When the heat wave hit, I was working at the National Weather Service and was the first to spot the climate irregularities. I warned my family to get ready ahead of time.

My parents trusted me without question. They even proposed starting a "family survival fund."

They told me to use the savings I'd built up since graduating to stock up on supplies, promising that they and my little sister would chip in every dollar they had too. If we were going to make it, we had to stick together as a family.

I smiled. "Sure. I'll take care of the plans."

That same night, I converted every penny into gold and locked it in a safe. I also went all out into building an apocalypse-proof bunker.

When doomsday finally came, they showed up demanding the money we'd pooled together.

"Hand over all the gold," they said coldly. "A deadweight like you is just wasting resources by staying alive."

Smiling, I tossed them the safe with the gold inside, then sealed the bunker, locking them out completely.

Laughing triumphantly, they opened the safe… and stared in shock at what they saw inside.

I had just gotten off work when my father, Stanley Reily, came looking for me.

He didn't bother with small talk, asking anxiously, "Amelia, I heard through some back channels that an extreme-heat apocalypse is coming. You work at the National Weather Service—you should know best. Is that true?"

I thought for a moment before answering. "I can't be certain either, but we can start preparing ahead of time."

The moment the words left my mouth, my mother's face drained of color. She grabbed my arm. "Then what are we supposed to do? You're the expert—think of something, quick."

My father looked at me, his expression heavy. "Amelia, why don't we set up a family survival fund? We'll put you fully in charge. If the apocalypse really comes, at least we'll be ready."

I agreed without hesitation. "All right."

He continued, "You've been working for years since graduating. You've saved up quite a bit, so naturally you'll be contributing the largest share—"

Before he could finish, I took out my salary card and placed it on the table. "That's fine. This is my entire income. I'll put all of it in."

The three of them lit up instantly.

Then I changed the subject. "Hand over everything valuable you own as well— including all the jewelry you're wearing."

"What?" Daisy Mitchell shrieked first, reflexively clutching her necklace.

"Amelia, what do you mean by that? Your dad gave me these for our wedding. How could you—"

"Mom," I cut her off coldly, my gaze utterly calm, "in the apocalypse, jewelry can't be eaten, and they won't protect you from eighty-degree heat."

Denise Reily's expression shifted too. She stroked her pink diamond ring like a treasured possession and forced a smile. "Sis, aren't you being a little extreme? It wouldn't hurt to keep one or two pieces, right? What if we need them later…"

"There is no 'what if,'" I said flatly, leaving no room for negotiation.

I turned to my father. "Dad, you decide. In my plan, there is no allowance for private stashes. Any amount of hidden reserves could be the last straw that crushes our chances of survival. After all, we're facing a global disaster."

"Listen to Amelia!" he barked, making his decision.

Daisy and Denise looked pained and unwilling, but in the end, they obediently handed everything over.

I scanned the pile and nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now, write down the passwords to all your bank cards."

The next day, I received a bank card holding all of their savings—280 thousand dollars.

Daisy took my hand, her voice earnest. "Amelia, this is our family's entire hope. You need to spend it carefully."

I accepted the cards and nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, Mom. I will."

Next, I turned on my computer, logged into a professional asset valuation website, and entered the information for the apartment we were currently living in.

A number quickly popped up on the screen.

Market valuation: 450 thousand dollars.

The corners of my lips curved slightly.

Relying on their savings alone wouldn't be nearly enough. This house, too, was about to make its contribution to the "family survival fund."

"What? You want to mortgage the house?"

When I made the suggestion, Stanley and Daisy reacted even more strongly than I had expected.

Daisy's eyes widened like bells, her voice jumping an octave. "This is outrageous! Amelia, do you even know what you're saying?"

She looked as if she might faint at any second. "This house is something your father and I worked our entire lives for! And Denise is supposed to inherit it when she gets married someday! No—absolutely not!"

Denise panicked as well, tears pooling in her eyes. "That's right. If the house is gone, where are we supposed to live in the future?"

I looked at them and spoke slowly, enunciating every word. "I know a major player in finance. She's willing to bring me into an investment—returns of at least double. But she has requirements. We need sufficient cash flow."

"Double?" Stanley's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Yes." I raised the stakes. "And she's also agreed to build us a doomsday shelter and invest an equivalent amount in gold bars."

The picture I painted was far too tempting. The resistance on their faces began to waver.

Daisy asked in a low voice, "Then… what if the apocalypse never comes?"

"If it doesn't," I replied calmly, "we'll still have the gold."

