The dog seemed almost human in intelligence, and the way it stared at them was downright eerie. "We're all dog lovers here and firmly oppose eating dog meat," Caleb was the first to back down. "Nadia, make it stop looking at me like that." He was genuinely scared. Jasmine understood his feelings but still felt compelled to offer advice as a friend. "Nadia, I'd absolutely support you under normal circumstances, but these are extraordinary times. Most of the food supplies were soaked and ruined by water. "We were quick to stock up. However, what you have will last only six or seven months. We don't know what the future holds. Plus, large dogs like this one consume a lot of food. You really need to think this through. "Don't regret it when the food runs out. By then, it'll be too late." "To me, it's not just a dog. It's family." Nadia tenderly comforted the anxious Colby. "We can always find more supplies. I won't abandon it." Jasmine and the others weren't the type to meddle too much. They were fine with it as long as she had thought it through. Taking Colby inside, Nadia fetched some dog food from her storage and soaked it in goat milk. She had picked up the milk at a supermarket but disliked its gamey taste and couldn't get used to it. Now, though, it was perfect for Colby. After devouring a large bowl of dog food, Colby's previously sunken belly finally became pleasantly full. Standing before the sofa, it stared intently at Nadia, its eyes suddenly welling up with tears. Its guard softened, replaced by a flicker of hope. Seeing it cry completely caught Nadia off guard. She hugged it, tears flowing as she cried over the fears, injustices, loneliness, and despair of past lives. Colby's head rested on her shoulder, letting out soft whimpering sounds. It cried because she hadn't abandoned it like its previous owner had. Not only was it being hugged tightly, but it was also getting delicious food. It whimpered softly, unsure if it could ever trust humans again. Nadia and Colby held each other, crying for a long time. After the tears were shed, Nadia no longer felt the fear and confusion she had before. Having been reborn, her initial goal was to survive—to live a little longer. But now, things were different. She not only wanted to survive well and for as long as possible but also to protect Colby. Once she calmed down, she began inspecting Colby's body. It was covered in a mix of old and fresh wounds, both horrifying to see. It also had a severe skin condition, with patches of fungus scattered all over its fur. Its head was blackened, making it look utterly disfigured. Nadia gave it anti-inflammatory medicine, then grabbed a clipper to shave off Colby's fur. She disinfected the wounds with iodine and sprinkled herbal pain relief powder on them. Without pet-specific medications, she dug through her medicine box and applied a similar medicated plaster to Colby's wounds. Colby didn't resist but kept trying to lick itself. Now, it was skin and bones, and its appearance was even more jarring without its fur. Nadia found her jersey and put it on Colby. Ruffling its head, she said, "Once you put on some weight, you'll look much better." Nadia wasn't worried about supplies. Her storage space was stocked enough for her and Colby to last indefinitely. Besides, there was also the Black Earth Garden for planting. The ground was damp, and there was no doghouse, so she laid down a few pieces of cardboard and found a dirt-resistant lazy sofa from her storage. Colby instinctively knew this was its bed. The sofa was so soft and comfortable. It finally had a home. Lying in its new bed, it drifted into a deep, exhausted sleep. Nadia, carrying a large backpack, knocked on the door of unit 1801, then headed to 1803 to meet the others. In front of everyone, she opened the heavy backpack. Caleb and Levi were stunned, repeatedly counting the bundles. "1,000,000?" Nadia nodded. "I found it today in the cashier's office of an office building while I was out scouting." Before the disaster, such a find would have excited everyone. But now, facing a thick stack of cash, they only felt frustration. "Money's useless now. There's nothing to spend it on." Rice had risen to 500 per kilogram, limited to one kilogram per person per day. And that was dried and salvaged from the water. It was edible, but whether it was safe was uncertain. They weren't sure what to do with all this money. It might as well grow mold in their hands. Nadia warned them, "Being able to buy food now is already a blessing. Who knows if it'll still be possible in the future." "You can't even buy it now. It sounds nice to say it's a limited purchase, yet the amount released daily is very small. Many people lining up in the middle of the night still can't get any," Levi said, inquiring about the latest news. However, there are resellers outside. It's the same grain, fished out of the water and dried, but it's now sold for 2000 per kilogram. How ironic that 1,000,000 can only buy 500 kilograms of grain. "Is there any way in?" The government is cracking down on speculation and profiteering. If they get caught, the goods are confiscated. Not everyone has connections. "Money is losing value. More and more people are bartering, and who knows when money will become obsolete. We need to figure out how to spend it tomorrow." "If we can't buy grain, how do we spend it?" "Whatever the department store is selling, we'll buy it. It's October now. We used to wear short sleeves, but now we need blankets. How will we survive if this rain doesn't stop by winter?" Everyone from unit 1803 agreed, "Alright, we'll sweep through the department store tomorrow, grabbing whatever we can." The man from unit 1801 remained silent, betraying no emotion with his deep, unreadable eyes. He seemed part of the group, but his cold and vigilant demeanor was unmistakable. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, seeming to pierce through people's hearts, making Nadia uneasy. Leaving unit 1803, just as Nadia was about to enter her own home, Harrison suddenly spoke, "Nadia, can I discuss something with you?" "Please, go ahead." Harrison explained, "I used to be a SWAT officer, but I moved here after retiring due to an injury. When I was on duty, I often worked with the police dog, so I have some experience in dog training. "The Malinois you brought back is a new breed of police dog. It has excellent physical stamina, and its obedience and combat abilities are even better. If trained properly, its combat capability could rival several adults, benefiting the 18th floor." Nadia was surprised. She had initially suspected he might have a military or police background, but after witnessing his steadfast approach to killing, she dismissed the idea. She had thought he was either a hitman or a bodyguard hired to resolve problems with money. She hadn't expected him actually to be a SWAT officer. Based on his words, he must only have recently retired—so how can he kill without batting an eye? Though her suspicions remained, she knew everyone had their secrets, and as long as he didn't do anything to harm her, she wouldn't pry. She refocused. "What are your conditions?"