The elevator arrived quickly, and the group encountered two other residents inside.

The residents were carrying large shopping bags that seemed to be filled with cotton-padded clothes and quilts. They were complaining about how expensive those things had become.

Melody Summers rubbed her hands together, thinking, ’According to my memories from my past life, the heavy blizzards will start next month.’

’When that happens, volcanic ash particles from the gray cloud layer will fall with the snow. The six-month-long night will end, and Terra will finally see daylight again.’

...

Soon, the elevator reached the 28th floor. The group stepped out and walked to the door of apartment 2804.

Hollis knocked on the door of 2804.

None of the apartments around 2804 were occupied, making the sound of knocking exceptionally clear in the quiet hallway.

But even after knocking for a long time, no one answered.

Puzzled, Hollis knocked again and said, "Hello, resident. We’re conducting a household survey. Could you please open the door?"

After a long moment, the door to 2804 finally opened a crack.

Through the crack, the group saw a man in his thirties. He was staring at them with a somewhat grim expression as he asked, "What do you want?"

Hollis pulled out his documents, checking a photo as he asked, "Excuse me, are you Lance Schultz, the resident of 2804?"

"...It’s me."

Hollis nodded and continued, "Alright. And the other members of your household? Would it be convenient for them to come out and register as well?"

Lance Schultz paused for a moment before replying in a low voice, "...There’s no one else. I live alone. It’s just me."

Hollis sounded confused. "But the resident registration says there are three people in your household. Besides you, there’s your wife and child..."

Before Hollis could finish, Lance Schultz cut him off.

He said impatiently, "That was before! Now it’s just me! My wife left with our child a few months ago!"

Hollis was taken aback. "But according to our records, you’ve been collecting rations for three people..."

Lance Schultz waved his hand dismissively. "So what? I was just greedy for the extra two rations so I could sell them. Is that a crime?! Isn’t there someone in Building 6 who’s hiding the fact that his parents died and not reporting it! I’m just like him! ...Worst case, just give me a warning!"

Hearing this, Hollis nodded thoughtfully and continued, "Alright. Then may I ask where your wife and child went? Do you have any way to contact them?"

Lance Schultz replied, "I don’t know where she went, and I don’t have her contact info! I came home from work that day and they were already gone!"

Hollis was stunned. "You mean your wife and child are missing? You didn’t report it to the police?"

Lance Schultz scoffed. "No, I didn’t. Who says you have to call the police when your wife and kid disappear? I suspect she ran off with some other guy. I didn’t want anyone to know I’d been cheated on. Is that so wrong?!"

Hollis gave a noncommittal response and asked tentatively, "Do you have any security footage of them leaving the house? Or any other form of evidence?"

Lance Schultz frowned. "No! I don’t have any cameras inside or outside my apartment. She just left!"

"Then do you remember the approximate time your wife and child left the complex? We can check the community’s security footage."

Lance Schultz just frowned and shook his head again. "I don’t know! Stop asking me! I don’t remember anything!"

Upon hearing this, Melody Summers and the others exchanged an imperceptible glance. Then, Officer Tristan Tanner pushed past Hollis and said to Lance Schultz, "Would it be convenient for us to come in and take a look?"

Lance Schultz’s face darkened as he stared at Officer Tanner. The atmosphere in the hallway instantly grew tense. Standing behind them, Grant, the security guard, nervously tightened his grip on his baton, afraid Lance might suddenly lash out.

After a few seconds of silence, Lance Schultz’s expression suddenly relaxed. He shrugged nonchalantly, opened the door wide, and said to the group, "Sure. Come on in."

Melody Summers and the others filed into the apartment. Unexpectedly, the moment they stepped inside, they were hit with the aroma of cooked meat.

Lance Schultz voluntarily explained, "...I was just eating."

The group was surprised to hear this upon entering.

These days, most people could only afford to eat sand vine cakes. Only a few could manage rice or noodles. As for vegetables and meat, those were luxuries only the wealthy could afford.

For Lance Schultz to be eating so well meant he was either a low-key rich man or he had stockpiled a lot of supplies in advance.

Officer Tanner thought for a moment before asking, "Would it be convenient for us to check the rooms in your apartment?"

Officer Tanner was prepared for a refusal, but contrary to his earlier impatience in the hallway, Lance Schultz nodded cooperatively. "No problem. Look wherever you want!"

Hollis from property management and Grant the security guard subtly surrounded Lance Schultz to prevent him from running off. Meanwhile, Officer Tanner, Winnie Summers, and Melody Summers split up to search the rooms one by one.

Melody Summers went to the kitchen first. Lance Schultz probably wasn’t lying; he had indeed just finished a meal. A small pot sat in the kitchen sink with a little broth left in it, indicating a pot of meat had just been cooked.

Melody then did a quick check of the kitchen’s refrigerator and cabinets.

But she didn’t find the abundant supplies she expected. Lance Schultz’s refrigerator had long been without power. The moment she opened it, a putrid smell wafted out. Melody frowned and looked inside, finding it completely empty.

Besides the refrigerator, the kitchen cabinets were also empty, containing only some seasonings and four or five half-eaten sand vine cakes.

Smelling the lingering aroma of meat broth in the kitchen, a strange feeling crept into Melody’s heart...

After leaving the kitchen, Melody Summers glanced discreetly at Lance Schultz in the living room.

Lance’s expression was completely calm, without a hint of panic. When he saw Melody looking at him, he even offered her a smile.

Pretending she hadn’t noticed anything, Melody moved on to the second bedroom.

She gently pushed open the door. It felt like the room hadn’t been lived in for a long time—a layer of dust covered the floor and desk.

Melody glanced around and saw that the room was decorated in a very warm and cute style. The walls were covered with various cartoon stickers, and a fluffy teddy bear sat on the bed. Clearly, this must have been Lance Schultz’s child’s room.

Stepping inside, Melody saw some books for young readers and stationery on the desk, along with a family photo of Lance Schultz with his wife and child. A workbook lay open on the desk, with a colorful marker resting on it, its cap off.

Next to the teddy bear on the bed was a child’s GPS watch.

Melody then opened the closet. It was full of children’s clothes, with both thin summer outfits and thick autumn and winter clothes hanging neatly on hangers.

’This is all so strange,’ Melody thought. ’Lance Schultz said his wife and child ran away, but everything in this room is still here. If his wife really left with their child, why wouldn’t she take anything with her?’

Carrying this doubt with her, Melody left the room.

Just then, Officer Tanner and Winnie Summers finished searching the master bedroom, guest bedroom, and bathroom. They had both come up empty.

Winnie Summers said, puzzled, "He said his wife ran away, but there’s a lot of expensive skincare on the vanity in the master bedroom that wasn’t taken. And there’s a phone with a red rose case in the drawer..."

That phone most likely belonged to Lance Schultz’s wife. The battery was dead, but it was the latest top-of-the-line Pro Max model from Fruit. It was obviously not an old or backup phone.

This didn’t look like someone who had abandoned her husband to elope with another man. Even if she found it too troublesome to pack anything else, why would she leave her phone behind?