The fate of Liu Tiantian, though unseen by everyone, can be inferred by the circumstances. A young girl falling into the clutches of a pack of wolves—what outcome could be anticipated? Even if Chen Zhenghao and his group spared her life, losing all the resources essential for survival would only condemn her to a slow demise.
Yet, the collective response wasn't one of overwhelming grief; rather, it seemed a collective sigh of relief. Liu Tiantian, at the very least, could sustain Chen Zhenghao's group for a while.
However, this turn of events served as a stark warning for other residents. If this continued, their own survival prospects were grim.
One afternoon, Zhang Yi suddenly found himself added to another chat group. A wry smile played on his lips; in such an unstable environment, suspicions ran deep, and small factions emerged more frequently.
It seemed that uniting in groups made individuals feel more potent, as if holding together could grant strength. Zhang Yi glanced at the group members, noting there were only six or seven individuals: Zhou Peng, Fang Yuqing, Lin Caining, and a few other neighbors.
Zhang Yi furrowed his brow slightly, unsure of their intentions. Soon enough, someone approached him.
Fang Yuqing: "@Zhang Yi, Zhang Yi, the outside is too dangerous now. Sooner or later, Chen Zhenghao and his group will target us. We must unite for our collective safety."
Zhang Yi calmly replied, "I'm fine; I'm quite comfortable on my own now."
Lin Caining interjected, "That may be, but you are alone, and Chen Zhenghao has five or six people, and guns! So, you're not safe either."
Zhang Yi smirked. Why not ask Chen Zhenghao whose leg got broken?
Chen Zhenghao had not dared to retaliate until now, aware that Zhang Yi was a tough nut to crack.
Zhang Yi asked, "So, what do you propose?"
Fang Yuqing hurriedly explained, "Now, everyone lives scattered. It's too dangerous. We've decided to move in together. This way, even if we face Chen Zhenghao, we'll have a force to resist."
Zhang Yi chuckled, "What, you gather together, and you're not afraid of the guns Chen Zhenghao has?"
Ridiculous. If sheer numbers were effective, with over a hundred people in the building, they could crush Chen Zhenghao with one kick each.
Everyone was timid; gathering together was just seeking psychological comfort.
Another member, Sun Zhichao, spoke, a finance professional according to Zhang Yi's memory.
"More people, at least, will make them wary. We can unite and barricade the doors, so we won't fear them breaking in."
"But right now, what we lack is a good stronghold."
Fang Yuqing added, "Zhang Yi, your home has a balcony and a robust anti-theft door. It's perfect to resist Chen Zhenghao. So, we hope you can join our team, and together, we can stand against him!"
At this point, Zhang Yi finally grasped their intentions. Surely, Fang Yuqing had informed these people about the advantages of his house. Most likely, they already knew about the perfect insulation system and abundant food.
Zhang Yi sneered.
They were dreaming if they thought they could enter his home with seven or eight people.
In such uncertain times, distinguishing between friend and foe was tricky, and bringing danger home was unacceptable.
Moreover, Zhang Yi owed them nothing. Why should he?
After rejecting them, the group members in the chat seemed displeased.
Sun Zhichao: "Zhang Yi, we're all in mortal danger now. You can't be so shortsighted! Only by coming together can we survive!"
Another member, Wang Min, added, "Just because your floor has a balcony for convenient snowwater collection, that's why everyone picked your house. You think we're taking advantage of you, but in reality, we can protect you!"
Zhang Yi's lips twisted into a sarcastic smile.
In the group chat, he sent a message: "Protect me??????"
The string of question marks reflected his inner mockery.
Did they know how he was living now?
Protect him? It was laughable!
From her hiding place in the blanket, Fang Yuqing bit her lip, initiating her counterattack. Knowing Zhang Yi disliked her, she was exploiting the group to morally coerce him.
Lin Caining chimed in, "Zhang Yi, alright, I admit we're asking for your help. But think about it; by letting us into your shelter, you can save seven or eight lives! Can you bear to watch us be killed by Chen Zhenghao? We've been friends and neighbors for so many years!"
Among these seven or eight people, Zhang Yi knew them all. Some were colleagues he had a good relationship with. Most of these people were part of the group that benefited from him in the past.
In this post-apocalyptic world, what use was talk of humanity?
Survival was the only rule!
Zhang Yi stated, "At this point, everyone must rely on their abilities to survive. You have no value to me, so why should I be obliged to protect you?"
After saying this, Zhang Yi left the group directly.
Dreaming of profiting from him—what a joke!
As long as he lacked morals, he couldn't be kidnapped.
After the chat, Zhang Yi took out a box of potato chips from the alternate space. He went to the window, sat on the comfortable imported recliner, and enjoyed the snacks while looking at the outside scenery.
Ignoring the extreme cold outside, the snowscape was truly beautiful. The earth was draped in a silvery blanket without any impurities, a sight pleasing to the eye.
At this moment, he suddenly saw a swaying black dot on the 18th floor in front of him, accompanied by a desperate scream. Careful observation revealed it was a falling person.
In an instant, they sank into the snow, a depth of six or seven meters.
With temperatures below seventy degrees Celsius, anyone falling into the thick snow was undoubtedly doomed.
It seemed the situation in other units was similar.
Faced with dwindling resources, everywhere had turned into a battlefield, resorting even to violent means for survival.
Zhang Yi, eating his chips, contemplated the future. It appeared that, apart from being cautious of his neighbors in this unit, he needed to be more vigilant about external survivors as well.
In this apocalyptic scenario, anything could happen.