Although Zhu Xiong had told him that he could freshen up before coming out, hearing Zhu Xiong calling at the door meant that there was no time to dawdle.
He opened the door and saw Zhu Xiong, then asked, "Old Zhu, what's happened? You seem in such a hurry."
"Captain Cheng's team is preparing to distribute supplies, but now they're surrounded by people. I saw something was wrong and came to get you to take a look. Old Gan and his wife are already keeping an eye on things."
Hearing this, Su Han furrowed his brows slightly. Had the issue of scarce supplies finally come to a head?
He immediately said, "Let's go and have a look."
As the two of them walked from the room's corridor to the direction of the hall, they hadn't yet arrived when they heard a shrill voice: "Captain Cheng, you have to share some of the supplies with us, or how will we survive?"
"Exactly, Captain Cheng."
Someone immediately followed up, their voice tinged with a tone of complaint: "You've cleaned out the entire building. Our rooms were included in that, you can't just take everything we have, can you? It's undeniable that you cleared those monsters, and nobody can negate that. But you should at least return what's ours, right? I'm from unit 1201 on the 12th floor. I remember I had 20 pounds of rice and a box of milk that I just bought not long ago. Just give me that bag of rice; I won't quibble over the rest."
In the hall, the security team led by Cheng Zhenyong, along with several Contractors, were already surrounded by other survivors.
There was a back-and-forth exchange among the crowd, a hint of condemnation in their voices, implying they deserved a share of the spoils.
The speaker was an old hag with graying hair and gaunt cheeks like a fox. Her dry voice was unnaturally shrill for her age and grating to the ears as her eyes roved greedily over the supplies, especially the bag of fresh rice.
"You're right, they should at least return what belongs to us." Many who chimed in were residents from the upper floors who had been trapped in the hall the other day, around seven or eight people.
Previously, monsters infested the floors, rendering household supplies useless because they couldn't get back to their homes.
But now, with the supplies cleared out, the situation was different. They did not need to face the monsters and could simply haggle with Cheng Zhenyong and his team. How simple.
Among the group, there were all sorts of people: some wanted to reclaim what was theirs; others saw an opportunity to take whatever they could get their hands on, while those who felt guilty stood in the crowd like fence posts, not daring to speak out loud.
"That won't do," but this proposal was immediately overturned by a woman's voice. It was someone Su Han and the rest had seen before, the woman who lived on the 5th floor.
Bai Yan'er spoke up with an air of self-righteousness, "Supplies should be shared equally. We're all survivors; why should you get to keep other people's things?"
Her logic was loud and clear. If they followed Grandma Zhao's method of distribution, these supplies would have nothing to do with her, and that was unacceptable.
"Impossible!"
Cheng Zhenyong rejected it outright. These were the supplies they had risked their lives to obtain, and even if he was a nice guy, he was not about to let them go.
He said, "Before the cleanup, we had already made the rules clear. These were obtained at the risk of our lives. Those who participated in dealing with the corpses, transporting supplies, and clearing monsters can share according to their contributions. I can only apologize to the rest."
With this statement, the noise from the crowd grew louder, like a tumultuous tide, especially the few who were leading the charge. Lin Hong, Bai's man, yelled, "Don't listen to him, even if they are powerful, they're just stinking security guards, acting all high and mighty. What rules are they talking about? My things were stolen, too. Did I see you stepping up then?"
He glared at Cheng Zhenyong and incited the crowd: "Let's all go confront them and take the supplies; I don't believe they dare to kill. Charge! Everyone, charge!"
Lin Hong harbored resentment; he still remembered the young man who, along with two others, had burst into their room on the 5th floor, taking half of their supplies and even had the audacity to call it a 'cleanup fee'. Pah!
If it weren't for them, he wouldn't be in such dire straits that he had to instigate the crowd to claim supplies.
He was inciting the others to take action while he himself was quietly retreating, ready to take advantage of the chaos. The crowd's emotions were already stirred, and several people showed a readiness to act. Cheng Zhenyong and his team weren't monsters; they might truly be hesitant to kill.
Cheng Zhenyong's expression was ominously somber, but indeed, he found himself in a difficult position, without the resolve to kill or severely injure someone.
Lin Hong had a fair grasp on Cheng Zhenyong's psychology; after all, he was previously a corporate executive, skilled in manipulation, testing limits, and moral coercion.
Cheng Zhenyong was an upright and open person. But it was exactly because he was a gentleman that he could be fooled with straightforwardness, and now that Lin Hong had provoked the crowd against him, he was in a difficult position.
The crowd hadn't resorted to violence or harmed anyone yet; they were merely scrambling for supplies. The idea of hurting someone—or worse, making an example out of someone—was something that troubled him deeply.
But if he didn't suppress the chaos now, should a riot break out, most of the supplies would surely be stolen, and there would be no way to retrieve them later without completely burning bridges and forcibly taking them back, house by house.
If he were truly capable of such actions, this settlement wouldn't be in its current state.
Lin Hong had hit the nail on the head, but his methods were despicable.
Just yesterday before they set out, Cheng Zhenyong had already asked who else wanted to become a Contractor?
Killing monsters to become a Contractor wasn't a terrible task; at most, it was a bit risky, but ultimately, the Contractors reaped the benefits.
Not only would they get a share of the supplies from participating in the search, but more importantly, after contracting with an Angel Envoy, they would possess much greater power.
Lin Hong was among the crowd yesterday, and many other young and strong men were all listening to Cheng Zhenyong's rallying call, yet they were hesitant or, perhaps, harboring the mindset of reaping without sowing, not wanting to take risks themselves.
The ones causing the biggest commotion now were actually these people.
"Captain Cheng, just say the word. We won't take all the supplies, but you have to give us a share, at least—to help us get by."
"Wishful thinking, but let's see who dares to make a move."
Just then, Su Han's voice rang out, and his indifferent tone somehow overpowered the crowd's noise. He stepped forward, with the massive Four-armed Corpse closely following behind him like a small mountain; at 2.5 meters tall, its strong muscles seemed forged from iron, and its four menacing arms made everyone swallow back their words.
Upon seeing Su Han, Lin Hong's eyes widened in shock. Not this guy again.
A flash of resentment in his eyes quickly turned to anger, as if fate had conspired to bring them together. He had been about to successfully stir the pot when Su Han unexpectedly showed up again.
Driven by some impulsive fear or folly, he suddenly shrieked, "Don't be afraid of him; he wouldn't dare to kill anyone. Let's just take the supplies. Hmph, we're entitled to our share of these goods anyway. What's there to be afraid of? He was the very first to grab the supplies!"
Su Han let out a cold laugh. Truly ignorant.
"Four-armed Corpse, grab him for me, and that woman too."
Being singled out by Su Han, Lin Hong's face instantly went pale, and he panicked, wishing he could slap himself.
What was he thinking just now?
"Everyone's watching, what—what are you planning to do?!"
The Four-armed Corpse cared little for Lin Hong's words. It marched forward, and the crowd instantly dispersed, none willing to stand in the way of this fearsome and gigantic creature.
Unlike Cheng Zhenyong, they could tell that Su Han was not someone to be trifled with, his stern face a clear indicator that he was no pushover.
In an instant, everyone fell silent, as Lin Hong and Bai Yan'er tried to leave but were easily snatched up by the Four-armed Corpse as if they were mere chicks.
The two of them trembled violently, as if struck by fits, their faces filled with fear as they looked at the Four-armed Corpse.
"You want to steal my supplies?"