Fang marks

**Chapter 7: Unexpected Deliveries**7

The next morning, Lila Bennett was woken up by a knock at the door. A courier had arrived with several large boxes, delivering them straight to Lila's apartment.

Lila hadn't ordered anything and suspected that there was a mistake. However, when the delivery man handed him the receipt, he saw that the recipient's name was clearly printed in small letters: Lila Bennett.

He had no choice but to sign for the packages. Standing in the middle of a room filled with boxes, he felt a little overwhelmed.

Most of the boxes contained food—vacuum-packed fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat, some of which were rare varieties not available in Wutong City. Additionally, there were various high-nutrition supplements, many of which didn't require cooking and came conveniently packed in cans.

Finally, in one of the boxes, Lila found a printed meal plan, detailing a precise schedule for every meal over the next two weeks. The plan was signed by Dr. Ling.

Lila remembered Dr. Ling mentioning after his last blood donation that he would send a meal plan, but he hadn't expected it to include the entire food supply as well.

He didn't have Dr. Ling's contact information, nor did he have a phone number for the island.

The only time he had communicated with anyone from the island was when they first contacted him to sign the agreement, exchanging email addresses.

He turned on his computer and composed a message, thanking the island for the meal plan but stating that he could manage on his own.

Barely a minute after he sent the email, he received a reply, as if someone had been sitting on the other end, waiting.

Lu23121873: [You're welcome. This was arranged by Alexander Reed. A new meal plan will be delivered in two weeks. Please remember to sign for it.]

The brief reply was emotionless and didn't suggest any room for discussion.

Lila took his hands off the keyboard, abandoning the idea of sending another message.

For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being cared for like livestock.

Alexander Reed needed his blood, so he was being "nourished" to make the next donation easier.

That was the cold reality.

Taking care of his health was the only thing he could do.

It took a while to sort the food into different categories. By evening, Lila had donned a heavy coat and was walking to his part-time job.

The job his friend had helped him apply for—a sales position at a music store—hadn't panned out. The message he'd received while on the island was the disappointing rejection.

So now, Lila was only working his evening job as a bartender, from 6:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The temperature dropped even further in the evening.

The ground had frozen solid, and orange streetlights cast reflections on the puddles left by the melting snow, creating a hazy glow.

The streets were crowded with commuters heading home.

Lila walked through a few streets, cut through an alley, and entered the underground plaza.

The night scene was just coming to life.

Teenagers were smoking on the roadside while skateboarding, a street performer was setting up equipment, and a group of rowdy punks sat in front of a neon sign, laughing loudly and cursing at random.