"I feel like my boyfriend... wants to kill me.

The McDonald's on Sunday was crowded with parents and their children. The shrill voices and laughter of kids echoed from the slides in the play area. In such an environment, plump and rosy Zhu Mei found it hard to take her friend's words seriously.

"Stop talking nonsense! Even if you two fought, don't make him sound so bad," Zhu Mei scolded with a laugh. After a pause, she raised an eyebrow and, with some hesitation, asked, "...You didn't get physical during your argument, did you?"

The girl sitting opposite her, probably in her twenties, had a pretty face, though in this bustling international city, she was hardly an uncommon beauty. What stood out most, however, were her large eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, with amber-colored irises that reminded one of a luxurious cat. Lin Sanzhou shook her head and didn't continue. No wonder Zhu Mei didn't believe her—saying something like that out loud felt absurd, even to her. Perhaps it was because of the lack of sleep these past few days, leaving her a bit anxious... Lin Sanzhou took a sip of cola, and for some unknown reason, half-jokingly said, "If one day the police come asking about who I’ve made enemies with..."

"Cut it out!" Zhu Mei's teasing tone immediately erased any lingering doubts that had crossed her mind. She waved her hand, laughing, "Seriously, you’re just complaining after getting a good deal! Tell me, what flaws does Ren Nan have—"

The rest of her sentence blew past Lin Sanzhou like a gust of wind, never reaching her ears. Her cat-like eyes swept over the window, and the lines of her jaw tightened imperceptibly.

She lowered her head, biting into her burger.

At that moment, the usual clamor of the McDonald's door fell silent for a few seconds. As the light dimmed at the entrance, a tall man walked in at a leisurely pace. Several customers in line unconsciously stepped back, parting to give him space. His tailored iron-gray shirt, with its signature Armani waistline design, exuded an aura of calm sophistication. His dark-colored trousers, perfectly pressed without a single crease, looked as though they had been meticulously ironed at all times. Combined with his rare nine-head proportion and handsome features, Ren Nan looked like he had just stepped out of a fashion magazine—no wonder everyone in the restaurant turned their heads to stare.

As he sat down, the faint scent of Davidoff Cool Water filled the air.

"Why are you eating fast food again?" He nodded to Zhu Mei, greeted her warmly, and affectionately ruffled Lin Sanzhou’s hair, his Patek Philippe watch almost disappearing in her black locks. "I was planning to take you to that Japanese restaurant tonight."

"I was passing by and got hungry, so..." Lin Sanzhou forced a smile, avoiding his gaze as she picked up a fry and ate it. Her long hair slid down her shoulder, concealing her expression. To say that Ren Nan had any flaws was almost unimaginable.

After spending a few months with Lin Sanzhou, Ren Nan had swiftly charmed all her friends with his impeccable manners, not to mention her own heart. No, it wasn’t just his manners—his appearance, wealth, and personality were all perfect... He was everything a woman could dream of.

Everyone said her luck was extraordinary.

When they first started dating, Lin Sanzhou couldn't believe her good fortune. Every morning, she woke up with a smile, facing a new world that Ren Nan had brought her into.

...When did it start feeling wrong?

Suddenly, Zhu Mei's enthusiastic voice interrupted her thoughts. "I’ve had Xiao Jiu all day, so I won’t take up your private time! She just said she’s a bit tired, so you two should head home—"

Lin Sanzhou was abruptly pulled back to reality. Ren Nan’s smooth voice, always holding a smile, echoed, "Let us walk you out, it’s too hot lately."

Zhu Mei, with her childlike innocence, immediately laughed, "Oh, I won’t be shy then! It’s so hot today, I’ve been sweating since I walked here..." Her shirt was still damp with sweat on her back.

Since she wasn’t really hungry, Lin Sanzhou stood up as her friend finished and walked out of McDonald's with Ren Nan and Zhu Mei.

