with the necessary storage tanks.

Her total price had boiled down to 30000 yuan which was the least she had spent since she began her stockpiling spree.

As she drove away, Lingquan spoke again.

[Ding! Host has successfully arranged a fuel supply. Task completion: 50%.]

"Good. Now let's find the right equipment to store it properly."

Meanwhile, across the city, inside a high-rise office, a man leaned back in his chair, staring at the system interface before him.

[Ding! Data scans completed. Three individuals are making significant high-volume purchases. One stands out.]

The system displayed the flagged individual's transaction history—an increasing pattern of bulk food purchases, discreet acquisitions, and a recent vehicle upgrade.

His lips curled. "Found you."

Once the transaction for the storage tanks was complete, Qingran arranged for the transport truck to deliver them directly to the private gas station owner.

When she arrived, the older man gave a nod of approval. "You move fast."

"No time to waste," she replied, watching as his workers began the fuel transfer.

It took nearly an hour to fill all five 500L tanks, and she kept an eye on the surroundings the entire time. No unusual activity, no curious onlookers—just a smooth, quiet transaction.

Once the fuel was fully loaded, she made another arrangement with the truck driver.

"Take the load to this location," she said, handing over a set of coordinates—a remote, deserted stretch of land outside the city. "No stops. I'll meet you there."

The driver, having been paid handsomely for his discretion, didn't ask questions. He simply nodded and got behind the wheel.

Qingran followed behind in her own vehicle, maintaining distance. The drive took nearly an hour, and by the time they reached the isolated site, the sun had nearly set.

The driver parked and hopped out. "You sure this is the place?"

"This is perfect," she said, handing him the rest of his payment. "You can go now."

Once the truck disappeared down the empty road, leaving her alone with five massive, fuel-filled storage tanks, Qingran exhaled in relief.

Now, she could work without anyone watching.

With a simple thought, she activated her system warehouse.

One by one, the storage tanks vanished into the void, neatly stored for when she needed them.

By the time she finished, the only sign of her presence was the tire tracks on the dirt road.

She dusted off her hands, got back into her car, and drove away—leaving no trace behind.

[Ding! Task Completed: Stockpile Additional Fuel Reserves.]

[Reward: 30 gold coins.]

[Additional Reward: System private store discount unlocked for purchases over 500 coins.]

As she headed back to the city, Lingquan's voice chimed again.

[Ding! Warning! Host's high-volume purchases are starting to attract external attention.]

Her eyes narrowed.

It seemed someone was watching.

"Seems like I'll have to tune down my spending. Now that I've secured food, fuel and transportation already. What's left is medical supplies, weapons, and survival gear.."

[Ding! Host has attracted the eyes of a predator. The host is not safe. ]

[Ding! New task!

Host has been asked to lie low until the suspicions die down.

Rewards: It's for your own good.]

"…."

Qingran hissed, what kind of task was this? But she couldn't say anything, she had been spending outrageous and someone was bound to notice.

But how? Why would someone be watching her movement?

Could it be the person was another system user. When the thought clicked, she immediately hissed again.

"Lingquan search for all possible system hosts near me. Especially the one tracking me.."

[Ding! Command accepted. Running data scans on tracker and possible system host nearby. Will alert host once matches are found]

Qingran breathed in and then out, once she found the tracker she would know how to plan her movement. But for now she was heading home to relax her back.