Chapter 21: A Garden Blooms in the Space

Zhou Yichen’s expression darkened for a moment—she’d clearly hit a sore spot.

Tang Xiaoman immediately realized she’d overstepped.

He had never pried into her affairs, yet she’d just asked something far beyond the line.

“Ahem… I was just asking casually. If it’s not something you want to answer, forget it.” She started the car, using the motion to cover her awkwardness.

They drove on in silence for a while.

Then his low, steady voice broke through the quiet.

“My first employer wanted me to kidnap a girl he had his eye on. I refused. The second ordered me to beat up the elderly and weak. I refused that too. The third…” He paused. “That was the one who fired me recently.”

Compared to those three, at least Tang Xiaoman had never asked him to cross his moral line.

She smiled. “Good thing you walked away from them. Otherwise, how would you have ended up working for such a great boss like me?”

Zhou Yichen: “…”

As bosses went, she really wasn’t bad.

If only she weren’t quite so… overconfident.

*

They returned to the club before nine.

The bodyguards craned their necks, some even waggling their eyebrows suggestively.

Zhou Yichen remained expressionless. He casually called out four names and ordered them to unload the supplies from the pickup truck.

Tang Xiaoman added, “Take everything to my room.”

It was one thing for Zhou Yichen to know about the stockpile in the first-floor storage room—she didn’t intend for everyone else to find out too.

Once the four men carried everything upstairs to her bedroom on the third floor, she transferred each of them a generous overtime bonus.

“Thank you, Miss Tang!” they chorused, grinning ear to ear at the easy money.

But the moment she shut the door, they shamelessly hurried back downstairs to join the others.

Leaning against the stair railing, No. 07 smirked. “Captain Zhou, didn’t expect you back tonight.”

Laughter erupted.

They had all assumed Zhou Yichen would be staying out with the boss.

Only No. 01 didn’t laugh.

“07. After breakfast tomorrow, you’re first in line for a private interview.” Zhou Yichen’s voice was flat.

No. 07 instantly wailed, “I was just joking! And I already broke up with my ex—ages ago!”

He’d only been running his mouth out of boredom, nothing serious.

Zhou Yichen ignored him. His deep gaze swept across the group—calm, but carrying an unspoken authority that silenced everyone instantly.

“The nine people I called out today—think it over tonight. Tomorrow, during the interviews, I want a clear answer. Anyone who doesn’t meet Miss Tang’s requirements can leave on their own.”

*

After locking her door, Tang Xiaoman stored all the supplies she’d bought that evening into her space.

She didn’t organize them right away. Instead, she went to take a hot shower.

By the time she finished and dried her hair, the hallway outside had gone quiet.

Dressed in her pajamas, she crept downstairs.

A dark shape suddenly darted out, making her jump.

Looking closer, she realized it was Fubao.

The dog wagged excitedly around her, rubbing against her legs, lifting its paws as if asking to be picked up.

“Shh.” Tang Xiaoman pressed a finger to her lips.

Fubao immediately quieted, staring at her with bright, round eyes.

She patted its head. “Come with me.”

She unlocked the first-floor storage room and stepped inside. Fubao followed.

Closing the door behind her, she flicked on the light, illuminating the room packed with supplies.

Fubao sniffed around curiously.

Everything here—one ton of diesel, bulky equipment, heavy goods—had been stored temporarily when her space ran out of room.

Now, after feeding the space gold, silver, and jade, it had expanded—seventeen more square meters of living area and an additional 140 cubic meters of storage. More than enough.

Even if moving everything back would take up space, her experiences from her past life had left her with a lingering sense of insecurity. Carrying everything with her felt safer.

Without hesitation, she absorbed every item in the storage room into her space.

Then she entered the space to organize it.

Since expanding from an 80-square-meter two-bedroom into a 97-square-meter three-bedroom, even the ceiling had risen by half a meter.

That alone added nearly fifty cubic meters of usable volume—an unexpected bonus that thrilled her.

The bulky appliances she’d purchased earlier—ten large freezers, five medical refrigeration units, ten car refrigerators, twenty heaters, and twenty air coolers—had all been delivered directly to the club and stored by Zhou Yichen.

With those arranged efficiently, combined with the added width and height, she managed to fit all non-perishable supplies into the living area without taking up precious stasis storage.

Then she turned to the stasis space and organized that as well.

Looking at the hundred-plus cubic meters of supplies—especially the medical equipment and medicines—she felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

Abundance brought her peace of mind.

But seeing so much empty space again only reignited her urge to hoard more. She wanted every inch filled.

Just as she was about to leave, something caught her eye.

A small garden.

Right outside the apartment’s balcony, a ten-square-meter patch of land had appeared.

It looked like a secluded paradise—stars and moon suspended above, yet close enough to feel almost within reach, though the sky stopped at the same height as the ceiling.

Even so, it was an incredible discovery.

Her heart raced. Her palms grew damp.

She hurried to retrieve the seedlings she’d bought earlier and planted them—three chili plants, three cucumber vines, three cloves of garlic, three tomato plants.

If they could grow…

Then even after the apocalypse began, she would have a place to cultivate fresh produce.

A self-sustaining source of life.

A hope that would never run dry.

*

She was so excited she lost track of time.

When she finally exited the space, she found herself back in the storage room on the first floor.

She rubbed her forehead.

Right… she’d been too hasty.

It would’ve been safer to enter the space from her own bedroom.

She checked the countdown timer, wanting to calculate how long she’d stayed inside.

One glance—and she froze.

Five hours and thirty-two minutes.

What?

Not only had the space grown a garden—the time limit had doubled too?

That was… absurdly generous.

She stood there in a daze, unable to believe her luck.

On instinct, she pinched herself. It hurt.

Then she burst out laughing—three loud, incredulous laughs.

Afterward, the sound echoed in the empty storage room, sending a chill down her spine.

If anyone had seen her just now, they’d think she’d gone mad.

Thankfully, it was late. No one knew she was here. And no one else could open this room.

Steadying herself, she walked to the door and reached for the handle—

Then froze.

Wait.

Where was Fubao?

She distinctly remembered the dog coming in with her.

She scanned the room. Empty. No place for a dog to hide.

How could it just vanish?

Could it have followed her into the space?

No—that couldn’t be right. Living beings couldn’t remain in the space once she exited.

Panic rose in her chest.

“Fubao!” she called.

“Woof! Woof!” came a response—from outside the door.

Tang Xiaoman: “…”

Fubao had gotten out?

How?!

She hurriedly turned the handle.

Click.

The door opened at once.

Strange. She clearly remembered locking it from the inside.

Why did it open so easily?

Alarm bells rang in her head.

Before she could process it, a sharply defined, handsome face appeared right in front of her.

Just as she was about to scream, he spoke first.

“What were you doing in there?”