South Logistics Park.
Miles arrived at the entrance, and as he stepped out of the car, Ryan greeted him with a grin.
"Miles, you're here."
For the past few days, Miles had been visiting almost daily, always treating Ryan to meals and drinks. Their friendship had quickly deepened, and they were now inseparable confidants.
Miles popped open the trunk and smiled, "Brother Ryan, a friend sent me two cases of premium wine and some northern cured meats. Give me a hand, will you?"
A case of premium wine easily cost over twenty thousand.
Ryan hurried to help unload the goods, saying awkwardly, "Brother, every time you come, it's the best wine and food. I don't feel worthy of all this!"
Ryan was a straightforward man and knew the meaning of "no reward without effort." Even as friends, such endless generosity felt overwhelming.
Miles laughed heartily, "Oh, come on! Drinking alone is no fun, and between friends, what's a little food and drink?"
Ryan was still uncomfortable. "But this wine… it's too good for me. Isn't it a waste?"
"Nonsense."
Miles feigned offense, playfully retorting, "I'm entrusting you with my whole warehouse of soybeans, aren't I? And you've been keeping watch without complaint! So how could it be a waste?"
Ryan grew a bit dazed. Were soybeans really this valuable nowadays?
Before he could think further, Miles sat down in the duty room, smiling. "It's pretty quiet here today. Where are the rest of the team?"
Unaware that Miles was testing him, Ryan replied, "Oh, it's fire safety training day. Most of the team is in the city for training."
At the moment, there were only about twenty security personnel on duty in the entire park.
Relieved, Miles continued, "Drinking with just the two of us is a bit dull. Why don't we invite the others on duty and make it a little livelier?"
Ryan glanced at the dimming sky and the nearly empty park, hesitating, "But we're on duty. Isn't that a bit… inappropriate?"
Miles leaned in conspiratorially, whispering, "I'm doing this for you…"
"For me?"
"You've only been working here for half a year, right? You rose to security captain pretty quickly. I'm sure that didn't sit well with everyone."
Ryan nodded in agreement.
Where there are people, there are rivalries.
Of the park's two hundred security staff, he'd been the one promoted to captain, so resentment was inevitable. His honest nature and unwillingness to go along with underhanded schemes had only made him more isolated and a target for hostility.
Miles pressed on, "Exactly. So with such good food and drink tonight, and not many superiors around, why not use this as a chance to build some connections?"
They say that "a man is indebted to the one who feeds him."
Especially among men, sharing a meal and a drink goes a long way in building camaraderie.
Ryan hesitated but admitted, "But all of this came from you. I feel bad…"
Using someone else's provisions to buy goodwill felt wrong to him.
"Ryan, don't you see me as a brother?"
Miles feigned disappointment.
Ryan quickly waved his hands, stumbling over his words, "Of course, it's just… I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."
"What's the harm? Aren't we brothers?"
With Miles' persistence, Ryan eventually gave in.
Soon, all twenty of the park's security staff had gathered.
As the drinking escalated, they were sprawled across the duty room in a drunken mess, each one unconscious.
Miles glanced at the room of slumbering guards, his hand briefly touching the bottle of sleeping pills in his pocket, exhaling with relief.
With only two days until the Ice Age's arrival, any consequences would be trivial.
After one last look at the dozing Ryan, Miles quietly slipped out of the duty room.
He quickly made his way to the underground surveillance room, where the equipment was still running, though no one was around.
Without hesitation, Miles pressed the main power switch, deactivating the entire surveillance system across the park.
Following his pre-drawn route, he found a utility cart and headed straight for Warehouse A.
This section held the drinks inventory of Vanhoho Corporation—twelve warehouses filled with bottled water, beverages, and liquor, enough to last him a hundred years.
Using a universal access card, Miles scanned in.
Two minutes later, the warehouse was empty, only bare shelves remaining.
In half an hour, he had cleared out all twelve warehouses.
Glancing at the moonlit sky, Miles didn't waste a second and moved on to the food storage area.
This warehouse stored the bulk of the South District's food reserves, with every variety imaginable.
Though the security staff were out of commission, plenty of employees were still around. A single late-night bathroom visit could ruin everything.
Warehouse after warehouse was emptied, and when he finally checked his watch, it was 2 a.m.
Miles proceeded to the energy depot, collecting all the fuel, smokeless coal, battery reserves, and dozens of large diesel generators.
These were treasures. Especially the generators—the latest models on the market. As long as he had enough fuel, they would serve him for years to come.
As he reached the final two warehouses, a satisfied smile played on his lips.
Here, high-tech cold-resistant materials, radiation-proof fabrics, and top-of-the-line protective gear for researchers were stored.
Now, these were real treasures.
When the Ice Age hit, global temperatures would plummet to extreme lows.
In a matter of days, Chicago's once-mild climate would plummet to minus fifty degrees Celsius, making the north almost uninhabitable.
With this protective gear, Miles could roam even in the harshest conditions.
Half an hour later, he exited the final warehouse.
Rather than leaving immediately, he made his way back to the security room, carefully helping a barely-conscious Ryan into his car before driving off into the night.
Two hours later.
Arriving at his villa, Miles carried Ryan inside, placing him in the garden storage shed and locking the door.
The villa was now equipped with state-of-the-art security; without direct authorization from Miles, no one could open a single door.
After one last glance at the sleeping Ryan, Miles murmured, "This is as much as I can do for you, Ryan."
Miles wasn't heartless, but he couldn't afford to be overly kind.
He had witnessed the dark descent of humanity during the Ice Age and understood all too well that people had no limits.
Ryan had helped him secure the South District's supplies, and Miles had given Ryan a chance at survival. Their debts were settled.