Chapter 23: The Arrival of Charles

"You have the nerve to say that?" David thought to himself. He knew exactly what Jones was planning; he wanted to offer Mia to Charles. Such a despicable act, and yet Jones managed to make it sound so righteous. But, that's probably why he managed to become the big boss.

Despite their internal disdain for Jones, the others just kept their thoughts to themselves. They all knew that Charles's people would be coming soon, and as the liaison, Jones would undoubtedly reap considerable benefits. Not to mention, he might even offer up a beautiful girl.

They watched Jones head towards William's house, not showing any outward reaction. Internally condemning him was enough; there was no need to make it obvious.

However, Jones was frustrated to find William's door locked. Trying to control his anger, he called out, "Mia! It's Uncle Jones! Open the door. Your father has had an accident. You'll come to my house for the next few days. I'm your father's friend and will take good care of you!"

But there was no response from inside. Jones frowned, "Could something have happened to her as well?"

"Who knows, that madman David might have done something to the kid," someone behind Jones said, almost gloating.

Jones kicked the door several times, but it wouldn't budge. "Where's Robert's hammer?" he asked angrily.

"It's gone. Someone must have taken it. I bet it was David!" someone replied.

Blaming David seemed to be the right approach; he was now the root of all evil. 

"Damn it!" Jones punched the wall in frustration, shaking his hand from the pain.

"Mia!" he called out again, "Are you there? Open the door, okay? Uncle has food for you!"

But still, no response. Jones grew nervous. If Mia was dead, there would be one less offering to charm Charles with.

"Forget it, Mr. Jones. If she's in trouble, no amount of calling will open the door. If she's not, she'll come out when she's hungry," someone suggested.

Jones gave the door one last kick and, realizing it was futile, turned and walked downstairs. 

"Let's disperse," he announced.

The people in the corridor returned to their homes, each having been woken up by the cold. Robert's suicide had left the windows and doors open, allowing the freezing outside air to rush in, making the already cold building even colder.

Many were woken up by the cold and had to start fires in their rooms to warm up. They had ventured out to see what was happening, initially thinking the environmental conditions outside had worsened. They were surprised to find that the chill was due to Robert's open windows and doors and his disappearance.

Originally, they had left David's windows and doors intact to prevent another entry point for the cold air. Fortunately, that decision had given David a chance to survive.

Watching them leave, David yawned tiredly. Perhaps it was the excess of rest these past few days that made him feel a bit weary, a sort of happy trouble or blissful fatigue.

After finishing breakfast, he started exercising in his room, preparing for or rather anticipating Charles's arrival. He wanted to see what kind of commotion this man could stir up.

To his surprise, Charles arrived much sooner than expected, almost shockingly so. Samuel had left around 10 p.m. the previous night, and given the rough terrain outside, it was impossible for him to have quickly returned to their base. But by around 11 p.m. that night, Charles had already arrived.

It was getting colder as night fell, and arriving at that time must have been risky. David had been planning to wait for the night's check-in and then go to bed, but this unexpected development made him somewhat nervous.

He had been confident before, and he didn't think Charles had the capability to break down his door, at least not in the short term. The longer it took, the more it worked in his favor. But he hadn't expected Charles to arrive so quickly and with so many people.

David watched the surveillance footage, his heart skipping a beat. He saw dozens of people in protective suits outside the building, carrying many items. Could there really be heavy artillery?

David's breathing became rapid as he watched the dozens of people on the monitor.

Then, something unexpected happened again.

Jones, upstairs, also saw the gathering figures outside. He was surprised at how quickly Charles's people had arrived. He had thought it would take a few days, but they came in less than a day. This suggested that Charles's strength was greater than he had anticipated, or perhaps their base was closer than he thought.

Jones hurriedly went out to gather the neighbors, preparing to welcome Charles. They used the same entry point that Samuel and others had used before, near a second-floor window. Due to the uneven terrain outside, it was a bit of a climb to get in.

After Jones gathered everyone from the building, the first of Charles's people climbed up. This man, different from the one who had come last time with Samuel, was carrying a submachine gun. Jones raised his hands in a gesture of surrender: "We are not enemies. Samuel has been here before, and we hosted him."

The man in the protective suit, who remained fully geared unlike last time, ordered everyone to stay still until Charles arrived. Jones nodded in understanding.

After about half an hour, the rest of Charles's group managed to enter the building. With so many people crowding into the room, Jones and the other residents had to leave and stand in the hallway.

Charles, a man in his forties, appeared strong but not overly muscular. He removed his protective suit, revealing a somewhat scholarly look with glasses, which gave him a refined appearance.

"Mr. Jones, long time no see!" Charles greeted Jones with a warm smile as he saw him outside, "Why did you let them push you out? Come on in, let's have a chat."

The scene shifted to a more cordial atmosphere as Charles invited Jones to join him for a discussion.