They talked a little longer before Kelvin got up and left. The next morning, as the sky began to brighten, Natalie was jolted awake by a loudspeaker blaring outside on repeat. "All inner residents, please come downstairs to pick up your meals!" Wait, this base actually gives out meals? Natalie dressed quickly and headed downstairs, running into Cassian along the way. They exchanged a quick nod and walked together to the entrance, glancing outside. A few middle-aged women were pushing food carts, going door to door. When they reached Natalie and Cassian's building, one woman checked her list, grabbed two meal buckets, and handed them over. "Only two people in this building, right?" Natalie nodded and took the food. Curiously, she asked, "Ma'am, do you deliver meals every day here?" That woman was sweating from the heat. She just nodded quickly, clearly wanting to move on. It was scorching, and pushing those heavy carts all over the base was no joke. Seeing her rush, Natalie dug a chocolate bar out of her pocket and handed it over. "Thanks for your hard work!" That woman's face instantly lit up. She looked around to make sure no one was watching, then tucked the chocolate away with a smile. "You're such a sweet and pretty girl." She even looked at Cassian. "Your boyfriend is handsome, too."Boyfriend? Natalie froze, glancing at the man beside her. Cassian just smirked, took the meal buckets from her, and said nothing. Natalie didn't waste time explaining their relationship to a stranger. Seeing the woman in a good mood, she quickly pressed for more details. "Ma'am, I'm new here and don't know much. How many times a day do you deliver meals?" This time, the woman explained patiently, "Just once. Things aren't like they were before the apocalypse. Resources and manpower are tight. We only deliver once a day, right after sunrise. "But don't worry. Even though it's just once, the portions are huge enough to fill a grown man twice over. Plus, the food is good. Today is beef pasta!" Beef pasta?Natalie was stunned. She'd expected bread or potatoes, but they were getting hot meals. Ever since the world went to hell, her storage space had been the only way to eat proper food. She hadn't seen anyone else get a real meal for a long time. Outside, people survived on basic grains or instant food. A plate of pasta would be worth a fortune. Meat, spices, and cooking fuel were all rare. Getting beef pasta was a serious perk. No wonder people were willing to give up ten pounds of grain just to get in here. Inside the base, life was completely different. No wonder the armed guards she'd seen yesterday were so loyal and praised their leaders. With perks like that, devotion came naturally.Natalie asked, "Do the outer residents get the same meals?" That woman waved. "No way! Door-to-door delivery is just for inner residents. The folks outside get mixed grain cereal and have to line up for it." She chuckled. "Our leader takes care of you guys. We kitchen staff get to enjoy a few perks too." Even though they mostly ate cereal, they could sneak a bit of inner-resident food to spice things up. The woman also handed over two bottles of water. "Almost forgot—here's your water. One bottle per person." Natalie checked the bottles. They'd been opened before but refilled to the top. The water was a bit cloudy. They must have gathered empty bottles and reused them.Sure enough, that woman reminded them, "Don't throw away the bottles. Don't throw these away. We'll collect the buckets and bottles when we deliver meals tomorrow." Natalie asked, "Okay. Does the base provide water every day?" Seeing the woman nod, Natalie kept going. "I noticed the supermarkets and warehouses outside are empty. How do you have so much water for everyone here?" The woman smiled. "It's not a secret. You're new, so you wouldn't know. The base has its own well." A well? Natalie asked, "Wait, there's a well in the villa area?" She hadn't seen one when she wandered around yesterday. "Not exactly inside the villas, but nearby. It's for everyone at the base."That woman pointed to a villa close by. "The old man who lives there is good at finding water. He guided people to dig the well, and I heard they're planning to dig a few more soon." Natalie nodded. Indeed, the people living in the inner circle villas were all pretty capable. She asked again, "Do the leaders eat the same food as we do? Are their meals delivered daily?"