Huo Kai arrived at the café right on time.

 

A flawless, signature smile curved his lips. His peach-blossom eyes shimmered with practiced warmth as he kept shooting charming glances at Tang Xiaoman.

 

Tang Xiaoman waved a hand dismissively.

 

“Save the flirting. I’m not interested.”

 

Huo Kai blinked, his smile never faltering.

 

He sat down with effortless elegance, casting her a teasing look.

 

“Oh? If Miss Tang isn’t interested in that, then what exactly *are* you interested in?”

 

Tang Xiaoman didn’t bother with word games.

 

“One hundred million.”

 

Huo Kai’s smile faded, his expression turning serious for once.

 

“That’s quite an appetite you’ve got. But first I need to see whether what you’re offering is worth that price.”

 

Without hesitation, Tang Xiaoman sent a confidential business document to his email.

 

Huo Kai opened his inbox and clicked the file.

 

He skimmed through it quickly. Something flickered in his eyes.

 

“Ahem… How do I know whether this information is real or fake?”

 

“Pay ten million upfront,” Tang Xiaoman said with a raised brow and a faint smile. “If the project data checks out, you can buy the rest separately.”

 

She leaned back slightly.

 

“Of course, buying it piece by piece will cost you more—and it might waste your precious time. And for someone like Young Master Huo, time is far more valuable than money.”

 

Huo Kai’s eyes shifted thoughtfully.

 

Instead of answering directly, he changed the subject.

 

“You’ve always been completely devoted to Gu Heng. What made you suddenly turn on him?”

 

Tang Xiaoman didn’t even blink.

 

“No matter how loyal I was, all I got in return was a heartless wolf. Since he has someone else in his heart, I’m not going to make things difficult for him.”

 

“Love doesn’t put food on the table anyway. Better to turn it into cash.”

 

She looked at him calmly.

 

“Don’t you agree, Young Master Huo?”

 

Huo Kai clapped his hands, laughing with a roguish sparkle in his eyes.

 

“Absolutely! Congratulations, Miss Tang. You’ve finally seen the light.”

---

 

When Tang Xiaoman received the message confirming the transfer of one hundred million, she immediately sent the rest of the confidential project files to Huo Kai’s email.

 

“Pleasure doing business,” Huo Kai said as he stood up, politely extending his hand.

 

Tang Xiaoman rose as well—but instead of shaking it, she slipped both hands into the pockets of her denim shorts. Her smile was polite, distant.

 

“Let’s hope our next cooperation goes even better.”

 

With the promise of future collaboration hanging in the air, she didn’t have to worry about Huo Kai turning around and betraying her.

 

Besides, she genuinely intended to keep digging up Gu Heng’s corporate secrets and selling them to him.

 

After all, when the apocalypse arrived, the collapse of social order—and the financial system—wouldn’t happen overnight.

 

It would take time.

 

And honestly, who ever complained about having too much money?

 

Tang Xiaoman didn’t believe in people’s moral character.

 

But she believed in human nature.

 

Seeing Huo Kai about to leave, she called out to him.

 

“Young Master Huo, wait a moment. I need a small favor.”

 

---

 

Huo Kai’s expression darkened slightly.

 

“You want me to help you buy property—and even front the mortgage?”

 

He looked her up and down, clearly unimpressed.

 

“You’re asking for help with that kind of attitude? That’s not very convincing.”

 

She hadn’t even bothered to shake his hand. He had no interest in pressing his warm face against her cold shoulder.

 

Tang Xiaoman smiled with quiet confidence.

 

“Don’t forget—we’re long-term partners now. We’ll be doing plenty of business together in the future.”

 

When the apocalypse came, Huo Kai—son of Lin City’s richest man—would control an astonishing amount of resources and information.

 

In her previous life, Gu Heng had survived by cooperating with Huo Kai, trading benefits back and forth to keep their people alive.

 

Tang Xiaoman had always fought on the front lines for Gu Heng. She’d dealt with Huo Kai many times.

 

Aside from being a bit of a playboy, he wasn’t a bad person.

 

As long as romance was off the table, he was perfectly reliable as a friend—or a business partner.

 

But Huo Kai interpreted her words differently.

 

In his mind, Tang Xiaoman was agreeing to continue helping him dig out the foundations of the Gu Corporation.

