Everyone remained on high alert, wary of being double-crossed in the open floodwaters, which were the perfect setting for such a scheme. 202 pounds of wild boar meat were exchanged for 202 pounds of new rice, with an agreement to trade again at 7 p.m. The three men brought the rice back, and Nadia had already packed everything: a frying pan, salt, spices, crushed chili, and overnight supplies. Worried about Jasmine’s safety, she decided to keep Levi with her. As they came downstairs, Hunter, with a broad smile, blocked the stairway. "Where are you all going? Running around like this must be tiring. Why don’t we help out? We could bring everything back in one trip for you." Earlier, a few rubber shafts had followed them, but they had managed to shake them off. Every day they went out, but the supplies they brought back were getting fewer, causing more discontent among the team. They often joked about it, comparing him to the people on the 18th floor. "It’s just a few bundles of firewood. Don’t trouble yourself, Mr. Thatcher," Nadia said with a forced smile. "We’re a small community. Bringing back just a few bundles might not even be enough for each of you to have one stick." "Heh, Nadia, neighbors should help each other. There's no need for you to give us anything," Hunter replied, still smiling. "We wouldn’t dare to accept," she retorted, unfazed by his persistence. "There’s no such thing as a free lunch, right? You've already borrowed a rubber shaft from us. I suppose you won’t be asking to borrow firewood too, will you?" Hunter’s face turned green as he was caught off guard by her sharp response. This group of stubborn people better hope they never fall into my hands! … The half-mountain villa was far away, and the inflatable boat took over an hour to reach it, almost arriving at the urban boundary. If one ignored the raging flood waters beneath, it was indeed a beautiful natural oxygen bar. The lush, verdant mountain forest, with glimpses of elegant and unique villa buildings, created a serene atmosphere. The lower areas had already been submerged, and the slightly higher grounds saw floodwaters creeping into the front yards. Everyone had already evacuated. All the gathered supplies were concentrated in the highest villa, where there were furniture, water tanks, several unused gas cylinders, and scattered boxes of charcoal. Harrison and Caleb went up the mountain to move the wild boar, while Nadia cleaned the kitchen to prepare the brine. Cooking raw meat directly on the grill took too long, so she first placed it in a pot to remove moisture before grilling it over the charcoal. This made the process much quicker.When the wild boar was brought back, Harrison cleaned it and cut it into fine strips as Nadia had requested. Once the timing was right, they carried one boar and went with Caleb to complete the trade. After they left, Nadia set up a lookout with Colby at the door, then retrieved the solar-powered battery box, meat grinder, induction cooker, and other equipment from her space. Using the induction cooker to brine the meat, she put the finely chopped lean meat into the pot, adding spices and chili, then stirred constantly on the gas stove. To extend the shelf life, she made the meat sauce very dry, filling the air with an especially fragrant smell. When the two returned, it was nearly 9.00 p.m., and the two large pots of meat sauce were already done. The thinly sliced meat had all been brined and was draining in a basin. Hearing Colby's warning, Nadia quickly stored everything that shouldn't be out of sight back into her space. Caleb, seeing most of the work already done, was almost speechless in amazement. "Nadia, your efficiency is off the charts!" "Of course, you should know who I am." Nadia started the fire to grill the meat. "How did the trade go?" "We made the exchange at the same place where we killed the pigs last time. We're aiming to finish the deal with the last two boars by tomorrow morning." They received a few hundred pounds of new rice. Caleb sighed in relief. "Once this deal is done, we won’t have to worry for the next year or two. By then, order should be restored, right?" Nadia agreed, "Maybe." Once they made it through the extreme cold and the floodwaters receded, the national bases would likely be fully established. If they were willing to go, there would probably still be a way forward. The three of them sat around the charcoal stove, placing the drained and brined meat on the grill. It was