In two days, the seven water tanks were fully installed. Room 1803 received three tanks, while Nadia and Harrison each got two. They could use them by simply turning on the faucet. Nadia used water from her storage space, but she still pretended to use the tanks each day. Without realizing it, the flood had already lasted two months. The second crop of hydroponic vegetables had been planted, and it seemed that Snowball, the rabbit, was pregnant again. The first litter of rabbits had already grown to over a pound each. Jasmine, unable to sit still, often went out after her injuries had mostly healed. Nadia was getting lazier, always pushing things off, fully embracing a laid-back lifestyle. Even Harrison, who had been running like a machine, started taking breaks. Apart from the daily dog training, he set aside two hours for sparring with Nadia, and the rest of his time was spent cooking. Though he excelled in many areas, cooking was not his strength. Under Nadia’s guidance, his skills had improved a bit, but the food was still far from delicious. "Not bad. Congratulations on graduating," she said, though she felt a little guilty since she wanted to keep her own food stash to herself. Her storage space was full of tasty things, but she couldn’t bring them out in front of Harrison. With no other way to repay her, he handed her a walkie-talkie. "Now you can contact me if you need anything." Nadia was momentarily stunned; it hadn’t occurred to her to stock up on something like that. Maybe she hadn’t expected to ever team up with anyone back then. "Thanks." This would make things so much easier. Now, if anything came up, she could just say so over the radio without needing to run back and forth and knock on doors.After that, Harrison didn’t come by again. Nadia and the dog indulged in a feast of barbecue and sugary soda, enjoying every moment. The next morning, her walkie-talkie crackled to life with the sound of a voice from next door. "Nadia, are you teaching Lily today?" "Yes, around 10 a.m." "Why don’t you come over?" Harrison suggested. "While you're setting up Lily's exercises, I can teach you some Reconnaissance and Infiltration Techniques." Reconnaissance and Infiltration Techniques—these were real combat skills, including silent takedowns, throat strikes, neck holds, joint twists, and the infamous American move—the knee-on-neck hold known as "I Can’t Breathe." Nadia’s interest was instantly piqued. She knew her own living room was too cramped for that kind of training, so she quickly agreed, "Alright." Reconnaissance and Infiltration Techniques required close-quarters combat, involving physical contact and throws. Harrison laid out a crash mat on the floor. The first move was the neck twist that Nadia had seen him use the other day. He moved behind her in a flash, one hand reaching for her slender, pale neck, while the other gripped her jawline. Nadia instinctively tried to resist as his powerful presence pressed in. His knee came up against the back of her knee, firmly holding her neck and jaw in place. With one movement, he could have snapped her neck. A sense of danger flooded her, plunging Nadia back into memories of her near-death experiences in her past life. I can’t let myself die at the hands of those monsters again. Just as she was about to strike back, a calm, deep voice sounded from above her. "Nadia, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you." His voice was steady, low, but firm and reassuring. Nadia forced herself to shake off the chaotic thoughts, noticing that Harrison was gently feeling the bones in her neck. "Focus," he reminded her. "Don’t let your mind wander." The memories of the apocalypse were too intense; even though everything had reset, she still had an aversion to physical contact with men. Nadia took several deep breaths. Don’t confuse the past with the present; what I’m doing now is to improve myself. Only by becoming stronger can I make sure no one ever bullies me again. The unusual reaction hadn’t escaped Harrison’s notice. He immediately withdrew his hand. "I meant no offense." "Sorry, it’s my own issue," Nadia replied, composing herself and forcing a stiff smile. "We'll do it again." This was a fresh start, and things were different now. Harrison began again, placing his hands around her neck as he explained the key points and pressure zones. He mimicked a neck twist, though he used very little force. After teaching her the basics, they switched roles. Unfortunately, Harrison was too tall; attempting to twist his neck seemed almost impossible. Nadia wasn’t short at 167 cm, but Harrison was close to 190 cm—a head taller than her. Seeing the difficulty, Harrison sat down on a folding stool. "Begin." This