Nan Muran furrowed her brow slightly. “But I only have Nan Qiao in my hands.”

“What do you think of Shenghui? Its operations are relatively simple, and it’s perfect for practicing. You can also meet more people.” Uncle Nan quickly interjected.

Nan Muran felt a glimmer of joy inside, but she couldn’t show it on her face. She even waved her hand to refuse. “Shenghui is Uncle’s business, how can you just give it to me?”

“Give it to you? You think it’s that easy?” Uncle Nan felt frustrated as he listened to her. “I’m not giving it to you. You can go to Shenghui and learn how to manage it first.”

“Then forget it. If I can’t manage it well, I’ll feel guilty. Besides, Uncle Chen also said that he would personally guide me in Nan Qiao. Uncle, you don’t need to worry,” Nan Muran gently rejected.

“Nan Qiao is worth fifty billion! You’re going to practice on it? And do you think that Chen Dong is such a good person? Are you stupid?” Nan Mufang, who was always impatient, raised his voice.

Nan Muran’s eyes immediately turned red. “Cousin, do you not like me? If you don’t want me to come back, don’t call me for dinner next time.” She said as she stood up, gathering her things.

The family was stunned. When did Nan Muran become so temperamental?

But that wasn’t the point. The real problem was that they couldn’t let her get angry, and they certainly couldn’t let her leave like this.

“Nan Mufang, can’t you speak properly?” Uncle Nan Ping scolded his son.

Grandma Nan quickly reached out to pull Nan Muran back. “Mufang, apologize to Muran.”

Nan Mufang wasn’t stupid, and naturally, he backed down. “Sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Nan Muran stared at him, her eyes unblinking.

“Nan Muran, you’re going too far,” Nan Mufang had a fiery temper, and he couldn’t stand being questioned like that.

Nan Muran sneered. “I’m practicing with my own things. Even if I fail, I accept it. Cousin, is it really necessary to get so angry? If you didn’t know better, you might think I’m using your family’s stuff.”

“Mufang, sit down and eat. Muran’s not angry anymore, so eat well.” Grandma Nan’s tone became colder as she looked at her grandson.

“Cousin still hasn’t apologized to me,” Nan Muran didn’t plan to let it go and continued pressing.

“Apologize,” Uncle Nan Ping said, his anger barely contained.

Nan Mufang, realizing there was no way out, apologized.

Only then did Nan Muran sit back down, but her first words were like thunder: “I plan to try out Nan Qiao first. If it doesn’t work, I’ll sell all the shares I have in it.”

“Sell it?” The whole family was dumbfounded. Sell Nan Qiao, this golden goose? Was Nan Muran crazy?

Nan Qiao Group held hundreds of top industry patents; it was essentially a money-making machine. How could she even think about selling it? Was she out of her mind?

“Muran, you can’t say such things.” Grandma Nan tried to keep her tone calm.

Nan Muran looked confused. “Even if I sell Nan Qiao, Uncle can still work at Nan Qiao, can’t he? Besides, Nan Qiao was left to me by my parents. I’m about to graduate from college, so why can’t I make my own decisions? And I’m only planning to try managing it first. If I really can’t handle it, then I’ll sell it.”

“Muran, you can’t joke about Nan Qiao like this.” Nan Mufang was almost dying of anger, but he didn’t dare to speak harshly. In his heart, he cursed Nan Muran for being so difficult today.

Nan Muran noticed the displeased frown on Nan Mufang’s face, clearly disagreeing with her, but she didn’t voice her objections.

Uncle Nan Ping took a deep breath and made the final decision. “Muran, why don’t you just practice with Shenghui?”

“No, no, Shenghui is Uncle’s. This isn’t appropriate,” Nan Muran’s fair face looked clearly flustered as she rejected it firmly.

“If Uncle gives you Shenghui, it’s yours, isn’t it?” Uncle Nan Ping gritted his teeth. But in his heart, he was trying to convince himself that Shenghui originally belonged to his second brother, so giving it back wasn’t a big deal.

Before Aunt Nan could speak up to object—after all, Shenghui was worth three billion—she was silenced by one look from Grandma Nan. Grandma Nan began calculating in her mind what her son had said.

Nan Muran looked at Nan Ping with excitement in her eyes. “Really? Uncle is really going to give me Shenghui?”

“Yes, we’ll get the lawyer tomorrow to finalize it. How about that?” Uncle Nan Ping said with determination.

“But, this doesn’t seem right. How about I try Nan Qiao after graduation first?” Nan Muran was pushing back, making waves in everyone’s nerves.

“No need, it’s settled for tomorrow,” Grandma Nan said firmly.

