The information recorded in the newspaper only lasted until the year 2176; the rest of the messages were mostly seen by Jason Carter in a yellowed diary. From the still-functioning electronic watch in the drawer, it could be concluded that the current time was June, 2190.

Coincidentally, it was also June in the present world.

Yet in just five short years, humanity in this worldline had personally buried its own civilization.

……

After a brief stay, Jason Carter chose to return to the present. There were too many unknown dangers here, and exploring without thorough preparation was truly not a wise choice.

Back in the present, Jason Carter rested for two days, then bought a case of canned food, a case of ham, and a case of instant noodles from a nearby supermarket. Out of caution, even though he didn’t plan to spend the night in that dangerous place, he still brought enough food for three days.

During the day, the zombies’ strength seemed to be greatly weakened, which made it easier for Jason Carter to explore this area. Carefully crossing the middle of the street and avoiding areas with more zombies, Jason Carter found this villa…

The tall courtyard walls and iron gate looked very secure, and the withered vegetation inside the yard gave off a rather desolate feeling. The reliefs on the marble columns beside the villa’s main entrance had been blurred by acid rain, making it clear that pollution in this world must be severe.

The stone architecture didn’t have much of a sci-fi feel, but it was obvious that the villa’s previous owner was a wealthy person who knew how to enjoy life.

As for why he chose to explore this villa, the answer was obvious: a rich person’s home was bound to have some valuables, right?

However, what Jason Carter encountered was not something valuable, but a beautiful woman who was on the verge of starving to death.

Perhaps he let his guard down because of her beauty, or perhaps, coming from a civilized society, Jason Carter simply didn’t consider the dangers. In any case, when he saw the beautiful woman, so weak she could barely breathe, looking at him with pleading eyes, he generously took a bottle of mineral water from his backpack and brought it to her lips, gently helping her drink.

Saving someone comes first… Heh, maybe she’ll repay me with her body? Ahem.

Then Jason Carter took out a can of curry chicken. When the woman smelled the aroma, she continued to look at Jason Carter with those big, pleading eyes. Being gazed at like that by a beautiful woman was an indescribable pleasure for Jason Carter, who was still a virgin, both mentally and physically.

So Jason Carter enthusiastically took out a spoon and fed the delicious food from the can to the long-legged, voluptuous beauty, bit by bit.

And then… that was it.

Afterwards, Jason Carter regretted it so much he wanted to slap himself.

The woman’s actions perfectly illustrated the story of the farmer and the snake.

After eating a can of food and a few buns, the woman immediately drew a pistol from her waist and pressed it to Jason Carter’s forehead. While Jason Carter was still in shock and hadn’t reacted, she had already tied him skillfully to a chair, and improvised by taking out the villa’s previous owner’s… uh, probably a sex toy—a leather whip. She began to interrogate Jason Carter aggressively.

By now, Jason Carter had more or less realized what it meant to walk down the street with a backpack full of food.

Fortunately, he had run into Miss Grace Bennett, who still had some conscience. If he had encountered a cannibal, a slaver, or some other villain, he would probably have already been tied up like a zongzi and treated as food or merchandise.

Of course, Jason Carter could have chosen to activate the tattoo on his wrist and teleport back to the present. But that would mean exposing his biggest secret. If this woman decided to “guard the corpse,” he would have to face even greater danger.

He wasn’t willing to give up this “treasure trove” so easily.

Besides, activating the time-travel function also required time. If this crazy woman noticed something was off, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t just shoot him.

Jason Carter didn’t want to take that risk. Luckily, he had now established a cooperative relationship with this woman.

……

“Hey, I’m asking you, how do you plan to transport supplies here?” Grace Bennett asked, reinforcing the villa’s weak defensive spots as she spoke.

“My companions have their ways, you don’t need to worry about that,” Jason Carter continued to lie.

There was indeed quite a bit of cash stored in this villa, but the currency in this world was very different from that in Jason Carter’s original world. Jason Carter had thought about looking for valuables like gold, but it was clear the villa’s owner hadn’t kept such things at home.

The paintings hanging on the walls might be valuable, but those great artists probably didn’t even exist in Jason Carter’s world. Trying to exchange these artworks for money was obviously not going to work. As for the more advanced household facilities in the villa, Jason Carter was very interested. But when he discovered that things like holographic TVs and automatic cooking devices couldn’t be started at all, Grace Bennett straightforwardly gave the reason.