Tang Sword

Alice bought a heavy and thick iron gate, scheduled a time for installation, and also bought a large iron lock that was absolutely unbreakable and unpickable. 

Then she went to the antique street, remembering a store that specialized in selling various imitation knives and swords, some real and some fake, depending on the customer. When children go to buy knives and swords, the owner would only recommend the fake ones, as the real ones are not cheap.

Two years ago, Alice had her eye on a Tang sword in that store, but the owner refused to sell it to her at that time.

"Boss, do you still have Tang swords?" Alice looked around the store, didn't find the desired Tang sword, and asked.

The owner, a middle-aged man, after sizing up Alice, casually took out a dark-colored knife from behind the counter and said, "Ten bucks."

Alice: "I want to buy a real Tang sword."

The boss waved his hand, "No, go buy it elsewhere."

She wouldn't stay here if she knew where else to buy Tang swords. Alice didn't waste time and directly showed her 'ample financial resources.' She then took out neatly arranged fifty thousand yuan from her pocket as she continued, "Is this enough? If not, I can also use a credit card."

The boss, having seen wealthy second-generation individuals before, looked at Alice for a few seconds and seemed to acknowledge her as a potential customer. He turned and lifted a curtain, walking into the back room.

Not long after, the boss came out holding a black box, "Take a look?"

Alice took the box from him and opened it. Inside was a black Tang sword. Drawing it from the scabbard, the blade was sharp, and a cold light gleamed.

The blade was clean, a sign that the boss had taken good care of it. Alice immediately set her eyes on the sword, "I want this Tang sword, how much?"

After a moment of contemplation, the boss said, "One hundred thousand."

Without bargaining, Alice gave the boss fifty thousand in cash and transferred the rest. Having successfully purchased the Tang sword, Alice returned home to find workers installing the large iron gate.

The iron gate, weighing a hundred kilograms, required two workers to support each side while others assisted in welding. Arnold supervised the workers, and some of them couldn't comprehend Allen family's thought process. Why install a large iron gate at the staircase entrance in a well-maintained house? If it was for safety, the safety doors available in the market would be sufficient.

Little did they know, even Allen family himself was puzzled. Alice had ordered the large iron gate without informing them.

Arnold moved a chair outside, sitting with a cup of coffee in hand. When he saw Alice, a handsome and refined smile appeared on his face. "Back already!"

Alice nodded. She thought Arnold would inquire about why she wanted to install the large iron gate. She waited for a while, but he remained silent. Atticus and Blanche, after an initial surprise, didn't bother either. They didn't plan on staying in the house for long, so whatever Alice did was fine with them.

The next morning, Alice was awakened by thunder. She got up, opened the curtains, and saw pouring rain outside with dark clouds covering the sky.

After a quick wash, Alice walked out of her room. Her elder brother and second brother were preparing breakfast. Allen family's family members were skilled at cooking, with Arnold and Alexander being the best.

Atticus stood on the balcony, looking at the heavy rain outside. He helplessly said, "The weather has been bad these days. If I had known, I would have scheduled the plan for next month."

"This rain has been pouring since last night, without a moment's pause," Blanche said from the sofa, glancing outside.

Alice paused, "Dad, I saw someone in the property group saying that half the city has already been flooded. It might be better to let the company employees stay at home until the rain stops and let them figure out a way to stock up on some food."

Blanche smiled and looked at her, "The orders were given early this morning."

After breakfast, Alice sat on the sofa with her phone, scrolling through social media updates. The trending topics on all platforms were about the 'heavy rain.'

#HeavyRainInAllCities? How did they manage nationwide consistency?

#HistoricallyRareNationwideHeavyRain

In the Serenity Springs property group, many were discussing the rain.

Building 101 in the East District: "First time not going to work because of rain. Feels great!"

Building 302 in the East District: "Envious of upstairs. We just finished an online meeting not long ago."

Building 505 in the North District: "Heard that the rain will continue for two more days before turning into light rain. Is everyone prepared with enough food?"

Building 106 in the North District: "As someone who rarely cooks at home, I can't endure it anymore. /Crying/"

The group was relatively calm for now, with no one taking the rain seriously, some even celebrating the paid leave.

Alexander was also texting Beryl. 

Beryl: "Alexander, did you get the jade bracelet from Alice?"

Alexander replied in confusion: "Is there an issue with the bracelet?"

After waiting for a while without receiving a response from Beryl, Alexander put down his phone and found himself met with Alice's mysterious gaze. He felt an inexplicable chill down his spine. "Little sister, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Second brother, you don't know how to pursue a girl, do you?" Alice suddenly smirked. "Let me teach you!"

Alexander recalled that his progress in pursuing Beryl hadn't been smooth.So, he humbly asked, "How do you pursue someone then?"

"The first rule is, no matter what she says, just agree with her. For example, if she asks how you are, say you're good. If she asks if she's pretty, say she's beautiful, and so on."

Alexander, somewhat skeptical, thought about Beryl's message earlier and tentatively replied with a 'yes.' As soon as he sent it, Beryl responded with a 'pen' emoji.

Alexander's eyes lit up. This was indeed magical. Suddenly, he realized something and slapped his chest, saying, "If I had known my little sister is so useful, I should have asked you for advice earlier."

Alice gave a faint smile, and a hint of unfathomable light flashed in her eyes.

On the cabinet behind Alexander was a mirror, and Alice had observed his conversation with Beryl in its entirety.