A man in his forties sat despondently on the pavement in front of the supermarket.
As a two-way merchant, he had to start queuing in front of the supermarket from four or five o'clock at dawn. It often takes 4/5 hours before he can grab any food or daily necessities. He would then go to the black market and replace the supplies he got with cheap corn cakes or brown bread, barely supporting his family this way.
But now, his situation is becoming more and more difficult. Anything that can fill the stomach, whether rice or flour, is rare to see on supermarket shelves these days. The number of supplies on the shelves was getting fewer and fewer day by day, but more and more people started working as two-way merchants. In the worst situation, the goods he obtained after many struggles would tragically get robbed once he left the supermarket.
A full stomach has become a luxury. It was becoming very tough to convince himself that his family would not starve to death.
'How about… he also goes rob someone?' Thinking of his parents and children that are depending on him at home, the middle-aged man pressed his lips into a straight line and made a decision.
*****
Birds and animals have disappeared, fishes and shrimps were all caught, wild fruits were picked clean, and even the tree barks and grassroots were almost gone. More and more people were forced into desperate situations.
In a residential complex, the doors of several apartments were wide open; apart from the furniture, there was nothing inside. Either the family fled, or the house was robbed.
Su Han picked an empty apartment on the 10th floor. There was no one inside, and the burglarproof door was good as new. She entered the apartment, locked the door, then took out a pot and a bowl to prepare instant noodles.
Rusty water sputtered out when she turned on the faucet. The water contains a lot of filth. The metal components inside clearly exceeded the safety standard, which made people lose their appetite.
Su Han turned off the faucet with a wince, poured mineral water from her warehouse into the pot, and then began to boil the water. Fortunately, natural gas is still available.
She put the noodles and seasonings into the pot when the water boiled. Immediately afterward, she walked to the side and shut all the windows. The instant noodles have this bad point; they smelled so fragrant that other people could easily find her by following this smell.
Soon, the noodles were cooked. Su Han put the noodles and soup into a bowl. She took a big mouthful and squinted happily. Under current circumstances, it is undoubtedly fortunate to eat a bite of a warm meal in peace.
Unexpectedly, just as that thought flashed in her mind, and there were sounds of people running and shouting in the corridor.
Su Han: "…"
How good is their sense of smell?! Did those people smell the noodles through the cracks of the door and windows?!
She walked to the door and checked the situation from the peephole. She saw the young stall owner, the one selling candles and mineral water at the department store entrance, running awkwardly, clutching his abdomen.
Su Han frowned, his abdomen…it seems to be a gunshot wound?
"Quick! There's no time to waste!! He's just ahead!" A group of people ran after him from a distance.
The young man gritted his teeth; he took off his backpack and threw the candles and the water bottles inside the bag into the open space, letting them fall to the ground floor. He also decisively threw the backpack down, leaving nothing behind.
The pursuers stared at him incredulously.
Someone in the group yelled, "Hurry up and go! Go downstairs and pick up those things!"
Another person spoke up, "We've already chased him for so long. Are we just letting him go like this?"
"If not, then what?" the first person asked, "Are you chasing him to commit a murder or to get his supplies?"
…..
"It's obvious he already had nothing on him. Who cares whether he lives or dies." After speaking, the people ran down the stairs without delay – the water bottles and candles were too eye-catching. If they don't hurry, someone might snatch away those things one step ahead of them!
Knowing he was out of danger, the young man relaxed a little.
*****
Su Han continued slurping down her noodles; she didn't intend to be nosy. She could tell that the stall owner was also a player, which means he should save himself.
There are only two kinds of people who would store a large number of supplies in advance, one is the NPC who runs a store, and the other is players who knew about hyperinflation in advance.
The young man who set up the street stall at the department store entrance didn't look like an NPC at all. Since he is smart enough to stock up, he should also carry medicine; he'll be fine after taking some medication.
In addition, not appearing in front of him at this time is a gesture of goodwill. He could heal himself in peace if he thought there was no one in the vicinity.
Su Han thought she was doing him a favor by not appearing, who would have thought–
"My name is Zhong Rui, is there someone in the room? Can you come out and give me a hand? I'm willing to pay." The stall owner called out.
Su Han continued eating her noodles.
Zhong Rui didn't stop speaking, "I was wounded by a gun and I can't take out the bullet by myself. You just have to help me with that; it won't be too much trouble, I have my own medicine."
The bullet… Su Han paused. She remembered she had to ask this guy what is it with the bullet. This is the first time she saw a gunshot wound in the instance.
As a result, an apartment door opened. At the same time, the flavor of instant seafood noodles spread out. Su Han walked out of the room and asked, "How do I help you?"
Zhong Rui was a little surprised, and he didn't expect to see someone he had met before. He calmed his mind and took out the surgical supplies, hemostatic powder, and medical bandages. "Cut the skin with a scalpel, remove the bullet with tweezers, then sprinkle the topical powder to stop the bleeding, and then wrap it up with a medical bandage."
Su Han wanted to start immediately but felt it might be inconvenient for this guy to lean against the wall, so she opened the door next to her apartment and tried to bring him inside.
Zhong Rui was a bit confused, "We're not going to your house?"
Su Han gave him a scrutinizing look before answering his question, "My kindness does not include letting suspicious people stay in the same room with me."
Suspicious people Zhong Rui: "…."
He just helplessly nodded to express his understanding a while later.