Chapter 124: Conflict

Chapter 124: Conflict

Wang Qiang didn’t dare to be the first to eat the food, fearing Zhang Yi might have poisoned it. Xu Yi, thinking Wang Qiang was being kind, grabbed the food eagerly and began stuffing his mouth. Wang Qiang and Xiao Lu watched him eat, waiting for some time to see if anything happened. When Xu Yi showed no signs of distress, they relaxed.

“Come on, everyone, there’s enough for all!” Wang Qiang called out.

Similar scenes unfolded in other buildings. Zhang Yi’s notorious reputation had spread. After all, he was the one who single-handedly dealt with more than half a building’s worth of people and caused significant losses to the fiercest gangs in the community, the Crazy Wolf Gang and Tianhe Gang. Everyone was extremely wary of him.

Despite the wariness, they couldn’t refuse the food sent to them. Most building leaders had people test the food first. Understanding human nature, Zhang Yi had provided untainted food on the first day to gradually lower their guard and incite internal strife. He planned to wait for the opportune moment to strike decisively.

That night, every building leader and their subordinates devoured their share of the food. Meanwhile, the ordinary residents at home waited in vain for their portion, still naively believing that the food was meant for everyone.

“Wife, we don’t need to worry anymore. They’ll bring us food as long as we work hard,” a man said optimistically.

“Yes, dear. We’ll survive this snow disaster! When it’s over, I want to have three children with you—one like you, one like me, and one like both of us!” his wife responded with hope.

Elsewhere, a young man prayed, “Mom, Dad, you must be watching over me from heaven. Don’t worry, everything is getting better. There will be no more hunger and killing. I will live well!”

That night, the building leaders and their subordinates ate their fill, while the ordinary residents went to bed with empty stomachs but hopeful dreams.

...

The next morning, Zhang Yi woke up around seven. He no longer slept late because the room temperature was maintained between 25°C and 27°C, making the bed less appealing. While brushing his teeth, he heard the commotion outside. With a small devilish smile, he walked to the window, his muscular upper body exposed.

From several directions, he heard intense arguments coming from at least five or six buildings.

“Ge Damin, didn’t you say we’d get food as long as we worked? Where’s the food now?” a resident shouted.

“I told you, this is the situation we’re in. We need to discuss food distribution in a meeting to come up with a plan that satisfies everyone,” Ge Damin responded evasively.

In another building, a resident questioned, “Brother Huang, we worked hard as you instructed, but you didn’t give us any food!”

“Old man, you dare question me? Your work was pathetic. How dare you ask for food!” Huang retorted angrily.

“But...”

“But what? Work harder today, and you might get some food. No work, no food!” Huang snapped.

In Wang Qiang’s territory, a subordinate timidly said, “Boss, you promised us food yesterday...”

“Hah! Who else wants food? Step forward! No one? Good. Remember, letting you live is my greatest charity. Anyone who disrespects me will be dealt with!”

Zhang Yi watched, smiling silently, knowing the purging had begun. He and Zhou Ke’er had a simple breakfast of spicy soup, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns. The spicy soup was made from a soup packet, the fried dough sticks were semi-finished, and Zhou Ke’er had made the steamed buns herself. Zhang Yi enjoyed her homemade food more than the ready-made delicacies stored in his alternate space. Having a woman at home, bustling in the kitchen in the morning, brought a sense of normalcy and life to his days.

After breakfast, Zhang Yi left Zhou Ke’er with lunch and locked her in her room. He then went out, pretending to gather supplies.

At the community center, residents were still busy working. Uncle You, Jiang Lei, and Li Chengbin had Zhang Yi’s permission to supervise rather than labor. The other residents, under their building leaders’ supervision, continued shoveling snow. However, their spirits were visibly lower than the previous day, their expressions numb, anxious, and filled with unease.

Before leaving, Zhang Yi whispered to Uncle You, “Be extra cautious. With the food shortage in other buildings, chaos is imminent. Protect ourselves and avoid trouble.”

Uncle You, already aware of Zhang Yi’s plan, nodded. “Don’t worry, I know what to do.”

Satisfied, Zhang Yi left the community.

He wandered around for half a day, eventually arriving at a library. This city library was well-built and had not been buried by snow, with most of its books remaining dry. Zhang Yi had never been much of a reader in the digital age, where consuming information on phones was more convenient. But now, with the internet nearly collapsed, he found himself seeking solace in books. He hoped to find comfort and warmth in literature amidst the harsh apocalyptic reality.

After spending half the day in the library, Zhang Yi chose a copy of Haruki Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood” and tucked it into his large pocket, feeling the weight of culture. He left the rest of the books for future visits, thinking that taking them all at once might overwhelm him.

Returning to the community at dusk, Zhang Yi followed his routine, first calling Uncle You and others to maintain order and then notifying residents to come down for their food. This time, he noticed shadowy figures at every building window—faces full of hope watching him distribute food.