Torrential Rain

Three days had passed, and Alice had almost finished purchasing essentials like food and clothing. Now, she needed transportation, communication tools, and charging devices.

Checking her bank card balance, Alice saw that she still had 150 million, which was sufficient. Thinking about transportation, she remembered the dozens of luxury cars in her family's garage. She decided to go back and collect them later.

Anticipating the upcoming heavy rain, water transportation would be crucial. Alice diverted to buy hovercrafts, motorboats, and yachts, purchasing 30 of each. She nearly emptied the store's inventory.

Seeing the puzzled look on the shop owner's face, Alice chuckled and lied again, "The water park I invested in is opening soon, and water activities are essential."

The owner suddenly realized, "Oh, the water park! Someone ordered similar items a couple of years ago."

"I'll visit when it opens," the owner dispelled his doubts and happily delivered the goods.

On the way back, Alice bought satellite phones, visiting several stores to gather 50 of them. Shortly after the onset of natural disasters, the entire city experienced a power outage, with no signals available. Communication would rely on satellite phones.

Alice also put thought into charging devices, purchasing large-capacity solar power banks, generators, and solar panels. She wanted to be well-prepared for any situation.

Seeing the abundance of supplies in her space, Alice finally felt a sense of security.

Thinking about the luxury cars at home, Alice realized that gasoline and diesel would be essential. Going to a gas station herself wouldn't work, but she knew exactly who to turn to – her elder brother.

While most people only knew her elder brother as a popular star in the entertainment industry, they were unaware that the company he belonged to was his own. With a vast network, her elder brother's connections proved invaluable. In the end, Alice successfully ordered 200,000 liters of gasoline and 150,000 liters of diesel, all packed into thick, army-green fuel drums and delivered to the warehouse.

The money for the fuel was covered by her elder brother, saving her another expense. Returning home, Alice headed straight to the garage. Both of her brothers loved buying luxury cars, but after using them for a while, they would be left in the garage. The underground garage had three sections – the first one for daily use, not convenient to store in the space for now, and the second and third garages were rarely used. Alice estimated about fifty cars in each garage, totaling over a hundred cars. She effortlessly stored all of them.

With five days left until the disaster struck, the countdown began. Urged by Alice, Arnold, who was filming out of town, returned home. Beryl kept coming to Alice family for various reasons, often subtly inquiring about the jade bracelet. Despite Alice's repeated denial, Beryl remained persistent.

One evening, Alexander came to find Alice, immediately asking to borrow the jade bracelet.

"Little sister, could you lend it to your future sister-in-law just once? Your brother's happiness is in your hands," Alexander pleaded with a pitiful look.

Alice inwardly chuckled, maintaining an innocent expression on her face. "Second brother, if I had a jade bracelet, why wouldn't I lend it to her? Also, don't you think this is a great opportunity for you to shine?"

Curious, Alexander asked, "How should I shine?"

Alice gave him advice, "Ask Beryl to draw the jade bracelet she wants, then go out and have it custom-made. Give her a surprise, isn't that a good idea?"

Alexander's eyes lit up, "Yeah, why didn't I think of that? I'll go ask her right away."

"Wait, if Beryl asks, just tell her you drew the jade bracelet to show me," Alice reminded him.

Alexander left with excitement. Watching his eager figure, Alice shook her head helplessly. Alexander had a good business mind, indicating decent intelligence. However, when it came to Beryl, his intelligence seemed to drop to zero.

After dinner, the family gathered in the living room for a chat. Alice suddenly suggested, "It's been a long time since our family went out for fun. There's an ecological botanical garden open in the suburbs, along with rural tourism. How about we go for a few days? Consider it a relaxing break."

Of course, Alice didn't actually want to go for leisure. She wanted her family to move away. They lived in a seaside villa with a relatively low elevation. In a few days, the torrential rain during the disaster would cause a month-long surge in sea levels, eventually submerging their current location.

However, if she asked them to move suddenly, they wouldn't agree. So, Alice came up with a plan to subtly make them leave.

Atticus looked at Blanche, feeling intrigued. "Alright, since there's endless work, we should take a break for ourselves," Blanche smiled.

"I'm flexible. Currently, I have no work arrangements," Arnold gently said.

Alexander hesitated for a moment. "I'll stay with Beryl, so I won't go."

Alice looked at him with frustration. "Second brother, this won't do. Even lovers need independent space. If you cling to Beryl every day, she might get annoyed in her heart but won't say it out loud."

Alexander's heart shattered, and he said half-believingly, "I don't think so."

"Women understand women the best. Trust me, give each other some space. There's a saying, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Maybe if you spend a few days apart, your relationship will improve," Alice advised.

Perhaps Alice's expression was convincing, and Alexander believed her about 80%. "I'll listen to you," he said.

Alice sighed in relief. 

Arnold's gaze lingered on Alice, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

The next morning, Alice gathered all the servants and informed them that her family would be going away for a few days. At the same time, she granted them paid leave. Everyone was overjoyed, and after the meeting, they packed their belongings and left.

The villa suddenly became empty. The family was set to depart the next day, and today Atticus and Blanche had to go to the company to arrange work.

Alexander sought out an expert in the jade industry overnight and had the jade bracelet, based on Beryl's drawing, hastily made. He then hurriedly went to find her.

As the impending disaster approached, and with the space not yet secured, Beryl was extremely agitated. Just then, the doorbell rang, and she impatiently went to open it, already knowing it was Alexander without thinking.