The siblings waited for a while, but the phone never rang.

Anna Karenina Wont began to grow anxious. She hadn't eaten much in the past few days, and her stomach was growling painfully. She couldn't take it anymore.

"What's wrong with that guy? Doesn't he know how to read the room? I'm giving him a chance to make amends! Fine, if he doesn't appreciate it, he can't blame me for being harsh!"

Furious, Anna picked up her phone and called James Lon again.

"The number you dialed is no longer in service. Please check and try again..."

Disconnected?

Anna was stunned for a moment before realizing the truth.

James Lonw had blocked her.

Anna was livid.

"How dare he block me? He's getting bold!"

Unwilling to give up, she tried sending him a message on Messenger.

Only to discover she had been blocked there as well.

Now completely flustered, she started to panic.

Without James Lon, where could she get food?

Jackie Wont, equally anxious, exclaimed,

"That bastard is still scamming women! What if some woman actually goes to him? His food will run out faster, and that's supposed to be our food!"

Anna hurriedly replied,

"No way. What kind of woman would be that stupid? He can't have that much food. Once it's gone, they'll still starve. Who would want to stick with a convenience store clerk? Give me some time—I'll figure something out. James will come back to me. I know him; he's just throwing a tantrum."

James Lone had blocked Anna Karenina Wont but deliberately left her group chat account active.

After all, it would be no fun showing off his food if Anna couldn't see it.

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, James stood by the window and looked outside.

The Purple Mist had risen again!

A few days ago, it had only reached the 20th-floor level. Today, it was halfway up the 20th-floor windows!

James grew concerned.

How high will it rise? Will it cover the 30th floor?

After some exercise and a refreshing shower, he cracked open an ice-cold Coke and finally replied to Shirley Inr.

Slave Recruitment:

"Alright, you can come over."

Shirley, who had waited all night, dared not delay and quickly replied:

"Can I come now? Where do you live? Can you come get me? I'm scared."

Slave Recruitment:

"I know where you live. Just step outside and wait. I'll come to get you."

Shirley hesitated but eventually complied.

Minutes later, James heard the sound of a door opening in the hallway.

Peering through the peephole, he saw Shirley cautiously stepping out of the neighboring apartment, carefully closing the door behind her.

James observed her closely, ensuring she wasn't carrying any weapons, before opening his door and leaning against the frame to watch her with amusement.

Shirley glanced at him warily and sneered,

"Never seen a beautiful woman before?"

James smirked and replied,

"I'm the Slave Recruiter."

Shirley's jaw dropped in disbelief, followed by a surge of anger.

"You liar!"

At that moment, sticky footsteps and heavy breathing echoed from the stairwell, like the sound of a massive bellows.

Hoo... Hoo...

A monster was coming up from the Purple Mist!

Without hesitation, James turned and retreated into his apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

Shirley panicked, fumbling with her keys to open her door. In her haste, she dropped them!

To make matters worse, her keys bounced and rolled toward the stairwell, making a loud clinking noise as they landed.

Hearing the noise, the monster's footsteps quickened.

Shirley's face turned pale. She spun around and pounded on James's door, crying,

"Let me in! Let me in! Save me!"

Concerned that she might attract the monster to his door, James quickly checked the peephole. Seeing that the creature hadn't arrived yet, he flung the door open and yanked Shirley inside.

"Ah! You're hurting me!" Shirley cried out.

"Shut up! Don't make a sound!" James snapped, slamming her against the wall as he peered through the peephole again.

Just then, a massive dog emerged from the stairwell.

Woof! Woof!

It looked like a sighthound but stood at least 1.5 meters tall and over 2.5 meters long. Its muscular frame rippled, and its fierce gaze and sharp teeth sent chills down James's spine.

The mutated dog sniffed around the hallway, its heavy breaths audible through the door.

Shirley trembled uncontrollably, while James held his breath in tense silence.

Suddenly, human screams echoed from below.

Woof! Woof!

The dog's ears perked up. It turned and bounded back down the stairs.

James exhaled in relief and finally turned to Shirley.

This was the first time James had observed Shirley up close.

In the past, she had always looked down on him—literally and figuratively.

Her long hair framed a delicate face, her waist was slender, her hips were curvy, and her tight jeans accentuated her toned legs.

Now in relative safety, Shirley's cold and aloof demeanor returned. Crossing her arms, she stepped back and said icily,

"Don't get any ideas."

James, with his average looks and 176 cm height, didn't cut an imposing figure.

Shirley, on the other hand, stood at 169 cm and usually wore heels, making her nearly as tall as him. A man like James was beneath her notice in her pre-apocalypse life.

James chuckled and casually slapped her across the face.

Slap!

"It's the apocalypse, and you're still pulling this crap?"

"Besides, you're the one who offered yourself up. Now you want to act all high and mighty?"

Shirley clutched her cheek, her expression one of disbelief.

"You dare hit me?"

James calmly pulled out a knife, the blade gleaming coldly.

"Turn around and face the wall."

Shirley's face turned pale as she stammered,

"You... you... you..."

James fixed her with a menacing stare.

"I'll say it one more time. Turn around, face the wall, and don't look at me!"

Terrified, Shirley obeyed, trembling as she turned to face the wall.

Her voice quivered as she whimpered,

"F-Fine... I'll turn around... Don't hurt me..."

James pressed the knife against her waist and ordered,

"Raise your hands!"

The sharp blade sent a chill through Shirley's body. She was so scared she started crying,

"Don't kill me! You can do whatever you want—just don't kill me!"

Ignoring her, James methodically searched her for hidden weapons.

He ran his hand through her hair, checked behind her ears, and inspected her mouth, prying her jaw open with rough fingers.

"Open your mouth!"

Shirley was too frightened to resist. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks as she obeyed.

Satisfied that there were no hidden blades in her mouth, James moved his hands downward.

He checked under her arms, between her breasts, and every curve of her body where a weapon might be concealed.

When he finished, he finally withdrew his knife, satisfied.

Shirley, realizing he had been frisking her, was both mortified and furious.

I'm just a defenseless woman! Was all that really necessary?

But the sight of the knife kept her silent. She dared not protest, glaring at James with hatred instead.

"Hmm, still feisty," James remarked with a smirk.

Grabbing a handful of her hair, he dragged her into the room.

"Ah! Don't pull so hard!" Shirley cried, stumbling as she was forced along.

James shoved her onto the sofa.

"Lie down. Don't move!"

...