Nadia's words immediately infuriated the leader. He raised his gun, ready to shoot. At the critical moment, Hunter leaped forward to block him. "Don't shoot! Let's talk this through!" Turning back to Nadia, he pleaded, "Nadia, I know you're capable, but smart people don't suffer immediate losses. The world's different now. You're not short on supplies, and staying alive is what matters most. Please, don't throw your life away over this. Trust me—I'll negotiate on your behalf and try to lower the amount. What do you say?" Nadia's gaze sharpened. "For all this effort, how much grain are they paying you?" "What are you talking about?" Hunter froze in place, his face turning red with indignation. "Nadia, I almost died trying to lower the protection supplies for this building, and you're accusing me of this?" "Wearing thick clothes and covered in blood—are you sure that's not just chicken blood or some red medicine splashed on you?"The survivors around them were stunned, staring at Hunter with mixed expressions of anger and confusion. "Y-You're spouting nonsense!" Hunter yelled, his voice cracking. "I'm an honest man, and I've never played dirty!" "Honest, huh? What happened to the grain Eva Marsh and the others risked their lives to trade for? You took half of it as a cut; did you feed them to the dogs?" Woof! Colby barked indignantly. Don't insult dogs! Hunter was so furious he stomped his feet. "Fine, fine! If that's what you all think of me, I quit! Let someone else deal with this mess!" He stormed off to the side, but the survivors quickly surrounded him. It was as if they'd just woken up from a long dream. Other buildings only had to pay three pounds of grain, yet their building was being squeezed for six. The truth hit them like a truck: Hunter had been playing them, working with the collectors all along.The leader of the collectors, enraged by Nadia's defiance, snarled, "You f*cking wench! Open this door right now, or I'll blow your head off!" "Sure, I'll open it," Nadia said, her tone flat, seemingly unfazed. She opened the door, and immediately, the barrel of a gun was pressed against her chest. Another gun was pointed at the group behind her. "Nobody move! Hands up!" the leader barked. They'd heard rumors that the 18th floor had guns, so they weren't taking any chances. Nadia stared at the leader, her gaze piercing. These thugs wore full-face masks, leaving only their eyes visible. Even if the police caught them later, all they'd have to do was discard their disguises and blend in with the crowd to evade identification. She didn't resist, instead setting her saber aside. Then, she gave the leader a strange, unsettling smile. That was all Nadia needed. In an instant, she pulled a dagger from her pocket and stabbed him several times with blinding speed. As blood gushed from his wounds, the leader reflexively pulled the trigger over and over, but the gun clicked uselessly. Nadia smirked and slashed at his neck. "Still having fun with that thing?" Fake gun or not, she wasn't worried. Beneath her clothes, she wore stab-resistant and slash-resistant gear, along with a bulletproof vest. At the same time, Jasmine charged at another gunman. Her iron fist landed squarely on his face, sending him flying. Teeth scattered across the ground as he landed with a bloody thud. His gun fell, and Jasmine promptly stomped on it, smashing it to pieces. The sudden violence caught everyone off guard. No one had expected these two women to be so ferocious—not the survivors and certainly not the remaining three collectors. It took a moment for them to snap out of their daze, but when they did, they came at the group with iron rods.Harrison, towering over them, moved with deadly efficiency, snapping necks like twigs. Ahhh! The survivors almost collapsed on the spot. The 18th floor had killed again! The once-arrogant protection collectors, who had bullied and beaten survivors without restraint, were all wiped out in under five minutes. The sheer efficiency of the slaughter left everyone trembling. The 18th floor wasn't just dangerous—they were terrifying, worse than the very criminals they had just defeated. But Nadia wasn't done. She walked toward Hunter, her blade still in hand. Hunter's legs turned to jelly. "N-Nadia, this is murder! It's against the law!" "Oh?" Nadia quirked a brow, her smile chilling. "So you do know it's illegal. Were you unaware it's illegal to collude with the protectors while exploiting Eva Marsh and the others?" "No! It's a misunderstanding!""Is that so? Shall we take a look inside your apartment, then? See just how much you've stockpiled." Hunter tried to defend himself, but Nadia didn't have the patience to listen. She stabbed him, drawing a scream of agony. She hadn't gone for his heart—just his shoulder. "Do you think you have nine lives, Thatcher? You've tried to mess with us on the 18th floor over and over again. What makes you think we won't kill you?" With that, she grabbed him by the collar and threw him toward the window. The bitter cold outside was unforgiving. Falling from the 16th floor was certain death. "Ahhhh!" Hunter's wife screamed, rushing up the stairs and shouting hysterically at Nadia. "You're insane! How dare you kill him?! I'll call the police and have you all arrested! You monsters!" "Sure, let's see how the police handle your husband's corruption and his collusion with criminals.""If you're so righteous, maybe stop living off stolen grain," Nadia said, finding the woman ridiculous. "If you didn't want this to happen, why didn't you stop him when he started breaking the law? Instead of crying here, you should go look after those blood-stained supplies at home. Every meal is one less you'll have tomorrow." Hunter's wife's face turned pale, and the survivors' eyes gleamed with greed. They knew Hunter's hoard had come from exploiting them. Disgusted by their selfishness, Nadia turned and walked away. Just then, someone in the crowd called out, "You've killed them now. What if they come back for revenge? What are we supposed to do?" The murmurs spread, complaints replacing any gratitude. They didn't want to end up like the residents of Buildings 15 and 16. Nadia's cold gaze swept over them. "Is this courage Hunter gave you, or did the collectors make you think I'm easier to deal with than them? Has the cold frozen your brains? If any one of you is done with life, step up. I'll be happy to help you out." Her words silenced the crowd instantly. No one dared speak again, and with that, she headed upstairs. Back in her apartment, Nadia was about to settle in when she heard shouting and cursing from below. She ignored it until Colby burst into the room, dragging a bag up the stairs, tail wagging excitedly. Caleb and Levi followed, each carrying a sack of grain in one hand and a weapon in the other, grinning like they'd hit the lottery. It turned out that the two—unable to shine earlier—joined the group of survivors in ransacking Hunter's apartment. Sure enough, it was stuffed with supplies. Colby had dragged up a five-pound bag of flour while Caleb and Levi each carried twenty-pound sacks of grain. Nadia sighed, speechless. Colby proudly dropped a five-pound bag of flour at Nadia's feet, looking up at her expectantly. Here's my contribution to the household rations! The gang, though exasperated, were amused. Eventually, the spoils were divided equally among the group, with even the Hadid Family getting a share. The 18th floor also returned Elizabeth's family heirloom bracelet. They hadn't actually intended to keep the bracelet. It was a way to ensure sincerity when the Hadids borrowed anything. As long as they proved themselves trustworthy, the items would always be returned. This time, while the Hadids hadn't contributed much to the fight, their stance had been clear. As for the other two households on the 17th floor? Huh…