Caroline knew Tyler was doing all this to catch up to her. She didn't say much. She wasn't the type to talk a lot, and she didn't think she had the right to control Tyler's thoughts or choices. But giving Nelson the upgraded spring water to study was her way of trying to help Tyler a little. They understood each other without speaking. No questions. No long talks. They just worked on their own tasks. Caroline's main job today was still feeding the baby pandas. Jasper said the mobile base was still under repair and needed more time. He told Caroline to be patient. The baby pandas grew fast. After only one night, they already had a thin layer of soft white fur. It was clear they were getting a boost from their mutation. While Caroline was feeding them, she heard someone knock outside. It was a polite knock—only three light taps. It sounded hesitant, like the person behind the door was nervous. Caroline planned to finish feeding the panda in her arms before answering, so she called out, "Just a minute!" The knocking stopped. The little panda she was holding happened to be the hungriest one. It grabbed the bottle and refused to let go, drinking half the bottle in one go. The person outside waited quietly for about two or three minutes. They didn't knock again. Not even once. There wasn't the slightest push or impatience. But when Caroline opened the door, she saw no one at all. She frowned. A bit of warning rose in her heart. Were they testing if someone was inside? Was someone here to cause trouble? Or maybe someone who doesn't like our group wants to mess with us? She scanned the hallway with a sharp, cautious look. Then she spotted a nervous-looking man hiding behind the door."Hello, Caroline..." he said. He seemed scared of her. He stepped out slowly and looked like he was trying not to startle her. Caroline sized him up. His clothes were from a luxury brand from before the apocalypse, but they were worn and faded now. She guessed he had been someone important before everything collapsed, but afterward, he lived like an ordinary survivor. "Who are you? What do you want?" Caroline asked coldly. She pulled the door closer toward her and formed an ice blade in her hand, ready to strike at any moment. Even inside the base, a strange man appearing at her door early in the morning was something she had to take seriously. The man saw the warning in her eyes and backed up fast. "No ... I ... I wanted to talk to you about something," he stammered. Then he suddenly dropped to his knees. "I'm begging you! I need your help. I can pay you—enough to make it worth your time!" Caroline frowned. She had no idea what he wanted. And she definitely didn't relax. She thought about it for a long moment, but she was sure she had never seen this man before. After a short conversation, Caroline finally understood. He had heard she could copy abilities. He had heard she was strong enough to fix things no one else could, even the base's broken section. So in his mind, she must be someone with impossible power. He had come because he wanted Caroline to remove his ability from his body. Caroline shook her head. "Sorry. I don't have that kind of power. I can't help you." She meant it. And even if she could remove abilities, she wouldn't start doing it for random people. If she helped one guy today, a hundred more would show up tomorrow. But she understood why he wanted his ability gone.Some abilities were honestly useless or even troublesome. The moment she finished speaking, the man panicked. His eyes shook, and tears gathered at the corners. "Caroline! Please ... Please think of something! I've heard so many stories about you. People say you've done things that shouldn't even be possible. I'm begging you—try something. Anything. I'll repay you, I promise!" Caroline looked at him. Maybe it was the way his eyes looked—too honest to fake. He didn't seem like a bad man. And seeing a 40-something man almost in tears like that, it was hard not to feel a bit heavy inside.