Chapter 5: You Are My Property

Her fingertips rummaged through the decaying ruins, but all she could feel were sharp fragments—nothing edible.

Sweat slid down her pale forehead, soaking her collar. She felt completely drained of strength.

She looked up toward the far end of the room, where more clutter was piled high like a small mountain.

The air was thick with dust and mold; every breath made her throat itch and her lungs burn.

“How could I possibly find anything…”

Mi Li murmured blankly, tears welling in her eyes.

In a place like this, not to mention finding food…

She couldn’t even find a complete container.

Her tiny bit of inexplicable “luck” was worthless when faced with the threat of death…

If they wanted to kill her, why not just say so, instead of making it so complicated?

Mi Li bent over the pile of ruins and glanced nervously toward the door—Serafina was standing there, watching her every move intently.

She quickly lowered her head and forced herself to keep searching.

Just when Mi Li was about to give up, a strange feeling suddenly surged in her heart.

She lifted her head and looked toward an old locked refrigerator in the far corner.

“A refrigerator?” Mi Li was stunned.

How could there possibly be food in a place like this?

It must have been thoroughly searched; not even a single screw would be left.

The guards by the door showed no reaction, which only confirmed her suspicion.

The rusty refrigerator door was tightly shut, the lock completely rusted solid.

Mi Li hesitated, then climbed down from the pile and shuffled over to the corner, trembling as she reached into the gap beneath the fridge door.

Her energy was completely spent, her vision darkening—she was holding on purely by willpower.

Though locked, the rusted latch gave way with a gentle tug, and the door creaked open.

Inside was empty—only thick layers of dust and dried stains.

Mi Li, too short to see inside, stood on tiptoe leaning on the fridge, her small hand probing the dark interior.

Dust quickly coated her fingertips.

Without overthinking, she followed her intuition and reached deeper.

Her fingers swept back and forth in the dark—and surprisingly touched something smooth and cold and cylindrical.

What was this?

Curious, she used her fingernail to pry the object from the top of the fridge.

It was a well-preserved metal can.

An old-world label and design were printed on it—though faded, the packaging was intact, without a trace of damage or swelling.

Mi Li’s eyes widened, her mouth slightly open.

How was this possible?!

“Canned luncheon meat… produced in the old days…” Mi Li turned it over and read the words quietly, hardly believing it herself.

How could there still be anything in this decrepit fridge, abandoned for who knows how long?

Even judging by the expiration date, it was still safe to open!

The guards’ faces changed as they saw her “pull” a can of meat out of nowhere, their eyes filled with suspicion.

Serafina’s pupils contracted slightly, but she said nothing, instead focusing more on Mi Li’s next move.

After a brief pause, the girl walked over to the other side and reached for a wooden box forgotten in the corner.

The box was heavy; Mi Li struggled to move the clutter on top, her face flushing red.

The box itself was unlocked and empty, even broken in one corner.

But the lid had a narrow hidden compartment, almost fused with the box—undetectable unless you looked closely.

Her intuition told her the items should be inside.

She instinctively slipped her hand into the narrow compartment on the lid.

Soon, her fingertips touched some dry, grainy stuff, wrapped in plastic, along with some smaller, prickly roots.

Mi Li carefully picked them out one by one.

It was a small bag of dried seeds sealed in a waterproof pouch.

There were also a few seeds or plant samples that looked like they had sprouted but were preserved dry.

Though she didn’t know what plants they came from, Mi Li felt they could grow if planted…

“Food… and seeds…”

Holding these miscellaneous things, Mi Li staggered back to Serafina, murmuring softly several steps away.

The guards couldn’t hide their shock, exchanging stunned looks and whispering.

“How could this be… we searched that fridge three times, there can’t be anything left inside…”

“A hidden compartment? Damn, how many times did I smash that box? Nothing ever fell out!”

“Could it be… she really can find stuff?”

Serafina said nothing, stepped forward, and snatched the can and seed pouch from Mi Li’s hands.

Her fingers were icy cold; when they brushed Mi Li’s hand, she flinched.

The woman examined the items carefully, especially the seeds.

A complex look flashed through her heterochromatic eyes—doubt, surprise, confusion, and what seemed like confirmation and ecstatic discovery.

Serafina thoroughly inspected the can and seeds, confirming they were well-preserved and the seeds still viable.

Her usually tight lips curved slightly—no smile, only the satisfaction of achieving a goal.

“Luncheon meat… and these seeds…” Serafina’s voice was low.

“Very good, you didn’t disappoint me after all. Seems those rumors weren’t false.”

She turned to the guards by the door.

Their faces were full of astonishment and shock.

They knew perfectly well—

This room had been searched inside and out many times; even insect eggs were cleaned out completely—no chance for anything to be missed!

That fridge and the box had been torn apart by countless people!

Yet this seemingly fragile girl had really pulled something out of thin air…

And it was a treasure of immense value in the wasteland!

“Collect these carefully,” Serafina ordered, handing the can and seeds to one of the guards.

Then she looked at Mi Li again, the scrutinizing gaze gone.

In its place was a more direct, blatant hunger.

“From now on, you are officially the exclusive property of me, Serafina von Carlen,” she declared.

Her tone was solemn, serious—as if issuing an important decree.

“No one is allowed to approach or touch you without my permission.”

“Notify logistics to provide special provisions for her,” she ordered the guards.

“Her meals will be on par with my personal guards. Arrange a clean living space for her inside my palace… next to my room, so I can personally oversee her.”

“Assign some of the elite guards to guarantee her safety, with priority above even myself. She…”

“—is now the most important asset of Eisenberg.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The guards immediately complied, moving swiftly and respectfully.

Mi Li listened to Serafina’s commands, feeling a swirl of emotions.

Did she… succeed?

She still didn’t quite understand why she always seemed able to find things in these empty corners.

If not for her past experiences, Mi Li might have thought it was a trick by Serafina and the others…

Not just them, but also the waste-landers outside—

Could it really not be a huge leak?

“So… I…”

“You’ll have more important missions later.”

Serafina didn’t look back and walked out of the storage room, her figure disappearing at the door.

Mi Li finally relaxed and sank to the floor, wiping sweat from her thin, aching arm as she thought over the woman’s words:

“Exclusive property…”

That wasn’t a normal phrase for her at all!

Was she some kind of commodity or what?

She didn’t know what the future held, but at least tonight…

She was safe, for now.