The seven supermarkets were worth less than three billion, and giving Shenghui to Nan Muran left the family with plenty of room for maneuver. At most, they would retain half. Getting rid of the decrepit Shenghui for just 1.5 billion and keeping Nan Muran calm was definitely worth it.

Nan Muran looked at them with sparkling eyes. “Grandma, Uncle, you’re so good to me. I’m so touched, I could cry.”

Seeing them hand over the biggest support for surviving the apocalypse, Nan Muran’s gratitude was truly heartfelt.

“Little fool, we’re family. Of course, we should treat you well, no need to cry.” Although Grandma Nan was pained, she still smiled warmly.

Nan Muran nodded confidently. “As long as Shenghui runs smoothly in my hands for half a year, I won’t have to sell Nan Qiao.”

Grandma Nan and Uncle Nan Ping immediately felt a pang in their hearts. If Shenghui is to run smoothly for six months, even if they acted quickly overnight, they had to be careful in how they did it.

After dinner, as usual, the Nan family asked Nan Muran to stay, but she refused. “No, I accidentally made a mess in the apartment. I need to go back and tidy up. I’ll come back tomorrow morning.”

She didn’t plan on staying, but Nan Muran threw the graduation gift from Qi Li into the first-floor room, and also took the hidden safe from under the bed and stored it in her space.

After Qi Li bid farewell to the Nan family, he followed Nan Muran out of the villa.

Just as they reached the gate, Qi Li suddenly spoke. “Muran, why do you want those seven chain supermarkets?”

Nan Muran’s heart skipped a beat, but she wasn’t surprised. Qi Li had always been smart and sly, so it was normal for him to see through her plans.

She let out a breath, turned around, and stared at him. Her tone was calm, but there was a hint of stubbornness. “Everything in the Nan family is mine. What’s wrong with taking back my own things?”

“Muran, you don’t need to guard against me. Anything you want, I’ll help you get it,” Qi Li looked at the beautiful Nan Muran, his voice gentle as water.

Looking into his narrow eyes, Nan Muran felt as if a cold poisonous snake had its gaze fixed on her, sending a chill down her spine. She suppressed the urge to slap him, replying coldly, “Alright, I’ll remember that.”

“We’ll be family from now on. Helping you is only natural,” Qi Li smiled warmly.

Nan Muran couldn’t stay for even a minute longer. She thought, “A family? I’m not some trash collector.” “Well, I’ll head back now.”

“Drive safely,” Qi Li still spoke gently.

Nan Muran turned and drove off.

Behind her, Qi Li watched the car leave, the corners of his mouth curling up. When did the little rabbit turn into a little fox? He only realized it today, and it was quite interesting.

As he prepared to get into his car, he stumbled and fell face-first into the ground, his nose bleeding, and his glasses flying far away. After cursing under his breath, he stood up in embarrassment, only to find that the car had broken down. Looking at the chaotic car system, Qi Li’s face turned dark. He was really having the worst luck.

Meanwhile, Nan Muran was happily celebrating her small revenge with her psychic powers.

The tank-like excitement in the backseat, the curious eyes on the car’s rear window, and the neon lights of the city on both sides of the street…

---

Chapter 6: Re-entering the Nightmare

“It’s fine, we’ll see how things go once we find a buyer. I can lower the price a bit, but it can’t be too much. You make the call.” Nan Muran didn’t make the terms too rigid, fearing someone might take the opportunity to force an unreasonable price drop.

She then took out a sketch she had drawn that morning and handed it to the agent. “Also, I want to buy a detached villa in Nanshan Yunyuan.”

As for the house in the drawing, I based it on someone’s description, so it may not be entirely accurate. I only know it’s located on the southern mountain, but I’m not sure which one exactly.”

Though Nanshan Yunyuan focused on luxury homes, it was built halfway up a mountain, far from the city, and had been selling poorly. Therefore, there were many unsold properties, and the prices weren’t high. The agent understood the situation and knew to find the right property based on Nan Muran’s request.

The house in the sketch was a bit unfamiliar. The agent carefully took the drawing from Nan Muran and examined it.

Although it was a sketch, the artist’s skill was evident, and all the details were still clearly visible.

The drawing depicted a detached villa located halfway up a mountain. One side of the villa was against the mountain, while the other side faced a steep cliff. The villa had three floors in total, with a protruding small tower. Judging by the windows and doors, it had the feel of an old European castle—charming, but also quite… dilapidated.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Nan, I don’t recognize this villa. I’ll have my colleagues help me look for it,” the agent said.

Nan Muran nodded. “Alright, please notify me as soon as you find it.”

After signing all the sales commission documents, Nan Muran left the real estate office and casually asked if there were any car rental places nearby.

