Raven looked annoyed, giving Snow a disgusted side-eye, clearly judging the tiny troublemaker. "Hey, Caroline, Raven is a boy, right? My Snow is a girl! Maybe in a year or so, we could let them have puppies once Snow grows up. I'd love to raise one," Denton said, sounding genuinely interested. Raven seemed to get the idea and immediately started dodging Snow, as if to say, "Nope, not happening. I'm staying single!" Just as Snow tried to keep playing around, Tyler called, "Snow, sit!" Like magic, she froze and plopped down. She still kept her eyes on Raven's tail, as if to say, "Fine, I won't play, but I can at least watch, right?" Seeing the timing was right, the group headed downstairs, jumped in the car, and drove off. Denton shouted their battle cry, "Stock up! Go all out!" Their first stop was the leather factory near the coal yard they'd visited a few days ago. After about an hour, Caroline noticed the snowstorm had eased a lot. Still, the factory was buried under a thick layer of snow. Using their experience from clearing the coal plant, Raven led the way, while Caroline and Tyler cleared snow with their storage space. It didn't take long to spot the factory's door handle. But as they got close, a horrible stench hit them. It was hard to describe. Even stranger, someone was actually living inside! A faint light flickered, like a flashlight, and a shadow moved quickly across the room. A raspy voice called out, "Who's there?" Caroline and Tyler exchanged wary glances. Who could be here? The place was practically buried in snow. How were they even breathing? No one had noticed the bumps under the snow—hidden air vents, cleverly designed to blend in, with the snow acting as natural camouflage. The vents were sideways-facing as well, so snowdrifts wouldn't block them easily. The group was ready to leave, not wanting to mess with anyone's life. But just as they stepped back, a trembling voice called out, "Who are you? Can you tell me what it's like outside? I ... I've been stuck down here for days. I can't get out, and I'm too scared to try. Please, just tell me what's happening." The voice was raw with desperation, almost crying, and hoarse from days of silence. Before Caroline or the others could respond, a man suddenly appeared at the window, pressing his tear-streaked face against the glass, eyes wide and pleading as if his life depended on them. He looked gaunt, almost skeletal. Sunlight hadn't touched him in a long time, leaving his skin ghostly pale. His eyes protruded unnaturally, bloodshot with red veins. His hair hung in greasy, tangled clumps, clearly unwashed and unkempt for a long time. "Please, just tell me what's going on outside! You want supplies, right? I've got tons of leather—fox, deer, mink, sheepskin! Jackets, backpacks, raincoats, whatever you want! I'll trade anything. Just tell me what's happening out there!" He rushed off, then returned with arms full of leather goods. Caroline spotted a fox scarf, a sheepskin rug, and a few small bags. "I've got food too! I can share!" he added in a panic, talking faster and faster as if they might leave before he got answers. The group exchanged cautious glances. Finally, Denton stepped up and quickly summarized the situation. The man muttered, almost maniacally, "There's a shelter! Are there a lot of people there?" When he asked, Caroline caught a wild sparkle in his eyes. "There's gotta be tons of people in the shelter," Denton said, giving him a look like he'd lost it. The man swallowed, his grin twisting into something creepy. "Lots of people? Perfect. I thought everyone was dead. Hehe ... " His dry, rasping voice sent a shiver straight down their spines.