Chapter 29: The Tenth Day

The words of Lin Hao, the wealthy second-generation heir, sent the entire group chat into an absolute frenzy!

"What? Two thousand for a pack of instant noodles? I... I didn't mishear that, did I?"

"Hey, don't go around driving up prices like this! You're scaring me."

Some people typed with trembling hands, "The snowstorm, it’s going to pass, right? There’s really no need for this." The audio message he sent was filled with a stuttering tone that betrayed his inner panic.

People had not yet fully abandoned hope; every morning when they opened their eyes, they longed to see the snow stop, the sun rise, and life return to normal. However, the incident involving the young mother, Xie Limei, and the wealthy Chen Hao buying up food at exorbitant prices struck a deep, raw nerve.

Someone feigned composure, saying, "Stop joking around. Two thousand for a pack of noodles? Do you really think it’s the end of the world? Hahaha!"

"It’s just a bit of heavy snow, winter came a little early this year, that’s all! It’s not like a zombie apocalypse, is it?"

Zhang Yi saw these messages and gave a faint, mocking shake of his head. A zombie apocalypse? Do not compare such trivialities to this frozen doomsday. While zombies are terrifying, they can still be resisted by human effort. But against the cataclysms of nature, fragile humanity is as insignificant as an insect before the power of the cosmos. They had no idea what kind of horrific disaster they were truly facing.

Xu Hao boasted in the group, "Mind your own business! I’m rich, and I’m just spending money to buy some peace of mind, alright? If you want to sell, message me privately; if you don't, then forget it!"

Xu Hao acted as if he didn't care, but Zhang Yi could see through the charade. His indifference was a mask; in reality, he was already terrified. Otherwise, he never would have offered the astronomical price of two thousand per pack of noodles. It wasn't hard to figure out. Although Xu Hao was wealthy, with a net worth of hundreds of millions, in this apocalypse, he couldn't even order takeout, let alone enjoy a lavish lifestyle. The rich aren't necessarily kind, but they are certainly not stupid. Realizing the severity of the crisis, Xu Hao had begun to hoard supplies from his neighbors at high prices.

Xie Limei cried out in agitation, "How... how can you do this? My family has nothing left to eat. Buying food is a matter of life and death!"

Xu Hao replied coldly, "I'm not snatching anything from you. I’m just offering a higher price. It’s up to everyone to decide who they want to sell to. Is that any of your business?"

Seeing that Xu Hao ignored her, Xie Limei began to wail in the group, "Please, everyone, help us! My daughter is only nine months old. If I don't have food, I won't have milk for her. We’re both going to starve to death!"

Silence fell over the homeowners' group regarding Xie Limei’s plea. At this moment, the selfish side of human nature was on full display. Xu Hao was offering two thousand per pack, while Xie Limei’s budget was only half of that. Considering that the average monthly salary in Tianhai City was only five thousand, who would be willing to sell their hard-earned supplies to her for cheap? Many had already reached out to Xu Hao privately to negotiate deals.

Sensing what was happening, Xie Limei continued to wail in the group, begging for help, but not a single person spoke up—not even a word of comfort. After all, if you responded, Xie Limei might interpret it as a sign of weakness and sink her teeth into you. The helpless young mother wept bitterly. With an eight-month-old baby, she could barely look after herself, let alone a completely dependent infant.

Memories of Xie Limei from his past life surfaced in Zhang Yi’s mind. He hadn’t thought much of her back then, as she had always presented herself as a fragile, devoted mother. She had used that image to garner sympathy and trade for supplies just to survive. Yet, there was one strange detail: in Zhang Yi’s memory, she and her daughter had survived just fine until the very end.

At this thought, a sharp glint appeared in Zhang Yi’s eyes. This woman was not as simple as she appeared; anything that looks too rosy on the outside is often rotten at the core. After he had died, she had likely taken her share of the spoils. Zhang Yi understood that in the apocalypse, a "saintly" heart was the surest path to death. Therefore, he remained silent, choosing to watch Xie Limei with cold indifference. Too many people were dying in this apocalypse; he only cared about himself. As for the others, if they died, they died.

However, Xie Limei’s weeping eventually had an effect. Uncle You, the security guard, felt his heart soften and finally agreed to share some food with her. Xie Limei thanked him profusely, claiming she would never forget his kindness for as long as she lived.

Through his surveillance cameras, Zhang Yi saw that Xu Hao, relying on the power of his wealth, had successfully purchased supplies from many neighbors. The quantity wasn't massive, but it was enough for him and his girlfriend to survive for a few weeks.

Zhang Yi chuckled, "This is the final, flickering embers of what money can achieve in the apocalypse." It wouldn't take long before people realized that as supplies ran out, money would become nothing more than waste paper, and actual goods would be the only true currency. By then, one could only imagine how many would regret selling their supplies for cash.

It must be said that Xu Hao had set a terrible precedent in the group. Because many of the residents in the twenty-five units were friends or colleagues, Xu Hao’s massive spending spree affected everyone. Once he set such a high price for goods with cold, hard cash, everyone realized just how scarce supplies had become. Everyone tightened their grip on their own rations. At the start of the snowstorm, some had been willing to share or trade with neighbors, but now, they had become stingier than a miser. Even when their closest friends came asking for food, they would refuse with all sorts of excuses.

On the tenth day of the frozen apocalypse, in the apartment of Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining, their supplies were nearly exhausted. The two, who once had such picky palates and loved high-end food, would now fight over a single pack of instant noodles. The food they had previously bought, along with what the "simp" Zhou Peng had delivered, was almost gone. At this rate, they would starve to death in a week at most.

Wrapped in blankets and sitting on the sofa, their faces pale, they looked at an opened pack of compressed biscuits on the coffee table. Lin Caining glanced at the biscuits and said to Fang Yuqing, "Yuqing, this is the last pack we have."

Fang Yuqing’s eyes were filled with agony. In the past, she would never have allowed such coarse food to touch her delicate throat. But now, she would eat every last bit, refusing to let even the crumbs on the floor go to waste, picking them up to consume them without hesitation.