Supply Shopping

Dominic closed his eyes for a few minutes to rest his eyes and organize his thoughts. He knew the destination he was heading towards, and before that, he needed to be sure of what he was about to do. As he had planned, in addition to buying resources, he wanted to store some of the things he couldn't keep at home near a church that was no more than a kilometer away. He could use that place to safeguard many of the things he might buy. But the most important thing now was to fill his house with the necessary resources to be safe. He needed that to be ready, considering he had to obey his father's warnings.

"First, I need to hire personnel." Dominic thought, slightly drowsy, while listening to the radio.

"[NASA's people keep their eyes on the massive sunspots in the sun's photosphere. Recently, the spots have been causing small explosions, reaching a critical level."

"The recent solar flare was very large, causing a malfunction in the communication equipment."

"The Earth's electromagnetic waves can travel to space from different electronic devices and expose particles, causing interruptions in communication.]"

As these news stories were being broadcast, two small trucks were heading towards a special place to hire day workers.

"That news has been circulating on TV and radio for days. I hope it doesn't really harm us too much, or I'll have to quit working," said the driver, who was a middle-aged man of about forty-five years old.

"I guess everything will be better in the future. Are you sure we can hire workers at the place we're going?" Dominic opened his eyes and looked at the driver.

"Of course, uncontracted immigrants gather at that place... They usually hang around those sites, and as a contractor, you can choose whom to hire. Of course, you should know that they charge a certain amount of cash per day, and the work shouldn't directly expose them to migration."

Immigrant workers were something present in every country in the world. While it's true that, particularly in the United States, in recent years they have come in droves to the country, and in a way, those who came to work were perfect for the country, not everything was rosy because some didn't come to work honestly.

For example, in recent years, Ecuadorian gangs have increased on the streets, and their influence is such that it is becoming a real problem for the country. This was resolved when a large-scale deportation was carried out; regardless of how that situation was handled, everything improved in some way but also worsened the reputation of illegal workers.

But getting back to the main topic, as long as there was money, there was nothing better than looking for men eager to work and earn money. At this moment, as they headed to the place called the hot spot for work, Dominic analyzed his plan for work.

First, he needed ten workers to take care of buying and keep buying food for him. They wouldn't stop buying until the trucks were filled with supplies, but the detail was that he would hire another ten workers to select the purchases and load them onto the trucks. The last ten would be responsible for putting all the supplies into wooden boxes and labeling them. Once the trucks were full, he would leave the place with the drivers, and they would leave the trucks at home for a day.

This way, the workers who stayed at home wouldn't know at all what Dominic was bringing home, keeping everything a complete mystery. He hadn't thought of it this way because if somehow one of these workers survived, due to the lack of supplies, they could go to his house to cause problems. Doing the work this way was the only way he could think of at the moment, and indeed, it was the best idea to do it quickly. It was safer to buy online, but the big problem was that he didn't know when the release of that powerful biological weapon that could easily consume the entire country would happen.

"We've arrived, sir..." The driver stopped and looked at Dominic, who seemed to be meditating.

"Good, wait here..." Dominic smiled naturally and got out of the truck. His gaze immediately fell on a man between thirty and forty years old who had been here since early in the morning, waiting for work.

Everyone had stood up upon seeing two cargo trucks arrive; some became nervous, but others didn't and instead approached as if they wanted to be chosen first.

Dominic looked at them all and said, "I need fifteen people, forty dollars an hour, and all you have to do is fill cardboard boxes with supplies while others go buying these same supplies with me. When the trucks behind me are full, the day will end. If you want to work with me tomorrow, these same workers will be considered."

When Dominic said this, it sounded too good to be true, and many even doubted, but some brave souls stepped forward. Still, they weren't enough according to the requirements, so he said, "I'll pay you half of the dollars in advance. I have a good memory, so I'll remember your faces. However, if you don't want to work, then I'll leave this place with those who want to go with me."

Without waiting for a response, Dominic walked towards the truck and opened the door. "This is the only way to take you; it will be open at all times, so don't be afraid. Also, you'll be able to stay in contact with the drivers."

Having said that, Dominic got into the truck, and out of all the people there, only fifteen got in. At the end of the day, many prioritize their safety over their needs, and this was the only way they could do it.

If those who went to work return tomorrow, that means the work is safe. However, if they don't, it means the work is full of unknown dangers.

When they arrived at a large supermarket, Dominic, who had prepared a wad of bills, started paying the workers and said, "Everyone will take a shopping cart; the products you need to put in the carts are listed on this note. Fill the carts to the brim, and we'll meet at the cash registers to pay. Once they're full, there will be two people at the entrance, and they'll take the carts to the trucks."

"How many will stay to put the food in the boxes?" asked a man in his forties.

"Five people, we'll rotate the work so that five rest while the other five resume shopping. We'll finish as soon as the trucks are full; by then, I'll pay you extra hours and even tip bonuses," Dominic said, his gaze shifting to the drivers.

Once everything was ready, Dominic said, "All you need to know is that this will be donated to a company for refugees; that's all you need to know, so the faster we fit, the better pay you'll get. So, let's get to work."

When ten people went with carts, Dominic went to the drivers and said, "Once they're full, we'll return home, go buy food when needed, and report any problems that arise."

"Understood, sir."

Watching this, Dominic walked with ten people and began the large-scale purchase. He alternated between supermarkets to avoid drawing attention, but he hoped everything would be much better and faster.