Jasmine was unmoved by Maya’s insincere invitation. She easily pushed her away, sending Maya stumbling back until she crashed against the wall. "Get lost. If I were a man, I would teach you a lesson you would never forget." With all her games, Maya still seemed so full of energy, like some parasite draining men of strength. It was hard to imagine how she could be so shameless. She had no self-respect. By the time the people in Unit 1202 heard Maya’s wailing, Jasmine had already gone back upstairs. Back in her apartment, Jasmine complained to Nadia, "Just hearing her talk in that fake sweet voice makes my skin crawl. "That woman is like a snake, always pushing men out in front to fight for her. "I shoved her a bit just now. If she tries anything with us, we will finally have a chance to get rid of her. Sooner or later, she is going to be a problem." Nadia nodded. "Yes, we need to come up with a plan." However, Maya had grown smarter, keeping herself hidden behind the men and avoiding drawing attention to herself. At first, Nadia thought Maya could handle the hardships of this chaotic world. If Maya insisted on being a problem for them, Nadia would not hold back. Before long, Austin came upstairs with Elizabeth. Nadia got straight to the point. "Can you make a fishing device?" Austin was caught off guard and fiddled with his glasses as he thought for a few moments. "I think I can, but I do not have all the materials." He was a technology enthusiast, with his place packed full of various parts, some he had bought, and others salvaged from junkyards. He had won awards for his inventions and topped national physics competitions. He was the kind of child every parent admired. Nadia asked, "Can you gather the materials?" "There should be some in the lab. I would just need to make a few modifications." The materials lab was on the eighth floor and likely still above water. However, Austin was not sure if anyone had already looted it. The research center was not far. It was around ten kilometers if they took a shortcut. Nadia looked at Harrison, silently asking if the trip would be worth it. Harrison thought it over, then turned to Austin, "I can take you there to gather what you need." Though a homebody, Austin was sharp. He realized that if the people on the eighteenth floor were willing to spend diesel to take him out at night, it had to be for more than just catching a few fish.With supplies running low at home, he could not miss an opportunity like this. "If I make the fishing device, can I have a share of the catch?" It was a fair request. Nadia would also be looking for ways to survive if she were in his shoes. "The water is deep. Are you sure your fishing device can catch anything?" "If there are fish, I can catch them." He would just need to adjust the ultrasound frequency, which was simple. To have access to fish, Nadia agreed. "Alright, but keep this to yourself." After everything that had happened, the Hadids knew to be cautious and understood what should and should not be shared. "How long will it take to build?" For Austin, building the fishing device was simple. He had even worked on a similar project back in high school. "As long as I have all the materials, I can finish it tonight."They decided to act now. Harrison went to get the inflatable boat. Since the Hadids were not from the eighteenth floor, Nadia wanted to keep things discreet to avoid causing trouble. She asked Elizabeth and Austin to go downstairs first. Nadia also planned to go along, and Harrison had no objections. She gave instructions to those in 1803 to cut the fish into pieces, salt them, and preserve them by frying them in flour. The rabbit meat needed to be skinned and cleaned. They could store it in the car’s fridge for future meals. They moved quietly downstairs, where Austin waited on the sixth floor, carrying the bulky inflatable boat. The residents of Unit 1202 were busy comforting the "injured" Maya and did not notice their neighbors’ movements. The boat quietly drifted out of the neighborhood, the engine humming softly as it cut through the dark toward the research center. After about forty minutes, they arrived at the research center. As expected, the place was in ruins and thoroughly ransacked. Austin's expression changed as he hurried to the eighth-floor's materials lab. The lab door had been forced open, with all sorts of items scattered around. Austin, using his flashlight, carefully searched through what was left. Research materials were different from everyday supplies. The parts were valuable to the lab staff but useless to the average survivor. They could neither be eaten nor drunk. Despite the mess, few items had been taken. Austin's sorted through the parts, making a pile on the table. He pulled out his tools to modify a few components. "I still need a few more things. I will go to the lab to take them apart."There were several labs, and he pulled parts from various machines and devices. "These machines and devices are expensive. It is a shame that so many were ruined by the flood." Austin was usually quiet and reserved, rarely showing strong emotions, but his sadness was clear as he spoke. The flood had not only taken lives. It had destroyed the traces of human advancement. Nadia did not know much about science, so she could not help. "I will look around to see if there is anything we can use." Harrison was about to join her, but Austin called him back. "Help me with this. I need a hand modifying this inverter." Nadia went up a few floors, finding office furniture that could be used for firewood, dismantled door frames, and discarded packaging. She found several plastic planting pots and put them into her storage space. The computers in the research offices and lab equipment held valuable data. Even if she might not need them herself, someone could use them in the future, and they did not take up space in her storage. After searching several floors, she had gathered plenty of "junk" and some display items from the showroom. These scientific items had little practical use. Even as she stared at them, Nadia did not recognize most of them. When she returned to the eighth floor, she found that Austin had already assembled several components. He had found an outer casing that looked like a transformer. Taking out some parts he had brought from home, he worked for another two hours and finally finished the device. It emitted a buzzing sound that Nadia found unpleasant, so she took a step back, covering her ears. "The water is deep, so I adjusted the frequency range. It can reach up to thirty meters. The waves are harmless to people, but the fish will be unable to resist and will float to the surface, belly up." The only downside was that it used a lot of power and could only run for about three to four hours before draining the battery. With the fishing device complete, Austin asked, "Where are we going to fish?" "You will find out tomorrow." "Will there be many fish?" Austin seemed eager. "If you need extra hands, my parents can help." Supplies were hard to find now. With how well Nadia and the others on the eighteenth floor were doing, he was hoping for a larger share if possible. No one could guarantee how many fish there would be. However, they needed people to stay at home the next day. With a reservoir that big, many fish would have been washed out, and they would not have enough people to catch them all."Tomorrow at five, send three people from your family. Meet us outside the complex." With the fishing device ready, Austin packed more parts into his bags, knowing they might be useful later. He had come prepared with bags to carry away everything he could find. Everyone had their own survival strategy, and Nadia and Harrison did not stop him. By the time they returned to the complex, it was dawn. Jasmine and the others had stayed up all night, and the dog ran over to greet Nadia. Caleb’s stomach growled. "Oh, you are finally back. We almost starved." They went into the apartment, greeted by the smell of fish, golden-brown and freshly fried. Nadia was puzzled. "How are you all still starving?" Jasmine, smiling, looked at the dog. "Ask Colby."