Natalie quickly stopped him. "Magnus, don't bother. I'm not thirsty." Then she cut straight to the point. "Why did you call me over? What do you need?" Magnus smiled warmly. "Nothing too serious. I just wanted to ask if you'd be interested in taking the job of warehouse keeper." "Warehouse keeper?" Natalie blinked, surprised by the sudden offer—especially since it was such a popular position. In a world like this, managing a base's warehouse was easily the most powerful—and profitable—job around. Magnus leaned back, one leg crossed over the other, sipping his drink. "A woman's got attention to detail, and you've got skills. If I put you in charge of the warehouse, I'd feel at ease." Before Natalie could answer, he stood up. "Come on, I'll show you the warehouse." He strode out first. Natalie hurried after him. Instead of walking far, Magnus led her right next door to another villa. No wonder—she had searched the entire base and never found where the supplies were stored. Turned out they were hidden behind the iron gates of this private villa. She glanced at the last villa in the row of three. That must be Kelvin's place. Magnus pressed his fingerprint to the scanner, let it read his face, and finally opened the heavy door. Natalie pulled her eyes back and followed him inside.The villa wasn't lavish like the one Magnus lived in. The entire space was packed with supplies. Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, stacked with rice, flour, grains, potatoes, and beans—organized in neat, towering rows. At first glance, it was overwhelming—enough to make anyone with claustrophobia break out in a sweat. It was so overwhelming that even Natalie, who'd seen plenty, drew in a sharp breath. She couldn't even begin to guess how many tons of food were in there. Magnus had been watching her face. The moment he saw her stunned expression, he lifted his chin proudly. Heh, Kash— What can you possibly compete with now? He smirked. "Ms. Bonnie, this is just the living room. There's more in the rooms inside—candles, alcohol, propane, odds and ends. I wouldn't take you there, though." He gestured upward. "There's more upstairs too." Natalie followed him up to the second floor. Right at the landing sat a massive diesel generator, humming loudly. There were three rooms. The first had been turned into a freezer. Inside were dozens of frozen pork, beef, and lamb meats. There were plenty of chickens and ducks too, but most of all—rabbits. Magnus showed it off like a tour guide. "Large livestock is hard to come by, but poultry is easy to breed. Rabbits, in particular, are abundant because our base has a breeder with the highest output." Natalie muttered to herself, Yeah, rabbits may be plenty, but I've yet to see you serve the men even one grilled rabbit or honey garlic rabbit. She guessed only the grain downstairs really belonged to the base. The meat here? Most likely Magnus's private stash.He kept the good cuts for himself while feeding his men scavenged corpses, all the while putting on a generous front, pretending to share with the people. Unaware of her thoughts, Magnus strutted ahead and opened the other two doors. Both rooms were jammed full of gasoline and diesel. Metal barrels stacked wall to wall, leaving barely any room to walk. Natalie noticed Magnus watching her face, so she played along, putting on a look of surprise. "Magnus, that's wonderful! Where did you get so much fuel?" Magnus grinned. "My guys pulled it out of cars along the road, one tank at a time." Natalie nodded like she'd just figured it out. "Oh, Magnus, you're so clever!" It was the same trick Olivia and Harold had used. But Magnus had more men and muscle. If Olivia and Harold hadn't started early, all that loose fuel might've been his by now. After showing her the second floor, Magnus led her up to the third. This level looked more like a giant collector's gallery. There were vacuum-packed teas, shelves stacked with various cigarette brands, and—by far the largest section—alcohol. Mostly wine, but plenty of other liquor too. Whiskey, vodka, rum, even rare imports. Natalie noticed something strange. For all the bottles stored here, not a single one had been on the table during the last victory feast. Instead, everyone had been drinking the base's homemade brew. Besides the booze, cigarettes, and tea, she was surprised to see a whole section of books—history, science, culture, economics, and education—sorted and shelved neatly.But unlike the other items, these books were coated with dust, clearly forgotten and unloved. They reminded Natalie of her useless father. After climbing the career ladder, he loved filling his study with classics and must-reads, showing off his supposed culture and taste. But those books sat untouched for over ten years, still looking brand-new. Magnus noticed her eyes linger on the shelves. He cleared his throat and straightened his back.