Tang Xiaoman had already guessed the bank would replenish the ATMs at Tianlai Villa with cash—and sure enough, she was right.

As the three of them were talking, Fubao suddenly began barking furiously and lunged forward.

Moments later, a woman’s scream rang out, followed by a man’s angry shout and the sharp whistle of a blade cutting through the air.

Tang Xiaoman rushed out into the courtyard just in time to see Fubao chasing Gu Heng, snapping viciously at him.

Su Rou shrieked in terror. Gu Heng pulled out the short knife he carried with him, fending off the attack while stomping his foot and shouting, “Get lost, you damn mutt!”

Fubao’s eyes burned red with fury at the sight of the scumbag, as if facing a sworn enemy. A low, savage growl rumbled from deep in his throat, teeth bared.

“Miss Tang, call your dog off!” Officer Shen urged.

“Fubao, back here,” Tang Xiaoman called.

Though unwilling to let Gu Heng off so easily, Fubao obeyed and retreated.

Su Rou sobbed as she threw herself into Gu Heng’s arms. “Aheng, that scared me to death! That dog is vicious…”

“Tang—Xiao—Man!” For the first time, Gu Heng shoved Su Rou aside impatiently, pointing at Tang Xiaoman in anger. “Didn’t I tell you to get rid of that dog? Why are you pretending to listen while doing the opposite? Do my words mean nothing to you?”

Tang Xiaoman let out a cold laugh. “Why should I listen to you? Who do you think you are?”

“Woof! Woof! WOOF!” Fubao barked furiously in support.

Gu Heng steadied himself, finally remembering why he had come.

“Officer Shen, Tang Xiaoman kidnapped Su Ke! She’s also illegally hoarding firearms and leaked my company’s confidential information. Otherwise, how could a mere employee afford a villa and hire bodyguards? I want to press charges!”

Officer Shen’s expression turned serious. “Mr. Gu, do you have any evidence? False accusations carry legal consequences.”

The police station was overwhelmed—there was no time or energy to deal with petty disputes.

His primary mission today was to escort bank staff to restock the ATMs. Investigating Su Ke’s disappearance was just something he was asked to look into along the way.

Everything else? They simply didn’t have the capacity.

Seeing that Officer Shen seemed to be siding with Tang Xiaoman, Gu Heng felt uneasy but pressed on. “Su Ke had a conflict with her recently and suffered a major loss. He couldn’t swallow it, so two nights ago he borrowed my helicopter to settle the score with her. But he still hasn’t come back…”

“So he came looking for trouble, and now I’m responsible for his safety?” Tang Xiaoman cut him off, then turned to Officer Shen. “May I ask which law states that?”

Officer Shen waved a hand and said to Gu Heng, “You’ll need evidence to support your claims. Otherwise, there’s nothing we can do.”

Su Rou bit her lip and edged closer to Tang Xiaoman, only to be driven back by Fubao’s furious barking. She immediately retreated into Gu Heng’s arms again.

This time, Gu Heng didn’t push her away. Instead, he comforted her softly. “We’ll find Su Ke. Whoever harmed him won’t get away with it.”

“Big sister, please don’t hurt Su Ke. He’s our younger brother!” Su Rou pleaded, trying again to approach. “He may have been hot-headed and clashed with you, but he would never truly harm you. He’s been missing for days… you’re the only one who knows where he is, right?”

Fubao’s explosive barking cut her off again, sending her scrambling back in fear.

Gu Heng gritted his teeth. “Control your dog!”

“Why are you yelling?” Tang Xiaoman shot back coldly. “The two of you together aren’t worth a single hair on my dog!”

She pointed toward the gate. “Get lost. Don’t come making trouble at my doorstep.”

“Woof!” Fubao added triumphantly.

His confidence was fully restored—his master would never abandon him for that scumbag again.

The young policeman reminded his superior, “Officer Shen, we should be heading back.”

Before Shen could respond, Gu Heng interjected, “Su Ke’s disappearance is definitely related to Tang Xiaoman! And she leaked Gu Group’s trade secrets—she should be arrested and interrogated!”

Officer Shen gave a faint, knowing smile. “If I recall correctly, Mr. Gu, you’re still under detention. Your heatstroke has already recovered, hasn’t it? Perhaps you should come back to the station with me and complete the necessary registration…”

“No, no…” Gu Heng coughed weakly, putting on a frail act. “I haven’t fully recovered. I only left the hospital to free up a bed for more critical victims. I’m recuperating at home.”

“I see.” Officer Shen nodded. “You looked quite lively just now—I thought you’d fully recovered.”

Sensing the shift, Su Rou quickly supported him. “Aheng, let’s go back.”

Once the two of them left, the farce came to an end.

Officer Shen offered Tang Xiaoman a few words of reassurance before preparing to leave with the young officer.

After a moment’s thought, Tang Xiaoman added, “It’s been raining for days, and the floodwaters aren’t receding. That could trigger mudslides or even landslides. Be careful when you’re out on duty.”

Officer Shen didn’t take it too seriously, but the young policeman nodded earnestly.

“Understood. We’ll report it when we get back and keep an eye out for landslides and mudflows.”

—

Tang Xiaoman had no idea when the flash floods would strike, so she didn’t send her team out scavenging.

She only reminded them that the ATMs in the villa district had been restocked—anyone with money left in their accounts should withdraw it as soon as possible.

The bodyguards trusted her completely now. Whatever she said, they followed without question.

Then she beckoned to Zhou Yichen. “Come with me. We’re going out for supplies.”

With her space as a safeguard—and Zhou Yichen already aware of it—she brought him along.

—

It was a little after eight in the evening when they drove out of the villa.

Hearing the rumble of helicopters overhead, Tang Xiaoman slowed the car and leaned out the window to look.

Several helicopters were circling in the night sky. Some were landing at the helipad of Villa No. 1, while others were taking off.

Villa No. 1 occupied the prime location of Tianlai Villa—the largest estate, complete with a private helipad.

It belonged to the Huo family, the wealthiest in Lincheng.

Even this late, helicopters were constantly coming and going.

Clearly, they were stockpiling supplies.

Huo Kai had taken her warning to heart.

Tang Xiaoman pressed her lips together and stepped on the gas.

She needed to move faster—before the flash floods hit, she had to gather as much gold, silver, jade, and jewelry as possible to expand her space.

Because when the floods came, a third of Lincheng’s buildings would be wiped out.

They switched to an assault boat.

Along the way, they passed countless disaster victims.

After more than ten days of relentless rain and flooding, many households had run out of food. Government aid alone wasn’t enough to keep people fed.

Now that the rain had stopped, everyone was out searching for supplies using whatever watercraft they could find.

Most were makeshift rafts. Kayaks were already considered valuable—assault boats even more so.

As Tang Xiaoman and Zhou Yichen sped past, they drew envious looks. Some people even seemed tempted to make a move.

But Tang Xiaoman might look small and delicate—Zhou Yichen did not.

Tall, solidly built, and clearly trained, he looked like someone you didn’t want to mess with.

No one dared approach.

Still, Tang Xiaoman couldn’t shake the feeling that she heard the distant hum of helicopter blades overhead.

Probably one of the Huo family’s supply runs passing by.