After handing out salaries to the bodyguards, Tang Xiaoman was just about to say a few reassuring words to steady morale when the villa’s iron gate buzzed—the video intercom lit up.

It was Steward Hong from the Huo family, accompanied by two bodyguards, here to collect the diesel generators.

The twenty units Huo Kai had helped her sell had already been snapped up in no time. Those who hesitated didn’t get any.

At the gate, Steward Hong directed his men to open a sturdy leather case. Inside, twenty kilograms of gold bars were stacked neatly in rows.

“Young Master instructed me to pay first, then collect the goods.”

Tang Xiaoman smiled pleasantly. “No problem.”

She had Lu Jingming unlock a storage room in the courtyard, where twenty diesel generators were neatly stored.

Steward Hong called the vehicle over and had the two bodyguards load all twenty units onto it.

Before leaving, he added, “Young Master also asked me to pass along a message. Word is that the government warehouse storing grain and relief supplies in our neighboring city collapsed in the floods… Without relief food, the disaster victims might start causing unrest. Things are getting dangerous outside. Miss Tang, it’s best if you stay within the villa compound.”

Tang Xiaoman’s lashes fluttered slightly as she let out a quiet sigh. “Another piece of bad news.”

The situation was clearly worse than in her previous life. Back then, she had never heard of a relief warehouse being destroyed.

Steward Hong continued, “Young Master has stepped up as the residents’ representative for the villa district. He has to keep things fair for everyone. He asked me to tell you—if you run into any trouble, just let him know. He’ll do his best to help.”

Tang Xiaoman caught the implication immediately. “So, what’s the issue this time?”

“A large number of crocodiles have entered Tiannai Villa. There have already been attacks. The property’s security team has formed patrol units to hunt them down, but they’re short on manpower. So Young Master proposed that each household provide two bodyguards to join the patrol, rotating shifts to ensure residents’ safety.”

Steward Hong paused briefly, then added, “If your household is short on people…”

“I have enough bodyguards,” Tang Xiaoman replied without hesitation. “We’ll follow the normal rotation.”

She had no intention of taking advantage of the situation—or owing Huo Kai a favor.

Favors were as thin as paper; spend too many, and they tore.

Besides, her team had trained long enough. It was time to face real combat.

The storm of the apocalypse had only just begun. If someone couldn’t handle this level of danger, they wouldn’t survive the brutal trials yet to come.

Survival of the fittest.

—

Tang Xiaoman had Lu Jingming escort Steward Hong and his men out. She herself returned to the storage room, shut the door, and transferred the twenty kilograms of gold into her spatial storage.

Checking it with her mind, she saw the changes immediately.

The static storage space had expanded by another forty cubic meters, bringing the total to 1,880 cubic meters. The villa inside had grown by five square meters, now totaling 365. The garden had expanded by four square meters, reaching 103.

The time buffer still accumulated three hours per day. After subtracting what she had used, it now stood at 66 hours and 27 minutes.

The small pond beside the garden seemed slightly larger, and the jade bracelet on her wrist had become even more subtle—almost invisible.

She was just about to check on the crops in the garden when a knock sounded on the door.

“Xiaoman, are you in there?” It was Lu Jingming.

Only then did she realize she was still inside the storage room.

She stepped forward and opened the door, speaking casually. “Just moved some things around. Nothing important.”

—

In the large dining hall on the first floor, the bodyguards were discussing the crocodile attacks.

The power had only been out for three days, so ordinary group chats were still active.

People weren’t talking about anything else—just complaints about the blackout, about having no food, about the authorities no longer delivering relief supplies.

Those who had run out of food tried venturing out to find something to eat, only to witness people being torn apart by crocodiles with their own eyes.

“Catch the crocodiles and eat them! Isn’t this just free food delivered by heaven?” Starving survivors, driven to desperation, were making reckless boasts.

But crocodiles were fierce, their hides thick. Hunting them for food was nearly impossible—more often than not, the hunters became prey instead.

Even so, desperation drove them forward.

“To hell with it! Either we eat them, or they eat us! Let’s go all in!”

“We can’t just sit here and starve to death. Who wants to team up to hunt crocodiles? Sign up—there’s strength in numbers. We’ll split whatever we catch.”

Hearing such suicidal talk, the bodyguards fell silent.

They had just received their 200,000 salaries, lived in a spacious and secure villa, and never had to worry about food.

Compared to the hellish conditions ordinary people were enduring, they were practically living in paradise.

And that was precisely why an unease lingered in their hearts—an unspoken fear that at any moment, their boss might dismiss them, forcing them to risk their lives hunting crocodiles just to survive.

When Tang Xiaoman entered with Lu Jingming, the room fell instantly silent. Even Shanshan and Fubao sat unusually still and quiet.

They all knew—she had something to say.

Tang Xiaoman spoke slowly.

“By now, everyone should be aware of the crocodile situation. Since we live in a villa district, incidents of crocodiles entering and attacking are even more severe than in ordinary apartment blocks.”

“The property security team is already patrolling around the clock, continuously hunting down any crocodiles that enter to protect the residents.”

“But they don’t have enough manpower. Each household is now required to provide at least two bodyguards per day to join the patrol. Crocodiles hunted individually will belong to the hunter. Those taken down as a group will be divided equally.”

The bodyguards exchanged glances. They were beginning to understand what she was getting at—but no one dared interrupt.

After scanning the room, she continued decisively:

“Shanshan is a child—she won’t participate. Doctor Lu works with a scalpel—he won’t participate. Captain Zhou needs to accompany me when I go out to gather supplies—he won’t participate. Vice Captain 01 is responsible for overseeing the team and cannot leave the villa easily.”

“That leaves the remaining ten of you.”

Her gaze hardened.

“You will all be assigned to the security patrol on a rotating basis to hunt crocodiles.”

“This is a dangerous assignment. If things go wrong, you could be killed—or maimed.”

“If anyone doesn’t want to take this on, you may resign now.”