"Books carry the weight of human civilization," Magnus said with a sigh. "As leader of this base, the greater my power, the greater my responsibility. It's my duty to preserve what's left of civilization." Natalie had to admit—on this point, he'd done well. Curious, she asked, "When the flood swallowed the city, how did these books survive?" Magnus smiled. "I found them in a collector's vault. His treasure room was sealed tight. The books, paintings, and luxury watches inside were perfectly preserved." Natalie instantly understood. He probably hauled the books out along with the paintings and watches. The real valuables must be hidden in his private villa, not here. This warehouse-villa was already stuffed to the brim. The first floor's food supply came and went, but the second and third floors were packed solid—there wasn't even room for a can of beans. Magnus had certainly lined his pockets off the base. His stockpile was nearly as rich as Natalie's own. If she hadn't cleaned out an entire shopping mall and two office buildings, she might not have been able to match him. But one thing bothered her—where are the weapons? Is this huge base armed with only a handful of guns? Magnus noticed her silence and thought she was awestruck. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Ms. Bonnie, what do you think? Would you like to be my warehouse keeper?" Natalie caught his movement and smoothly leaned back a little.Warehouse keeper? Not interested. Though she was very interested in his warehouse. She took the chance to probe about the firearms. "Magnus, with so many supplies under my care, how am I supposed to keep them safe without a gun in hand?" Magnus waved it off. "Relax. All you'll handle are check-ins, inventory, and records. Security's already covered. Armed guards are posted, and all three villas are wired with cameras and traps. Anyone who tries to enter without the right fingerprints or face scan will be taken down by the defenses." Natalie's heart skipped a beat. Good thing she hadn't risked blinking in earlier to assassinate Kelvin. She would've been spotted—or worse, ripped apart by the traps. Magnus pressed on. "If you take the job, you'll move into the inner wall villa." He leaned closer, dropping his voice, "I can even give you a room in my place." Natalie pretended not to notice the hint in his tone. She straightened her face and said seriously, "Oh, I couldn't trouble you. Living in Kelvin's villa is fine for me." Magnus froze for a moment, then frowned in annoyance. "Why bring up Kelvin out of nowhere?" Because he's the reason I came into this base. Of course, she didn't say it. Instead, she casually replied, "During the last fight at Ironclaw Base, I saw how strong Kelvin was. I really admire him." She tossed the words out just to stir the pot. Sure enough, Magnus's brow tightened so hard it looked like it could crack a fly in half. He dropped the polite act and said directly, "Bonnie, do you really not understand my feelings?" Natalie tilted her head, pretending to be puzzled. "What do you mean, Magnus?"With a look full of affection, he said, "I'm interested in you. I want you to be the lady of this base." Natalie nearly rolled her eyes. Seriously? A man pushing 40, playing out some soap opera romance with me? She faked surprise, taking a few steps back to put distance between them. "How could you think that way, Magnus? Does Kelvin know about this?" She widened her eyes in feigned innocence, once again stirring the pot between them. Magnus's smile faltered. "I'm talking about us, Bonnie. Why keep bringing up Kelvin?" He had dangled the tempting title of lady of the base, but she still brought up Kelvin. That planted seeds of jealousy in his heart. Instead of explaining, Natalie switched targets. "But aren't you and Amber a couple?" Magnus paused, then straightened up with confidence. "She's just a lover. You would be my wife. How could she ever compare to you?" "Wife?" Natalie shot back. "At your age, you've never been married?" Magnus coughed awkwardly. At 37, it was obvious he couldn't claim to be single forever. He finally admitted, "I was married. But my wife died just two months after the world collapsed. She didn't even give me a child." Natalie cursed him in her heart. What a jerk. Your wife hadn't even been gone that long, and here you are, sleeping with different women every night. Was it her fault for not giving you a kid? Funny how none of the women you've slept with ended up pregnant. When she stayed quiet, Magnus pressed on with more promises.