“Just turn left and walk for 100 meters. You’ll find the largest car rental chain in the West Market,” the agent replied with a smile.

After renting the van at the car rental shop, it was already almost 10 PM. The streets were still bustling, but traffic wasn’t congested.

Driving the van into the apartment’s underground garage, Nan Muran’s heart raced with anxiety as she made her way home.

It wasn’t until she had safely entered the apartment that she sighed in relief. “That was terrifying. Fortunately, I didn’t run into anyone.”

“But Tank, you’ll be a bit cramped for a while. To avoid complaints, you won’t be able to go out for some time.”

Tank didn’t seem to mind her words. Since the place was filled with Nan Muran’s scent, it was excited and began exploring all over the apartment.

Seeing that it was content, Nan Muran relaxed. Luckily, the apartment was over 200 square meters, so it was enough space for Tank to move around; otherwise, it would’ve gotten restless.

Turning into the bedroom, Nan Muran found everything restored, even the furniture and glass on the windows had been replaced. She had to admit, even though this cleaning service was expensive, their efficiency was impressive.

She poured herself a glass of her favorite wine and felt a dazed and hazy sensation. Even though a day had passed, it still felt like a dream.

However, being reborn and living as a human, even if only for one day, was already a blessing.

She walked over to the large floor-to-ceiling window and stared at the bustling city below, the winding neon lights. Nan Muran felt a sense of desolation. This kind of prosperity wouldn’t last much longer. After the apocalypse began, order broke down, humanity lost its essence, and violence and theft were rampant. In such despair, humans could become the most terrifying creatures.

To survive smoothly, one had to have enough strength.

The sensation of something smooth between her fingers broke her gloomy mood. Looking at Tank, Nan Muran said, “Let’s pick out some things for you.” It seemed like buying things was the only way to feel at ease.

She sat back on the sofa and called Tank over to sit beside her, but it just stood still by the balcony, not moving.

Seeing its stiff body, Nan Muran’s nose tingled, clearly understanding that its subconscious fear stemmed from the Nan family. “Tank, don’t be afraid, come sit here.” She patted the seat beside her.

When Tank still didn’t move, she got up and walked over to the balcony, sitting on the floor beside it. She gently stroked its head and opened the shopping app on her phone. “Let’s look together. I’ll buy you whatever you like.”

Thanks to her embrace, Tank visibly relaxed, its head resting on her lap as it focused on the screen.

She bought 50,000 kilograms of dog food to prevent Tank from getting bored of the same flavor, ordering various brands and types. Freeze-dried food, specialized milk, all sorts of snacks, canned meals, chew toys, and health supplements like lactoferrin, vitamins, and digestive aids for animals—she bought enough for thirty years.

She also didn’t forget about various sizes and colors of dog beds, clothes, leashes, small shoes, toys, and even common medications. She spent nearly 4 million on it all.

Tank, who had been excited at first, was now getting sleepy.

Holding it in her arms, Nan Muran didn’t move, leaning back against a cushion on the floor. She closed her eyes, soon breathing steadily—she had fallen asleep.

She wasn’t unwilling to return to her bed, but she knew that with the overly soft sensation beneath her, she wouldn’t be able to sleep.

In her deep sleep, her vision once again filled with blinding white lights. Her naked body was covered with various detection devices and tubes, surrounded by cold, emotionless voices.

“Has the subject died?” A woman’s voice was cold and indifferent.

“Yes, they’ve already been sent to feed the vines. This subject had been injected with thirty-one rounds of drugs, and their vital signs are still stable,” a man replied. Nan Muran felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with his voice—where had she heard it before?

“Over there, there’s another subject who’s been injected with one hundred rounds and is still stable. They haven’t awakened their abilities, and they’re still alive. What’s the point?” The woman’s voice carried clear disdain.

The man chuckled softly but didn’t say anything. Fifteen thousand experimental subjects, after five years of trials, only ten had survived. Each of them was invaluable.

Suddenly, the scene shifted. The secret of Little Liu’s ability to transfer life force between plants and animals was discovered by the lab. Countless researchers rushed to her location in excitement.

She could only flee in fear with Little Liu. At a critical moment, she didn’t know what Si Ye had done, but the entire underground lab was plunged into darkness.

“Ran Ran, don’t be afraid. I’ll take you out now.” Even in the dark, Si Ye’s low, hoarse voice still made her feel at ease.

Only Nan Muran knew that after a hundred rounds of injections and countless life-and-death tortures, Si Ye had awakened the extremely rare Five Elements abilities. Gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—all of them. When used properly, his powers would never deplete. He was truly invincible in the apocalypse.

As for herself, the “failure” in their eyes, she had already awakened the rare triple ability.