Chapter 29: Eight Hundred Schemes

Not far off in a flowerbed lay a dead cat.

Judging by its fur and the dirt covering it, it was a stray.

The scorching sun beat down, and Jiang Yan could feel the heat burning through her scalp even under her hat and hair.

She didn’t dare linger and hurried toward Building A.

After noon, the smart home alarm system on her phone hadn’t gone off again.

Jiang Yan guessed He Chunmei probably wouldn’t dare provoke her for the time being, so she didn’t overthink it and entered the elevator carrying her supplies.

When the elevator doors opened on the 32nd floor, Jiang Yan had only taken a few steps before she saw a bizarre, unforgettable scene.

A dozen or so people, men and women, old and young, even pregnant women, had completely filled the narrow passage outside her apartment.

It was as if they had received a unified signal—at the moment she appeared at the corner of the elevator, all their eyes “switched” to her at once.

In those gazes were expectation, flattery, hostility, disdain, resentment, and caution.

Jiang Yan froze for a moment but immediately understood when she saw He Chunmei and Zhang Qiqi standing at the front of the group.

They really were two of a kind, drawn to each other like stinking comrades!

She drew in a sharp breath—no, rather, she inhaled the oppressive, fifty-plus-degree air.

It wasn’t shock at their numbers; it was a desperate attempt to restrain the rage boiling inside her, the urge to storm forward and beat Zhang Qiqi senseless.

“小妹妹啊，你可算是回来了~听说你家装了两大台空调，大家伙都想着能不能进去暂住两天呢？” He Chunmei said with a smiling face, stepping forward.

Earlier, she had badmouthed Jiang Yan behind her back, and the memory of the electric shock still left her seething with hatred.

But now, Jiang Yan had just returned—she couldn’t come on too harshly with so many neighbors watching.

If Jiang Yan let people in, He Chunmei would appear foolish for offending her. If not, she could claim a “polite warning” and have a reason to rally the crowd later.

Jiang Yan ignored her words, stopping in place, and swept a cold glance across the crowd. Her voice was icy, demanding:
“I’m going back to my own home. Are you all really planning to block me here?!”

Though she wore sunglasses hiding her eyes, her tone carried a powerful, oppressive force that everyone could hear.

The crowd froze, their eyes turning to He Chunmei and Zhang Qiqi.

Zhang Qiqi’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of Jiang Yan’s voice: It sounded so familiar!

And that figure, that nose and chin—it looked exactly like that little brat Jiang Yan!

Before Jiang Yan’s mother had been killed, Zhang Qiqi, under Song Deming’s arrangement, had secretly observed Jiang Yan up close a few times.

But Jiang Yan and her mother had been completely unaware, even when passing each other face-to-face.

Jiang Yan was also something of a semi-public figure—a social media influencer.

Zhang Qiqi had followed her with a fake account, a true “hater,” to get every detail of Jiang Yan and her mother.

But she quickly convinced herself otherwise: a billionaire heiress on the run—how could she be living in this old neighborhood?!

Thinking this, Zhang Qiqi smiled sweetly and said:
“小妹妹, here’s an idea. Let’s set a price—anyone who wants to stay in your home temporarily can pay you a fixed rate. Even hotels with AC are raising prices—let’s go with that. How about 500 per person per day?”

The crowd was dumbstruck: 500?! Was she insane? That wasn’t the plan they had discussed!

He Chunmei glanced at her: This girl must have eight hundred schemes.

They didn’t realize Zhang Qiqi was just trying to provoke outrage and subtly reduce the number of people coming in.

She didn’t actually want to squeeze in with the elderly. By raising the price, fewer people would come, and she and her son could stay comfortably.

“小飞, go try to persuade the pretty lady,” Zhang Qiqi added, gently patting her son Song Xiaofei on the shoulder.

Song Xiaofei looked at Jiang Yan, ready to step forward, but saw her already heading toward the elevator and pressing the button.

In this high-rise, if no one was in the elevator after it reached the top floor, it would temporarily stop there.

Jiang Yan entered, pressed the close door and first-floor buttons.

The crowd gawked at her back for a second: “She’s just leaving???”

He Chunmei sneered: “Don’t worry, she’ll be back sooner or later!”

She then pulled Zhang Qiqi to the window, eyes fixed on the garden below.

“When you see the elevator indicator, let us know!”

“Okay!”

Meanwhile, Jiang Yan quickly reached the first floor but didn’t exit the building. She slipped into the stairwell.

In just a few seconds, she had already devised a plan.

Calling the police was clearly impractical—the stations were overloaded.

Storming back in was impossible.

Her space was filled with weapons, but it wasn’t the apocalypse yet; she couldn’t just pull out a machine gun and start shooting.

Even with her enhanced abilities from the space, the crowd outnumbered her and was physically stronger. Two fists couldn’t match four legs; she had no guarantee of victory.

She did have her new jet-powered flight suit from today.

Inspired by Bear Grylls’ survival show, it allowed eight to ten minutes of flight on a full tank, up to 1,800 meters high.

She could rest somewhere, then sneak back home through a window at night. Her smart home system could open the window for her.

But escaping now was a last resort.

Kind people get bullied, gentle horses get ridden.

If the crowd thought she was afraid, this would escalate endlessly.

She needed to show them her strength, make them remember. And Zhang Qiqi, who practically invited humiliation, would be the first to deal with.

Jiang Yan scanned the area, and when she confirmed no one was coming, she mentally summoned a German “Powerful” brand lithium battery chainsaw from her space.

The chainsaw had a 1.5-meter blade, high power, and weighed nearly eight kilograms.

Pressing the switch, the shiny blade whirred violently, buzzing in a terrifying roar.

She was satisfied with the intimidation factor.

Smirking, she lifted the chainsaw in one hand and headed upstairs.

Seeing the elevator slowly rise from the first floor toward the 32nd, Song Xiaofei excitedly shouted:
“Mom, that lady seems to be coming back up!”

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