Chapter 82

It was nighttime.

Most of the surrounding neighborhoods had already lost power. The only lights still glowing were the solar-powered streetlamps, casting pale pools of light across the empty streets.

In the nearby residential blocks, only a few scattered apartments still showed any illumination.

Aside from that, the supermarket was the only real source of light in the area.

And right now, it was packed.

Residents from nearby neighborhoods had rushed over as soon as they heard the announcement. Many had been lining up for hours.

These days, households weren’t just short on water—they were running out of food as well. Even people with money had nowhere to spend it.

A single pack of instant noodles had already been driven up to twenty dollars per piece, and even then, it was almost impossible to find.

After the official notice went out, many people had hurried over early, afraid that if they arrived too late, there would be nothing left to buy.

Suzy’s family didn’t actually lack food.

The reason she came was simple: she didn’t want to stand out.

Blending in with the crowd was the safest way to hide anything unusual.

If she stayed home all the time—never buying food, never collecting water—it would practically be announcing to everyone that her house was stocked with supplies.

Over the past few days, Suzy had noticed through the hallway surveillance camera that people were often wandering through the emergency stairwell, peeking at the activity in other apartments.

Clearly, some residents had already begun eyeing their neighbors.

Suzy had no intention of becoming an obvious target.

"Let’s get in line first," Leonard said.

The three of them walked to the end of the queue and joined it quietly. After nearly an hour of waiting, it was finally their turn.

The staff only allowed a new group to enter after the previous batch finished paying and exited.

"You can go in," a worker said. "Ten-minute limit."

Inside the supermarket, there were still dozens of people.

Many shelves were already half empty.

Canned goods and instant noodles—items that stored well—had mostly been cleared out. Signs hung on the racks:

Limit: five per person. Purchases exceeding the limit will not be processed.

Rice purchases required an ID card and were limited to two pounds per person. Staff members weighed and verified every purchase carefully.

Suzy wandered through the aisles. Food and water were the hottest commodities. Other daily necessities, however, had no purchasing limits.

She picked up two large packs of tissues, then headed toward the rice section.

Just as she stepped past the end of the aisle—

Bang!

A dark figure collided with her head-on. The impact produced a dull thud.

The other person was sturdier than Suzy, and the force knocked her straight to the floor.

Suzy grimaced in pain, wincing as she looked up at the culprit.

"Sorry! I didn’t mean to!" The apology came quickly. The voice sounded oddly familiar.

Suzy looked more closely—and froze. It was someone she knew.

The other person recognized her first.

"Suzy!!"

The one who had crashed into her was Derek Martin.

He hurried forward and helped her up, inspecting her anxiously from head to toe. "I’m really sorry, Suzy. Are you alright?"

Suzy discreetly rubbed her sore backside and forced a smile. "I’m fine."

Then she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to buy something," Derek explained.

Suzy blinked. "I messaged you earlier. Did you see it?"

Derek paused in surprise and pulled his phone from his pocket.

He pressed the power button. The screen remained dark.

"My phone’s dead," he sighed.

Their neighborhood had been without electricity for two days already. He had been conserving battery power as much as possible.

He still had a power bank at first, but it had broken suddenly that morning.

He thought the remaining battery in his phone would last through the night. Apparently not—it had shut down earlier, which was why he never saw Suzy’s message.

"Why didn’t you tell me your neighborhood lost power?" Suzy asked.

"It didn’t seem like a big deal," Derek replied. "So I didn’t mention it."

If his neighborhood had lost power, he assumed Suzy’s probably would soon, too.

"Senior, let’s talk later," Derek said suddenly. "Come over here first."

He casually took the two large packs of tissues from Suzy’s hands and grabbed her wrist, urging her along.

Suzy followed him, confused. "What’s wrong? You seem in a hurry."

"I am," Derek admitted without hesitation. "I’m afraid everything will be gone if we wait."

The whole reason he rushed here tonight was to buy a power bank.

They passed two more aisles and entered the electronics section.

Derek led her straight toward a shelf.

Now Suzy understood. "You’re here to buy a power bank?"

"Yeah. Mine broke."

Without one, he wouldn’t even be able to contact Suzy anymore.

They quickened their pace, only to find the shelf completely empty. Every single power bank had already been sold.

Apparently, Derek wasn’t the only person desperate for a way to charge devices.

"They’re all gone," Suzy said.

Derek sighed in disappointment. "Looks like I came too late."

Suzy suddenly remembered the pile of power banks stored in her personal space.

She had stocked up on plenty.

Leonard had done the same.

There were so many that she might never use them all in her lifetime.

Suzy clapped him on the shoulder with exaggerated confidence. "It’s fine. I’ve got some!"

Derek’s dim amber eyes lit up instantly. "I can buy one from you, Suz!"

Suzy waved a hand dismissively. "Buy? Don’t worry about that. I’ll give you one for free. I have plenty."

Derek looked thrilled. He couldn’t control himself in that moment.

He suddenly reached forward and hugged her tightly. A fresh, clean scent surrounded Suzy—warm, slightly sharp, full of youthful energy.

It carried the unmistakable scent of masculine hormones, making her feel momentarily lightheaded.

Despite the heat outside, Derek clearly took good care of himself.

There was no sour smell of sweat—only a crisp, clean scent.

Suzy froze for a second and didn’t push him away immediately.

"Hey... no need to be so polite," she said.

Derek didn’t let go right away. "Suzy, I’m really touched."

Then, a voice suddenly cut through the moment.

"Suzy?"

Suzy gently pushed Derek away. They both turned toward the source of the voice.

Not far away, Leonard and Thomas were staring at them in surprise.

Suzy’s mind buzzed. She hadn’t expected them to appear right then.

The one who spoke was Leonard—and his timing could not have been worse.

He looked at Suzy and Derek with obvious curiosity, even a hint of teasing in his expression.

His face practically said:

Well now... what’s going on here?

Beside him, however, Thomas’s expression was noticeably darker. A faint pressure seemed to settle around him as his gaze fixed on the two of them.

For some reason, Suzy suddenly felt guilty. She didn’t dare meet Thomas’s eyes for long and quickly looked away.

"Who’s this?" Leonard asked, stepping forward.

Suzy pulled Derek to stand beside her. "This is my junior from school," she explained. "We just ran into each other here."

"Oh, a junior," Leonard said with a smile. "I’m Suzy’s uncle."

Derek instantly grew nervous. "H-hello, nice to meet you!"

Then his eyes moved to Thomas standing beside him. He smiled brightly.

"And this gentleman is...?"

Leonard answered right away, "A friend of mine."

Derek greeted Thomas as well, though he clearly wasn’t sure how to address him.

Thomas responded with obvious indifference.

Leonard then continued, "So... how did the two of you end up here together?"