Zhou Yichen looked at Tang Xiaoman, his expression complicated—his boss was overstepping a bit.

“I promised my mom I’d buy a house and get married before I turn thirty. I’m not spending my savings meant for a wife,” he refused bluntly.

Tang Xiaoman clicked her tongue. “You don’t even have a girlfriend, and you’re already planning a wedding? Buying a house right now is just throwing money away. Trust me—if it needs spending, spend it.”

Zhou Yichen remained unmoved, firmly unwilling to touch his “marriage fund.”

“Then at least withdraw it and keep it in cash yourself,” Tang Xiaoman said, raising a brow.

He hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

A man of few words, he turned and headed straight for the bank.

“Wait.” Tang Xiaoman stopped him. “Notify everyone—withdraw whatever money they have in their accounts. As much as they can. Keep it on them.”

—

Zhou Yichen and 01 each came back with a heavy bag of cash. Judging by the weight, it wasn’t a small amount.

Tang Xiaoman nodded in approval. Frugal, practical people—good.

As they stepped out of the bank, a cool breeze brushed past them.

Someone suddenly shouted, “The wind’s picked up—it’s cooling down!”

The blazing sun slipped behind thick clouds, and a gust of swirling wind followed.

Raindrops began to fall, sparse at first, hinting at what was coming.

“It’s raining! Finally! Heaven’s showing mercy!”

Cheers broke out.

After days of suffocating heat, rain felt like salvation.

People who had been hiding indoors for two or three days poured out into the streets, laughing and celebrating the long-awaited relief.

Fat drops of rain splattered down, scattering the crowd for a moment before they regrouped under building entrances, still unwilling to retreat indoors.

After three days trapped in air-conditioned rooms, they were desperate for fresh air.

Smiles lit every face.

Except Tang Xiaoman’s.

Her expression darkened, mirroring the sky above.

She remembered all too clearly how terrifying the storms had been in her previous life.

No one had expected that after enduring seven days of extreme heat, so many would drown in the torrential floods that followed.

But this time, the heat had lasted only three days before the storm arrived.

The flood was coming early.

“Notify everyone—return to Tianlai Villa immediately!” Tang Xiaoman ordered sharply.

Zhou Yichen didn’t question her. He picked up the walkie-talkie at once.

“All units, regroup immediately. Return to the villa!”

The bodyguards emerged one after another from the bank.

Each of them carried a bag of cash—whether it was all their savings or not, they had followed orders and withdrawn what they could.

Three Wuling Hongguang vans and one pickup truck, loaded with supplies, set off toward Tianlai Villa in a tight convoy.

—

The sudden downpour brought a dramatic drop in temperature, sweeping away the oppressive heat.

Pedestrians and vehicles flooded the streets, as lively as a festival.

Traffic quickly became congested.

Tang Xiaoman grew increasingly anxious and urged 01 to lean on the horn.

He did—until it became useless. The cars ahead were frozen in place.

Then the rain intensified.

It came down in sheets, the wind howling stronger by the second.

More vehicles poured onto the roads.

Most had their windows rolled down, passengers laughing wildly as they let the storm and wind wash over them.

It was blissfully cool.

After days of unbearable heat, who cared about getting wet?

Rain wouldn’t kill them. Wind wouldn’t blow them away.

They welcomed the storm with open arms.

Let it come even harder.

Tang Xiaoman watched the worsening conditions—the swelling traffic, the intensifying rain—and made a snap decision.

“Drive over the lines. Just keep moving. Ignore traffic lights!”

01 didn’t hesitate.

It wasn’t his car anyway—any fines or penalties would fall on the boss.

From the passenger seat, Zhou Yichen relayed the order through the walkie-talkie:

“All vehicles follow. Cross lanes if needed. Ignore lights. Just keep moving!”

In peaceful times, people obeyed rules.

Even in a deadlock, no one dared break them.

But Tang Xiaoman’s pickup led the way, cutting through lanes others wouldn’t dare touch, with the three vans close behind.

They broke free from the gridlock.

