Chapter 12 – Are You Planning to Open a Private Hospital?

The children who had been taken hostage ran after Shanshan, crying as they fled.

A few brave teachers rushed forward to help them, but Shanshan turned her head to look back at Tang Xiaoman, who was still locked in combat with the thugs.

The teachers quickly ushered the children into the classroom, pulling Shanshan along with them and locking the door behind them.

“Sister Xiaoman!” Shanshan cried, pounding on the glass.

Sister Xiaoman had saved her, yet all she could do now was watch helplessly as those vicious criminals surrounded and attacked her.

But soon her eyes widened in amazement.

Huh? Sister Xiaoman is so amazing!

—

By the time the police cars arrived, Tang Xiaoman had already subdued all three criminals.

An ambulance arrived shortly afterward and rushed the injured teacher to the hospital.

Two officers moved in to cuff the half-dead criminals. Another policeman approached Tang Xiaoman.

“What’s your identity—”

Before he could finish, he stared at her in surprise.

“Wait… why is it you again?!”

Tang Xiaoman looked closely at him. The young officer did seem familiar. After thinking for a moment, she remembered—he had been one of the officers who responded to the incident two days ago.

The young policeman shot her an admiring look.

Two days ago she had fought a Tibetan mastiff one-on-one, and today she had taken on three armed criminals by herself. She was terrifyingly fierce.

It wasn’t just the police who were stunned. Residents of the villa estate who had rushed over after hearing the news were equally shocked.

After Tang Xiaoman gave the officer her identification again, the crowd of residents erupted in discussion.

Several people recognized her immediately.

“Isn’t she the daughter the Su family kicked out?”

“She’s actually this skilled?”

“She saved the children in the kindergarten—who knows what would’ve happened otherwise!”

The kindergarten principal and teachers brought the children forward to thank her. Shanshan excitedly threw herself into Tang Xiaoman’s arms.

“Sister Xiaoman!”

Tang Xiaoman was about to pick her up and say a few comforting words when Lu Jingming arrived.

“Shanshan!”

He rushed over and scooped his daughter into his arms.

Frantically checking her over and finding no injuries, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Daddy, Sister Xiaoman saved me,” Shanshan said.

Holding his daughter tightly, Lu Jingming turned to Tang Xiaoman with heartfelt gratitude.

“Miss Tang, thank you so much.”

Tang Xiaoman smiled faintly.

“Shanshan stayed calm in the face of danger and led the other children away from the risk zone. She’s a very smart and brave little girl.”

Praised like that, Shanshan beamed with a bright, innocent smile.

At that moment, a police officer stepped forward and asked, “Miss Tang, why were you carrying a nail gun and a military knife?”

Tang Xiaoman remained completely calm.

“My house is undergoing renovations, so I bought a nail gun as a spare tool. As for the knife… I carry it for self-defense. Two days ago I was attacked by a Tibetan mastiff in the villa district. If it weren’t for a good Samaritan stepping in, I might have died in that dog’s jaws. If you don’t believe me, you can ask this officer.”

She pointed at the young policeman who had responded to the earlier incident.

The officer nodded in confirmation.

“I responded to that case two days ago. Someone deliberately released a Tibetan mastiff to attack her, and they were carrying a switchblade and a handgun. It was attempted murder. She acted in self-defense.”

After experiencing that kind of danger, it was perfectly reasonable for Tang Xiaoman to carry something for protection.

The officer nodded.

“Miss Tang risked her life to save the kindergarten children. That qualifies as an act of bravery. Once the case is finalized, the government will award you a commendation and a bravery bonus.”

Tang Xiaoman waved dismissively, modestly brushing it aside.

“That’s not necessary. I simply did what anyone should do. If there must be a reward, please donate it to people who need it more.”

The principal began applauding. The teachers joined in, then the children, and soon the surrounding residents followed.

Just like that, Tang Xiaoman became the celebrated heroine of Tianlai Villa Estate.

—

To express his gratitude, Lu Jingming invited Tang Xiaoman to dinner.

After considering for a moment, she agreed.

The three of them went to a high-end Western restaurant, and Lu Jingming invited Tang Xiaoman to order first.

She chose charcoal-grilled steak, cheesy tamagoyaki, shrimp toast rolls, a mixed vegetable plate, and a cup of Blue Mountain coffee.

She would have preferred to show a bit more restraint, but after surviving the apocalypse, she found it hard to control herself whenever she saw good food.

Lu Jingming and Shanshan placed their orders as well. He ordered a latte, while his daughter got a freshly squeezed orange juice.

“Miss Tang, thank you again for saving Shanshan,” Lu Jingming said sincerely. “If there’s anything you ever need help with, just say the word. I’ll do everything I can.”

Tang Xiaoman smiled slightly.

“Perfect timing. There actually is something I need your help with.”

Lu Jingming paused, then nodded openly.

“Of course. Please tell me.”

“You’ve worked in medicine for years, so you must know a lot of pharmaceutical agents. Could you help me acquire a batch of medicines?”

Tang Xiaoman wasn’t about to let such an opportunity slip by.

Lu Jingming had originally been a surgeon at a state-owned hospital before Gu Heng poached him to become his personal physician.

Both he and Tang Xiaoman had once worked for Gu Heng, so they were familiar with each other.

Lu Jingming was a widower raising his daughter alone, often bringing Shanshan with him. Sometimes Tang Xiaoman would help watch the child, and over time the girl had grown close to her.

In her previous life, Shanshan had been killed in the kindergarten attack that very day. The loss devastated Lu Jingming, turning his hair white overnight.

In the fourth year of the apocalypse, he refused Gu Heng’s order to harvest Tang Xiaoman’s kidney for a transplant for Su Rou. In retaliation, Gu Heng expelled him from the base, where he was later killed by bandits.

Tang Xiaoman owed him a favor.

And she genuinely liked Shanshan.

That was why she had intervened today.

Originally she hadn’t planned to ask for anything in return—but since Lu Jingming offered, there was no reason not to make use of his connections.

Besides, when the time came, she would share some of the medicine she stockpiled with him.

He was a doctor. In the apocalypse, he would need those life-saving supplies.

Lu Jingming nodded.

“No problem.”

Tang Xiaoman immediately pulled out a thick notebook from her bag and handed it to him.

“This is the list of medical equipment and medicines I need. Please prepare them according to the quantities marked at the back.”

Lu Jingming flipped through a few pages.

Then he froze.

The notebook was filled with dense lists of medical instruments, various drugs, and vaccines.

Not only did it include a full set of surgical tools—it even listed oxygen generators, shadowless surgical lamps, stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors, and glucose meters.

There were countless disposable medical supplies and diagnostic instruments for routine examinations and treatments.

The medicines and vaccines alone were enough to make one dizzy.

And among them—

twenty full boxes of condoms.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze toward Tang Xiaoman completely changed.

“…Are you planning to open a private hospital?”