The space devoured every piece of jade rough, digesting it cleanly.

Tang Xiaoman grew even more satisfied with Yu Jingyuan. His quality control was impeccable—there wasn’t a trace of counterfeit mixed in.

After feeding the space jade rough worth thirty-five million, plus the gold bars she’d bought at the bank earlier that day—worth another million—the space underwent yet another major upgrade.

First, the jade bracelet on her wrist became even more translucent, almost like clear glass—so faint it was nearly invisible.

Inside the space, the original three-bedroom apartment transformed into a two-story villa, totaling 210 square meters. The level of luxury had risen accordingly: a large bathtub appeared in the upstairs bathroom, and the downstairs kitchen gained an extra storage room.

In addition to two living rooms and two dining areas, there was now a dedicated reception room. Each floor reached a height of three meters, and the once-simple ceiling lights had been replaced with dazzling crystal chandeliers.

The living space had nearly tripled in size, and its height had increased by a third. In comparison, the supplies she had stored before now looked pitiful—barely enough to make a dent.

The garden expanded to forty square meters. The plain yellow soil had turned into rich, fertile red earth. The vegetables and fruit seedlings she’d planted were thriving, vines stretching, leaves unfurling, even beginning to bloom.

Even more astonishing—a small pond had appeared at the front of the garden.

The water was crystal clear, with lush green aquatic plants swaying beneath the surface, brimming with life.

With the pond, she no longer needed to fetch water from the villa to irrigate the garden.

The static storage space expanded to 700 cubic meters—enough to hold roughly thirty large trucks.

The supplies Tang Xiaoman had painstakingly gathered suddenly felt… laughably insufficient.

The massive expansion should have been good news.

But as she looked at all that empty space, her chest tightened.

She couldn’t let it go to waste.

She had to keep stockpiling—until there was no room left.

—

The rain grew heavier and heavier, showing no signs of easing even as night fell.

Traffic in the city collapsed completely. Low-lying areas turned into vast expanses of water.

Cars floated everywhere—small sedans, freight trucks, even street sweepers and fire engines.

In some places, entire ground floors were submerged, forcing people to climb to higher levels to escape the rising water.

Those who had rushed out earlier to enjoy the rain were now trapped. The unlucky ones had already died in the streets.

Emergency calls flooded the lines, but with manpower limited and roads impassable, rescue efforts could only rely on watercraft.

Lin City, built across rolling hills, had never experienced flooding on this scale. Supplies and equipment for flood control were severely lacking.

Fortunately, someone recalled that a kind citizen had recently donated a batch of inflatable boats, kayaks, and life vests—perfect for rescue efforts now.

The police chief was overjoyed and immediately ordered them retrieved.

The reply came back—

They were already underwater.

The storage site had been in a low-lying area, the first to be swallowed by the flood.

With no other option, the police dispatched trained divers to salvage the equipment.

But even as they scrambled to recover supplies, the disaster escalated.

The rain poured relentlessly, and a Category 10 typhoon roared in, turning the sky pitch-dark, like the end of the world.

From their windows, residents saw what looked like a vast ocean, waves rising under the assault of violent winds.

Towering buildings swayed like fragile saplings, as though they could snap at any moment.

People who had taken to the water in small boats were quickly overturned by the gale, swallowed by churning waves.

Ironically, the delay caused by salvaging the submerged supplies spared the police from launching directly into the typhoon.

Otherwise, their rescue boats would have been flipped instantly, leading to even greater casualties.

The typhoon ripped rooftops away, flattening entire neighborhoods of old housing. What remained standing was soon submerged.

People clung to basins and wash tubs, trying to stay afloat—but the winds were too fierce, dragging them into trees, utility poles, even walls…

In the face of nature’s fury, human beings were as insignificant as ants.

Night fell without light.

Wind howled, rain lashed.

The world became a living hell.

—

When Tang Xiaoman stepped out of the storage room, she saw Shanshan still standing guard, gripping her small scalpel, with Fubao by her side.

