At first, hunting for cars and metal barrels took some time. But once they got started, finding gasoline wasn't hard at all. Cars were everywhere, and each usually had at least six gallons of fuel left in the tank. They just went along, collecting as they went. If a car had an anti-theft filter, they simply forced it open. "That actually sounds kind of fun," Natalie said with a smile. The three of them talked while carrying the heavy fuel cans up the stairs. "You wouldn't believe it, Nat," Olivia said. "All those gas stations out there? Completely stripped bare! Luckily we brought a pump, or we'd have left with nothing. At least we managed to suck a little fuel out of the cars." Natalie studied their faces. "Are you both holding up? No heatstroke?" "Nope!" Olivia grinned. "Harold gave me this climate suit. It's amazing—once you wear it, you don't even feel the heat." Harold nodded with a smile, clearly proud. He had made two suits originally, one for himself and one for his mom. But since he was teaming up with Olivia, her safety came first. After all, what if she collapsed from the heat in the middle of scavenging? That would be real trouble. Luckily, his mom had stayed in good shape over the years. Though she was older, she wasn't much bigger than Olivia. Her suit fit Olivia well enough. So Harold handed over the one he had meant for his mom. Since Ghania stayed indoors with the air-conditioning, she wouldn't need it right away. He could always make her another later. At first, Olivia had been shocked that he even owned something this high-tech. She hadn't wanted to accept it.In times like these, a climate suit was practically a lifesaving treasure—something people would fight tooth and nail for. But going out in 110°F heat searching for supplies was dangerous. Heatstroke wasn't just a nuisance; it could kill you and put your team at risk. So after a little hesitation, she finally took it. As part of their deal, they split the fuel they found: 70 percent to Harold, 30 percent to Olivia. Harold took the bigger share, while Olivia got the smaller one. When Natalie heard Olivia had a climate suit, she finally relaxed. That was good—she had been worrying about how to come up with an excuse to give her one. With the temperature bound to keep rising, maybe even hitting 140°F, those suits would become lifesavers. Now that Olivia already had one, Natalie didn't need to go through the awkward trouble of handing hers over. Since she was a kid, Natalie had always hated those situations where people pushed things back and forth, insisting out of politeness. For her, it was enough to turn a confident, outgoing girl into a shy wreck in seconds. Harold glanced at her. "Idol, what did you find out there? Why are your hands empty?" Natalie swung her backpack off her shoulder and gave it a shake. "It's all in here—jewelry and gems." Harold and Olivia froze, staring at her in disbelief. Everyone else was out hunting for food, fuel, or water. But this woman had gone scavenging for jewelry? Catching their expressions, Natalie laughed. "What can I say? I like this stuff. If I see pretty jewelry, I just can't walk away." The two thought about it and realized she wasn't lying. Back at the floating market, she had even traded crocodile meat for a bracelet and a ring. Clearly, she really did like these things. Even so, Olivia shook her head. "As a woman, I like jewelry too. But in this heat, who cares about gems and gold? Nat, you'd rather look good than stay alive!" Natalie kept her real reason to herself. She was collecting jewelry to upgrade her storage space, but she couldn't say that, so she made up an excuse. "Well, what if the apocalypse suddenly ends? If I stockpile gems and gold now, I'll come out of it rich. And even if the world doesn't go back to normal, cash will eventually be worthless. Gold might turn into the new currency." The two of them thought it over. She actually had a point. Throughout history, no matter how money changed, gold and silver were always valuable.Olivia's eyes lit up. "Nat, you always think so far ahead! Once I'm done collecting fuel, I'm going after gold and jewelry too!" Natalie nearly choked. Please don't—because I've already taken nearly all the jewelry in the city. She cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject. "I just wonder if the temperature will drop in a few days." Harold shook his head. "According to my calculations, it won't." Olivia glared at him. "Hey! Don't jinx us!" But Harold stayed serious. "It's not a curse. I made charts today, ran the numbers, and projected the trend. The heat should rise to around 140°F, and the high temperatures will probably last for at least a year." Olivia's jaw dropped. "140°F ? Are you kidding me?" Even Natalie turned to look at him in surprise. Impressive!How on earth did he figure that out? She remembered the paper he had published before the world ended. It was wild yet strangely logical, scientific yet almost mystical. This guy was a mix between a scientist and a fortune-teller. So she asked, half curious, half wary, "Then have you calculated whether there'll be more disasters after the flood and the Great Heat?"