Huo Kai arrived at the agreed café very quickly.
A perfect trademark smile played on his lips. His peach-blossom eyes were soft and flirtatious, constantly sending charm signals toward Tang Xiaoman.
Tang Xiaoman waved him off. “Stop trying to seduce me. I don’t take that.”
Huo Kai blinked, his smile unchanged.
He sat down gracefully, glancing at her with amusement. “Mm… Miss Tang doesn’t take this. Then what exactly do you want to take?”
Tang Xiaoman didn’t play games. “One hundred million.”
Huo Kai’s smile faded, his expression turning slightly serious for once. “Your appetite is quite large. But I need to see whether what you’re offering is worth that price.”
Without hesitation, Tang Xiaoman sent a confidential business file to his email.
Huo Kai opened it and quickly skimmed through.
His eyes flickered.
“Cough… how do I know this information is real?”
“Pay ten million first. If the data on this project checks out, you can buy the rest separately,” Tang Xiaoman said with a faint smile. “But if you buy it piece by piece, it’ll cost more—and waste your precious time. For someone like Young Master Huo, time is worth more than money.”
Huo Kai didn’t respond directly, instead changing the subject. “Weren’t you always loyal to Gu Heng? Why the sudden betrayal?”
Tang Xiaoman didn’t even blink. “No matter how loyal I was, I only got betrayal in return. Since he already has someone else, I won’t force it.”
“Feelings don’t fill your stomach. Money is more practical. Right, Young Master Huo?”
Huo Kai laughed and clapped lightly, his expression light and indulgent. “Perfectly right! Congratulations, Miss Tang—you’ve finally seen the light!”
Tang Xiaoman soon received a notification: ten million had been transferred.
Without hesitation, she sent the remaining confidential files to Huo Kai.
“Pleasure doing business,” Huo Kai said, standing up and offering her a polite handshake.
Tang Xiaoman stood as well, hands tucked casually into her shorts pockets, smiling politely but distant. “Hope next time we work together will be even more pleasant.”
With that promise, she ensured Huo Kai wouldn’t betray her immediately.
And truthfully, she intended to keep selling Gu Heng’s secrets.
The collapse of order and money wouldn’t happen overnight—it would take time.
And who ever thought they had too much money?
She didn’t believe in morality. She believed in human nature.
As Huo Kai turned to leave, she called out, “Young Master Huo, one more small favor.”
Huo Kai’s expression darkened slightly.
“You want me to help you buy a house—and even cover the loan?”
He frowned. “Asking for help with that attitude? Not very scientific.”
Tang Xiaoman smiled confidently. “We’re long-term partners, remember? There’ll be plenty of future cooperation.”
In the apocalypse to come, Huo Kai—young heir of one of the richest families in Lin City—held massive influence and resources.
In her previous life, Gu Heng also relied on cooperation with Huo Kai to survive.
Tang Xiaoman had dealt with him often. Apart from being a little flirtatious, his character wasn’t bad.
As long as it wasn’t romantic involvement, he was a trustworthy partner.
Huo Kai, meanwhile, imagined the downfall of the Gu Corporation and immediately felt entertained.
“Deal,” he said with a grin.
With Huo Kai’s help, purchasing two adjacent villas in Tianlai Mountain Estate went smoothly.
Tianlai Mountain Estate was one of Lin City’s most luxurious districts and also one of the highest elevations in the city.
In her previous life, when floods came, ordinary apartment buildings were submerged up to the tenth floor—yet this area remained untouched. Clearly, it was a rare safe zone.
You could doubt the morals of the rich, but never their intelligence.
After reconnecting with her family, Tang Xiaoman had lived here and knew the area well.
Two vacant villas stood on the northern outer edge. The owners were overseas and never returned even after disasters struck.
First they were broken into by displaced survivors, then taken over by “raiders.”
Raiders were a product of societal collapse—groups of strong men banding together to seize supplies through force.
As the apocalypse progressed, individuals could no longer survive alone. Only groups could resist or attack others.
Eventually, everyone was forced into shelters to survive disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and sandstorms. Weak groups were wiped out—let alone individuals.
Tang Xiaoman had lived through four years of apocalypse. She knew exactly what survival required.
With Huo Kai’s assistance, she signed the loan agreement and completed the purchase that same day. The property deed would be ready in a week.
She bought the two villas for 20 million total—paying 4 million upfront and borrowing the remaining 16 million from Huo Kai in installments.
She knew money would rapidly devalue in the apocalypse until it became worthless.
At that time, she could repay him with supplies.
Right now, money had more important uses.
After finishing the purchase, it was already late—but Tang Xiaoman didn’t dare waste a second.
She skipped dinner and immediately contacted renovation companies.
A top-tier company in Lin City was about to close for the day when they received an enormous order.
The client was generous beyond imagination and demanded a full renovation—interior and exterior—furniture, appliances, decorations, even kitchenware included.
Special requirement: all materials must be bulletproof and explosion-proof grade.
Tang Xiaoman paid a 2 million deposit and insisted on strict contract terms:
If materials failed the required safety standards, double the refund.
If the renovation wasn’t completed within seven days, double the refund as well.
The two villas were to be merged by demolishing the dividing wall, then reinforced completely.
All exterior walls thickened and strengthened, the roof reinforced against explosions, and insulation added.
The rooftop would be sealed with alloy steel plates. The structure would be supported by high-strength steel frames, surrounded by reinforced wire mesh, topped with explosion-proof glass, and even layered with an electric fence.
Insulation had to block heat, cold, and sound. The outer coating needed waterproof, oil-proof, and acid-resistant properties.
The two villas were transformed into a steel fortress—more solid than a prison.
The renovation manager stared in shock for a long time before adjusting his glasses and asking hesitantly:
“Miss… did you receive some kind of insider information? Is there an invasion coming soon?”