The street outside had been baking under the sun all afternoon, and the heat wave enveloped them in an instant. Even though it was already October, the summer heat showed no signs of relenting, continuing to dominate the international city. People walked by, some holding umbrellas, others drenched in sweat, all with miserable expressions—this heat was worse than even the peak summer days!

Zhu Mei hated the heat, and after just a few steps, she was already drenched in sweat, wiping her forehead constantly. Lin Sanzhou could feel the hair on the back of her neck sticking to her skin. The discomfort made her ask, "Where’s your car?"

Ren Nan raised his chin towards a spot not far off, his smooth skin showing no trace of sweat. "Right ahead." After a pause, his voice remained as calm and graceful as ever. "I’ve told you several times, it’s inconvenient without a car. Since you’ve got your driver’s license now, don’t you want to buy one?"

Zhu Mei immediately expressed her envy. "You’re buying Xiao Jiu a car? You really are the perfect rich guy... When my birthday came around, my boyfriend just gave me a bear..."

Lin Sanzhou mumbled a few casual responses, her mind far from the car. Luckily, Zhu Mei was lively and chatted away with Ren Nan, who seemed oblivious to her distraction.

...Her mind suddenly flashed back to three months ago. After Ren Nan’s repeated requests, Lin Sanzhou had sweetly given in, packing her things, canceling her apartment, and moving into his penthouse in the city center. Friends and colleagues who had visited her new place were all envious, pulling her aside to say, "Xiao Jiu, you’ve got to hold onto this good man!" "Does Ren Nan have any brothers? Any single friends? Don’t forget to introduce me to one!"

"You better start talking about marriage with him soon..."

Their excited voices still echoed in her ears. At that time, Lin Sanzhou’s excitement and expectations far exceeded theirs—yet after living together for a while, the intelligence she had almost lost to love began to return.

She started noticing small details in her life.

Now, Lin Sanzhou couldn’t say why—but she was a bit afraid of Ren Nan.

Watching Zhu Mei gradually disappear around the corner of an old residential area, Ren Nan restarted the car, and they merged silently into the flow of traffic. About twenty minutes later, they arrived home.

Ren Nan’s apartment was located in the most expensive area of the city, newly built two years ago, with every inch of it representing a lifestyle that Lin Sanzhou, a regular citizen, had never dared to imagine. Now, she was almost used to her new life—if it weren’t for the ever-darkening clouds in her heart... The penthouse occupied the entire 38th floor. As the private elevator dinged, the doors opened, and the two of them stepped into the living room.

The lights gradually turned on as the elevator moved, casting a soft glow.

"I bought some cola today, would you like one?" Lin Sanzhou put down her bag and walked towards the kitchen, suppressing her heartbeat, and smiling casually at Ren Nan—believing her expression was flawless.

Ren Nan followed, still smiling gently. "Anything you buy is fine."

She didn’t know when it started, but those novel-like sweet words from Ren Nan now seemed strange to Lin Sanzhou. Uncertain how to respond, she hurriedly handed him the cola. As he opened the tab, the drink fizzed and bubbled. Perhaps to please her, Ren Nan drank half of the can in one go.

Lin Sanzhou, hiding behind the refrigerator door, tensed up, her ears straining to catch every sound.

The room was silent for half a minute. Second by second passed, until Ren Nan broke the silence with a smile. "What are you looking for in the fridge?"

Lin Sanzhou’s heart sank. She closed the door, pretending to casually glance at him.

No reaction.

After drinking the freshly opened, carbonated cold cola, Ren Nan showed no sign of burping—not even the slightest hint of a hiccup—just like pouring into a deep, dark pool of water.

"Nothing, just wanted to see if there were any snacks." She forced a smile.

After living together for three months, she had never seen Ren Nan burp.

Not just burping—coughing, sneezing, farting, sweating... all the unrefined things people do at times—Lin Sanzhou had never seen him do any of it.

Come to think of it, she wasn’t even sure if she had ever seen him go to the bathroom.

