James Lone casually tossed a dagger aside and said, "Well then, go ahead and kill him."

"I... kill?" Dale hesitated for a moment, but the look in James Lone's eyes made it clear he was serious. She bent down, picked up the dagger, and slowly walked toward Chen Yong.

In this new world, who among the survivors hadn't shed blood?

Chen Yong, terrified, began to crawl backward. But he was badly injured and couldn't move far.

"Big bro! Don't kill me!"

"Dale, beautiful Dale! Spare me! I was just confused earlier! Please let me go this time!"

"I brought you here! Help!"

"Ah! ...Dale, you're so ruthless!"

With one thrust, Dale pierced the dagger into Chen Yong. Then, in another wave of fury, she stabbed him over a dozen more times.

"Chen Yong! You actually betrayed me!"

"I offered you a salary of 20,000 a month, and you still backstabbed me!"

"Bastard!"

Thud! Thud!

Chen Yong lay still.

Dale slumped down onto the ground, her body covered in blood, her breathing heavy. It took her a moment to recover from the shock. Chen Yong had been her driver for many years, a man she had trusted deeply. His sudden betrayal was too much for her to process.

She had always prided herself on her ability to read people. Even after gaining her powers, she treated the survivors courteously, and their team had remained relatively harmonious. Now, all these pretensions seemed like a joke. In times of greed, everyone would betray her without hesitation.

James Lone's voice broke through her thoughts. "You seem very angry."

Dale lowered her head, disheartened. "I just don't understand why they would betray me. If they thought it was dangerous here, they could've just left without selling me out. I treated them sincerely. Why would they do this?"

"Why betray you? Because of profit. These people are the 'smart ones' you chose!" James Lone replied with a sneer, casting a glance at the body. His tone was almost mocking. "Before I chased after you, no one knew whether I would actually come. If they left you on their own and I hadn't shown up, they would've become ordinary people without the protection of an ability user—extremely dangerous. That's a huge loss, isn't it? So it's much safer for them to stick with you."

"But once I arrived, they sought a way out. At that moment, selling you out became their best option."

As a businesswoman, Dale should have understood this fundamentally; she just didn't want to confront the truth. James Lone's gaze locked onto hers as he continued.

"You claim to treat them sincerely? Don't be ridiculous, Dale. You have your own ulterior motives! Why do you think you saved a group of the elite's families? You know it, they know it, everyone knows your intentions. So spare me the pretense."

"Essentially, leading them to the 910 base was a transaction. You saved their lives, expecting them to repay you in the future. But I showed up, which invalidated your deal, because I will take you away from them. Naturally, they will choose what is most beneficial for themselves!"

Dale felt her facade ripped apart by James Lone's relentless assertions, leaving her both ashamed and angry, her lips pressed together tightly.

James Lone observed the changing colors that flickered across her aura—red, yellow, green—finally locking onto a bright, pure yellow. As long as it wasn't red, he didn't care. He intended to give her one night; if by morning there was no hint of green, she could consider herself dead. To him, Dale was nothing more than a means to an end; her well-being was of no consequence. In reality, people like Dale, with layers of complexity and cunning, were more likely to survive. The naive, kind, and simple-minded were already long gone.

"Come with me." James Lone turned and left.

Dale clenched her fists but didn't dare to run away. She obediently followed James Lone, her mind racing with questions. How did he know where to find her? Did Chen Yong lead him here? Or had he tracked her down himself?

Dale thought hard but soon found herself hastening her pace, reaching out her hand toward James Lone. "Hey, sir, I still don't know your name. Let's formally introduce ourselves. I'm Dale, and in the old world, I was the chairwoman of Sunshine Fund. My father was the deputy director of the New York Financial Management Bureau."

James Lone shot her a smirk, not bothering to shake her hand. With a hint of sarcasm, he replied, "I'm James Lone. In the old world, I was a convenience store clerk."

Dale was taken aback.

