Chapter 30: The Robbery of the Jewelry Store

Inside the car, Wang Xiaoqiang gave the woman a quick rundown of what was happening in the city. Through casual conversation, he learned her name was Huang Tingting—a media strategist who traveled all over the country for work. This time, she’d been hired by a boss to promote local culture, but fate had thrown her a curveball: instead of doing a shoot, she’d accidentally escaped a disaster that wiped out everyone else. Now, though, she was frantic—her three-year-old daughter was missing, and she’d been captured by Xiong Ge’s gang while trying to get back to her kid.

Wang Xiaoqiang didn’t offer comfort. He had enough on his plate already—just wanted to stay out of trouble, not take on someone else’s emotional baggage. On the way, the radiation detector beeped twice. They immediately veered off course, circling around for an hour. By the time they reached the spot she described, the place was empty. The underground shelter in the residential complex held only a handful of people huddled together like ghosts.

Still, Xiaoqiang thought, this wasn’t so bad. Better than finding your family dead. At least there was hope. Maybe one day they’d be found. Seeing how lost and dazed Huang Tingting looked, he knew she couldn’t stay here alone—she’d be a target for predators before long. So he scribbled big letters on the door: *“I’m back. I’m at the Happiness Town Orphanage.”* Then he took her with him.

Back at the orphanage, he spotted the appliance store owner standing by the roadside, probably waiting a while. A stack of five large boxes sat beside him. Xiaoqiang told him to open them up—dump the ice chest into the storage room. He instructed his mother to fire up the diesel generator and run the freezer, making as many ice cubes as possible for later use. Mood sour, he barely exchanged words with the man before heading inside.

Everyone instantly went into gossip mode when they saw Xiaoqiang bring a woman back. Once they heard her story, sympathy kicked in. Here was another soul caught in the storm, now adrift, with no idea where to go or how to find her daughter. No car. No plan. Just… stuck. For now, she’d stay at the orphanage and see what could be done.

After dinner, Xiaoqiang went straight to bed. It was his first time killing someone—his mind was heavy, drained. He dreamed, something rare for him. In the dream, he was the killer, hunted through dark alleys, dragging his family behind him, screaming, running—until he jolted awake, soaked in cold sweat.

He checked his phone. 4:20 a.m.

He got up, brushed his teeth, then climbed the stairs. The air upstairs was thick with mist, faint golden specks flickering like fireflies in the haze. He sat cross-legged, entered meditation.

That familiar clarity returned—like a dam breaking. The mental fatigue from yesterday vanished. His body felt alive, humming. With every breath, it was as if invisible energy flowed in, circulating endlessly within him. The sensation grew sharper, clearer. Then—suddenly—it vanished.

The mist had cleared. Xiaoqiang opened his eyes, brows furrowed. He stared at the clear sky. Something clicked.

He stood up. Lighter. Softer. Like he’d shed weight. Without hesitation, he ran downstairs, grabbed the lead bars he’d replaced with gold, stuffed them all into his weighted vest. Walked around the yard a few times. Not a single ounce heavier. His strength had increased again.

He grinned. Excitement surged through him.

A new goal formed in his mind: *Raid every gold shop in the city.*

At breakfast, seeing Huang Tingting’s hollow eyes, Xiaoqiang said, “Today you come with us. I’ll have Zhou Dafu stick close to you. You two head to the subway stations near your old neighborhood. Can Ailuona drive?”

Her face lit up. “Of course! I travel for work all the time—I’ve got my license. Thank you so much!”

Xiaoqiang waved it off.

After eating, he called Old Wang, had Huang Tingting drive behind them, picked up Zhou Dafu at the repair shop, armed him with bulletproof vest and gun. Four people. Two cars. Into the city.

The streets were busier today. Stores ransacked, windows smashed, shelves emptied. They passed several jewelry shops—cleaned out. He knew banks likely still had gold bars, but let’s be real: with his tools and skills, cracking a vault underground? Impossible.

Then they passed a security office. Xiaoqiang decided to check it out. He signaled Old Wang to stop, told Zhou Dafu to keep moving.

Inside, the main hall held two teenagers—boy and girl—thin, pale, clearly escaped from some underground shelter. Probably came looking for help. When they saw Xiaoqiang enter, the boy pulled the girl behind him, eyes wide with fear. Their stomachs growled loudly—starving.

Xiaoqiang frowned. He turned back to the car, grabbed two bottles of water, two sausages, two packs of crackers. Returned and handed them directly to the boy without a word. Then walked upstairs.

He wasn’t a reincarnated saint—but when someone needed help, and he could do something, he wouldn’t turn away. Maybe the universe noticed. Because this time, the payoff was solid: two handguns, one submachine gun, a sniper rifle case that was empty except for two boxes of specialized ammo, two bulletproof vests, two helmets, three gas masks.

They packed up the loot and moved on.

Finally, they found a jewelry shop untouched by looters.

Old Wang, now more experienced, stayed calm. They located a safe in the office—twice the size of the last one. After forty minutes of careful work, a golden pyramid of bars lay before them, gleaming under the dim light.

Xiaoqiang began swapping out the lead bars. He lined his inner layer entirely with gold. Turned around twice. No extra weight. The gold’s mass was fixed. He did a quick mental calculation—his body now carried at least 180 kilograms of load. More than double his own weight. He nearly laughed. This confirmed it: his training method worked. And he was stronger than ever.

Feeling lucky, Xiaoqiang wanted to keep going. Driving around, he spotted a scene near the morning’s security office: a group of men beating a man on the ground. Two others dragged another person toward a car. He squinted. It was the same boy and girl from earlier.

The beaten man couldn’t fight back. The thugs cursed, ready to pile in and leave.

Suddenly, a delivery truck slammed into their van, blocking the road.

Xiaoqiang stepped out, gun raised. “Get out.”

They glanced at each other. One look at the weapon—and they knew this wasn’t worth fighting. They scrambled into their car and peeled away fast.

The girl dropped to her knees beside the boy. She gripped his arm, shaking him. “Brother! Brother, wake up!” Her voice cracked. She turned to the others, tears in her eyes. “Please… please help me save my brother.”