Lydia Johnson curled up on the couch in the living room, crying silently. The heartlessness from her closest family left her feeling desolate. Not knowing where to turn, her thoughts drifted to James Lon.

He'd been known for looking for women in the community chat. If she turned to him... Lydia shook her head quickly, ashamed of her own thoughts, feeling as though she was teetering on becoming someone undesirable.

As night descended, darkness enveloped the entire Sunshine Garden complex. Only Shirley's home glowed warmly with candlelight. James Lon, however, was not there. Instead, he sat in a fifth-floor room, observing the mutated frog with keen focus. He'd been there for the better part of the day.

"This mutated frog hunts about every two hours. Its tongue's reach seems to be 80 meters, though I'm unsure if that's its full range," he mused. "If, during its hunting, I could rig its nest with explosives, I might actually kill it!"

"But there are two issues: finding enough explosives and the fact that the frog doesn't always leave its nest to hunt. Often, it sits in the pool, snagging its prey with its tongue. I'll need to wait for the right opportunity."

"The tadpoles are growing rapidly—it's becoming a real problem. I need to resolve this quickly," James thought, planning, "Maybe find some explosives. There won't be any in New York City; I'll have to look outside. But where's the nearest military camp?"

Considering how to efficiently travel, he calculated, "I can open ten portals a day, each spanning up to 5 kilometers. Five trips out, five back—giving me a max distance of 25 kilometers a day. Is there a military camp within that range?"

After some time, James realized that the frog was off hunting again, like clockwork every two hours. Armed with this new pattern, waiting seemed less necessary, allowing him to shift focus toward Lydia Johnson.

All day, she had cried quietly on the couch, neither eating nor drinking. Why hadn't she returned to the main bedroom to sleep? Family feud, perhaps?

James's lips curled into a smile. This presented an opportunity!

Phasing into the ground, he made his way toward Lydia's home.

In the master bedroom, Aunt Asa meticulously cleaned out every last noodle crumb from a bowl, careful to store the remaining food safely. Counting the supplies repeatedly, she murmured, "We start with the sausages, save the noodles for last, and chocolate remains untouched unless it's truly desperate!"

Apparently, the antibiotics had worked. Jay Johnson managed to sit up, though annoyance lingered in his throat. "Mom, it's just a bit of food—stop going on about it."

When she turned to her son, her face split into a beaming smile, wholly different from earlier. "They're not just food; they're our lifeline!"

Jay's eyes glimmered with a thought. "Mom, I have another idea to get us more supplies."

Curious, Asa leaned in. "Tell me, son."

"Well," Jay explained, "since my sister's already with some guy, let's marry her off to him. A man who can afford supplies like that must have plenty more. It's only fair to ask for a bride price, right? How about 10 packs... No, let's take 50%! Lydia's pretty; there's no way he wouldn't want her."

Asa's eyes sparkled at the thought. She'd long harbored plans to marry Lydia off for the dowry, but then the apocalypse struck. Jay's suggestion seemed like a revelation.

"So what if it's the apocalypse?" she mused. "Securing a bride is still relevant! If it meant a bride price before, it should mean one afterward too, right?"

Momentarily hesitant, Asa questioned, "This man—who is he exactly? How much food does he have—will we come out on top in this deal?"

To Asa, her daughter was just another person. The survival of her and Jay mattered most.

Confident in his plan, Jay replied, "It's probably Nicky! Aside from him, who else in the building has as much food?"

The name Nicky stirred a flicker of fear in Asa. A small-time contractor, Nicky was a typical "can-do" guy—a "man of society," if you will. Shortly after the disaster, he organized a crew to "protect" Building A, calling the shots.

When the power failed, Nicky relocated everyone above the 22nd floor, effectively saving many lives. Yet, any dissenters faced brutal beatings. In these times, an injury was akin to a death sentence.

During the move, Nicky stockpiled supplies earned illicitly. While others starved, he was well-fed. Word had it Nicky's crew enjoyed three meals of ramen a day, each member with a private room, unlike others sharing space.

Licking his lips, Jay whispered, "Mom, don't be scared. If Lydia marries Nicky, you'll be his mother-in-law. He'd never harm you."

Realization dawned on Asa, restoring her confidence. Could a son-in-law like Nicky dare mistreat his mother-in-law?

"And," Jay continued, "it's for Lydia's own good—a luxury life with Nicky where she could eat to her fill. Many would envy such a fate."

Asa resolved firmly, "Alright! I'll speak with Nicky!"

Lydia huddled on the couch, darkness morphing into silence around her—a silence she found suffocating. The family of three in the spare room brought her further unease. A man's periodic bathroom trips gave him an excuse to pass by, eyes leering each time.

Terrified, Lydia tried melting into the couch.

Emerging from the room with a flashlight, Asa cast Lydia a glance devoid of warmth before hurrying out.

For a moment, Lydia stood, thinking her mother might've come to say she could return to the room. But Asa's indifference stifled Lydia's heart; tears streamed down anew.

Some time later, a voice startled her. "Are you hungry?"

Turning, she found James Lon standing by the window, watching her silently.

"How did you get in here?" Lydia asked, bewildered.

In lieu of answering, James smiled, placing a packet of cookies in her hand. "Hungry?"

Curiously, Lydia's aura had started to glow green.

Steeling herself, she confronted him, "No, I'm not like that! I'm not the kind of woman you think I am..."

Crack. James opened the cookie packet, wafting its sweet scent through the air.

Gulp. Lydia swallowed involuntarily.

Just then, the man and his college-aged son from across the hall emerged, gazes fixed on Lydia with ill intent. Frightened, she instinctively sought refuge behind James.

Only then did they notice James standing there, startled by his presence in the middle of the night.

"You, you..."

Flustered, the man stumbled over words. James gave him a cold, assessing look. Both he and his son shimmered ominously with a red glow.