Ten years ago, when the situation worsened after the outbreak of the Dawn virus, the leaders of all the remaining countries gathered to discuss a plan to survive the disaster. The meeting resulted in several decisions, and one of them was to divide the entire world into four blocks instead of continuing with independent countries without strong support.
It was decided to have the North, South, East, and West Blocks with high security against the threat of zombies. All the blocks were separated by oceans and surrounded by tall fortresses equipped with advanced weapons to stop the zombies from entering.
That was how humans managed to survive, but they were like trapped inside the fortress if they didn't want to become the next zombie. That was why the economy could only grow slowly in each block. The reason was that every economic activity could only be done inside the fortress, including trade.
Each block was in constant communication, but there was no direct interaction between them at all. Each block could only rely on its own resources, for example, they could only rely on its own crops for food supplies, and if they needed other goods, they could only try to produce it.
That was why there was no development because of the boundary that separated them from the outside world, and the people inside the block sometimes depended on the block management for resources.
Each household received support from the Financial Department in the form of a monthly allowance, but the small amount of money was not enough to survive even though they only lived in a small space.
That was also the reason why Luca continued to work even though he received a monthly allowance from that department. A few years ago, he graduated from a government-sponsored education program and became a computer expert. Unfortunately, the chaotic world did not give him the opportunity to shine brighter, and he only used his basic knowledge to fix his neighbors' broken electronic equipment.
Today was an ordinary day. He had just received a guest at his residence, but the guest was not a friend or relative. Instead, the guest was just one of the neighbors who lived in the same building as him and needed his help to fix his broken television.
Luca was not picky, and he accepted any case as long as it gave him money. He was busy fixing the broken TV when his doorbell suddenly rang, and he frowned unhappily at the door as if the door had just wronged him.
He lived in a two-bedroom apartment, and that was based on an arrangement by the Home Affairs Department when his parents were still alive. Every household in the East Block was given one apartment unit, and since Luca was the only one left in his family, he lived there alone.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips before he got up from the carpet in his living room, and he turned his feet towards the door. He took the time to peek through the peephole, and he saw an unfamiliar young man standing in front of his door. It was said that the door should not be opened to strangers, but he saw a lunch box in the man's hand, and he also saw a familiar logo on it. That was the reason why he decided to open the door.
Right after he opened the door, he was greeted by the stranger's dazzling smile. At this moment, he noticed that the stranger was slightly taller than him, and his build was also more lean than his. The man was not particularly muscular, but he looked healthy and energetic.
The man's blond hair was cut short, and his almond eyes looked like they were smiling as well when the man smiled brightly at him.
"Hi! I'm from the Food Supply Department, and I'm here to deliver your lunch!" The man with blue eyes cheerfully broke the silence between them.
The information the man had just uttered did not surprise Luca. After all, he knew that it was lunchtime, and usually, someone from the Food Supply Department would deliver lunch.
It was one of the programs in the East Block that all residents would receive free lunch twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. It was now Monday, and it was expected that someone would come to his residence to deliver the free food.
Luca had not eaten anything since morning, too busy working on some broken electronics that his neighbors had sent him, which was why he was secretly happy when he saw the lunch box.
He nodded at the taller man before reaching out to take the lunch box, and without saying anything, he turned around and was about to return to his residence. However, he was startled when he felt a sudden warmth on his wrist, and he reflexively pulled his hand away from the warmth.
His eyes then glared sharply at the person who had just tried to grab his wrist. "Don't touch me!" He warned the person.
The person seemed surprised by the sudden yell, and he immediately raised his hands as he said, "Sorry! I didn't mean to be rude to you!"
Luca was still glaring at the man even after receiving the apology, and he had no intention of returning the apology at all. Instead, he wanted to continue walking to his residence, but then he heard the man speak again.
"I've delivered your lunch, but you don't even want to say thank you?"
Luca looked even more irritated when the delivery guy once again tried to delay what he wanted to do. "Why should I thank you? That's your job, and you're paid by the department for it, right?" He asked the man coldly.
Hearing his answer, the delivery man seemed speechless, and his mouth even gaped. He didn't seem to know how he should respond, and Luca planned to continue walking away once again.
However, the delivery guy hurriedly said, "I don't need your thanks, but I need a glass of water! May I have a glass of water before I leave, dear customer?"