The rest of the journey passed in awkward silence as they reached a convoy of vehicles. As soon as she stepped inside, Dale was stunned—so many beautiful women!

Over a dozen women were crammed into a RV, and the air was thick with the scent of perfume. Upon seeing James Lone return, they immediately surrounded him.

"Wow! A new sister has joined us!" "She's quite pretty." "Of course! Master only selects the best." "Her chest isn't as big as mine! Hehe." "Ow! What's that smell? Sister, when was the last time you bathed?"

The women paid no mind to the blood that splattered across Dale's form. Such scenes were far too normal; it was likely that their master had just taken care of a few people, and she had gotten splashed with some blood.

Dale found herself overwhelmed and unsure of how to react. The disdainful comment about how she smelled made her feel like she had nowhere to hide. What woman doesn't enjoy cleanliness? Yet here she was, with no facilities at all—she didn't even remember the last time she had a proper wash.

Looking at these women glowing with vitality and certainty, then at herself—disheveled, muddy, bloodstained—she felt a deep sense of shame.

"Shirley Inr Won, take Dale to have a shower and give her some clean clothes," James Lone stated coolly.

Dale was surprised. A shower?

Then she remembered that if these women looked so pristine, there had to be a way to maintain cleanliness in this environment.

Just then, a beautiful girl stepped forward.

"Shirley Inr Won smiled and said, "Evening Breeze, come with me to another vehicle to shower. I see we're about the same size, so you can borrow my clothes. Don't worry; they're brand new and unworn."

"Uh? Oh..." Dale followed Shirley Inr Won, still trying to comprehend what was happening.

Inside the RV, a compact bathroom awaited.

Pushed inside, she was left feeling helpless, glancing around at the clean bathroom. Her shoes were caked with dirt, leaving dark footprints on the pristine floor.

In the bright mirror, she gazed at her reflection, her disheveled appearance making her look like a beggar—so out of place in such a clean setting.

Suddenly, Shirley Inr Won opened the door and handed in a paper bag with a grin. "Put your dirty clothes and shoes in here. I'll take care of them. Shampoo and body wash are in that corner; feel free to use as much as you want. Don't hold back; we're family now."

"Oh right, your new clothes are just outside. You can take your time. No one will come in for an hour; those little bitches are all busy trying to win Master over," she added, her tone almost conspiratorial.

"Okay," Dale nodded, still a bit confused by what she meant.

Shirley Inr Won closed the door and said from the outside, "I'll wait for you here. Just call if you need anything."

"Thanks, Shirley," Dale replied, quickly shedding her dirty clothes.

The warm water, around 40 degrees Celsius, cascaded over her body, washing away the fatigue and anxiety in an instant. The long-held pressure of survival faded away like a dream.

Inside the RV, it was quiet, warm, and safe. It soothed Dale's soul.

Though she was tempted to linger, she knew she was new here and didn't want to overstay her welcome.

Twenty minutes later, she dried herself off. She put on clean clothes—fresh, soft, and fragrant—new socks and shoes. At that moment, she felt exhilarated, as if she had been reborn into another life.

Shirley Inr Won led Dale back to the other RV. James Lone and the other women had already finished eating.

"Why don't you two eat?" he said.

Dale stared in awe at the dining table overflowed with an array of dishes. Braised pork, steak, and four different types of vegetables alongside milk, cola, and purified water. There were several types of staple food too: rice, steamed buns, dumplings, and noodles.

"This is too extravagant!"

Shirley Inr Won waved off the concern. "This is the norm. Come on, Evening Breeze, let's eat together. The RV is small; a simple meal suffices. Once we reach our new home, we'll have a feast to welcome you."

Dale's mindset began to shift. Why should she endure hardship at the 910 base when this was the environment waiting for her here?

Could the 910 base offer this kind of lifestyle? Definitely not!

Looking at the naive, bright-eyed women around her revealed how comfortable their lives were. If James Lone could protect such women so well, he could surely do the same for her. Why should she struggle at the 910 base to survive?

Staying here seemed far more appealing.