For a moment, plenty of people eyed the group with greedy thoughts, but no one dared to make a move. It was a rare outing for Lily, and she couldn't have been happier. Holding her brother's hand with one and Nadia's with the other, she hopped along excitedly, oblivious to the biting cold. Most of the residents had gone early in the morning to collect their grain, so by the time Nadia and Harrison arrived, the line was relatively short. After waiting for about twenty minutes, it was their turn. The process required filling out ID information and verifying the individual's address. Once confirmed, the recipient was given their share of grain, provided they brought their own bag. Nadia had brought a flour sack, so one pound of grain barely made a dent in it. Meanwhile, Colby watched the whole process intently. It noticed the trainer and Lily receiving their share and grew increasingly agitated, whining. I was in line too! Why aren't I getting any? Nadia chuckled, amused. "You're a dog, Colby. There's no relief grain for dogs." What do you mean, no grain?! Colby bristled, glaring at the volunteers with a mix of indignation and outrage. I may be a dog, but you people are worse than that! The volunteers, however, were utterly charmed. It was hard to imagine such a beautiful and well-cared-for dog in a world like this. Even the police officers maintaining order couldn't help but glance over multiple times. Some of them had worked with K-9s in the past, and seeing Colby stirred bittersweet memories of the dogs they'd lost. With their grain in tow, the group started heading back. Lily carried her bag proudly, and Colby, still sulking, was finally given a grain bag to carry in its mouth. That seemed to lift the dog's spirits, and it let out a happy bark, trotting alongside Lily, wagging its tail. Suddenly, two children who had been playing on the ice dashed toward Lily, snatched her grain bag, and took off running. The force of their push sent Lily sprawling onto the ice with a hard thud. Colby reacted instantly. With a powerful leap, it tackled the child holding Lily's grain bag, knocking them down and causing the bag to fall to the ground. Lily didn't cry. Instead, she scrambled to her feet and rushed over, her small fists pounding the thief's face. How dare you steal from me! Her punches landed squarely on the kid's face, drawing loud wails of pain. Meanwhile, Colby had grabbed the second child by the pant leg, holding them in place. This one too—don't hold back, give 'em a beating! Fueled by her brother's cautions about standing up for herself, Lily didn't hold back. With Colby's help, she not only retrieved her grain bag but also taught the kids a harsh lesson. Her cheeks flushed with anger as she shouted, "If you try to steal from me again, I'll beat you to death!" Harrison watched the entire scene unfold without intervening. Nadia, on the other hand, couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh. No wonder he'd brought Lily out—this was clearly a "bait and teach" operation.Just then, a woman in a padded coat came running over, shouting aggressively. "What are you doing? They're just kids! How can you bully them like this? Don't you have any decency?" Harrison said nothing, his cold, piercing gaze locking onto the woman. Unfortunately, she didn't notice and continued her tirade, even moving to grab Lily. But before she could, Colby bared its teeth and snarled, forcing her to step back in fear. "Oh, so even the dog is bullying people now? Everyone, look at this! Where's the justice?" Nadia stepped forward, cutting off the woman's complaints with a swift kick that sent her sprawling to the ground. The woman opened her mouth to start wailing theatrically, but before she could make a sound, Nadia pressed a sharp knife against her throat. "You act like those kids aren't old enough to know better," she said coldly. "If you're going to send them out to steal, don't blame us for teaching them a lesson." Adults tended to be less guarded against children, a vulnerability that many parents exploited, sending their kids out to commit petty crimes. Even if caught red-handed, they could always claim the children were too young to know better and expect others to let it slide. Worse, if the kids got hurt in the process, some parents would seize the opportunity to extort compensation. Nadia was all too familiar with this tactic. She'd encountered it more than once in her previous life. "What do you mean I sent them? You're so cruel! They're just kids, and they didn't mean any harm!" the woman shrieked, her tone sharp and hostile. "Your daughter and that dog beat my son bloody. If you don't compensate me, I'll call the po—" Before she could finish, Nadia stepped forward and drove her knife into the woman's side—not deep enough to hit her organs, but enough to tear through her thick coat. With a flick of her wrist, the blade ripped through the fabric, sending bits of cotton stuffing fluttering into the air.The woman's face turned ghostly pale as she collapsed onto the icy ground in terror. "If you can't control your kids, it won't just be your coat I stab next time." The woman stammered incoherently, unable to form a response, while her two children cowered, trembling with fear. Lily, meanwhile, retrieved her grain bag from the ground, her expression a mix of apprehension and pride as she gazed at her brother. "Harry, I won!" Harrison patted her head approvingly. "Good reaction." Scenes like this were becoming all too common. Satisfied that she'd scared the mother and children enough, Nadia didn't bother engaging further. Together with Harrison, Lily, and Colby, she began heading back toward their community. As they walked, Harrison broke the silence. "Want to go chop bamboo tomorrow?" "Bamboo?" Nadia asked, puzzled. "It doesn't burn well.""I need to make three more crossbows. Bamboo arrows are expendable and need to be stockpiled in advance." Nadia nodded in agreement. "Sure, no problem." Harrison seemed ready to continue the conversation, but Colby suddenly pulled free from its leash, nearly tripping Lily in the process. The dog, ever the obedient student of Nadia’s survival lessons, seemed to recall one in particular: Move like a ghost, strike without warning. With his tail tucked and shoulders hunched, he slinked off in another direction. Nadia, having spent enough time with Colby, instantly recognized this as a precursor to aggression. She squinted in the direction it was heading. A group of people stood at a distance, their thick clothing making them hard to identify. Pulling out her binoculars, she scanned the crowd until a familiar face caught her eye. "You and Lily head back. Colby and I have something to take care of," she said briskly, not waiting for a response before following her dog.Colby led the way, weaving through the streets with quiet determination. Nadia wrapped her face until only her eyes were visible and kept a steady distance behind the two men Colby was tracking. They crossed the street and entered an abandoned office building. The dog's eyes gleamed with purpose as it climbed the stairs, each step light and deliberate. Every few strides, it glanced back at Nadia as if to say, Hurry up, human, keep up! Nadia wasn't in a rush. She ascended the stairs slowly, taking in every detail of her surroundings. By the time they reached the top floor, Colby was already leading the way to a specific office, his nose twitching with sharp focus. From inside, muffled sounds of something vile reached Nadia's ears. She slipped toward the window, staying hidden as her eyes adjusted to the scene inside. One of the men was pinned against a desk, the sordid sounds leaving no room for doubt. Colby's eyes widened, his body coiled, ready to spring into action. Nadia, however, clamped her hands over its ears and gently covered its eyes. "Don't look," she whispered. "Too gross." The grotesque scene lasted barely two minutes before the man prepared for his final act. That was when a knife pierced his chest, cutting short his twisted triumph. "Ah!" The man cried out in agony, clutching at his chest. Blood gushed as his body convulsed. Wayne froze, his face a mask of regret as he gasped for air. He regretted everything. If he'd known the apocalypse would descend, he would never have confessed his feelings to May, and Nadia might not have abandoned him. If only he were with her on the 18th floor, he could have been one of them—safe, well-fed, and without a care in the world for resources. Instead, here he was, selling himself for a pound of grain, reduced to another man's plaything. In just a few months, everyone who had attended his birthday party was dead. Maya was gone. Eva was gone. Even Ken and the others were gone. But Wayne didn't want to die. He refused to die. How can I make Nadia fall in love with me again?