"You didn’t eat much earlier, how about we go out to eat tonight?" Ren Nan pulled her hands and kissed her neck.

A shiver ran down her back, causing goosebumps to spring up. "No, I’m too lazy to move... Besides, I want to go to bed early, I have to get up early tomorrow."

"Then I’ll cook for you, salmon." Ren Nan smiled.

Lin Sanzhou hurriedly nodded.

Ren Nan’s cooking skills were as perfect as he was, flawless. After enjoying his carefully prepared dinner, the sun outside the living room's glass wall began to set. The sky darkened little by little, finally changing to the night and stars.

"The global heatwave has now lasted for 104 days..." Lin Sanzhou, cleaning up the dishes, pretended to show interest in the news on TV—she really didn’t want any eye contact with Ren Nan. "After heat-related deaths in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and other regions, the number of heatstroke fatalities in our country has reached 67. Experts warn..."

She felt Ren Nan walk over and sit beside her. The couch sank deeply.

An arm naturally wrapped around her shoulders. Lin Sanzhou stiffened.

Though she didn’t turn around, she could clearly feel that Ren Nan wasn’t watching the TV. His gaze was fixed on her back—not the usual affectionate one, but one that was raw and unrelenting—

It was like the gaze of a snake staring at a frog."

What is the difference in temperature between midnight and 1 a.m.?

Normally, it is unlikely that anyone would notice any difference.

But tonight is clearly different. The sun has long since disappeared, yet the air's heat seems to grow more intense with each passing minute. Even worse, it has been days since the wind blew. Outside the window, what seems to float in the air is not merely air, but a searing, suffocating hot sand ready to leap at your face.

It was as if some unseen command had been given, for even the last few homes in the city—who had not turned on their air conditioners for various reasons—had their outdoor units roaring to life. Those without air conditioning were no longer able to endure, rushing to bars, 24-hour convenience stores, office buildings... anywhere there was a hint of cool air, they would seek refuge.

Thirty minutes later, with a faint click, several night lights on the 38th floor suddenly went out. The apartment was plunged into absolute darkness—the faint buzzing sound that had been lingering in the bedroom ceased without warning.

The central air conditioning had stopped.

Not long after the cooling stopped, Lin Sanjiu tossed and turned restlessly in her sleep. Without the steady comfort of the 26° temperature, a sticky layer of sweat quickly formed on her skin, as if trapped under an airtight cover. Before long, she was awakened by the heat.

Hmm... the remote should be on the bedside table... The thought barely flickered in her sleepy mind as she reached out, only to feel something amiss. She immediately froze, not moving. After a while, she slowly squinted her eyes and looked upward.

A pale white face hung directly above hers, with two hollow eyes staring straight at her.

It’s back!—again! Lin Sanjiu's mind erupted in a scream, yet her throat was dry, producing no sound. Her heartbeat quickened and grew louder. The white face tilted slightly, listening, before it abruptly closed in on her.

Two weeks ago, she had woken up in the middle of the night, thirsty. As she got up, she ran straight into this face. Terrified, she screamed and fumbled for the light, only to find that it was Ren Nan—

Ren Nan had unknowingly sat beside her, his face expressionless in the darkness, not knowing how long he had been staring at her—just like tonight.

At that time, Ren Nan had said he had been sleepwalking since childhood.

If Lin Sanjiu hadn’t been suspicious, she might have believed him. She now suppressed her fear, pretending to still be asleep, rubbing her eyes and trembling as she asked, "Ren Nan, are you sleepwalking again?"

Ren Nan's face cracked into a silent smile in the darkness, his words crisp and clear: "Yes, I’ve been having my old problem again. Did I scare you?"

"A little...," Lin Sanjiu almost fled the bed and stood by the door—this illusion of being able to escape calmed her slightly, and only then did she realize the suffocating heat in the room. "Why is it so hot? Did you turn off the air conditioning?"

