Wang Qiang didn't dare to eat the provided food directly, fearing that Zhang Yi might have poisoned it. Xu Yi, thinking that Wang Qiang was being kind, excitedly took the food and wolfed it down. Wang Qiang and Xiao Lu patiently waited for him to finish. After a while, seeing no adverse reactions, they finally relaxed.
"Everyone, come over; everyone gets a share!"
...
Similar situations were happening in other units.
Zhang Yi's notorious reputation preceded him as the ruthless person who had taken down a significant portion of the entire unit. The Wolf Gang and the Sky Harmony Gang suffered substantial losses at his hands. People were deeply wary of him. However, when presented with the delivered food, they couldn't afford not to eat. Therefore, most floor leaders had someone test the food for poison.
Knowing human nature well, Zhang Yi ensured that the food he provided on the first day was perfectly safe. He wanted to gradually ease their guards, let them turn on each other, and then strike when the time was right to solve all the problems.
That night, all the influential figures in the community reluctantly enjoyed a full meal. Meanwhile, ordinary residents waited at home, naively thinking that the food would be equally distributed, and that they could survive.
"Honey, we don't have to worry anymore. Someone will bring us food, and we just need to work hard."
"Yeah, dear. We can endure until the snow disaster passes. Then, I want to give birth to three children for you—one like you, one like me, and one like both of us!"
...
"Mom, Dad, it must be your blessings from heaven that helped me persist until now. Don't worry; everything is getting better. There won't be hunger and slaughter anymore. I will live well!"
...
That night, the floor leaders and their subordinates in each unit devoured the ten portions of food distributed to them. The ordinary residents, with hungry stomachs, went to sleep in their blissful dreams.
...
The next morning.
Zhang Yi woke up around seven o'clock. The reason for not sleeping in was that the room's temperature was maintained between 25°C to 27°C. The comfortable environment reduced the dependency on the bed.
While brushing his teeth, he heard commotion outside. Raising an eyebrow, a mischievous smile played on Zhang Yi's lips as he approached the window shirtless to check.
The noises came from various directions; at least five or six units were having intense disputes.
"Gedamin, didn't you promise yesterday that as long as we work, you'll provide us with food? Where is it now?"
"I've said it, the problem is like this now, and the situation is like this. Everyone has seen it."
"As for the distribution of food, we need to have a meeting to discuss it and strive for a solution that satisfies everyone."
...
"Huang Lao, we worked hard according to your instructions. But... you haven't given us anything to eat!"
"Hey, Lao Banzai, you dare to come and question me? What kind of work did you do, acting like you're in a debate? Still want something to eat!"
"But..."
"But your horse! Work harder today, and if you do well, you'll get food!"
"We're starving; we don't even have the strength!"
"Humph, then don't blame me! Nowadays, everyone is living a hard life, and no one will support idlers!"
...
"Wang...Wang Boss, you promised to give us food yesterday..."
"Pfft!"
"Hehe, anyone else wants food? Come out and let me see! No one? That's good. Remember, letting you live is the greatest mercy from me, Wang Qiang!"
"Anyone who dares to show disrespect, I'll chop them directly!"
...
Zhang Yi laughed without saying a word. He knew that the cleansing had begun.
In the morning, he and Zhou Ker had a relatively simple meal – spicy soup, fried dough sticks, and small steamed buns. The soup was made with soup dumplings, the fried dough sticks were semi-finished and fried, and Zhou Ker had personally made the small steamed buns.
Although the dimensional space stored a large number of ready-made delicacies, Zhang Yi liked eating the food Zhou Ker made. He felt that having a woman at home, busy in the kitchen in the morning, gave a sense of life.
After breakfast, it was already past ten o'clock. Zhang Yi left lunch provisions for Zhou Ker, locked her in the room, and then left the unit to collect resources in a showy manner.
At this time, the central area of the community was still bustling.
Uncle You, Jiang Lei, Li Chengbin, and others, under Zhang Yi's permission, were supervising rather than working. Other residents, under the supervision of their floor leaders, were fervently shoveling snow.
However, their mental state had clearly changed compared to yesterday. They looked numb, anxious, and filled with strong unease.
Before leaving, Zhang Yi approached Uncle You and whispered, "Be more careful. Food distribution in other units is insufficient, and it's about to get chaotic. Just protect ourselves; don't get involved in trouble."
Uncle You had long known about Zhang Yi's plan, so he nodded and replied in a low voice, "Rest assured, I know my limits."
With that, Zhang Yi left the community.
After wandering around for half a day, he arrived at a municipal library. It was a sturdy building with several floors, so it wasn't submerged in snow. Most of the books inside still remained dry.
Zhang Yi wasn't particularly fond of reading in the past. In the information age, reading was gradually replaced by more convenient forms of entertainment. He spent his time swiping through pictures of beautiful women in black stockings on his phone.
But now, with the network on the verge of collapse, Zhang Yi had fewer entertainment options, and he seldom used his phone.
Therefore, he decided to find some books to pass the time and, hopefully, calm his gradually chilling heart through their content.
After spending more than half a day in the library, Zhang Yi picked up a copy of Haruki Murakami's "Norwegian Wood" and put it in his spacious pocket. The thick book carried the weight of human civilization, making people feel the richness of culture when placed in their pockets.
Other books were left behind, waiting for him to return and read when he had the time. If he took them all back now, he might not have the mood to do it after returning home.
When he returned, the sky had already dimmed. As usual, Zhang Yi gathered Uncle You and the others to maintain order, and then he informed the people from each unit to come down and collect their food.
This time, Zhang Yi saw blurry black figures at every window of each building. Those were the faces of people, eagerly watching him distribute food.
YOU ARE READING
Ice Apocalypse (Season 1)
FantasyIn a world plunged into an icy apocalypse, where 95% of the global population has perished, survival becomes paramount. Last time around, Zhang Yi, known for his kindness, met a tragic end at the hands of those he had once helped. Now, reborn a mont...