The rain grew even heavier.

Even with the wipers at full speed, visibility was poor.

Water flooded the roads, stretching endlessly ahead like a vast lake.

Driving felt like navigating a boat.

Lane markings disappeared beneath the water—but thankfully, they were already clear of the worst congestion.

Tang Xiaoman had Zhou Yichen instruct the others to turn on their fog lights and stay close.

The storm overwhelmed the city’s drainage system.

Water pooled rapidly, rushing toward low-lying areas.

In some places, it cascaded like waterfalls, then spread into makeshift lakes.

Cars in low areas stalled almost instantly.

But Tang Xiaoman’s convoy was heading toward higher ground—Tianlai Villa—and avoided being trapped.

As they passed under an overpass, they saw it—

The underpass was completely submerged.

Only the roofs of the cars remained visible.

Vehicles with sunroofs offered a chance of escape.

Those without?

The drivers and passengers were trapped inside, drowned alive.

The convoy fell silent.

Faces turned pale.

They all thought the same thing—

If not for their leader’s decisive command, they might have ended up just like them.

The storm raged on, blinding their view.

Following orders, everyone kept their fog lights on, locking onto the faint glow of the vehicle ahead.

Every few minutes, they checked in over the radio, confirming no one had fallen behind.

A journey that normally took fifteen minutes stretched into over forty.

By the time they reached Tianlai Villa, the rain had only grown fiercer.

Even on high ground, water surged across the roads like flowing streams.

Fortunately, the pickup and the Wulings had high clearance—they weren’t flooded.

Some low-sitting sedans in the neighborhood weren’t so lucky—they had already stalled where they stood.

If even this high-end villa area looked like this, one could only imagine the devastation elsewhere.

The sky seemed torn open.

Rain poured down as if it meant to swallow the world whole.

Tang Xiaoman’s phone rang—it was Lu Jingming.

She answered immediately. “We’re home. Open the gate!”

“Good,” he said, audibly relieved, and opened it at once.

The heavy iron gate slid open.

The pickup led the convoy inside.

Once all four vehicles had entered, Lu Jingming shut the gate behind them.

As Tang Xiaoman stepped out, Fubao rushed over first.

Animals sensed disaster before humans ever could.

Seeing her safe, the dog wagged its tail furiously.

She patted its head reassuringly, then turned to Lu Jingming.

“The jade shipment from Mr. Yu—did you receive it?”

“It’s in Storage Room No. 3 on the first floor,” he replied. Ever cautious, he had kept the valuables inside rather than in the yard.

Meanwhile, the bodyguards climbed out of their vehicles, talking excitedly about the storm and the dangers they’d encountered.

“The captain saved us—letting us break traffic rules like that… otherwise who knows what would’ve happened!”

Faced with their admiration, Zhou Yichen said calmly, “It was Miss Tang’s call.”

All eyes turned to her.

Their respect was unmistakable.

Their boss was bold—fearless.

Not even worried about fines or having vehicles impounded.

But then again… with her wealth, what were a few cheap vans and a pickup?

Tang Xiaoman waved them off. “Get some rest.”

She headed inside the villa.

Shanshan stood guard outside Storage Room No. 3, clutching a small scalpel.

The moment she saw Tang Xiaoman, the wariness in her eyes melted into delight.

“Xiaoman-jiejie, you’re back!”

She dropped the scalpel and ran over.

Tang Xiaoman twitched at the sight. “Your dad left you to guard the place alone?”

That was one tiny sentry.

“Fubao was with me,” Shanshan said, seizing the chance to complain. “But it ran off when it heard you.”

“Woof!” Fubao trotted in guiltily, tail wagging even harder.

Tang Xiaoman couldn’t help but laugh. She patted Shanshan’s head.

“You and Fubao keep guarding the door. Don’t let anyone in.”

Then she opened Storage Room No. 3 and stepped inside.

Closing the door behind her, she switched on the lights.

She glanced over the newly delivered jade.

She didn’t understand much about it anyway.

So she simply stored everything into her space—

and let the space do the judging.