Ren Nan said nothing. Instead, he reached out and pulled the heavy curtains apart, revealing a floor-to-ceiling window. Normally, through this window, Lin Sanjiu would see the sparkling night view of half the city. But tonight, the city had lost its usual brilliance, and even the starlight had vanished, replaced by a suffocating pitch-black darkness.

Inside the windowless apartment, the air was stifling, making it hard to breathe.

"The power grid is overloaded. It looks like the whole city has lost power," Ren Nan’s voice remained relaxed, almost leisurely. As he spoke, he slowly stood, circled the foot of the bed, and walked toward the door.

Suddenly, Lin Sanjiu’s senses went into overdrive. Before he could get closer, she turned and rushed toward the living room. The arrangement of the apartment over the past three months finally paid off, as she managed to make her way into the living room, even in the pitch-black darkness. Without pausing for breath, she slammed the elevator button.

The expected red light did not come on—such an expensive apartment had no backup power system?

"Backup power only supports the hallway lights. As for the elevator—especially the private ones, they don't care," a voice she had been hearing for months spoke from behind her. Ren Nan still sounded gentle, but as he enunciated his words, Lin Sanjiu could hear the faint sound of water. It was as if... Ren Nan couldn’t control the saliva in his mouth...

In the darkness, the blurry outline of Ren Nan approached, finally stopping in the middle of the living room.

Lin Sanjiu felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Her sixth sense had been right—regret surged inside her. "What... what do you want?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"You’re quite perceptive," Ren Nan took a breath, "you should have felt it long ago. But you should learn to trust your instincts more... otherwise, you wouldn’t have come back with me. Over the past few days, you’ve probably fought with yourself a lot... thank you for trusting me." Lin Sanjiu didn’t realize it, but her clenched fists were trembling uncontrollably.

"Little Jiu, are you sweating a lot in this heat?" Ren Nan suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

Lin Sanjiu paused, instinctively touching her arm. She had only broken a light sweat—but... why was he asking this?

Ren Nan seemed satisfied, nodding in the darkness. "You’re great! It’s not for nothing I’ve trained you for half a year..."

What was he talking about? Lin Sanjiu couldn’t understand a word! She opened her mouth, trying to speak, only to find her teeth chattering. The thought that had been lingering in her mind for days surfaced, and she asked something she never thought she would say: "Do you... want to eat me?"

The shadow in the dark let out a satisfied sigh. "Such sharp intuition."

Lin Sanjiu was enraged by his attitude—fear, indignation, and confusion all mixed together, and she no longer felt helpless. The words burst out of her like a tidal wave: "Stop joking! Who are you really? Why did you pick me? I’m telling you, don’t do anything rash, all my friends know I’m staying here with you..."

She raised her voice intentionally, hoping someone might hear, while quietly inching towards the open kitchen on the side of the living room.

Ren Nan sighed. "You’ve been with me for six months, so I’ll give you a clear answer." With that, he raised his hand and lightly snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, with a deafening crash, a glass wall in the living room shattered into thousands of pieces. Along with the distant sound of a scream, a wave of heat, unlike anything Lin Sanjiu had ever felt, swept into the apartment, engulfing the last bit of coolness left by the central air conditioning.

How... how could it be so hot? It felt as though someone had placed the entire city on a roasting fire! Before Lin Sanjiu could react, Ren Nan’s gentle voice came again: "Starting tonight, this world is no longer the Earth you’re familiar with. In this new world, according to your measurements, it is... oh, 59 degrees Celsius." Lin Sanjiu was stunned. 59 degrees Celsius was enough to cause fatal heatstroke and dehydration to an ordinary person—she quickly touched the back of her neck. Surprisingly, she didn’t break much sweat.

"See! I’ve only nurtured you for a few months, and you’ve already developed ‘heat adaptation’ and ‘sharp intuition’... truly, you’re the potential seed I saw from the beginning. If the new world hadn’t arrived too soon, I would have kept you for another two years before... eating you..." Ren Nan’s tone held a hint of regret. He took a loud gulp and walked toward Lin Sanjiu. "Little Jiu, it’s been so long since I’ve had a good seed."

