Shortly after, a series of notifications began ringing:

[Ding! One day ago, Elsa Thomas consumed one steamed bun. 500 buns have been refunded! They have been added to the spatial backpack.]

[Ding! Two days ago, Elsa Thomas consumed one steamed bun. 500 buns have been refunded! They have been added to the spatial backpack.]

[Ding! Three days ago, Elsa Thomas consumed one steamed bun. 500 buns have been refunded! They have been added to the spatial backpack.]

...

It was only then that James Lon realized Elsa Thomas had been living a miserable life, surviving on nothing but steamed buns for the past week.

Looking at the bare beauty on the bed, he felt a twinge of pity.

"Put your clothes on. Let's go eat," he said.

"Okay..." Elsa responded timidly, her face tinged with shyness.

The two returned to Shirley Lnr's room, where the food was already prepared. The three women were sitting obediently to the side, waiting.

As soon as they saw the two return, they stood up immediately.

Shirley Lnr said with a smile:

"Master is back! You must be hungry. Let's eat!"

James Lon sat in the main seat.

"Mm," he responded.

Shirley Lnr added,

"Monroe, you've worked hard. Come, eat as well."

Elsa Thomas's eyes were glued to the dining table.

Braised steak, cola chicken legs, steamed bass, braised shrimp, and a refreshing salad...

"This... this... how is this even possible?!" Elsa Thomas couldn't stop herself from drooling.

Even in peaceful times, such a sumptuous meal would have been a rare treat for her. In this apocalyptic world, it was unimaginable.

Monroe Anne smirked proudly,

"This is just a simple meal. Don't mind it, Elsa. I didn't have time to make anything better today. Tomorrow, I'll prepare something more elaborate to properly welcome you."

Elsa quickly waved her hands:

"No, no, this is already amazing!"

James Lon said casually,

"Eat."

The three women didn't touch their chopsticks.

Elsa Thomas, understanding the atmosphere, also refrained.

Only after James Lon took a few bites did the women start eating.

Seeing that James Lon was in a good mood, the atmosphere lightened, and the women began chatting softly.

Shirley Lnr chuckled:

"Many people went out to buy food today."

Monroe Anne scoffed:

"Fools. Where can they even buy food now? Some plants have died, but the purple mist is still there, obstructing visibility. Who could possibly deliver supplies?"

Lily added:

"I saw in someone's video that roads are destroyed. Some plant roots are so tough they can puncture tires. Transportation won't recover anytime soon."

Shirley Lnr picked up a piece of meat and lovingly fed it to James Lon. She said with pride:

"If no new supplies can be brought in, then the only food left in New York will be packaged and frozen goods. With so many people, how much can each person get? Except for Master, with his spatial backpack, most people will go hungry."

"Supplement supplies from where? Rural areas are in even worse shape—they're uninhabitable now."

"Factories aren't doing any better. They can't guarantee stable electricity, so production is impossible."

As the three women chatted, they turned to Elsa Thomas and asked,

"Elsa, what's it really like outside?"

Only Elsa Thomas had witnessed the world outside with her own eyes.

They were very curious.

"Outside?" Elsa Thomas shuddered, her face turning pale:

"It's chaotic. There's no food in the supermarkets. The bugs on the roads are dangerous. People are fighting everywhere, and some are even killing..."

She paused at the mention of murder, glancing nervously at James Lon, afraid of angering him.

James Lon said indifferently,

"Mm, I killed a few more scumbags today. Keep going."

Killed more people...

The three women froze but didn't seem too shocked. They had already seen James Lon kill Hawson Wer before.

More? Elsa Thomas finally realized James Lon had killed people before today. Filled with both awe and fear, she quickly explained:

"The people Master killed were bandits who deserved to die. He spared one to lead us to their lair. I saw two cages..."

Elsa slowly recounted the horrors she had witnessed.

When they heard about women being bound like animals in cages, subjected to cruel torture, Shirley Lnr and the others turned pale, their hearts pounding.

They couldn't help but think of the woman in Tower A across from them who had disappeared after being assaulted by four men.

Shirley Lnr and Lily clung to James Lon's arms in fear, feeling incredibly fortunate.

"If we weren't with Master, our fate wouldn't have been any better than those enslaved women."

"Exactly!"

Monroe Anne and Lily nodded in agreement.

As long as they behaved, James Lon never deliberately mistreated his women.

As for Monroe Anne, she felt she had brought her past troubles on herself, trying to use the same tactics on James Lon that had worked on Fatty Eric—a stupid move.

Now, even she thought she had been a fool.

Elsa Thomas finished recounting her experience outside, leaving the room silent.

Could this world ever restore order?

After dinner, the four women cleaned up the table together.

James Lon walked onto the balcony and frowned as he looked at the outer wall.

As expected, the ivy was regrowing!

What had appeared dead from the herbicide was now sprouting tiny green buds again. Though small, it had undeniably survived the herbicide.

How long had it been? Just one day!

James Lon sighed.

The sky was already dark.

Below the 21st floor, the purple mist had turned a dark red, like a ghostly abyss.

James Lon carefully scanned the survivors within his perception range.

In just one day, the residents of Building C had decreased by at least one-third!

Many who had gone out never returned. Whether they were trapped somewhere or already dead, no one knew.

Some were lucky enough to scavenge a bit of food, allowing them to survive for a few more days.

Suddenly, a massive burst of fire erupted in the southeast, lighting up half the night sky.

A few seconds later, a rumbling sound followed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The glass shook violently.

The women, startled, rushed to the window in fear.

"What's happening?"

"Where's the explosion?"

"Is there a fire?"

At that moment, the lights in the room suddenly went out.

The apartment was plunged into darkness, and the women jumped in fright.

"Ah!"

James Lon frowned.

"Stop shouting!"

The women immediately fell silent, huddling close to James Lon.

Shirley Lnr timidly clung to his arm. The strength of his muscles gave her a sense of security.

She bit her lip and looked outside.

Now, everywhere within sight was pitch black.

The entire city of New York had lost power!

The remnants of modern technological civilization were fading away.

A deep despair filled the hearts of all the women.