LOGINThe new district wasn't large, and the west side was less than three miles away. Nicole pedaled as fast as she could and made it there in under twenty minutes.The area was deserted. There were no signs of a struggle, only a sedan that still appeared to be in decent shape.The two women were inside. Diana had been shot in the arm, and the bullet was still lodged inside. Her face was pale from blood loss.Beatrice had tied a makeshift tourniquet around Diana's arm to slow the bleeding. She had several injuries of her own, and her clothes were soaked with blood, but none of her wounds appeared immediately life-threatening.Five men's bodies were crammed into the back seat.The two sides had clearly fought a brutal battle. Beatrice and Diana won, then managed to drive away from the scene.The priority was getting the bullet out and stopping Diana's bleeding. Otherwise, she might not make it.She had already lost too much blood. Driving her all the way back to the villa before treat
Nicole told Hughie and Jeremy everything, including how the wealthy residents had shut her out and made trouble for her.Hughie was speechless. "It's been three years since the apocalypse started. Bandits target rich people first, and God knows how many people die every day. Yet these people still act like they're above everyone else."Jeremy sneered. "People like that had better stay behind their gates. Sooner or later, they're gonna mess with the wrong person."Full and pleasantly buzzed, Nicole almost wished she had a cigarette to go with the moment. "I taught them a few lessons. They've been much better behaved since then."There was still plenty of beer left, so the three of them kept drinking and swapping stories about everything they had been through.After a while, Jeremy suddenly leaned closer. "Nicole, can you help me get some medicine?""What kind?" Most things were manageable, but medicine was getting harder and harder to find."Well... Something for bedroom issu
The moment Jeremy and Hughie heard the voice, they jumped to their feet and stood at attention. "Chief Anderson."Just their luck. The one person they least wanted to see had shown up.Jasper loomed over them like a bad omen. Nicole froze, a piece of grilled bacon halfway to her mouth.Jasper nodded. "You're...Nicole?"Nicole smiled. "Hi, Chief Anderson. I didn't expect to run into you again."After exchanging greetings, Jasper stayed right where he was, smiling with no sign of leaving.What were they supposed to do when their boss clearly expected an invitation?Jeremy caught on quickly and pulled over a chair. "Have a seat, Chief. We're just having dinner with an old friend. Join us for some food and drinks.""I wouldn't be intruding, would I?"Jeremy certainly wasn't going to tell him the truth. "Not at all.""Alright, then. Don't mind if I do." Jasper waved over a server and ordered another round of food.Jeremy found Jasper a glass and poured him some beer. Jasper r
Zeph had eaten there in his previous life, when Jasper treated everyone to a late-night meal as a reward for their hard work during disaster relief.That one meal cost Jasper an entire month's salary, and no one even left full.So Zeph suggested that Nicole bring some food with her. That way, Jeremy and Hughie wouldn't feel pressured by the cost, and everyone could still enjoy the gathering.Nicole thought it was a good idea, so she took some food from her storage space.She packed seasoned potato wedges and sweet potato fries, all made from varieties grown after the disasters. They were stringy and didn't taste particularly good.She also added grilled eggplant, onions, and cabbage.For meat, she only brought a few strips of bacon, some smoked sausage, and beef jerky. She didn't dare take out anything fresh. She also added three bottles of beer.After packing everything into an insulated food container, she set off on her bicycle.Jeremy chose a government-run late-night diner
The mastiff refused to give up and came back every day.Cola already had plenty of followers, and Nicole had drilled the rules into him. "Cola, you're not allowed to leave the house without permission. Someone could lure you away or poison you. Then you'd never get to eat meat or play with us again."No matter how persistent the mastiff was, Cola never crossed the boundaries Nicole had set for him. He occasionally sparred with the other dog, but he always knew when to stop.As long as the mastiff didn't provoke him, Cola played fair.One day, Nicole took Cola out for a walk, and the mastiff eagerly trailed after them. He was the very definition of a devoted lackey."Nicole."A voice suddenly called out from behind her.Irene stood a short distance away, watching her hesitantly with a complicated expression.Nicole frowned. "What do you want?"Irene took a deep breath and asked nervously, "Did you grow up in an orphanage? Did you have a crystal pendant?"Nicole stared at Ire
Marcus waved dismissively. "A bet's a bet. You don't owe me anything else."Nicole almost rolled her eyes. "I never made a bet with you. Besides, your dog already paid the price."Accepting a favor meant owing one in return. Nicole wasn't about to take something this valuable without making the terms clear. That would only invite trouble later.As long as Marcus refused to name his price, she wouldn't accept the suits."Come on. Is this really necessary?" Marcus asked, exasperated. "Do you honestly think my family needs anything from you?"Nicole smiled. "Then why are you trying so hard to get close to us if you already have everything?""Now you're making it sound weird. We're friends.""Even close friends keep their debts straight. I don't make friends with people whose motives I don't understand."Marcus was left speechless, his face turning red.After thinking it over for a long moment, he finally said, "You don't have to give me any supplies. Just consider it a favor you
Nicole jolted, then immediately checked with her mind.The storage space was still there. The supplies were still there, too. She tested it; she thought of an item, and a coal briquette appeared in her hand.Sweeping the space again, she noticed the glowing timer had reset to zero.That was when
After paying the deposit, Nicole drove straight to the largest outdoor gear store downtown.The outdoor gear market was fiercely competitive. The store was in full clearance mode, shutting down with brutal discounts. Some items were marked down to 20% of the original price.Perfect timing.Nicole
"Ah!"Nicole Floyd jolted upright in bed, gasping. Sweat streamed down her forehead, her eyes unfocused and hollow.The sight in front of her cut through the haze in her mind.This was her old apartment, the one from before the apocalypse.Ding, ding…Text alerts kept chiming. She grabbed her p
Nicole didn't hesitate. She blocked Edward right away.Less than a minute later, her phone rang again. It was an unfamiliar number.She didn't need to guess; this was Edward's classmate or one of his friends.Given a second chance at life, Nicole had zero interest in being taken for a fool. She w