After the glass wall shattered, the living room was dimly lit. In that faint light, Lin Sanjiu saw Ren Nan’s face.

The once-model-worthy features of his face were now being gradually obscured by his mouth, growing wider and wider. Clear saliva was no longer contained, continuously dripping from the corner of his mouth—and at that moment, Lin Sanjiu was forced back into the corner of the kitchen.

"I... I still don’t understand! What are you? Why do you want to eat me? And what is this evolution and ability... you promised to give me an explanation, tell me!"

Even delaying for a minute was a chance! Lin Sanjiu seized the opportunity to quietly reach for the knife rack on the counter behind her.

The large mouth paused briefly, then shrank slightly, revealing some of Ren Nan’s original features. "Sigh... why are you so stupid? Of course, I’m human, Ren Nan is my name—though I’m different from you backward species. I come from another ‘new world.’ The humans who survive in this new world all evolve different abilities... and my ability is something you can’t even imagine."

Ren Nan wiped his wet chin. "I advise you to put down the knife. My eyesight is very good. Just obediently let me eat you. I promise it won’t hurt—"

"Shut the hell up!" Before he finished speaking, Lin Sanjiu, filled with both fear and anger, had grabbed a sharp knife and lunged at him.

The gleaming boning knife moved with incredible speed, leaving a trail of light in the darkness—just as the tip of the knife was about to stab into Ren Nan’s chest, he lightly stepped aside, and Lin Sanjiu missed. She stumbled, stepping on a piece of glass, and lost her balance, falling hard to the ground.

A mouth, now split open to both sides, gave her no chance to rise, rushing at Lin Sanjiu like a gust of wind—panicking, she managed to roll over and fling the knife out. Ren Nan barely dodged but was still grazed by the blade, a shallow cut forming.

With a clink, the knife fell to the distance.

Enraged, Ren Nan grabbed Lin Sanjiu and slammed her to the ground, his eyes almost shrinking to pinpricks as he stared at her. "A steak should look like a steak!"

In the dim light, Lin Sanjiu stared hopelessly at the shadow as it lunged for her throat.

The tender and resilient flesh of the young girl was deeply ensnared by Ren Nan's teeth, the rusty-scented blood pouring from her wounds, staining his chin with its crimson hue. [For the latest chapters, please visit... A mere press of force would cause Lin Sanjiu’s fragile life to vanish from this world forever.

Yet Ren Nan remained still. Not because he was unwilling to devour this precious seed before him, but because he could not move. A chef's knife was deeply embedded in the back of his skull, all the way to the hilt.

In Ren Nan's snow-white eyes, there lingered a trace of excitement—he would never understand why Lin Sanjiu's empty hands made a futile struggle in the air before his life was snuffed out.

For a moment, all Lin Sanjiu could hear was the thunderous beating of her own heart, echoing like a drum in her ears, growing louder and louder beneath the weight of the dead body. Gritting her teeth against the excruciating pain in her neck, she pushed with all her might, sending the heavy corpse crashing to the ground. The knife lodged in Ren Nan's skull was dislodged as the body fell, the blade's tip emerging from his wide-open mouth.

Lin Sanjiu pressed her hand to her neck, her fingers already stained with blood. She gasped for air, her chest heaving, before delivering a powerful kick to the lifeless body on the floor, her voice hoarse as she muttered, "Who said I only evolved two abilities?" Even this brief sentence caused the agony in her throat to intensify beyond bearing.

After that single kick, Lin Sanjiu felt a sudden darkness consume her vision, her body swaying dangerously as dizziness overtook her—faster than she had anticipated, the blood loss hit her with shocking speed. She couldn't afford to think of anything else now; binding the wound was the most urgent matter. Stumbling, she grabbed a towel and pressed it firmly against the injury. Breathing heavily, she collapsed back onto the floor, using every ounce of strength to hold the cloth in place.