was the first time Nadia had touched a man, and she was doing it so carefully. Her fingers slid along the bones of his neck. "Here?" She missed the spot, so Harrison took her hand and moved it slightly to the side. "Mm-hmm." His jawline was sharp, making it easy to grip, and she needed to apply force with both hands. With her medical background, Nadia understood the human body well. After overcoming her initial hesitation, she spent a good half-hour practicing twisting Harrison’s neck. Lily, having finished his homework, opened his door, with Colby bounding out after him. Seeing its owner twisting the trainer’s neck, the dog got excited and barked, "Woof!" It pounced forward, nudging Harrison with enthusiasm. Come on, human. Twist my neck! "Can a dog’s neck be twisted?" Nadia asked. "Yes," he replied. Colby continued to interrupt, so the lesson couldn’t continue. Harrison knelt down to grab the dog by the neck. Sensing his intentions, it immediately bared its teeth, growling defensively. Harrison gave it a stern command, "Attention." Colby pulled itself together, standing alert, though its body still resisted. When Nadia touched it, however, it went limp, its tongue hanging out as it flopped onto her like a puddle. Go on, human! Twist it! The dog seemed to be playing around, so Nadia took it to 1803 to keep it isolated. While Colby was important, she needed to make the most of her time to improve herself. It was the apocalypse now, and the people in the building, as well as survivors outside, were gradually turning darker under the harsh conditions. If she wanted to survive, she had to stay one step ahead. The lesson continued, and Nadia quickly picked up various neck-twisting techniques. With her sharp intuition, she swiftly grasped the essentials and began to apply them. After bringing Colby back from 1803, Nadia had a quick meal of noodles, then sat on the couch and took out a skeletal diagram for in-depth study. Which bones do I need to target for a fatal strike? Which points, if struck, would render someone temporarily unable to move? These are essential survival skills. "Woof!" Nadia came back to reality, noticing that Colby was sulking, refusing to eat its dog food, and had even turned its back on her. "Oh no, who made you upset?" Nadia quickly put down her medical book, picked up Colby, and soothed it, saying, "My Colby is the cutest." Colby just huffed and turned its head away, acting aloof. After petting its head for a while and even offering a braised chicken leg, Colby finally forgave her and stretched out its neck. Alright, go ahead. Twist it. Nadia finally understood what had upset it. This dog was actually jealous! "Colby, no matter who I meet or spend time with, you'll always be the most important one in my heart." Lacking a sense of security, Colby snuggled into her embrace as Nadia held it tightly. "Surviving will only get harder from here, and the 18th floor isn't a safe haven forever. I know you want to become stronger to protect me, but I also want to get stronger to protect you. Let's become stronger together and always look out for each other, okay?" Colby tilted its head, seeming to half-understand, and blinked before placing a paw on her hand. Such a warm-hearted dog deserves a reward. Nadia gave it a sausage. In the afternoon, Harrison trained Colby for four hours, with exercises that included biting, pouncing, and stair runs, increasing to 80 laps. By the end of the training, Colby lay in its bed, panting with its tongue out from exhaustion. With her thorough study of human anatomy and pressure points, combined with Harrison's scouting and infiltration techniques, Nadia quickly became proficient. Harrison was amazed; he’d never seen someone with such high aptitude. In just a few days, she had already mastered everything. She even surprised him during their practice bouts, making it difficult for him to stay focused. Harrison didn’t hold back in his teaching, going beyond scouting techniques to include combat skills and close-quarters fighting. In close combat, the two often grappled on the mat, tangling up and almost inseparable. They were both competitive, locked in an intense struggle as if determined to defeat the other. Colby, watching intently from the side, would immediately jump in to help whenever Nadia was at a disadvantage. Lily, on the verge of tears, cried out, "Harry, Miss, please stop fighting." I love both my brother and my sister. Who am I supposed to root for? Finally, she held onto Colby tightly. "Woof!" Let go of me! Seeing Nadia pinned under Harrison, Colby bared its teeth, flashing a fierce expression. Let go of her! I'm dealing with you! Lily couldn’t hold Colby back as it lunged forward…