Harold laughed and said, "Fine. Once I've raised enough, I'll bring some over for you guys to try." After wandering around for two hours, Harold and Olivia had managed to trade for plenty of stuff. Natalie, though, still had her share of crocodile meat sitting there untouched. She didn't need anything. Her storage space already held fresher goods than the market could offer. What she wanted was fertilizer, but she couldn't find any, so she told the other two it was time to head back. Maybe tomorrow she'd get lucky. Just then, another boat drifted into the market. Natalie glanced over casually, then suddenly changed her mind. On the boat, a man had a stool with a tray stacked with gold and silver jewelry.Before the disaster, no one would've dared to show that much jewelry in public. But now? Nobody even looked at it. They couldn't eat gold necklaces. A pound of oats was worth a lot more. While everyone else overlooked it, Natalie noticed a gem in the heap. It was a stunning emerald bracelet. That was what she needed. Her storage space wasn't expanding, but it did react to emeralds. The bracelet she wore had kept upgrading in quality. So, she was sure the space itself was still evolving, even if she didn't yet know how. She called the man and steered her boat closer. That man lit up when he finally saw someone willing to trade. He'd already tried with his neighbors, but no one wanted jewelry. So, he decided he'd try his luck at the crowded market. They haggled for a while. In the end, Natalie finally handed over four pounds of crocodile meat in exchange for the bracelet. She studied the emerald bracelet, feeling satisfied. She'd scored big. Back before the disaster, crocodile meat was maybe 100 dollars a pound. So, what she traded wouldn't even be 500 dollars. But the emerald bracelet she scored was the real deal—deep green, old cut, and flawless in color. Before the disaster, it would've gone for at least 50 thousand. The best part? It could upgrade her storage space. That man who traded it away was just as pleased. Sure, the bracelet had once been worth a fortune, but nobody cared now. He couldn't even swap it for a pound of oats in his neighborhood. Trading it for four pounds of crocodile meat felt like a win.Both sides walked away happily. After the trade, Natalie and the others headed back. But right as they were leaving Centralview District, five kayaks slid into their path, blocking the way forward. Natalie slowed the boat carefully and warned Harold and Olivia, "There's trouble ahead." Harold and Olivia instantly grabbed their weapons. Natalie squatted and pulled out the chainsaw and nail gun she'd hidden in the inflatable rescue boat. With two boats stacked with supplies, she knew things might get dangerous, so she brought heavy weapons along just in case. Lucky she had—no way she could just pull them out of thin air in front of Harold and Olivia. The men in the kayaks looked pumped. "See? I knew it! Anyone who hits the market is loaded. The big target is right here!" Their eyes gleamed with greed as they stared at the supplies. "Let's go! Grab it all!" "Move! Don't let them get away!" The kayaks surged closer. Olivia clutched her nail gun, her palms slick with sweat. Natalie noticed her nervousness and gently reassured Olivia, "Stay cool. Don't panic. Just shoot their kayaks." Then, she fired the first shot. Olivia snapped out of it and joined in right away. They'd practiced enough that every shot hit its mark. In no time, all five kayaks were punctured and leaking. Several attackers were also hit. When their plan started to crumble, the group freaked out. "Hurry, close in!"They knew distance fighting wasn't in their favor. Up close, their numbers could easily overwhelm the three. The kayaks rushed forward. Natalie tucked away the nail gun and yanked the cord on the chainsaw. "Vroom—vroom—" The roar was so loud that it shook the air, and the spinning blade looked insane. The attackers stopped dead, completely shocked. What the hell?! Nobody dared to charge at that scary tool. All they carried were kitchen knives, wrenches, and a couple of fire axes. How were they supposed to go up against that? They'd counted on winning with sheer numbers, but now they were stuck. What the heck? Isn't this supposed to be a fight? Why are they fighting dirty? Meanwhile, their kayaks were filling with water. If they didn't deal with the three soon, they were screwed once they sank. A few guys with longer weapons tried to be brave and edged forward.