The young man whipped out a knife, swaggering aggressively. "Who the hell are you staring at, idiot?"

Confident in his bulk and brawn, he showed no fear of James Lon. For James, their animosity was a mystery, but one he didn't need to solve.

With sudden precision, James kicked out, sending the young man hurtling backward. The glass shattered as he screamed, plummeting to his death from over twenty stories high.

The man's father stood aghast, unable to comprehend that his son had been killed over just an insult. "You... you... you're insane!"

Lydia Johnson clapped a hand over her mouth, horror etched across her face.

Nonchalantly grabbing the man's collar, James said calmly, "If you draw a knife, be prepared for the consequences."

The man struggled vehemently, shouting, "Let me go! I'll kill you!"

With a flick of his wrist, James flung the man out the window. Echoes of his screams punctuated the silence, giving way to the dull thud of his body hitting the ground.

Tranquility returned to the room, though tension threaded the air.

The man's wife, having heard the dying screams of her husband and son, rushed out just in time to see James throwing her husband to his death. "I'll kill you!" she shrieked, claws out, launching herself at James.

With a single slap, James spun her neck 180 degrees, turning her face completely around, her neck snapping grotesquely. He tossed her out the window like the others before turning back to Lydia, who was frozen in terror.

"Don't worry," James said, patting her head with a smile. "Families should stick together, right?"

Lydia trembled so hard her teeth chattered, tears welling up in her eyes. "You... you..."

Unfazed, James offered her a packet of bread with a genial smile. "Come with me, and you won't go hungry."

Lydia blinked at him, bewildered. How could he remain so composed after such violence? Yet, somehow, she began to see that it was people like James who would endure in this shattered world—a world she'd seen too many horrors in already.

Lost in thought, Jay Johnson emerged, drawn by the commotion outside. Spotting James, his hands on Lydia, his anger ignited.

Who was this man?! Could he be Lydia's secret lover?

Panicked, Jay realized that if Nicky found out, the food deal would be lost. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "You're sneaking around with some man!"

Lydia rushed to explain, "I'm not, James Lon, he—"

Her words cut off as the door was flung open. A cold-eyed, middle-aged man strode in, flanked by two burly bodyguards. Aunt Asa gushed obsequiously behind him, "Brother Yong, this is my daughter."

Nicky's eyes instantly locked onto Lydia, ignoring James and Jay entirely. He'd had his eye on her for a while, but his new responsibilities of securing food sources had kept him busy. Now, her mother had practically delivered her to him on a silver platter.

Grinning cruelly, Nicky leered, "Good choice! I'm satisfied. Come here, girl."

Lydia shrank back behind her brother, trembling. "I–I don't want to, what do you want?!"

Jay shoved her forward with force. "Stop it! Getting with Brother Yong is a blessing! Go to him!"

In his mind, Jay imagined a grand future. If Lydia ended up with Nicky, he'd be the beloved brother-in-law of a powerful man. Life would be nothing short of perfect—a step above what he'd ever imagined.

As Nicky reached for Lydia, Asa grabbed his arm, forcing a smile. "Brother Yong, remember our deal? My daughter for those noodles..."

Nicky waved her off with irritation, commanding, "Fifth Brother, give her a pack of noodles and get her out of here. Tonight, I'm having my wedding!"

Asa was dumbfounded. "We agreed on ten packs..."

Lydia felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. Her own mother was selling her for mere noodles.

Fifth Brother sneered, "One pack is more than fair, you fool! Ten? As if!"

Jay, disquieted, protested, "Mom, weren't we going to split them?"

Feeling her heart break, Lydia turned slowly toward her brother.

So they'd planned this?

"I risked everything to get you medicine, and this is how you repay me?" she murmured.

Swatting her hand away, Jay spat, "Get lost! You're already sold—what does it matter to whom?"

Her heart sank further. She had never felt so estranged from her own family; they felt like strangers to her.

Ten packs of noodles.

That's all I'm worth to them?

Hollow, she stood there like a parody in a cruel joke, knowing this was how her family valued her—a sum of ten packs to toss away.

With visible effort, Jay shuffled toward Nicky. "Brother Yong, my sister is beautiful—ten packs are hardly enough..."

Slap!

Nicky's hand lashed out, sending Jay sprawling. Sneering, he retorted, "Who the hell are you to negotiate with me?"

Without hesitation, Nicky's henchmen moved in, beating Jay mercilessly. Fever-stricken, Jay's screams punctuated the air; powerless against them, he was left whimpering.

Desperate to protect her son, Asa flung herself over Jay, sobbing, "Please, stop! Forget the noodles—take Lydia for free, just don't hurt my boy!"

The henchmen looked to Nicky for guidance.

Grabbing a wooden stool, Nicky smashed it over her head, yelling, "You think you can stop me? Kill them both!"

They obeyed without question, raining blows until silence reigned and blood pooled.

With an eerie calm, Lydia watched her family fall still, a dark sense of satisfaction rising within her.

Dropping the stool, Nicky, spattered in blood, smiled sinisterly at Lydia. "You, get over here!"

Lydia's hands trembled slightly.

James Lon clapped his hands together. "Not bad. Ruthless—I like it."

Only then did Nicky notice the seemingly average man beside him. Spitting disdain, he said, "Are you talking to me, kid?"

His henchmen roared with laughter. "This guy's nuts!"

"Kneel before Brother Yong! Maybe he'll spare you!"

James's demeanor shifted to icy calm as he picked up a stool. "I'm in a good mood today. I'll give you the chance to end it yourself."

Nicky roared with laughter as if he'd heard the best joke in his life. "Hahahahaha...ah!"

In a breath, James snapped off a stool leg and drove it with lightning speed straight into Nicky's mouth.

Crack!

His teeth shattered, blood and fragments splattered. Nicky choked on his incomplete scream.

Relentlessly, James drove him hard to the floor, the stool leg piercing through his skull to embed in the floor beneath him.

Nicky's henchmen froze, their grins wiped clean by shock.

James offered no respite. With lethal efficiency, he sent one flying with a punch, the other with a kick. They crashed into the walls, blood spewing, life ebbing away before they could even process the betrayal of physics.

Within mere moments, the room was a tomb of bodies, save for James and Lydia, the only two left in the oppressive silence.

Shell-shocked, Lydia's mind was a void. She glanced numbly at James before her vision blacked out, and she crumpled, fainting away into oblivion.