Seeing his wife frowning, Ethan immediately asked what was wrong.
"Wife, did something happen?"
"Nothing serious. Lydia just informed me that there’s a huge crowd of customers in Building A," Elena replied.
"She asked for more people to help on their side."
"Isn’t that a good thing? More customers mean more jade and antiques. So why the frown?" Ethan asked, confused by her expression.
"I don’t know... it just feels off. A sudden surge like that is suspicious."
"Alright. Let’s ask Oslo to handle it for now. You need to eat some snacks first," Ethan said gently. "If you get busy, you might forget again."
The shop situation could wait a little longer—his wife’s empty stomach, however, couldn’t.
Elena then contacted Oslo and instructed him to head to the other shop to help out while she and Ethan had their snack—the baby was hungry.
They would follow later once they were done.
When Oslo arrived at Building A, he was surprised by the large crowd gathered around the shop.
Some people were browsing, others were reading the shop rules, and a few were asking questions about how things worked.
He made his way over to Lydia to get an update on the situation.
"Looks like we’ve got quite the crowd today. Where did they all come from?" he asked, lending a hand as Lydia packed up the items customers had purchased.
Lydia turned and saw Oslo standing beside her. The sight of him brought back a flash of irritation.
She still hadn’t forgotten their teasing exchange a few days ago—how he nearly kissed her and then boldly claimed he’d take responsibility for it.
She had almost kicked him then for saying something so absurd.
Right now, her focus is on medicine and sharpening her skills. Romance wasn’t on her mind—it was just a distraction she didn’t need.
"According to the residents here, the newcomers came from different places. The government sent them, claiming the evacuation center couldn’t accommodate more people. So, they told them about the shop in Camel Tower, saying we offer free food."
"The government? It seems like they’re plotting something against us."
"I think so too. And the people just blindly believed them. When the crowd demanded free soup, the local residents scolded and tried to snap them out of their delusion. Some quickly explained that this shop is a private business, not tied to the government in any way."
Well, Jetro had already instructed the residents to protect the Paradise shop from this kind of trouble.
The shop had promised them future benefits—or even jobs—if they could properly perform their tasks.
That’s why they are on full alert against anyone who tries to bother the Paradise shop.
When the non-residents learned about the shop’s rules, some left right away and rushed to the nearby jewelry stores, hoping to find valuable jade they could trade—completely ignoring the freezing cold outside.
Because of this, the hunt for jade and antiques became so popular that even distant areas were stirred by the sudden rise in demand.
After hearing all this, Oslo frowned and asked, "If the crowd keeps growing, where are they even supposed to stay? With this freezing weather, being outside late at night means death."
"I don’t know—let Jetro handle that," Lydia replied.
It was the building’s issue, not the shop’s problem. But of course, they would still help—as long as it was within their ability.
Soon after, Lydia raised the mic and announced.
"Order 78, your items are ready!"
While the shop was busy serving customers inside, the building’s residents came up with their own small side hustle outside the shop.
They set up a simple shop, selling ready-made meals like noodles and meat soup—dishes that were easy to cook and quick to serve.
Business was good, especially with wealthy visitors who came empty-handed. Hungry, they looked for something ready to eat before joining the long queue.
Elena didn’t stop them.
In fact, she supported their efforts by letting them buy purification tablets in bulk. That way, they could save points on water and use melted snow or ice for cooking.
Life was hard for the residents, but nothing came for free in this world. They had to work to survive.
"How much for the noodles?" a woman asked, swallowing hard as the smell of hot broth reached her nose.
The resident smiled as she answered, "Two servings for one normal-sized jade."
"Look, madam, we bought the noodles, the firewood, and even the water we used. What you’re really paying for is our cheap labor. If you think about all the effort and supplies, it’s not that expensive."
"Alright, no need for a full explanation. Give me two servings."
Building A had become a hotspot for people trying to buy and resell items.
As the place grew more popular each day, many found it convenient to stay near Camel Tower—much to Jetro’s frustration.
Inside Jetro’s unit, the building’s core members gathered to brainstorm ways to handle the growing crowd trying to settle in.
"What’s going on with the government? Why are they sending people to Camel Tower?"
Everyone was trying to figure out the government’s motive, but Jetro already had a feeling they were making a move in the area.
"Let’s focus on the problem in front of us first. There are too many people, and the vacant units are almost full," someone pointed out.
"Then let’s move them to another building. And if they refuse, we can drive them out by force."
"What do you think, Manager?"
"Alright. This is also for their own good. If they keep staying in the corridors, they’ll freeze to death," Jetro said seriously.
Everyone nodded in agreement. The meeting then shifted to another problem—the ice building up on the rooftop.
"I suggest we ask the Paradise shop staff for help. Maybe they have some portable tools to take out or clear the ice."
"Good idea. The ice is too thick to break with what we have. And the temperature up there is dangerously low."
"Let’s ask for their help, then."
Just as Jetro was about to end the meeting, there was a frantic knock at the door. One of the residents burst in.
"Manager! There’s a group of armed people outside. They say they’re from the government—and they want to speak with you."