“Shanshan, let’s go eat,” she said, taking the girl’s hand.

Shanshan shook her head seriously. “There’s a lot of valuable jade inside. Until Dad comes back, Fubao and I need to guard it. Right, Fubao?”

“Woof!” Fubao barked in agreement.

“I’ve already moved everything,” Tang Xiaoman whispered into her ear.

Shanshan’s big eyes widened as she looked her up and down. There was no sign of anything hidden on her.

“I put it somewhere no one can find. It’s safe,” Tang Xiaoman added.

Only then did Shanshan relax, happily following her to dinner.

She didn’t know where Xiaoman had hidden the things—but if she said it was safe, then it was.

—

The storm and typhoon swept across the city, drowning it in water.

Transportation was completely paralyzed. No matter how much Tang Xiaoman offered, no restaurant could deliver food anymore.

Fortunately, they had just hauled back four vehicles full of supplies—beer, fried chicken, instant noodles, braised meats, pan-fried buns, steamed buns… a little bit of everything.

A quick spin in the microwave, paired with cold beer and drinks, made for a satisfying meal.

On the giant screen mounted in the dining hall, local news footage played—scene after scene of devastation.

Only then did everyone realize how dire the situation truly was.

“…a once-in-a-thousand-year superstorm, accompanied by a Category 10 typhoon. Our city has suffered catastrophic damage. It is now entirely submerged. Emergency requests have been sent out, but heavy rainfall is affecting not just our region, but the entire country—and even globally. The cause remains unknown.”

“Residents are advised to stay indoors. Those in lower floors should monitor water levels closely and move to higher floors if necessary. Residents in older neighborhoods and suburban areas must evacuate immediately and seek higher ground.”

“Police have deployed dozens of speedboats and hundreds of kayaks for rescue operations across the city. Residents in need should watch for flashing lights and signal for help…”

Footage showed officers in life vests heading out in boats to rescue survivors.

The typhoon had weakened slightly, but the rain showed no sign of stopping.

Water levels kept rising—low areas were already submerged up to the second floor.

Aside from houses built on mountains, nearly all slum areas had turned into swamps.

Everyone stared, eyes wide, food forgotten in their hands.

Even the fried chicken lost its appeal.

They couldn’t swallow a bite.

Tianlai Villa stood on high ground.

Even if the city’s mid-rise buildings were flooded, this place would remain above water.

If they hadn’t moved here…

The thought sent chills down their spines.

One by one, they turned to Tang Xiaoman, their expressions filled not just with awe, but gratitude.

Someone spoke first. “It’s a good thing we moved here… Thank you, Miss Tang.”

Voices overlapped as others echoed their thanks.

Tang Xiaoman waved them off. “Eat first. After dinner, we’ll have a meeting.”

—

Gu Heng had spent two days in the hospital, slowly recovering.

The Gu family had paid a heavy price to keep him there for treatment instead of sending him back to detention.

That decision had saved his life.

The detention center sat in a low-lying area.

The holding cells had been quickly flooded.

They heard it took just over an hour—from receiving evacuation orders to attempting retreat—and many never made it out.

The flood came too fast. Roads were paralyzed, vehicles useless.

Even the guards were swept away.

Prisoners in handcuffs had little chance to survive—more than half drowned.

Hearing this, Gu Heng broke out in a cold sweat.

Su Rou, who had stayed by his side, was equally shaken.

“A-Heng… I almost lost you! Your sister went too far this time—she nearly got you killed!”

At the mention of Tang Xiaoman, fear in Gu Heng’s heart twisted into anger.

He grabbed his phone and called the bounty broker again.

“Did the assassin you hired drown on the way or what? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?!”

The broker replied, “I was just about to call you for assistance, Mr. Gu. The assassin contacted me earlier—he just landed, but got trapped in a taxi outside the airport. The car flooded. He barely managed to break a window and swim out, making it to a nearby hotel.”

“He’s currently unable to move due to lack of transportation. He’s requesting support—specifically a speedboat—so he can reach Tang Xiaoman and complete the job.”