Natalie placed Lucky's half-eaten plate on the floor. Lucky finally calmed down and started devouring it, finishing every last bit in no time. Natalie muttered to herself while tidying up, "Cassian cooks so well, but how does he still get the portions so wrong? So much food left over." If it weren't for her and Lucky, all that food would've gone to waste. After cleaning up the two plates, she headed downstairs to return them. Cassian had just finished eating. When he saw Natalie coming back with the empty plates, he smiled lightly. "How was it?" he asked. Natalie genuinely praised him. "Really good."Then, she pointed out the plate Lucky had used so he wouldn't accidentally use it himself. After that, she handed him two boxes of instant oatmeal. "What's this?" Cassian raised an eyebrow. "Payment for the meal," she said. He shook his head. "I'm not a chef." Natalie quickly clarified, "That's not what I meant." She just felt that every bit of food was more precious than gold in this post-apocalyptic world. She couldn't just take his food for free. Cassian looked at her and said casually, "If you want to thank me, just bring me a plate when you cook." "Huh?" Natalie blinked, caught off guard. He noticed her hesitation and guessed she probably wasn't much of a cook, so he added, "Don't worry. I'm not picky." Natalie figured he must be tired of eating his cooking every day and just wanted a home-cooked meal for a change. It was just an extra plate and no big deal. So, she nodded in agreement. After returning the plates, she spent a little time digesting before heading to bed. But being somewhere new, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Just as she was finally drifting off, a loud horn blared outside. "All inner residents, gather at the round plaza!" Grumbling, Natalie yanked open the curtains and looked down. A tattooed guy was riding a bike, a loudspeaker in the basket repeating the announcement as he pedaled back and forth.With no phones or chat groups, everything was done the old-fashioned way now. People didn't need to respond. They just followed orders. Natalie dragged herself out of bed and got dressed. Putting Lucky in a leash and a climate suit, they headed downstairs together. It wasn't like home. Without armored doors, she didn't want to leave Lucky alone. Plus, maybe she'd get a chance to deal with Kelvin and make a run for it. So, she left only a few unimportant things behind. When Natalie got downstairs, Cassian was already dressed and waiting by the door. He wasn't moving yet, just standing there. Lucky trotted over to greet him. He gave the dog a quick pat on the head before turning to Natalie."Let's go together." She was a bit surprised. Was he waiting for her? She didn't think much of it and nodded. "Let's go." The round plaza wasn't far from their villa, so they arrived quickly. A crowd had already gathered, and people chatted in small groups. With their height, looks, and a dog in tow, Natalie and Cassian immediately caught attention. Guys kept staring at Natalie, women sneaked glances at Cassian, and a few people eyed Lucky greedily. The two of them found a corner and stood there, giving off a cool, untouchable vibe. Lucky scanned the crowd, totally alert. The sun beat down, making it sweltering. Everyone started shifting impatiently."What's happening? Why hasn't anyone come out to talk?" "Yeah, why call us here?" "I just fell asleep and got woken up! If there's nothing, I'm going back to bed!" Just then, a jeep slowly rolled in. The driver and passenger jumped out first. Natalie squinted and realized they were the two guards she'd met while walking Lucky. The guards opened the back doors, and two men stepped out. One was tall and muscular, with colorful tattoos covering his right arm; the other was short and skinny, with a sharp look and stress balls in his hand. Flanked by the guards, the two men walked to the center of the crowd and climbed the platform in the middle of the plaza. Natalie guessed they had to be Magnus and Kelvin.She studied their posture. The short, skinny man stood in front, looking relaxed. The tall, burly one stayed slightly behind, hands clasped just like the guards. It was clear that the short man was in charge.