"Miss Doris, this is the house," Jack George said, pointing toward the building. "Mr. Lone is waiting for you inside. If you catch his eye, you could be in for a life of luxury—just look at this place! I can't even afford to live here."

Weak and trembling, Doris bit her lip, her nerves on edge. She had no idea what kind of man James Lone truly was. If he turned out to be a sadist, she would be in serious trouble.

In this apocalypse, everyone was under immense psychological strain. Many men had become bloodthirsty, taking out their frustrations on women.

But... she had no other choice.

Doris thought of her friend, Joan, who had been injured. Joan had suffered a laceration from a mutated plant yesterday, which led to a fever. She had burned with fever all day, and now she was close to death.

Doris and Joan were like sisters; Joan had gained her powers. If it weren't for Joan, Doris wouldn't have made it this far or even arrived here. Joan had always protected her, and now it was time for her to protect Joan!

Doris gritted her teeth and timidly asked again, "Will he really give Joan 300 credits?"

Jack George assured her, "Mr. Lone has already given me the credits. Don't worry; Joan can buy the medicine from the military. She will survive."

Doris let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Jack George's face turned serious. "One last thing: you're a virgin, right? Don't lie to me, because if Mr. Lone spares you, I certainly won't!"

Ensuring that the woman was untouched was an essential task for someone in his position. He didn't want to send a damaged product to James Lone just to face his anger. Being reprimanded was one thing, but if James Lone thought he had failed in his duty, it would be a catastrophic mistake.

Doris's cheeks flushed. "Yes, Mr. Song. I swear I've never had a boyfriend."

Jack George scrutinized her for a moment before breaking into a sudden smile. "Alright, go on in."

He stepped forward and knocked on the door. "Mr. Lone, Mr. Lone, I've brought her."

James Lone opened the door and glanced at the woman.

[Doris] [Age: 22] [Quality: 9 points] (Peach blossom face) [Virtue: 10 points] (Untouched) [Comprehensive Rating: 9 points] [Ding! Meets system requirements!]

James Lone chuckled softly. "Come on in."

Seeing James Lone's satisfaction, Jack George couldn't contain his joy. "Mr. Lone, I'll come back to check on you later tonight."

He closed the door behind him and walked away.

After a short distance, one of his subordinates curiously asked, "Boss, who exactly is that person inside?"

Jack George glanced at them; both were his trusted aides. He replied cautiously, "She's a powerful ability user. Don't mess with her, or you'll be in serious trouble. No one will be able to save you."

One of them asked in wonder, "Is she one of the Three Kings?"

"The Three Kings?" Jack George scoffed. "The Three Kings wouldn't know how they died in front of him!"

James Lone had at least seven or eight abilities. The Three Kings were insignificant in comparison! Unless Bruce Scott ordered an arrest, James Lone could walk around the 910 settlement with supreme authority.

"Let's go back and get ready. We need to sell that purified water for a high price at tonight's black market auction!" Jack George declared, full of ambition. James Lone had given him such a huge trust; he had to prove himself and stabilize Lancy George's position!

Jack George returned to his residence. The old tile-roof house was extremely shabby, yet in these times, it was a source of envy for countless people.

He knocked on the door, and two armed subordinates cautiously opened it. Upon seeing Jack George, they quickly pulled the door wide open. "Boss is back!"

Inside were thousands of bottles of purified water, each holding immense value. If they didn't have enough hands on guard, they would surely get robbed.

Jack George nodded and stepped inside.

A young woman of mediocre appearance rushed forward, her tone flattering as she asked, "Mr. George, how did it go? Was that gentleman satisfied with Doris?"

She was none other than Joan.

Jack George shot her a disdainful glance. "Should be no problem."

Joan's face lit up with joy. "So what about my share..."

Jack George replied calmly, "Relax, I won't cheat you. It's 2000 credits. You sold your friend at a good price."

Joan was far from angry. The fever had been an act, meant to manipulate Doris into sacrificing herself.

Best friends? What a joke! This was the apocalypse!

She had gone to great lengths to protect Doris—why?

Wasn't it just because of Doris's beauty, allowing her to fetch a good price?

Did she really think she was acting out of kindness?

Joan confidently stated, "If Doris has made it this far, she should thank me!"

The others looked at her with disgust.

Jack George let out a cold laugh and counted out 2000 credits, handing them to Joan.

Joan gleefully stuffed them into her pocket. "Thanks, Mr. George! Let's collaborate again if opportunities arise!"

With that, she left.

Lawyer Daniel grumbled in pain, "Boss, why give her so many credits?"

Jack George calmly replied, "Why not? You want to renege? Miss Joan is quite powerful; if we kill her, we'd incur heavy losses. It's not worth putting our brothers at risk for a few credits."

The group felt a warm glow toward Jack George, especially the few newcomers who had just joined.

In a time where lives were held so cheap, it was leaders like Jack George that inspired trust among his followers.

After all, 2000 credits was no trivial amount.

A mere 100 credits could tempt survivors to do desperate things!

Jack George wore a kind face, but inside, he was laughing secretly.

He hadn't disclosed the most crucial thought: now that Doris belonged to Mr. Lone, he needed to pay close attention to her feelings.

Despite Joan having sold Doris out, he was unsure of the depth of their friendship. What if Doris turned out to be too compassionate? Killing Joan would risk angering Doris, and that would be troublesome.

If Doris started whispering sweet nothings into James Lone's ear, he could find himself in a serious bind.

...

Doris lay in a daze, staring up at the ceiling.

The recent storm of events had left her feeling utterly stunned.

James Lone, satisfied, noted the system prompts: [Ding! One day ago, Doris consumed a Shit-flavored Shepherd's Purse and returned 1700 packets! They've been stored in the portable space.] [Ding! One day ago, Doris consumed 200ml of the purple mushroom liquid and returned 340L! It's been stored in the portable space.] [Ding! Two days ago, Doris consumed 0.1kg of Breadfruit Tree and returned 170kg! It's been stored in the portable space.] ...

This woman has had a rough time.

She hadn't had anything good to eat for days.

James Lone smiled. "Get up."

Doris timidly rose to her feet but immediately felt a sharp pain; her brow furrowed as she had to lean against the wall to follow James Lone.

James Lone pushed open the door to the spare room.

It was crammed full of supplies!

Boxes of instant noodles, stacks of purified water, and bags of ham...

Out there, people were willing to sell their dignity for a single pack of instant noodles.

And here, the supplies were piled high!

Doris's eyes widened in amazement, her breath quickening. "There's so much!"

James Lone chuckled. "Eat as much as you want. Stay with me, and your food and lodging are covered."

Until Doris earned his trust, James Lone wouldn't expose the extent of his portable space.

This wasn't a shelter, but rather, it was teeming with survivors, not to mention the military presence.

Compared to him, the Americans naturally trusted the authorities and military more. There was a chance Doris might run away.

Doris, overwhelmed with excitement, cautiously asked, "Mr. Lone, I have a friend who protected me all the way here. Could you spare her some food...?"

James Lone smiled. "You're talking about your friend, Miss Joan, right? You came here just to save her, didn't you?"

Doris blushed. "So Mr. George has informed you about it."

James Lone, enjoying the dramatic irony, revealed the truth. "Don't worry about Miss Joan. She sold you for 2000 credits and is having the time of her life."





NOTE: Writer:""If you like this book, please help by clicking 'voted.' Thank you!""