Tang Xiaoman didn’t know Zhou Yichen’s background in detail.

But after what happened yesterday, she trusted his character.

He couldn’t stand seeing Su Ke bully the weak and had stepped in to help a stranger—that proved the justice and courage in his bones.

And he would rather lose his job than bow his head and apologize to the Su family—that proved he had pride and firm principles.

Most importantly, aside from him, she hadn’t found anyone else she could trust yet.

So she handed him a **one-million-yuan card**, left the five bodyguards in his care, and hurried off to continue stockpiling supplies.

—

Tang Xiaoman’s space was limited, so the items stored there were strictly **life-saving supplies for herself**.

But she also needed a separate batch of **communal resources** for the team.

She planned to hire sixteen bodyguards, but ultimately only **eight to ten** would remain.

Nearly half would be eliminated.

The apocalypse would be brutal. Her standards for teammates had to be strict.

Those who didn’t qualify would be filtered out—time was running short.

This time she went straight to a **tobacco and liquor wholesale store**.

First came alcohol—every brand imaginable.

Baijiu, red wine, fruit wine, rice wine, champagne… from Wuliangye, Moutai, and Fenjiu to vodka, whiskey, and Martell.

She bought them all.

Then came cigarettes—especially premium brands like Zhonghua in both soft and hard packs.

She bought out the entire stock.

The shop owner was so shocked his mouth could fit an egg. When he finally snapped out of it, he eagerly helped load everything into the pickup truck.

Tang Xiaoman swiped her card without blinking—**over three million yuan**.

The shop owner was so moved he nearly cried.

As she left, he respectfully handed her a business card.

“Please come again anytime. If you ever need help with anything, just say the word.”

—

Back at the rented garage, Tang Xiaoman stored all the alcohol and cigarettes inside her space.

In the apocalypse, tobacco and alcohol could function as **hard currency** for bartering.

Especially baijiu—it didn’t expire. A guaranteed investment.

She checked her remaining funds.

**Eighty-seven million yuan left.**

She had to convert as much of it as possible into supplies before the disasters began.

Next stop: a hardware store.

This time she stocked **cold weapons**.

Since firearms were strictly controlled, the only legal weapons she could obtain were improvised ones.

Fifty industrial nail guns.

Thirty high-powered chainsaws.

The former could fire steel nails up to ten meters—extremely practical in combat. The latter had terrifying lethality and intimidation.

The shop owner looked at her strangely.

“Miss… what exactly are you planning to do with all this?”

She didn’t look like a construction foreman.

Tang Xiaoman smiled politely.

“A friend of mine is starting a renovation crew. He’s busy, so I’m helping him buy tools.”

“These are dangerous,” the owner warned repeatedly. “The largest nail gun fires steel nails ten meters. If someone gets hit… it could be fatal.”

Tang Xiaoman nodded obediently.

“I understand.”

Still not powerful enough, she thought. Later she’d find a mechanic to modify them—twenty meters would be perfect.

She also bought camouflage paint, power drills, welding equipment, steel nails, pliers, wrenches, and expansion bolts.

Everything was loaded into her truck.

Back at the garage, she stored them in the **two-bedroom unit inside her space**.

The rooms were already packed with supplies—including the deflated assault boats and kayaks.

It was getting crowded.

Just the alcohol alone had taken up **ten cubic meters**.

Now she only had about **twenty cubic meters** left for fresh supplies.

She moved the baijiu boxes into the room, filling the space even more tightly—but freeing **four cubic meters** of preservation space.

When Zhou Yichen finished renting the new training site, she planned to move some bulky supplies there.

That would free up more room for stockpiling.

—

Her phone vibrated again while she was driving.

An unfamiliar number.

Since she had just hired six bodyguards, she worried it might be urgent, so she answered.

“Hello, Miss Tang. This is **Bo’ai Pet Hospital**. The dog you boarded here is due for renewal. Would you like to continue boarding it?”

Tang Xiaoman froze.

The dog she boarded?

Her **Fubao**!

Fubao was a stray she had rescued.

She had picked him up as a weak little puppy on the roadside, and he had grown into a majestic **black German shepherd**.

But Gu Heng disliked the dog.

And after she moved from the Su family villa to a tiny apartment, it wasn’t suitable to keep a large dog.

So she had boarded him at the pet hospital.

In her previous life, the floods came before she could pick him up.

He probably drowned there.

His death had always been a lingering pain in her heart.

But this time—

She would not let history repeat itself.

—

Tang Xiaoman rushed to the pet hospital and stopped in front of Fubao’s cage.

“Fubao!”

Clang!

“Woof!”

The large black shepherd leapt up, scratching frantically at the cage bars, whining as if crying.

He hadn’t seen his owner in so long—he thought she had abandoned him.

“Fubao!”

Her eyes filled with tears.

Guilt and regret flooded her heart.

This time, she would never let him leave her again.

The nurse opened the cage.

Fubao immediately lunged forward and crashed into her arms.

He was so big and strong he almost knocked her over.

“Miss Tang, are you alright?” the nurse asked anxiously.

Tang Xiaoman waved her off.

“He’s just excited to see me after so long. Please leave us alone for a moment.”

She held Fubao and cried for a long time while he whimpered softly.

“I’m sorry, Fubao. I’ll never abandon you again.”

She fastened his leash and gently stroked his head.

“Let’s go home.”

The other dogs in the cages became restless, scratching and howling.

Fubao rubbed proudly against his owner’s leg and walked out beside her under their envious gazes.

His owner was taking him home.

Goodbye, buddies!

—

Tang Xiaoman bought **thirty cases of pet canned food**, **fifty bags of dog kibble**, and **thirty bags of freeze-dried treats**.

Then came a dog bed, dog toilet, pet bathtub, shampoo, wipes, and more.

Fubao was ecstatic.

His owner bought him so many wonderful things—he was the happiest dog in the world!

The staff helped load everything into her pickup.

She opened the back door.

Fubao jumped in immediately—still holding his leash in his mouth.

After thanking the staff, Tang Xiaoman gave them a warning.

“A friend of mine works at the meteorological bureau. I heard an extremely powerful typhoon may pass through within a month. It could cause severe flooding. Your hospital is on low ground—you might want to move the animals somewhere higher.”

The staff froze briefly, then smiled and nodded.

Whether they took it seriously or not, she had done her part.

Fate would decide the rest.

Just as she sat in the driver’s seat, another call came in.

She was in a good mood after rescuing Fubao, so she answered.

“**Tang Xiaoman!**”

Gu Heng’s furious voice exploded through the phone.

“You’re going too far!”

“…Huh?” she frowned.

His voice was icy.

“You’re doing all this because you’re jealous of Rou’er and want my attention, aren’t you? Let me tell you something—your behavior only makes me despise you even more. Know when to stop!”

—