Unfairness

The mistress had lost her arrogance; without supplies, they would all starve.

"They can't run away; we can still catch up with them."

"Foolishness! They came prepared and must have fled long ago. Now we need to figure out how to retrieve the supplies."

With so much inventory, it couldn't have been taken all at once; it must still be hidden somewhere on the island and needed to be found.

The man still held onto a glimmer of hope and glared at the others. "Why aren't you going to find them? If you retrieve the supplies, I won't pursue this matter further. Otherwise, your fate will be miserable."

The servants hurriedly went out to search for the supplies, but despite scouring the entire house inside and out multiple times, they found no trace of them.

Everyone felt baffled; unless someone had supernatural abilities, how could they have taken the supplies right from under their noses?

The caretakers of the Allen family moving into the office building puzzled some people.

"Why did a family move in on the eighth floor? What gives them the right?"

"Yeah, even if those two young men are here for guarding, it's understandable, but why are they allowed to bring their families?"

"We want to bring our families too. Can we apply to the Base Commander? Conditions up the mountain are even worse than here; our roofs were almost blown away by the typhoon. It's hard to be away from our families while living here."

"The Base Commander is so unfair. Either allow us to bring our families or make them leave."

"..."

Crawford furrowed his brows upon hearing these complaints. They didn't know how capable Alice was; she was worth ten of them, but he knew.

"They earned their place here through merit," Crawford explained to their disgruntlement. "When we went to Peach Blossom Village for weapons, we fell into R-country's trap halfway, almost unable to return. Do you know how serious the consequences would be if three truckloads of weapons fell into enemy hands?"

Crawford held some authority among these people; when he spoke, others quieted down.

"Because of her significant contribution, the Base Commander rewarded them more. Besides, their family moving in doesn't mean they're exempt from work. Aside from her parents, her three brothers will help guard the supplies and work with us. What's wrong with them having this privilege?"

"If you want your families to move in, then you must achieve feats that earn respect and admiration."

The others fell silent; many of them had come here just to make ends meet. If they were asked to risk their lives, they would probably hesitate.

"If you have objections, speak up early. There's no need to hold back. Opportunities are equal; it's about who seizes them."

Hurley finished his meal and happened to hear Crawford's words.

"What's all this fuss about?" he asked as he approached after they fell silent.Crawford, unsure of how much Hurley had overheard, vaguely responded, "Oh, nothing much, just chatting."

Others chimed in, "Yeah, just casual conversation."

"If you're here, then work; if you want to slack off, don't come here," Hurley stated expressionlessly.

Many of them became apprehensive at the sight of Hurley and quickly scurried away.

"Crawford, come with me," Hurley said, walking towards his room.

Perplexed, Crawford followed, "Mr. Hurley , do you need something?"He recalled his actions, making sure he hadn't slacked off or been negligent, which gave him a bit of reassurance.

"These things are for you to eat," Hurley said, pulling out a plastic bag containing canned meat, canned fruits, and some snacks.It wasn't much, but definitely some good stuff that couldn't be easily found.

"For... for me?" Crawford was stunned. He hadn't made any recent mistakes, but neither had he accomplished anything noteworthy.

"Yeah," Hurley handed it to him. "I need to rest for a while; you can go."

Crawford walked out with a bag full of items, his mind still reeling.When he reached the spot where they had been chatting earlier, Crawford finally realized.Could it be because he had spoken favorably of the Allen family that Hurley gave him these supplies as thanks?

Aside from this reason, he couldn't think of any other. He didn't have a deep relationship with Hurley, nor did he possess any significant abilities worth currying favor for.

He owed this to the Allen family's favor. Tomorrow, when the Allen family came to work, he would have to repay their kindness by helping them. He couldn't just take things from them for free.Atticus also wanted to go to work, but Alice didn't allow it. "Dad, do you feel comfortable leaving Mom alone at home? There are four floors between the eighth and twelfth floors. If someone sneaks in, it's very dangerous for her to be alone at home."

This reason successfully dissuaded Atticus from going to work.

Blanche: "..."Actually, it wasn't that exaggerated. The whole building was quiet, and if she shouted, they could hear her.But since his daughter didn't want him to go, she didn't help speak up either.

The three siblings of the Allen family arrived on the twelfth floor, and Crawford was responsible for arranging their work.

"Here's your work schedule and duty positions. You must not leave your post without permission. If you need to go to the bathroom, you must ask for someone to cover for you," Crawford said, lowering his voice slightly. "You can talk and chat with each other."

Alice smiled and said, "Okay, we understand."

Crawford led her to the staircase on the twelfth floor. "You will be on duty here."Then he took the two Allen brothers elsewhere.The job was relatively easy, but a bit boring.

Of course, Alice still had to be fully alert. It wouldn't be good if she encountered enemies like herself.There was a young man standing opposite her, looking to be in his twenties, with a fair complexion.

When the man noticed Alice's gaze, he glanced at her. Alice greeted him, and the man's face immediately turned red as he awkwardly replied, "Hello."

Well, he seemed to be a shy guy. Alice didn't talk to him anymore and stood at her post.

Horatio secretly observed Alice, having heard Crawford praise her endlessly. He was curious and fascinated by Alice's beautiful face.Alice appeared relaxed and composed, neither arrogant nor impatient. Horatio secretly wondered how long she could hold out, assuming she wouldn't come back the next day.

However, he underestimated Alice's endurance. Her previous profession had honed her unparalleled calmness and steady demeanor. 

Alice was aware that Horatio was watching her, but she didn't sense any hostility from him, so she didn't pay him any mind.

Midway through, Hurley came by. He glanced at Horatio and said, "Crawford is organizing inventory data. Go help him, I'll stand guard for you."

Horatio nodded and left.

Alice raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you deliberately sending him away?"

"Am I that kind of person?" Hurley didn't stay honest either and walked over to her. "With him here, you can't sneak food from your spatial storage. It's for your own good."And don't think he hadn't noticed—Horatio kept staring at her, reluctant to look away.

Alice clicked her tongue and actually took out two chocolate bars from her spatial storage, giving one to him. It was much more convenient to stand guard with Hurley since he was the only one besides her family who knew her secret.

"Oh, and I'll split half of the supplies we got from R-country yesterday with you." They worked together, so it was only fair to share what they obtained.

"No need, you keep it for yourself," Hurley politely refused with a smile.

"Why not?" Alice was curious. Was he really that selfless?

Hurley chuckled. "I just don't need it."

Alice found it intriguing. Was he truly devoid of desires?