The harsh wail of sirens rang through the city, intertwining with the muffled sounds of screams and cries—a stark contrast to the eerie stillness of the 38th-floor apartment.

Half-conscious, half-awake, time passed before the bleeding finally stopped—she had been lucky, it seemed, and did not hit an artery. After a short rest, she had regained enough strength to sit up, drink some water, and, upon lowering the glass, her eyes landed on Ren Nan's grotesque corpse, still sprawled across the floor.

After a moment's thought, Lin Sanjiu, her body weak, dragged herself closer to the body. Trembling, she placed one hand on it, her voice barely a whisper as she spoke, "Take it away."

The instant she spoke, a flash of white light shot from her palm, and the body pierced by the knife vanished with a soft whoosh. A card, no larger than a playing card, fluttered to the floor.

Lin Sanjiu pulled out her phone and illuminated the card.

Just as she expected, crude crayon sketches of a man with his mouth wide open, a knife embedded in his skull, were drawn clumsily on the card. Below the image, in bold black characters, it read, "Ren Nan's corpse."

[Ren Nan's Corpse]

Name: Can't you read the title of the card?

Race: Human

Status: ...Dead, obviously

Potential: 204

Suspect: Lin Sanjiu

Basic abilities: Extreme temperature adaptation, physical enhancement, body modification

Advanced abilities: "Hello, we’re all good," Nutritionist

"This... what is this nonsense?" Lin Sanjiu stared at the card, at a loss for words. This bizarre item was the third ability she had evolved, which had just saved her life tonight.

—As long as she wished, Lin Sanjiu could convert anything she touched into a card, storing it within her body. When needed, with a thought, the card would manifest as the original object in her palm.

Earlier, when she had purposely grabbed a bone-cleaving knife and thrown it at Ren Nan, it was a trick to lower his guard. The true strike had occurred when Lin Sanjiu had been bitten, struggling to place her hand on the back of his head. With a single thought, the "chef's knife" card hidden within Lin Sanjiu's body earlier had transformed into a sharp blade, deeply piercing Ren Nan's brain. Through days of experimentation, she had discovered she could only convert items up to four times a day.

Though she was accustomed to her card creations, seeing one so filled with such... intricate detail was a first for her. She hastily flipped over the "Ren Nan's Corpse" card, only to find a dense block of text on the back:

Ren Nan, male, 28 years old, from another "new world." Introverted since childhood, unpopular with girls, and even received a confession from a senior male student during college. After the arrival of the new world, he struggled to survive, blablabla... In any case, upon arriving in the world of crime suspect Lin Sanjiu, Ren Nan devoured a billionaire with a potential value of 2, inherited his wealth, and deliberately approached crime suspect Lin Sanjiu. Just as he was about to devour Lin Sanjiu, he was killed instead.

"Why not just say it instead of using ‘blablabla’ to gloss over it?" Lin Sanjiu muttered, frustrated, tapping the text with her finger. Instantly, the words vanished, and another section slid into view on the card.

"Hello, we're all good": In a sea of people, the ability to identify seeds with high potential value. Through intimate physical contact (kisses, hugs, etc.), this ability can trigger the latent potential of ordinary humans, accelerating their evolution into various abilities. As the saying goes, one benefits, the other loses nothing.

Nutritionist: After consuming a person, the greatest potential value, evolutionary ability, and physical strength will be gained. A balanced diet ensures a beautiful tomorrow.

Note: The chef’s knife in the head comes from Germany, sharp, lightweight, and durable, purchased for 599 yuan from Jingxi Mall.

Without her "sharp intuition" ability, Lin Sanjiu might have thought this was all a dream. She cursed softly, unsure what to do with the "Ren Nan's Corpse" card. She was unwilling to store a corpse inside her body, so, after a moment's thought, she stuffed it into her pocket.

