But the next day, something happened that Caroline never expected. The giant fish began to shed its scales. Those hard, shining scales scattered across half the pond, floating like a layer of silver leaves. Jasper panicked, hopping around in circles. "My reputation. My entire life's reputation. All ruined. How can I not even keep a fish alive?" The giant fish continued drifting on the water's surface, quiet as ever, as if its life force had been drained dry. Jasper tried yelling, comforting, even offering snacks, but nothing worked. Caroline stared at the scene, shocked. This giant fish looked like it truly wanted to die. She suddenly remembered when she first got the storage space. Back then, she had a house inside, a mountain of supplies, and Raven to keep her company. She had wondered if she should hide inside forever and stay away from the apocalypse. During the early days of the deep freeze, she even tried staying inside for a few days. But she couldn't do it. The storage space was warm, quiet, and peaceful. But it lacked something important—the feeling of being alive. Humans are social creatures. Even with entertainment, food, and comfort, silence and isolation slowly suffocate the mind. So no matter how troublesome things outside were, she always chose to live on Earth instead of hiding. The storage space had no wind, no falling snow, no sunlight, no moonlight. Not even ambient noise. That was why Caroline never stayed inside too long. It was a house, not a world. Stay long enough, and you'd forget what living felt like. Life was hard. But feeling alive was still better. Looking at the lifeless giant fish now, Caroline didn't know what to do.Release it? That felt like a waste. It had been so hard to catch, and it was dangerous besides. Kill it? She felt reluctant. She had raised it for so long. Ignore it? It might really die. Just then, Caroline felt something wrap around her finger. She looked down and saw a pair of huge, round eyes. "Marmy!" She didn't know if it was her wish in Farm One or the fertilizer from JunkEater, but a tiny, delicate thumb monkey had appeared on her finger. It was much smaller than the old Marmy. It looked like it had just been born. But even in Marmy's tiny body, Caroline could feel that same warm, soothing energy that relaxed her from head to toe. "Marmy, you're back. That's great!" It must have grown out of the soil and immediately came to find her. Inside the Vibrant Fish Pond, the giant fish's dull gray eyes suddenly brightened when it heard the word "Marmy." Caroline pointed at the pond. "Your friend needs you." Marmy looked, then jumped off her finger and darted straight toward the water. The giant fish flipped over instantly, no longer belly up, and swam to the pond's edge. It lowered its head and gently nudged Marmy's tiny hand. Even though one was huge and the other tiny, the scene looked perfectly peaceful. Marmy stared at the giant fish with wide eyes. No one knew what they were communicating. Then, all of a sudden, a tear slipped from the giant fish's eye. Maybe it wasn't a real tear. No one had ever heard of a fish crying. Maybe it was liquid pushed out from overwhelming emotion. But to the human eye, it looked like a tear. Caroline checked the pond's daily products.It was still boiled fish slices. But today's effect read, "Makes the eater cry nonstop for two hours." "Well, my reputation is finally saved," Jasper said with a dramatic sigh. His tone was grumpy, but Caroline saw the sparkle in his eyes. He really had been worried about the giant fish. Once everything settled, Caroline let out a breath. "Jasper, you stay with Marmy. Let Marmy keep the giant fish company. If the two of them want toys or snacks, just take them from the storage space. I'm giving you special permission." She scratched Jasper's chin as she spoke.