July 14, 14:30
22.5 hours before the apocalypse descends.
City center, former Lin Group Tower.
Gu Yan wore a custom-tailored Italian suit he had specially ordered for the “signing ceremony.” Braving the scorching 39°C heat, he walked into the lobby with an air of confidence and pride.
For the past few days, Lin Chu had been missing—no calls, no messages. But Gu Yan wasn’t worried. He understood her. That woman had a bit of temper, but as long as he gave a small signal, she would obediently come back.
Today was the final deadline. He planned to come directly to the company and force her to sign.
“From now on, this place will be my empire.”
He straightened his tie, already imagining himself sitting in the chairman’s office, ruling over everything.
But the moment he looked up—he froze.
The massive gilded LOGO of the Lin family, once symbolizing its glory, was gone from the lobby wall.
In its place was the sign of an unfamiliar tech company.
Even the front desk had changed. The flirty receptionist who used to wink at him was gone, replaced by a cold, middle-aged woman.
“Hey? Who are you? Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked warily.
“I… I’m looking for Lin Chu!” Gu Yan’s heart sank. “I’m the fiancé of Lin Group’s CEO! What happened to this company?”
“Lin Group?”
The woman rolled her eyes as if looking at an idiot.
“That’s old news. The company changed owners three days ago. The previous boss, Miss Lin, apparently sold the entire company and ran off with the cash!”
Boom—!
Gu Yan felt as if a thunderbolt exploded in his mind.
“Sold… sold it?”
He grabbed the marble counter so hard his knuckles turned white. “Impossible! That was her parents’ life’s work! Worth over a billion! Who did she sell it to? Where’s the money?!”
“How would I know? Security!”
Before he could react, two security guards dragged him out like a dead dog and threw him onto the scorching pavement.
The sun was brutal. His head spun.
But what truly froze his heart was the realization.
She sold it.
She ran off with the cash.
Ten billion-worth of assets… and she didn’t even tell him?
She had been hiding everything from him.
“Damn it! Damn it! Lin Chu, you bitch!”
Gu Yan scrambled up, took out his phone, and tried to call her frantically.
But before he could, his phone rang first.
Unknown number. Local financial center.
He answered with trembling hands.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Mr. Gu Yan?”
A cold, emotionless male voice came through.
“This is the Credit Department of XX Bank. Ms. Lin Chu has defaulted on a 300-million-yuan mortgage loan. Her phone is currently unreachable.”
“According to her marital registration, you are her legal husband. Since we cannot contact the debtor, we are informing you.”
Gu Yan’s pupils contracted violently.
“W-what? Three… three hundred million?!”
“It doesn’t stop there.”
The voice continued mercilessly.
“According to credit records, Ms. Lin Chu has recently taken out high-value loans from multiple banks and private lenders. Her total debt is estimated to exceed 500 million yuan.”
“Mr. Gu, under the law, since these debts were incurred during your marriage, unless you can prove they were used for her personal illegal spending (such as gambling), the bank has the right to treat them as joint marital debt and pursue repayment from you.”
“WHAT MARITAL DEBT?! I DIDN’T SPEND A CENT!”
Gu Yan screamed into the phone, drawing stares from passersby.
“That was her debt! I won’t pay! I would rather die than pay!”
Beep… beep…
The call was already disconnected.
Only one final sentence remained:
“We will initiate asset freezing procedures. Please prepare accordingly.”
The phone slipped from his sweaty hand and shattered on the ground.
But he no longer cared.
Five billion…
Joint marital debt…
Asset freeze…
Each word was like a tightening noose.
If confirmed, he wouldn’t just lose wealth—he would be buried in debt for life. His BMW, his savings, everything would be gone.
30 minutes later
Luxury apartment in the western district (Gu Yan’s love nest with Lin Wan).
“What?! That bitch owes five billion behind your back?!”
Lin Wan’s shrill scream nearly shook the ceiling.
Her freshly done nails dug into Gu Yan’s arm as her delicate face twisted into something almost demonic.
“Brother-in-law! Will we be implicated? Will they freeze your car? What about the house you promised me?!”
“Very likely!”
Gu Yan shoved her away irritably, pacing like a trapped beast.
“The company is gone, the money is gone, and now we’re drowning in debt! If we don’t get a divorce, we’re both finished!”
“Divorce! We must divorce immediately!”
Lin Wan stomped her feet, eyes darting with malice.
“And we need her to sign a statement saying all debts are from her gambling losses! It has nothing to do with us!”
“Yes… gambling!”
Gu Yan’s eyes lit up.
“Those rumors already said she was gambling abroad. It must be true! That useless woman is hopeless trash!”
“But where is she now?” Lin Wan asked.
“She can’t escape!”
Gu Yan stopped pacing, eyes dark and venomous.
“Her passport is with me (it wasn’t, but he believed it was). She can’t leave the country. The hillside villa is her only property—she must be hiding there!”
“Let’s go!”
He grabbed the car keys.
“Today, if she refuses to sign, I’ll break her legs and force her to sign with her own hands!”
“I’m coming too!”
Lin Wan grabbed her bag, her face full of anticipation.
“I want to see that fallen heiress kneeling and begging us. That disgraceful woman needs to be thrown away immediately!”
16:00
A black BMW roared up the winding mountain road toward Half-Mountain Residence like a furious beast.
Inside the car, the air conditioner was at maximum, but it couldn’t cool their rage.
And inside the villa…
Lin Chu sat calmly among the carefully arranged “trash set,” watching the surveillance feed of the approaching car.
She picked up the intercom and spoke softly into the void.
“All units, attention.”
“The prey has entered the field.”
“Let the show begin.”