 

He could practically see the mighty Gu empire collapsing after being hollowed out from within.

 

The thought was immensely satisfying.

 

Smiling with amusement, he glanced at her with those charming peach-blossom eyes.

 

“Deal.”

 

---

 

With Huo Kai personally handling matters, purchasing two adjacent townhouses in Tianlai Villa Estate became incredibly easy.

 

Tianlai Villa Estate was the most prestigious residential district in Lin City—and one of the highest elevated areas in the city.

 

In Tang Xiaoman’s previous life, a catastrophic flood had submerged ordinary apartment buildings in the city center up to the tenth floor and beyond.

 

Yet Tianlai Villa Estate remained untouched.

 

Clearly, this place was prime real estate in every sense of the word.

 

You might question the character of the wealthy.

 

But you should never question their intelligence.

 

After she was reunited with her family, Tang Xiaoman had lived in Tianlai Villa Estate for years and knew the area well.

 

Near the northern edge of the estate stood two vacant townhouses. Their owners lived overseas and never returned after the disasters began.

 

During the apocalypse, homeless refugees had first broken into them.

 

Later, they were taken over by hunters.

 

Hunters were a product of the collapse of social order.

 

Usually groups of seven, eight, or even a dozen strong men would band together, using brute force to rob others of supplies.

 

As the apocalypse dragged on, surviving alone became nearly impossible.

 

Only groups had the strength to defend against—or attack—other hostile forces.

 

Eventually, constant earthquakes, tsunamis, and sandstorms drove everyone into official or private disaster shelters.

 

Teams that weren’t strong enough could be wiped out overnight.

 

And a lone individual?

 

They wouldn’t last a day.

 

Tang Xiaoman had survived four years in the apocalypse. She knew every step needed for long-term survival.

 

---

 

With Huo Kai personally handling things, Tang Xiaoman signed the loan agreement and completed the home purchase that very day. In a week, the property deeds would be ready.

 

The real estate market was in a slump, and prices had plummeted.

 

She bought both townhouses for a total of twenty million.

 

Four million as a down payment.

 

The remaining sixteen million was borrowed from Huo Kai on installment.

 

Tang Xiaoman knew exactly what would happen once the apocalypse began.

 

Money would rapidly lose value—until eventually it became completely worthless.

 

When that time came, she could simply repay Huo Kai with a few supplies.

 

For now, the money she had was needed for far more important things.

 

It couldn’t be wasted.

 

---

 

By the time the purchase was complete, evening had already fallen.

 

But Tang Xiaoman didn’t dare waste a single moment.

 

She didn’t even stop to eat dinner before contacting renovation companies.

 

This was no time to pinch pennies.

 

The best luxury renovation company in Lin City received a massive order just before closing time.

 

The client was extremely generous with money.

 

The project required full interior and exterior work—furnishings, appliances, decorations, even complete kitchen equipment down to the pots and pans.

 

But there was one special requirement.

 

Every construction and reinforcement material had to meet **bulletproof and blast-resistant standards**.

 

Tang Xiaoman agreed to pay a two-million deposit upfront, with one additional clause written into the contract:

 

“If the materials fail to meet the agreed bulletproof and blast-resistance standards, the renovation fee must be refunded at double the amount. If the project is not completed within seven days, the renovation fee must also be refunded at double the amount.”

 

The two townhouses would first have the dividing wall between their courtyards removed.

 

Then all surrounding walls would be raised, thickened, and reinforced.

 

The exterior walls of the houses would be strengthened, and the roof reinforced with blast-resistant structures, with additional insulation layers added.

 

The rooftop would have a heavy alloy steel gate installed.

 

High-strength steel bars would form the frame skeleton, and a specially designed high-toughness metal mesh would cover the entire courtyard.

 

On top of that, blast-resistant glass panels would be embedded—followed by an additional layer of electric fencing.

 

The insulation layers would provide heat resistance, cold protection, and soundproofing.

 

The exterior coating had to be waterproof, oil-resistant, and resistant to high-acid corrosion.

 

Once finished, the two townhouses would become a single ironclad fortress.

 

Stronger than a prison.

 

The renovation company’s manager stared at her, dumbfounded.

 

After a long moment, he pushed up his glasses and asked hesitantly,

 

“Miss… did you receive some kind of classified intelligence?”

 

“…Is another country about to invade?”