Levi had sharp ears. "Sounds like they're prying open doors down there, and it doesn't seem like just a few people." Nadia's face turned serious. "With the sudden drop in temperature the night before, I bet a lot of people didn't make it. They're probably breaking into the homes of the deceased." "This… this is outrageous." Nadia shrugged. "It's harsh, but the dead inevitably have to make way for the living." If she was right, Hunter was likely counting the survivors and organizing people to retrieve any usable supplies from those who'd passed away. Levi shook his head, unable to process it. "After months of flooding, most people don't have any food left. Some folks even boiled their leather shoes to keep from starving, and anything burnable in their homes is long gone. Even if they break into those apartments, what could they possibly find?" "There'll always be something to scavenge," Nadia replied. Though everyone felt uncomfortable about it, none of them could really judge. They'd only gotten by thanks to a bit of luck with supplies. If they were in the same situation as the others, who knew if they'd be doing the same, breaking into empty homes? As Nadia said, the dead had to make way for the living. With a somber mood, they exchanged farewells and went back to their homes, diving under blankets to warm up. That brief trip outside had nearly frozen them, and they practically glued their hands to the electric heater once indoors. Snowball was nursing her little ones while Dusty circled Nadia, clearly hoping for a snack. Both bunnies seemed in good spirits, so she gave them a bit of hay and feed. Aside from her daily sparring and archery practice, Nadia had no desire to leave her apartment. She spent most of her time either buried under blankets with a book or using her consciousness to till the soil. After what felt like ages, she finally managed to clear about a hundred square feet, digging little holes and planting corn seeds before covering them back up. The mental exhaustion was immense, leaving her feeling utterly drained. Man, I could use a Snickers! Unit 1803 had been proactive, collecting snow from the rooftop every day and even bringing down extra for Nadia and Harrison. Though no one said it out loud, they all kept a mental tab on their contributions. Nadia and Harrison had contributed a lot to their survival, so everyone pitched in however they could as a show of gratitude. Nadia had mentioned a few times that they didn't need to trouble themselves, but Unit 1803 was set on it. They even offered to take turns going up for snow collection, but every time she opened her door, a bucket full of snow was already waiting for her. If this gave Unit 1803 some peace of mind, Nadia decided not to stop them. With plenty of water in her domain, she poured the ice and snow into the garden's black soil to water it, feeling slightly guilty for letting their kindness go to waste. But who would choose a lesser option when a better one was available? She felt a bit bad, but it couldn't be helped. The temperature continued to drop daily, sometimes noticeably, other times subtly, eventually reaching -15°F. The pounding sounds from downstairs went on for several days before finally quieting. From the noise, it seemed like even the 17th floor had been broken into. It was likely there had been significant casualties. After all, this was the South, where neither the buildings nor the clothing was built to withstand such extreme cold. One day, there was a knock at Nadia's door again, and this time it was Elizabeth. Given the conditions, it was obvious she wasn't here for acupuncture. By now, they were all familiar with each other, so Elizabeth didn't beat around the bush. "Nadia, we have something we'd like to discuss with you." Seeing the worry on Elizabeth's face, Nadia frowned and said, "Please, go ahead." Elizabeth's composure broke, and she clutched Nadia's hand, choking back tears. "Nadia, you've truly saved our family!" If it hadn't been for Nadia's advice to apply the herbal alcohol and sweat it out under a heavy blanket, Elizabeth would've frozen to death on that brutally cold night. She wouldn't have had a chance to wake up. After waking up shivering under her blanket, Elizabeth quickly knocked on her son and daughter-in-law's door and bundled her grandson up in thick clothes. They'd managed to escape death, all thanks to Nadia's timely advice. The Hadids managed to survive, but others hadn't been so fortunate. Between the floods and the food shortages, many lives had already been lost, and the recent cold had taken even more. Elizabeth had lived a long life, but she'd never imagined a winter this severe in the typically warm South, where temperatures now plummeted to -15°F. With the coastal humidity and floods reaching up to the sixth floor, the entire city felt like a giant freezer. Their apartment complex was old, mostly rented by students from the nearby university, along with elderly residents and children. Now, only about thirty or forty percent of the original residents were left. Typhoons, floods, extreme cold… What was happening to the world? Nadia dismissed her role in Elizabeth's survival, saying, "I only gave some health advice based on the situation. You were the one who followed it and prepared well." However, Elizabeth didn't see it that way. She had even brought a jar of smoked fish as a thank-you gift. "My daughter-in-law made this; it's a specialty from back home. Please, all of you should try it." The jar weighed around three or four pounds—a generous gift. Nadia already had plenty of canned smoked fish in her domain, but Elizabeth was insistent, almost shoving it into her hands until Nadia reluctantly accepted. With her gift received, Elizabeth continued chatting. "We've been lucky, I suppose. We not only survived but didn't fall ill from the cold. Our neighbors weren't as lucky; a few froze to death, and some others have frostbite or have gotten sick. That Smith girl even had the nerve to come knocking on our door, asking for medicine. We don't have any to spare, but she made it seem like we were just withholding it on purpose. She's been by several times now. Just yesterday, another person died from frostbite and a fever." Elizabeth pitied them but was irritated at being pressured for medicine. It wasn't that they didn't have any, but even if they did, they'd need to save it for themselves. Even a common cold could be deadly in this kind of cold. Nadia frowned, surprised that everyone else had succumbed, yet Maya was still clinging on. She really was resilient. Elizabeth wouldn't usually come up unless there was a good reason. She sighed deeply, looking worried. "Nadia, I have a bad feeling… I think something big is brewing in this building." "What makes you say that?" "Hunter Thatcher's been organizing the survivors to break into the homes of the deceased and take whatever food, clothing, blankets, and wood furniture they can find. It makes sense in a way; everyone wants to survive." But Hunter had taken advantage of his position, distributing supplies unevenly—more for the men and half as much for the women. The Hadids had survived intact, sparing them from exploitation, but it still left a sour taste. Sure, men might do the heavy lifting, but women were often better at locating hidden supplies in unexpected places. Many valuable items had been found by the women, but they were too outnumbered to resist when Hunter skimmed supplies meant to be shared. Most of what he took ended up in his possession, with a small cut going to the other men, who had no complaints about this arrangement. The most troubling part was his frequent interactions with building managers from neighboring apartments and his apparent connection to outside gangs. "Yesterday, he took a few young girls outside. They were promised one pound of food per hour, and they could do whatever they wanted to them for five hours. They're heartless animals. The poor girl next door, Marsh, was barely alive when they brought her back. Her pants were soaked in blood. She traded her body for five pounds of wheat, and Hunter took half of it, leaving only two and a half pounds for several others to eat. How many bites do you think she got?" Nadia wasn't surprised. In her previous life, Wayne had suggested she do the same, but she'd beaten him senseless with a rolling pin. After that, he'd never dared bring it up again. She just hadn't expected Eva to be so desperate. "Didn't Maya go with them?" "No, but it's only a matter of time before it's her turn." Elizabeth wasn't there just to gossip; she'd come with troubling news. "I've heard something bad… People from outside have started demanding 'protection supplies from Buildings 18 and 19. Each household has to pay, and if they can't, they're told to go out and find it themselves—or else…" Hunter's close ties with these people didn't bode well. Protection supplies?