They drove straight down the street. Not far ahead, a narrow alley appeared. Natalie and Cassian turned into it, parked, and got out together. The alley looked empty. Still, the main street nearby was packed with people. Natalie decided not to risk putting the vehicle into her storage space. Too many eyes. She turned to the three little ones and said, "Stay here. Keep the car and Angus in the trunk safe." The Knight XV was armored from body to glass. Bulletproof. Blast-resistant. It weighed over six tons. As long as the doors were locked, there was no danger at all. Once the car and pets were settled, Natalie and Cassian walked back to the main street. The sun was climbing higher now, flooding the small market street with bright light. People moved everywhere, shoulder to shoulder. Natalie scanned the crowd and chose a stall with the fewest customers. As they stepped up to the window, the shop owner inside smiled at them through the glass. Natalie glanced over the items on display and quickly understood why the stall was so quiet. An electric fan. Sunscreen. Mosquito-repellent wristbands. A curling iron. All kinds of random stuff. Just nothing useful. Who would run a fan when it was minus -94°F weather? Even if someone wanted to, there was no power. The stall felt about as useful as that old market back in Maplecourt. Back then, during the worst heat wave, a guy had tried to sell mink coats at the gate. That man had been mocked nonstop. But here, it was different. No laughter. No sarcasm. People looked, saw nothing they needed, and quietly walked away.Since she wanted to start a conversation, Natalie knew she had to buy something first. She picked up a curling iron. "How much is this?" The vendor was a warm, loud woman in her forties named Martha Tucker. Her voice rang clearly even through the glass. "Take it for anything you want to trade!" Martha said. Then she added, "It's useless now anyway." Natalie raised an eyebrow. "You're pretty honest." She reached up and pulled a black hair clip from her hair. "Is this okay?" Martha's eyes lit up. "Of course it is! Oh wow, sweetheart, you're a good one! This is actually useful. No wonder you're so pretty—kind heart, kind face!" She glanced at Cassian standing behind Natalie. "And your boyfriend is handsome too! What a perfect match. Just lovely to look at." The praise was a lot. Maybe even over the top. But paired with Martha's bright eyes and sincere smile, it didn't feel fake at all. If anything, it felt warm. Just buying one small thing, and the emotional return was already more than worth it. Natalie was about to put the curling iron into her backpack when Martha kindly added, "You should take something else too. That curling iron is useless now. It's only good as an old keepsake." Natalie waved her hand. "No need. I think it's fine." Then she pointed at the items on the stall, a little curious. "Can you actually sell these things?" Martha laughed. "Of course! Didn't you just buy something?" Natalie froze for a second, her mouth twitching. "I mean... besides me. Do other people buy your stuff?"Martha smiled again. "Nope. I haven't made a single sale in the past two days." That answer didn't surprise Natalie at all. "Why are you still sitting out here? It's freezing. Wouldn't it be much nicer to stay home?" Martha replied calmly, "This is my home. I live right here." Natalie nodded. That made sense. She was just putting out a few things to pass the time. If something sold, great. If not, there was no loss. Martha probably thought Natalie was worried about her and kept explaining. "I already sold all the good stuff before. What's left at home now is just this useless junk, so I brought it out to clear it up. If someone wants it, I'll sell it cheap." Then she added warmly, "You can take another look. If you see something you like, I'll give it to you. I haven't seen a pretty young girl like you in ages!" Natalie smiled and casually steered the conversation where she wanted it to go. "Ma'am, can I ask, does this place belong to the official base?" The area was lively, well-organized, and orderly. It really looked like what people imagined an ideal official base would be. Martha was stunned for a moment, then shook her head. "Of course not! An official base has guards and checkpoints. You need an ID card to go in and out. This place is way too free for that." Natalie nodded softly. "Oh." Then she asked, "So where is the official base?" Martha looked like she understood right away. "You're not from around here, are you?" Natalie nodded again. "No." "I knew it," Martha said with a smile. "Only outsiders want to go to the official base. We locals usually don't go there."