That sentence shattered their final line of defense.

I pressed on while the iron was hot. "Dad, this is our only chance. Either we cling to a house that will be worth nothing in the apocalypse and wait to die together—

"Or we take a gamble and come out ahead no matter what. You're the head of the family. The decision is yours."

I tossed the ball back into his court.

After a long moment, Stanley slammed his palm onto the table.

"Fine! We'll do it. Mortgage the house!"

Over the next few days, I handled all the paperwork with astonishing efficiency. When Stanley and Daisy signed their names on the property deed, their hands were still shaking.

The 450-thousand-dollar loan was transferred into my account soon after.

Staring at the long string of numbers in my mobile banking app, the smile at the corner of my lips deepened.

That afternoon, I came home carrying a case of gold.

Right in front of them, I stacked the gold bars neatly into the safe.

"Amelia… this—this much gold… will just sit there?" Stanley's voice was dry as he couldn't help reaching out to touch it.

I closed the safe, neatly avoiding his hand.

"Yes. The password is Denise's birthday, plus Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary," I said softly. "Now you can all rest easy, right?"

The three of them exchanged glances, their expressions visibly relaxing.

I curved my lips into a silent smile.

Day by day, time slipped past, and the moment of the apocalypse drew closer.

The oppressive heat in the air grew more pronounced. By afternoon, the sunlight carried a searing sting against the skin.

A few days later, the central air conditioner at home broke down, its cooling power drastically reduced. After checking it, the repairman said the compressor had aged and needed replacing—it would cost over three hundred.

"Replace it! It has to be replaced!" Daisy fanned herself irritably in the living room. "It's hot as hell already. How are we supposed to live without air-conditioning?"

Stanley was drenched in sweat as well. "It does need to be replaced. Amelia, the money…"

"Dad, I already said it before," I replied evenly. "Not a single cent from the fund should be touched."

Seeing Stanley's temper about to flare, I shifted gears. "But since everyone's having such a hard time, I do have a compromise."

"What is it?" they asked at once.

"One of my coworkers has a rental house in the suburbs, with a basement. His whole family is emigrating soon and he's planning to rent it out.

"The environment's decent, and more importantly, it's cool. We can stay there for a while. Once our bunker is finished, we'll move in."

All three of them lit up. Daisy asked eagerly, "Really? How much will it cost? Amelia, you're close with him—have him let us stay for free!"

I smiled faintly. "It's free. Don't worry, just stay there. We're family, after all."

Daisy immediately beamed, then looked at me with a troubled expression. "Amelia, building the bunker is such a big project. Someone has to keep an eye on the construction every day, right? Your father and I are getting old, and Denise doesn't understand these things…"

I sneered inwardly, but put on a puzzled look. "Mom, what do you mean?"

Daisy slapped her thigh. "The three of us will go live in the rental place. You stay here. It'll be convenient for you to watch the construction site every day and supervise the progress."

Stanley cleared his throat, putting on the air of the head of the household. "Your mother's right."

"All right…" I said, my face filled with reluctance and grievance.

The very next day, Stanley called me.

"Amelia! Where the hell are you?!"

The moment I picked up, his hysterical roar exploded through the phone. In the background were Denise and Daisy's shrill cries.

"What kind of garbage place did you rent for us? There's an abandoned pig farm right next door! And there's no air-conditioning! Is the bunker finished yet? Hurry and take us there! We're about to be roasted alive!"

He screamed into the phone, his voice wild with agitation and impatience.

"Oh, the bunker?" I drawled. "I'm already inside."

On the other end of the line, there was a deathly silence—about three seconds long.

Then came an even more furious scream, this time Daisy's.

"Amelia, you ungrateful wretch! You're enjoying the bunker alone?! You're leaving us out here to die? Have you no conscience? We're your parents!"

"That's right, Amelia!" Denise's sobbing voice cut in. "How can you be so selfish? The bunker was built with money we all put in! What right do you have to take it all for yourself? Come out and get us! Now!"

I let out a soft laugh. "Why the rush? The safe's key and the address of the bunker are both inside. And the password—you already know it, don't you?"

From the other end came frantic rummaging sounds, mixed with barely restrained delight.

"Found it! We found it!"

Leisurely, I leaned back on the sofa and switched to the surveillance feed of the safe.

I watched as the three of them crowded around the safe, entering the password.

Their faces bloomed with the wild joy of survivors spared from disaster.

Then… the smiles froze.

The safe was completely empty.

"Where's the gold?! Where did our gold go?!"