The eloquence of the affluent second-generation Lin Hao ignited a firestorm within the entire chat group! "What? A package of instant noodles for 2000 yuan? I... Am I hearing correctly?" "Hey, don't artificially inflate prices like this! It's making me a bit frightened." Some spoke shakily, "The snow disaster will surely pass, right? There's really no need for this." His voice message, despite being vocal, conveyed the tremor, revealing the turmoil within.
People hadn't entirely relinquished hope. Every morning, they opened their eyes, yearning to see the heavy snow cease and the sun rise, returning to normal life. However, the incident of Mother Xie Limei and the second-generation Chen Hao purchasing food at exorbitant prices deeply affected their already fragile spirits. Someone feigned composure, saying, "Don't joke around. 2000 yuan for a pack of instant noodles? Do you think it's the end of the world? Hahaha!" "It's just a bit more snow. Winter came early this year! It's not like it's a zombie apocalypse." Zhang Ye, upon seeing this message, lightly shook his head with a smile. A zombie apocalypse? Don't compare that low-end scenario with this icy apocalypse. Zombies, terrifying as they may be, are still controllable by human strength. However, facing the forces of nature in this post-apocalyptic world, the feeble humans are as fragile as insects before the might of the universe. They are yet to comprehend the enormity of the calamity they face.
Xu Hao, in the group, arrogantly declared, "Don't worry about it! I'm rich anyway. Can't I buy peace of mind with money? If you're willing to sell, private message me; if not, forget it!" Xu Hao acted indifferent, but Zhang Ye had already discerned that his indifference was a facade; in reality, he had long been afraid. Otherwise, he wouldn't have set such an exorbitant price of 2000 yuan for a pack of instant noodles! This matter wasn't difficult to ponder. While Xu Hao was wealthy, worth several hundred million, in the current apocalypse, he couldn't even enjoy the life of the affluent, let alone order takeout. Wealthy people may not necessarily be kind, but they are certainly not foolish. Realizing the severity of the crisis, Xu Hao began acquiring supplies from his neighbors at high prices.
Mother Xie Limei exclaimed excitedly, "How can you do this? Our family has nothing to eat. Buying food is a matter of life and death." Xu Hao, nonchalant, said, "I didn't snatch it from you. I just offered a higher price. It's their freedom to sell to whomever they want. What's it to you?" Seeing Xu Hao ignore her, Xie Limei continued to plead in the group, "Please, everyone, help us. My daughter is only nine months old. Without food, I can't produce milk for her. We're both starving!" In the homeowners' group, silence prevailed in response to Xie Limei's words. At this moment, the selfish side of human nature manifested itself vividly. After all, Xu Hao set the price at 2000 yuan for a pack of instant noodles! Your offered price, Xie Limei, is only half of that. It's worth noting that the average salary in Tianhai City is only around 5000 yuan. Who would be willing to sell their hard-earned supplies to you?
Quite a few people had privately contacted Xu Hao, initiating negotiations. Xie Limei, seemingly aware of what was happening, continued to implore in the group, seeking help. However, not a single person spoke up, not even someone offering comfort. After all, once you spoke up, Xie Limei might think you were soft-hearted and cling to you. This helpless mother, desperate and crying, struggled to care for herself, let alone a baby completely lacking autonomy. In Zhang Ye's mind, memories of Xie Limei from the previous life surfaced. His impression of her wasn't deep because she always presented herself as a delicate mother seeking sympathy to survive.
However, something was peculiar. In Zhang Ye's memories, she and her daughter lived well later on. Thinking about this, a glint of sharpness flashed in Zhang Ye's eyes. This woman was definitely not as simple as she appeared. Behind all the pink and innocent facade lurked something dark. After his death, she likely had a share of the spoils. Zhang Ye understood that in the apocalypse, the saintly demeanor was the deadliest factor. Therefore, he remained silent, observing Xie Limei with a cold eye.
Finally, Xie Limei's cries played some role. Security guard Uncle You softened his heart and eventually agreed to share some food with her. Xie Limei expressed endless gratitude, claiming she would never forget his kindness. Through surveillance, Zhang Ye noticed that Xu Hao, relying on his financial ability, eventually acquired supplies from many neighbors. The quantity wasn't enormous, but it was enough for him and his girlfriend to survive for a few weeks. Zhang Ye sneered, "This is the last remnant of what money can achieve in the apocalypse." Perhaps, before long, people would discover that money had turned into useless paper, and resources were the absolute ruler! At that time, many would regret their actions of selling supplies. Undoubtedly, Xu Hao had set a bad precedent in the homeowners' group. Moreover, since many residents in the entire building were friends and colleagues, Xu Hao's expensive procurement of supplies affected everyone around him.
After using real money to establish such a high price for supplies, everyone realized how scarce resources were now. Each person clutched their supplies even tighter. When the snow disaster first started, some people would share and
exchange supplies amicably with neighbors. Now, they became even more miserly than the miserliest of misers. Even if their best friends asked for some to eat, they would refuse using various excuses. The icy apocalypse arrived, the tenth day.
At this time, in the homes of Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining, supplies had been depleted nearly entirely. The two, originally fond of exquisite delicacies, were now quarreling over a package of instant noodles. The food they had previously bought and what puppy dog Zhou Peng delivered had almost run out. If the current situation persisted, they could support themselves for at most another week before starving to death!
Wrapped in blankets, the two sat on the sofa, their faces pale. On the coffee table in front of them lay an opened package of compressed biscuits. Lin Caining glanced at the biscuits and said to Fang Yuqing, "Yuqing, this is our last package of compressed biscuits." Fang Yuqing's eyes were filled with pain. In the past, she wouldn't allow such coarse and crude food to enter her delicate throat. Now, every time she ate, she cleaned her plate and even refused to discard the crumbs that fell on the floor, insisting on picking them up and eating them.