true—the meat had lost most of its moisture, so it cooked very quickly. Caleb took a bite and exclaimed, "It's so salty!" "The weather’s too humid. Salt helps to preserve it longer." After teaching the two how to grill meat, Nadia moved on to brine the pig’s hocks, face, and skull. Once prepared, she'd bring them back to the 18th floor to heat up. The scent of the meat was irresistible, and Caleb couldn’t help but gulp. He grabbed a hock and started eating it straight away. Eventually, they took the whole pot down, and the three of them, along with the dog, ate the meat with steamed buns, savoring every bite. Caleb, ever the glutton and smart mouth, teased, "With cooking skills like this, I wonder who’ll get lucky with you in the future."Nadia gave him a sideways glance, replying unhurriedly, "Well, it certainly won’t be you." Harrison quietly ate without saying a word, but he couldn’t help glancing at her. "Woof!" The dog, unable to resist the attention, ran over to join the fun. Hey, human, look at me! Nadia petted its head. "No one gets any special treatment. I’ll be with Colby." "Stop being silly," Caleb teased. "You can’t cross species!" She ordered, "Colby, scare him." Immediately, the dog pounced, baring its teeth as if it wanted to tear him apart. Caleb quickly begged for mercy, "Ah, I’m sorry! I won’t dare again. Please spare me!" Harrison coughed lightly. The dog didn’t back off, even using its paw to scratch him. They laughed and joked, enjoying their meal. Under the night sky, they continued to grill meat. One pound of raw meat turned into half a pound of jerky. A large bag was packed with dozens of pounds of meat, along with several dozen pounds of meat sauce, pickled pig’s hocks, pig faces, and bone stew. By the time they were done, it was already past three in the morning. With another trade scheduled for the next day, the three of them decided to stay in the villa. The beds were still there, so they just needed to change into their own sheets and clothes. With Colby guarding the night, the group slept soundly and peacefully. When Nadia woke up, Harrison had already completed the trade. Four wild boars had been exchanged for over 800 pounds of new rice. He had also cooked a pot of noodles, eating and drinking before leaving. Back on the 18th floor, Nadia stopped Harrison. "Let me check your wound." He was the one carrying the flag, yet he hadn’t mentioned a word about it. Harrison followed her into the room, and Nadia tried to check, but his wound was too high for her reach. "Sit down." Before he could sit, Colby had already claimed the spot. Harrison sat on the sofa, and Nadia bent down to check the wound. She immediately noticed that it had started to bleed again. "Why didn’t you say anything yesterday?" "It’s not that serious." "Lily is still young. Don't take it lightly." With the lack of medical supplies and the constant exposure to water, an infection or fever could easily be fatal. She disinfected and re-bandaged the wound. "Don’t get it wet for the next few days." One was sitting, the other standing, standing a little too close. Colby was watching with curious eyes, tilting its head first to the left, then to the right. Suddenly, it squeezed in and stretched out its paw toward Nadia. It wanted its paw bandaged too! Nadia couldn’t help but laugh. "Go away. Don’t cause more trouble." They had received 860 pounds of rice, 72 pounds of jerky, 30 pounds of meat sauce, and other miscellaneous supplies. Nadia took her share for Colby and decided not to get involved with the half-mountain villa anymore. Instead, she focused on reading and exercising at home. Caleb and Levi had been out for a few days, bringing back the water tower and firewood. Since there was an ongoing construction project at the villa, the two also brought back several lengths of water pipe, trying to figure out how to install the water tower on the rooftop. Lily had been scared but quickly bounced back, as children tend to forget their fears. Harrison’s wound hasn't healed yet, but he still came every day for their sparring practice. He used only one hand, making it difficult for Nadia to go all out, worried that she might overpower him. Thanks to his young, strong body, he reached the point where his stitches could be removed in just five days. Jasmine’s injury was more serious, so her stitches weren’t removed until the tenth day. After the wild boar incident, she stopped thinking about sparring with Harrison. His skills were far beyond hers.