With Ren Nan's card detailing his abilities so clearly, she wondered if her own card also contained information on her abilities and the so-called "new world." While the idea was tempting, she certainly couldn't turn herself into a card—her mind raced, and she plucked a strand of hair, softly saying, "Take it away!"

A flash of white light later, another card appeared in her hand. [Hair]

Owner: Lin Sanjiu

Hair quality: Black, healthy, slightly dry at the tips

Function: Annoying when stuck to a broom.

Note: Based on the condition of the roots, the owner may experience hair loss around the age of forty.

Damn. It's useless. Lin Sanjiu swiped her hand dismissively, and the hair vanished into the darkness.

A hot new world... She mused, lost in thought.

59 degrees Celsius... Even with her evolved "high-temperature adaptation" ability, she was struggling to cope. What would ordinary people be going through?

Suddenly, a chill ran down Lin Sanjiu’s spine, and she jumped up from the couch. Zhu Mei! How could she have almost forgotten her best friend?

Thinking of Zhu Mei potentially in danger, Lin Sanjiu couldn't care less about her own injury. She hurriedly grabbed a backpack, stormed into the kitchen, and stuffed all the bottled water and drinks from the fridge into it. Changing into light sportswear, she grabbed the keys and rushed to the apartment's emergency exit, charging into the dark stairwell.

Though she was only heading downstairs, after rushing down 38 floors, Lin Sanjiu was already winded. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she took a drink of water and continued to the basement.

Ren Nan's car—or rather, the car of the person he devoured—was parked in the basement. Zhu Mei's house was a twenty-minute drive away, and in this heat, Lin Sanjiu had no intention of walking.

As she stepped into the parking lot, a blast of hot air nearly knocked her off balance.

Looking around, she realized the parking lot was eerily quiet, with every car's headlights glaring brightly, all of them running. The roar of the engines echoed, amplifying the sound many times over, filling the entire parking lot. Hundreds of exhaust pipes were expelling heat, turning the enclosed lot into an oven, at least three or four degrees hotter than outside.

Everyone who could make it to the parking lot had done so. In the midst of the city's power outage, the only refuge from the sweltering heat was the cars, their air conditioners the only thing keeping them alive.

After walking only a few steps in the scorching air, Lin Sanjiu felt her shirt soaked with sweat. Through the windows of the cars she passed, she saw unfamiliar, panicked faces: some desperately trying to make calls, others holding children and crying uncontrollably. Some had fainted, possibly from dehydration on the way to the parking lot. Others stared at her in disbelief, as if puzzled by how she could still be walking.

Despite the air conditioning surrounding them, a faint veil of despair hung over many of the faces inside the cars. The air conditioning was only delaying the inevitable—once the fuel or electricity ran out, no one in the parking lot would survive the oppressive heat outside.

Lin Sanjiu knew very well she had no ability to help those in the cars. Her bag only contained five bottles of water, three cans of soda, and a few band-aids—hardly enough to last. Gritting her teeth, she swallowed her sympathy and, with steely resolve, made her way to the familiar Audi, jumping inside as if fleeing.

She briefly considered turning on the air conditioning but opted to roll down the windows instead. After all, she wouldn’t die from the heat, though it would be uncomfortable. It was better to conserve the precious fuel and electricity for Zhu Mei. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she started the car and slowly drove out of the parking lot.

Compared to the underground furnace of the parking lot, the 59°C air outside actually felt somewhat bearable.

Surprisingly, the streets were nearly deserted, with few cars on the road—likely because people didn’t want to waste precious fuel and electricity.

The cars parked along the streets, like those in the parking lot, were also idling, their occupants resigned to using the last of their air conditioning.

As Lin Sanjiu sped past a red Mazda, a shadow suddenly flew in from her right, striking the Audi's door with a resounding thud.

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Dear readers (if there are any): By the time you read this chapter, I will probably be on a plane. As a Daoist with ambitions, I’ve decided to search for the legendary Kunlun. From now until the end of the month, my dear Storage Box will be uploading the chapters for me... Please surprise me!