While helping load supplies onto the boat, Natalie's eyes wandered. She didn't spot any emeralds, but something else caught her attention. It was the fertilizer she'd been thinking about yesterday. At a busy vegetable stall, two big bags of fertilizer sat right out in plain sight. Natalie moved toward another inflatable rescue boat. The market was jammed with kayaks, bathtubs, and plastic tubs, so seeing an inflatable rescue boat was pretty rare. That one was stacked with fresh vegetables—chives, spinach, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers. Everything was fast-growing stuff, ready in a month or two. Northlorn had been underwater for over three months, yet someone still had a ton of fresh produce. The inflatable rescue boat was surrounded by people, all talking over each other. "Where'd you get these fresh veggies?" "Is any part of Northlorn not flooded?" "How much are you charging?" The seller drew just as much attention as his goods. Dressed in a perfect suit with a crisp shirt and cufflinks, he looked completely out of place. Natalie stared at him, feeling amused. Is that some new fashion trend? Selling veggies in a suit? It had been three months into a disaster, and someone was still dressing so elegantly. The man in a suit ignored the chatter and simply called out his prices. "One pound of veggies for three pounds of grain, five pounds of crocodile meat, or eight pounds of other fish." Most people heard the price and left. It was way too pricey. A pound of veggies wouldn't even fill them up, and the trade costs too much. It wasn't worth it. But some who had plenty of crocodiles were willing to swap, because going without veggies for too long would mess up their health. A few stayed to make deals. Seeing that many people blocking the way were scared off by the prices, Olivia found a gap and steered her boat through. Natalie's eyes were locked on those fertilizer bags. "Hello, I'd like to trade for some veggies." "How do I trade for fertilizer?" Both women spoke up at the same time.The man in a suit was busy packing for others, but he still replied. "The fertilizer comes in 50-pound bags, so two bags make 100 pounds. You can trade ten pounds of crocodile meat for them. As for the vegetables, how many do you want?" Olivia had already gotten plenty of supplies, so she traded her last 30 pounds of crocodile meat for six pounds of veggies, picking cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers—easy to save seeds from. She could eat them now and plant them on her balcony later. Natalie didn't hesitate to trade ten pounds of crocodile meat for the fertilizer. "Do you have more at home? I'll buy it all if you give me a better deal." The man looked surprised, wondering if people in a flooded city needed that much fertilizer. Harold and Olivia were curious as well. "Natalie, why do you need so much fertilizer?"Natalie shrugged. "I'm growing veggies at home." Harold chuckled. "All that just for a few vegetables?" She wouldn't tell him about her large piece of land, so she just smiled. "I'm not great at gardening, so I like to stock up. Plus, it's not easy to find this stuff. Better to buy extra now in case it runs out later." Harold nodded, thinking that made sense, and decided to get some as well. The man scratched his head. "I've got plenty at home. I could sell you another thousand pounds, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow." Natalie said she'd return then. Seeing her chance, Olivia asked the man in the suit if he could bring her some soil for planting. Curious, she added, "Where do you grow all these vegetables?" Since they'd traded so much with him, they were basically VIPs.The man in the suit seemed happy and said, "I live up on the mountain. That's where I plant everything." On the mountain? Natalie guessed he probably had one of those fancy hillside villas, especially judging by his outfit. She sized him up and said, "I've got another question for you!" The man noticed her serious look and nodded. "Go ahead." "Why are you selling veggies in a suit?" He hesitated, a bit unsure how to answer, but Natalie stayed patiently expectant. It had been three months since the disaster, and he was still dressed like a downtown executive. How could she not wonder? He clearly set high standards for himself. He was even more extreme than that girl in the neighborhood who insisted on wearing Chanel, carrying an LV, and having full makeup on just to take out the trash. After all, that girl now just threw on a hoodie and went out with messy hair. The man in a suit looked awkward. "Honestly, there's no special reason. I just don't have any other clothes besides suits."