The newcomers didn't seem friendly, and the tension spread. The Hadids, especially unused to such threats, grew nervous. They were refined people, after all. But in the apocalypse, refinement meant little. Forced by the situation, they even pulled out kitchen knives from their bags. The inflatable boat zoomed ahead while the tattooed men shouted wildly. Others followed closely behind in rubber rafts. Seeing the overturned fish floating in the water and the bags of fish on Nadia's boat, their eyes gleamed with greed. When the boat was about thirty feet away, it stopped abruptly. One man brandished a large machete, shouting, "Leave the fish, the boat, and the dog, and we might let you live." Two women and four men—aside from one tall guy who looked a bit intimidating, the others seemed like easy targets.Nadia spoke up and said, "If we leave all that with you, how do we get back?" "Not my problem. If you've got the guts, swim back. If you don't drown, consider yourselves lucky." The man leered. "Little miss, you're pretty cute. Keep us entertained, and maybe we'll let you stay." At his vulgar remarks, Harrison's brow furrowed, but Nadia kept her expression steady. "So, I guess there's no way to negotiate?" "Enough with the d*mn questions. If you wanna live, leave everything now, or I'll make sure tonight you—agh!" Before he could finish, an arrow struck him in the chest. He toppled right into the reservoir, arrow and all. Everyone froze in shock as they saw Harrison holding a crossbow, the bamboo arrow glinting wickedly. Nadia couldn't help but wonder just how many weapons he had hidden away. However, she didn't linger on the thought. She picked up the nail gun and fired several shots. She didn't aim at people but shot at the inflatable boat. In an instant, it started deflating. With a dozen men on board, they quickly lost balance, panicking. "D*mn, they've got guns and arrows!" Harrison didn't often strike, but when he did, it was deadly. He fired several more arrows, each hitting its mark with precision. Screams filled the air as those who had been so confident moments ago tumbled into the dark depths of the reservoir. Survival instincts kicked in, and many struggled to stay afloat, even swimming toward Nadia's group, hoping to steal their chance at survival. Two managed to dodge the nail gun and crossbow, reaching out to grab the rope on the inflatable boat. Just as they were about to climb up, their hands were severed in a swift motion. Their entire hands were gone, and they splashed back into the water. They froze for a moment before screaming in agony. Nadia, holding a machete with a steady expression, had sliced them off without batting an eye. The Hadids trembled in fear, realizing they'd just witnessed murder. It was not just one, but an entire boatload. Before they could even react, Harrison and Nadia had taken them all down. Usually, they were calm and approachable, but here they were, cutting down lives without blinking. Levi, having seen it all before, shrugged and reassured the Hadids, "Don't worry; you'll get used to it." In just a few minutes, the once-crowded inflatable boat was empty.On the other boat, the previously hostile men were left paralyzed with fear. The idiot at the wheel suddenly slammed on the brakes, sending a few men flying into the water and nearly capsizing the boat. D*mn it! These people are ruthless killers! The group was stunned. No one dared approach, but they were reluctant to leave. With all those fish on board, it was hard for them to just walk away. Slowly, those in rubber rafts began maneuvering, intending to encircle Nadia and her group. "What do we do now?" Marilyn asked, her voice full of worry. There were still over twenty of them, each armed, and if they surrounded and attacked, it would be a hard fight. Nadia scanned them with binoculars. The men on the inflatable boats looked like gang members, while those on the rubber rafts were thin and weary, eyes filled with hunger. It seemed they'd joined the gang out of desperation.They had blades and clubs, but likely no firearms. The distance made the nail gun and crossbow lose accuracy and power, putting them at a disadvantage. Nadia Jean didn't fear them charging; she feared they'd just surround her group without attacking. A standoff would be no good. As she suspected, things seemed to be headed in that direction. The tattooed men didn't dare come closer themselves. Instead, they urged the people in the rubber rafts to advance. Those on the rafts were terrified too but had been tormented by hunger long enough. Slowly, they paddled forward. "As long as they don't get too close, ignore them. Let's keep fishing," Harrison said. Levi and the others snapped out of it and got back to hauling fish from the water. With the reservoir discovered, this was their last chance to gather as much fish as possible. They couldn't afford to waste it on this meddlesome crowd. After the commotion, many fish had floated further off with the current. Those on the rafts followed and started grabbing what they could. "I got one! I've got food!" one man shouted. "I did too!" another called out excitedly. Several faces lit up with joy, and they immediately began gutting the fish and cutting it open with knives to eat. The raw fish smelled unpleasant, but it was food that could keep them alive. Better than gnawing on leaves. Many couldn't resist devouring the fish right there, as if it were a feast, even as fish scales and blood smeared their faces. Nadia stood on the inflatable boat, watching them with a stony expression. The group stayed focused on hauling in fish, while Nadia stood guard, holding the nail gun.The modified nail gun could hit up to thirty meters, but its power dropped sharply after fifteen. The others' greed was insatiable; they kept pushing boundaries, grabbing fish from the area and inching closer. Nadia said nothing, but as soon as the first rubber raft entered her optimal range, she raised her gun and fired without hesitation. She missed the heart but struck one of them in the shoulder. Her next shot aimed right for the raft. Terrified, they quickly backed off, no longer daring to come closer. One man pleaded, "Miss, show us some mercy! We haven't eaten in days. Just let us gather a little. Our kids at home are starving." "You're eating meat, and we'll settle for soup. We swear we won't take more than that." Nadia's voice was cold. "Back off!"No matter how they begged, Nadia's heart remained unyielding. Frustrated but left with no choice, they backed away, though they still managed to catch some fish. The current was strong, and the mountain winds stirred the water, causing fish shocked by ultrasound to scatter. The rubber rafts began to spread out, no longer approaching Nadia's group, just hoping to gather whatever they could from a distance. Slowly, they still made out pretty well, with some managing to grab over twenty fish already. If they got too close, they'd quickly retreat to a safer range. The tattooed men on the inflatable boat were furious at the disobedient crowd, but he had no way to control them. In the end, he had no choice but to fish alongside them. All the while, they thought of robbing Nadia's group once everyone had finished. One lackey leaned in and whispered, "Boss, maybe we should go back and get more people?" The boss glared at him. "How?" They only had one inflatable boat. By the time they went back and returned, it'd be dark. Besides, those disobedient fools had already snagged plenty of fish and might use the chance to make a break for it. "Wait till they come ashore, then we'll figure out how to grab it all." Funny enough, Nadia was planning on dealing with them the moment they hit shore, too.