The man grinned as he spoke. "Under normal conditions, I wouldn't bother you. But the temperature right now is dangerously low. If I don't get help, I won't make it to Yloria on foot." He sighed and added, half-joking, half-serious, "I don't want to die far from home. Give me a ride, yeah? I've got enough supplies, but I can't find fuel or a working vehicle." He hadn't seen the couple's car. Still, one look at their clean clothes told him they weren't walking like he was. Natalie and Cassian stayed silent. The man quickly raised his voice again. "Of course, I won't take advantage of you for free! Once we reach Yloria, I'll repay you properly!" His face lit up with honest enthusiasm. "You're looking for an official base, right? You probably plan to settle there. I'll ask my brother-in-law to get you the best housing. How about that?" He was about the same age as Jacob. Maybe because he never had kids, he seemed unusually youthful. He acted so close with them without a hint of embarrassment. Natalie didn't dislike him, but she shot back anyway. "Your relative used to be the deputy mayor, but this is the apocalypse now. Why are you so sure he still holds power in the official base?" In times like these, past status meant nothing. Being important before didn't guarantee anything now. Natalie had seen it before: once-powerful figures living worse than ordinary survivors. The man answered without hesitation, confidence clear in his voice. "I know my brother-in-law's abilities. If he can't call the shoot at the base, I'll give you my head."Natalie raised an eyebrow. "That confident?" He nodded and pointed to the large backpack in the corner. "That's all I've got. Everything I own. I'm putting it in your hands. If we get to the base and I break my word, or I turn out useless, it's all yours. Do whatever you want with me." This guy was interesting. Natalie and Cassian exchanged a look. Then Natalie turned back to him. "Taking someone along is risky. Who knows if you—" Before she could finish, the man understood their concern. He said cheerfully, "How about this? Knock me out and tie me up. You look well-off enough not to want my sorry body for food. I trust you!" Natalie's eyebrow twitched. Using her pocket as cover, she reached into her storage space and pulled out a packet of sedative they'd prepared earlier for the mountains and the base. She tested him, "I happen to have some knockout drug—" Before she could finish, the man snatched it away and dumped the whole packet straight into his mouth. "Thanks! Sorry to trouble you!" Natalie froze, eyes wide. He just ate it? Is this man smart or a fool? The drug wasn't mixed with water. Swallowing it dry made his throat choke a little. The man lifted his small pot and took two sips of instant noodle soup, swallowing it down. Then he quickly crawled back into his sleeping bag and carefully wrapped himself in a thermal blanket. He was probably afraid that if Natalie and the others decided not to take him along, he might pass out and freeze to death.Natalie was stunned by how smooth and fast his actions were. For a moment, she didn't know how to react. Three seconds later, she let out a small sigh. This guy was pretty smart. He showed his sincerity as much as possible and lowered himself completely, leaving her no room to refuse or bargain. He had already taken the medicine. If she said anything else, she'd look less decisive than him. But wasn't he afraid that she and Cassian might knock him out, steal his backpack, and leave? Did he trust them that much? Or was this just a gambler's mindset? Natalie didn't dwell on it. If he dared to drink her medicine, what reason did she have not to take him along? Using her backpack as cover, she pulled out a small bottle of gin and handed it to him. "Drink it," she said. "It'll warm you up." The man's eyes lit up. "Missy, you're such a good person!" He pushed himself up, slipped his right arm out of the sleeping bag, and accepted the bottle with endless thanks. Natalie tugged at the corner of her mouth. She didn't tell him that the reason she gave him alcohol was because the knockout drug only worked when mixed with alcohol. She didn't trust strangers easily. Since this man was willing to take the medicine on his own, it was safer to knock him out properly. This drug was strong. Back then, just two small packets poured into a well had knocked out everyone on an entire mountain and inside a base. This man had swallowed a whole packet by himself. He probably wouldn't wake up for two or three days. The man took two big gulps of gin. Then he looked at the half bottle left and hesitated. "This..." Natalie waved her hand. "It's yours." "Oh!" He was overjoyed and carefully put the bottle away. "Thank you, missy!" He didn't forget Cassian either. "Thanks, you too!" Then he lay back down in his sleeping bag, wrapping himself up tight. Only his eyes were left showing as he smiled at them. "Oh, right. I haven't introduced myself yet," he said cheerfully. "My name is Angus Payne. Nice to meet you both!"