Monroe Anne worked quickly, preparing two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, a pot of steaming rice, and a tomato-egg soup.

Previously, she had put significant effort into honing her cooking skills to keep Fatty Eric under control. She combined manipulative PUA tactics to undermine his confidence with gestures of care—like cooking for him—to create the image of a perfect wife.

With tears, coquettishness, and her stunning looks, she had thoroughly tamed Fatty Eric.

Unfortunately for her, this approach didn't work on James Lon at all.

At that moment, a woman's scream echoed from Building A:

"What are you doing?! Stop!"

The three turned to look out the window.

On the 30th floor of Building A, a young couple wearing matching pajamas were being cornered by four men wielding knives.

The young woman cried out in panic,

"This is our home! Get out!"

The leader of the group, a man with dyed yellow hair, sneered and said something inaudible.

The young woman turned toward the balcony and screamed,

"Help! Somebody call the police! They're going to—"

The yellow-haired man grabbed her hair and slapped her hard.

"Stupid bitch, don't know what's good for you!" he snarled.

The young man, enraged at seeing his girlfriend struck, stepped forward in defiance.

Without hesitation, the yellow-haired man stabbed him in the stomach.

Squish!

The knife sank to the hilt as the young man stared at him in shock.

"What are you looking at?!" the other three men laughed as they surrounded him.

Slash! Slash!

The young man collapsed silently in a pool of blood.

The young woman screamed in terror,

"You killed him! You killed him!"

"Ha! So what?" the yellow-haired man sneered.

"Throw him over the balcony, boys. He's in the way."

The three men lifted the corpse and tossed it off the balcony. It vanished into the purple mist.

Seconds later, a dull thud sounded from below.

The young woman clung to the railing, sobbing and screaming,

"Anderson! Anderson!"

"Done with your boyfriend? Now it's your turn to entertain us!" one of the men growled, grabbing her by the hair.

The woman struggled violently, screaming for help,

"Somebody save me! Help!"

The three men dragged her into the apartment.

Moments later, her screams of pain and the men's laughter echoed through the building.

Many survivors in Building C witnessed the scene from their balconies.

The yellow-haired man waved his machete menacingly and shouted at them,

"What are you looking at? Keep staring, and I'll kill you next!"

The timid ones quickly closed their curtains, while the braver ones silently watched him, their hearts heavy with despair.

Order was beginning to collapse.

Shirley lnr Won and Monroe Anne turned pale, trembling with fear.

James Lone remained calm.

"Let's eat."

The two women averted their gaze and returned to the table without a word.

James Lone took a bite of the steak and his eyes lit up.

"Not bad! From now on, you'll be in charge of cooking."

Monroe Anne smiled ingratiatingly.

"As long as you're happy, Master."

She felt a sense of relief—her position was now more secure.

She cast a smug glance at Shirley lnr.

Bitch! Shirley lnr cursed inwardly, but worry crept into her thoughts.

Monroe Anne can cook. What about me?

James Lone noticed their subtle rivalry but didn't care. As long as it didn't interfere with his enjoyment, he was fine with it.

A bit of competition might even motivate them to improve.

To add fuel to the fire, he took out an Enlightenment Fruit and handed it to Monroe Anne.

"Eat this. It's a reward."

Monroe Anne looked curious.

"Master, what is this?"

"An ability fruit," James Lon replied casually.

"Eat it, and you'll gain an ability."

An ability fruit?!

Monroe Anne's eyes sparkled with excitement.

James Lone must have plenty of these fruits if he could give one away so casually.

Shirley lnr Won, filled with jealousy, grew even more anxious.

She needed to take action.

If more women like Monroe Anne join him, where will I stand?

Monroe Anne quickly swallowed the fruit and soon noticed a change in her vision.

"Master, why do all three of us have glowing auras? And why is yours so bright while ours are so dim?"

If James Lone's aura resembled a 100-watt light bulb, theirs were like faint candlelight.

James Lone explained simply,

"The brightness of the aura represents combat ability."

Monroe Anne asked curiously,

"Why is your aura yellow, but Shirley lnr's is faintly red?"

James Lone grinned mischievously.

"Auras come in three colors: green for friendliness, yellow for neutrality, and red for hostility.

"Just a warning: I have perception abilities. If anyone harbors hostile intent toward me, I'll kill them without hesitation. So even if you're faking it, you'd better act friendly. Otherwise... I promise your death will be miserable."

Both women froze, their faces pale.

Monroe Anne glanced at the red glow around Shirley lnr.

Hostility? Hmph! Bitch.

Shirley lnr Won glared back at her.

James Lone took out his phone.

"Smile."

Both women immediately forced sweet smiles.

James Lone snapped a picture of them and their meal, then posted it in the group chat:

"@Everyone, accepting applications for beautiful slaves. Full room and board provided. DM me with an unedited, full-body selfie." [Image] [Image]

[Ding! Anna Karolina consumed 1 genuine calfskin leather belt, returning 300 belts. They have been added to the spatial backpack.]

James Lone looked at the notification and twitched slightly.

It seemed that the system could only generate returns from consumable food items for now.

This woman really is starving to the point of madness.

Anna Karolina lay weakly on her bed.

Since yesterday, she had only eaten half a sausage.

"So hungry..."

Jackie Wone had taken her gold ring to see if he could trade it for food.

Anna Karolina Wont felt like she was starving to death. Desperate, she rummaged through her wardrobe and pulled out a leather belt.

"It's cowhide. I should be able to eat it."

Her eyes gleamed with determination.

This belt had been a gift from James Lon, made from imported calfskin and worth $200.

Now, to Anna Karolina Wont, it looked like a meal.

She cut it into small pieces with a knife and boiled them in a pot.

Soon, a foul stench filled the room, and the water turned reddish, like sugar water.

She hesitated, staring at the boiling leather.

"Can I really eat this?"

Hunger left her no choice. She picked up a piece and bit into it.

The belt tasted like plastic with a sour, rancid odor.

Despite her disgust, hunger drove her to chew until it broke into small pieces she could swallow.

"Ugh!"

The foul taste made her gag, but she managed to force down a few more pieces before stopping.

Her stomach felt uneasy, so she lay back down.

At least the hunger pangs had subsided a little.

Feeling slightly better, Anna Karolina picked up her phone to scroll through messages.

The first thing she saw was James Lon's post:

Two beautiful women and a table full of food—perfectly marbled steak, glossy braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, cauliflower, and steaming white rice.

Her mouth watered as she stared at the pictures.

"Damn it! You're eating my food! That's mine!" she thought furiously.

If she hadn't broken up with James Lon, all of that would have been hers.

For the first time, she regretted her decision.

But wasn't it normal for women to prioritize their own security?

"Why was he so angry? I didn't do anything wrong!"

Suppressing her anger, Anna Karolina glared at the photo, wishing she could take the place of the two women.

Click.

The door opened, and Jackie Won entered.

The moment he saw the pot, he snapped angrily,

"Sis! You ate without me?!"