Katerina knocked on the villa door, but there was no response.
She gently pushed it, and the villa door was actually ajar.
No lock?
Katerina was slightly surprised, but quickly understood.
Of course, a lock wouldn't stop any survivor with ill intentions.
Moreover, with someone as powerful as Zhang Chen inside, that in itself was the safest guarantee.
Naturally, there was no need for a lock.
Although Er Pang and Xiao Bai were playing on the beach, their eyes were constantly fixed on the villa.
Seeing Katerina enter the villa, Xiao Bai chuckled, beckoned Er Pang, and quietly followed.
Xiao Bai was purely out of curiosity.
Er Pang, on the other hand, was driven by loyalty to protect its master. It was always vigilant when strangers approached.
Katerina gently pushed open the villa's main door and walked in.
The villa was brightly lit, as if stepping into a mansion from a peaceful era.
The air was filled with the fresh aroma of seafood ingredients.
Zhang Chen sat on the sofa, smiling as he looked at her.
"Excuse me, I think we should have met already... do you mind if I sit down?"
"I brought a bottle of good wine, care to share?"
Katerina smiled slightly, raising the red wine in her hand.
Zhang Chen nodded slightly, remaining silent.
Katerina flicked her fingertips gently.
*Pop.*
The cork shot out instantly.
A rich aroma of aged red wine emanated.
"This bottle is from 1980. I don't know what year it is now, but judging by the technology level..."
"1980 must be a very old vintage!"
Katerina paused with the red wine.
She had expected Zhang Chen to produce wine glasses.
But he remained seated, unmoving.
Katerina raised an eyebrow, finding this man a bit peculiar.
Perhaps strong individuals were more concerned with their dignity and pride.
Katerina didn't mind. She took out a stemmed glass from her ring and poured a little for each of them.
One glass was placed before Zhang Chen, and the other before herself.
On the coffee table in front of the sofa, there was also half a plate of shellfish meat.
"May I try some?"
"We only managed to kill crabs in the previous fight!"
"But... you know, the crab meat is poisonous, and the roe isn't on our menu..."
"So it's like we didn't get any ingredients at all!"
Katerina explained with a smile.
Zhang Chen smiled and nodded, still silent.
In his illusion, he was attending Xu Ruina's class.
Xu Ruina explained vividly, detailing the weaknesses of various monsters and how to fight them.
The research findings on meteorite energy, as well as experimental data on biological energy, and so on.
These were things Zhang Chen already knew.
However, in the illusion, Zhang Chen still found this knowledge novel, interesting, and useful.
Illusions were like dreams; no matter how unreasonable the events in the dream were, the human brain would always concoct a suitable reason for them, deceiving itself and making it feel logical.
Zhang Chen was obediently attending class.
But Katerina didn't know Zhang Chen was caught in an illusion. She assumed he was simply not very fond of interacting with strangers.
After all, she had heard that men from the Dragon Country were relatively traditional and reserved, unlike the rugged and outgoing men from Bear Country.
She also didn't know that the shellfish on the plate was "Hallucinogenic Shellfish." Without a prompt, she could only see its description after placing it into her storage space.
"Since you don't mind, I'll start!"
"Of course, I won't eat your food for free!"
"I'll give you all my crab roe, as it's not on my menu anyway!"
Katerina gently picked up a piece of shellfish and savored it.
Instantly, the tender and juicy shellfish, infused with the scent of the sea, exploded in her mouth.
"Delicious!"
People from Bear Country were fond of meat and seafood.
Meat could still be found to some extent, but seafood had a very short shelf life. By the time it was found, it was usually rotten and spoiled.
To be able to taste fresh shellfish in the apocalypse was a great fortune in life.
She took a delightful sip of wine, then picked up another piece and ate it.
Because it was so delicious, she barely chewed, wolfing down the second piece.
As Katerina reached for a third piece of shellfish,
She suddenly noticed the shape of the coffee table had changed.
The original square glass coffee table had transformed into an old-fashioned round wooden one.
"Hmm?"
Katerina sensed something was amiss.
She looked down and found that the velvet carpet on the floor was gone, replaced by creaking old wooden floorboards.
At the other end of the floor lay a patched fabric bunny.
"Rodina?"
Katerina, incredulous, reached out and pulled the fabric bunny into her arms.
Suddenly, she realized her hands were so small and delicate.
They seemed like a child's hands.
Astonished, Katerina turned her head and saw her reflection in a mirror: a wide-eyed little girl with braided pigtails.
Her face was full of youthful innocence.
"This house is terrible, get out, don't bother me anymore!"
"Given our circumstances, you insisted on giving birth to this burden!"
"Now look, she's always sick and has drained all the family's savings. Are you happy now?!"
"I have to take on an extra job to support your useless self and that burden!"
Her father's drunken curses echoed from outside the room.
Along with her mother's soft sobs.
Katerina walked to the door and peered through the crack.
She could only see a small portion of the scene.
Her father was shouting, putting on his dusty work clothes and safety helmet.
He carried half a bottle of wine in one hand, pushed open the door with the other, and walked out into the rainy night...
*Rumble...*
A deafening clap of thunder sounded.
Lightning flashed, illuminating the entire room in stark white...
Her mother's feet appeared even whiter...
Katerina saw her mother's feet suspended in mid-air.
So pale, so helpless...
That night, her father's mine collapsed. Although his body was never found,
It couldn't be proven that he was still alive.
After all, the company officials would know more about what happened in the mine than a widowed mother and her child.
Having lost her source of income, her mother chose to end her own life.
Before she died, she looked at Katerina and said only one thing:
"It's all your fault!"
This sentence became Katerina's deepest, eternal scar.
At the same time, it became the driving force behind her desperate efforts.
Whether it was studying, sports, or any activity she participated in,
She had to strive with all her might, to achieve the best!
Because she wanted to prove that she was not a burden, and that the family tragedy was not caused by her.
Katerina's life had only one belief: to become stronger, stronger, and stronger!
She didn't want to burden anyone with herself, nor did she want to be abandoned ever again...