Apocalyptic Rebirth

44.Why should I give alms?

The fate that awaited Liu Tiantian remained unknown to all, for although no one had witnessed it firsthand, the outcome could be surmised.

A young girl falling into the clutches of a pack of wolves—what possible future could await her?

Even if Chen Zhenghao and his gang spared her life, she would be left with nothing but an existence waiting for death.

Yet, there was not an overwhelming sense of grief among the others; instead, a collective sigh of relief echoed through their hearts.

At least Liu Tiantian could sustain Chen Zhenghao and his gang for a while.

But even so, this served as a stark warning to the other residents.

If things continued down this path, their own survival would be in doubt.

One afternoon, Zhang Yi found himself unexpectedly pulled into a chat group.

He chuckled in silence, aware that in this ever-changing environment, suspicions among people were growing, and small groups were forming more frequently.

It was as if they believed that by banding together, they would grow stronger.

Zhang Yi glanced at the group members and noticed there were only six or seven of them.

Zhou Peng, Fang Yuqing, Lin Caining were all there, along with a few other neighbors.

Zhang Yi furrowed his brow slightly, wondering what they wanted.

But soon, someone took the initiative to approach him.

Fang Yuqing: "@Zhang Yi, Zhang Yi, it's too dangerous outside now. Chen Zhenghao and his gang will eventually come for us. We must unite for our survival."

Zhang Yi replied indifferently, "I'm fine on my own right now."

Lin Caining chimed in, "That's not the point. You're alone, and Chen Zhenghao has five or six people with him, and they're armed with guns. You're not safe."

Zhang Yi smirked. "Why don't you go and ask Chen Zhenghao who broke his leg?"

Chen Zhenghao hadn't dared to seek revenge yet, knowing that Zhang Yi was a tough nut to crack.

Zhang Yi asked, "So, what do you all have in mind?"

Fang Yuqing quickly responded, "Right now, we're living separately, and it's too dangerous. We've decided to move in together. That way, even if we face Chen Zhenghao, we'll have the strength to resist."

Zhang Yi chuckled. "What, you think you'll be safe from Chen Zhenghao's guns by staying together?"

It was laughable; if having more people made a difference, with over fifty households in the building and more than a hundred people, they could easily overwhelm Chen Zhenghao together.

But everyone was a coward; coming together was just for peace of mind.

Another person in the group spoke up. His name was Sun Zhichao, and Zhang Yi remembered him as a white-collar worker in finance.

"With more people, at least they'll be wary of us. And we can seal off the entrance together to prevent them from breaking in."

"But right now, what we lack is a good stronghold."

Fang Yuqing quickly added, "Zhang Yi, your place has a balcony, and your security door is very sturdy. It's perfect for resisting Chen Zhenghao."

"So, we hope you can join our team, and together, we can stand up against Chen Zhenghao!"

By this point, Zhang Yi understood their intentions.

Most likely, Fang Yuqing had informed these people that his house was exceptional.

It was highly probable that they all knew about Zhang Yi's perfect insulation system and abundant food supply.

Zhang Yi let out a sarcastic laugh.

They thought they could pull a fast one on him, even from several floors away!

Without any hesitation, Zhang Yi said, "I don't need it, thanks. I'm quite comfortable on my own right now. If you want to live together, find your own place!"

Sharing his home with seven or eight people? It was out of the question!

After being rejected by Zhang Yi, the people in the group were clearly displeased.

Sun Zhichao said, "Zhang Yi, we're all in mortal danger now. You can't be so shortsighted! Only by sticking together can we survive!"

Another group member, Wang Min, added, "We chose your place just because your floor has a balcony for collecting snowwater. We can also protect you, you know!"

Zhang Yi's mouth twisted into a smile.

Did they know what kind of life he was living now?

Protection? Really, they had the nerve to say that!

Fang Yuqing, hiding in her blanket, pursed her lips and then began her persuasive tactics.

She knew Zhang Yi didn't like her and wouldn't let her into his home, so she used the others to morally pressure him.

She thought that, even though she and Lin Caining, Zhou Peng, and others had treated him badly, Zhang Yi should still be more forgiving in a life-or-death situation.

Lin Caining said, "Zhang Yi, okay, we admit we need your help. But think about it, by letting us into your home, you can save seven or eight lives!"

"Can you really watch us get killed by Chen Zhenghao? We've been friends and neighbors for so many years!"

Zhang Yi did know all seven or eight of these people, and he had good relationships with some of them, even a colleague from work.

They all chimed in, asking Zhang Yi, based on their past friendships, to let them in.

However, the Zhang Yi who had been persecuted to death in a previous life was no longer the same kind-hearted person.

The people who had taken advantage of him before were mostly in this group now.

In this apocalyptic world, what was there to talk about humanity?

Surviving on one's own was the only way!

So, he said, "In these circumstances, everyone has to rely on their own abilities to survive. You have no value to me, so why should I protect you?"

After saying this, Zhang Yi chose to leave the group.

Dreaming of taking advantage of him!

By being heartless, he wouldn't be manipulated.

After the conversation, Zhang Yi took a box of potato chips from another dimension.

He went to the window and sat on a soft recliner, eating chips while observing the snowy scenery outside.

Ignoring the extreme cold, the snow-covered landscape was undeniably beautiful.

At that moment, he suddenly saw a moving black dot on the 18th floor in front of him, followed by a desperate scream.

Zhang Yi carefully observed and realized that the falling object was a person.

Moments later, the person plunged into the deep snow, at least six or seven meters deep.

With the temperature outside below minus seventy degrees Celsius, being buried in thick snow meant certain death.

It seemed that the situation in other units was similar.

As resources dwindled, competition and even violence had erupted everywhere!

Anywhere people were, it was turning into a hell on Earth.

Zhang Yi, eating potato chips, contemplated the future with these thoughts in mind.

It appeared that, in addition to guarding against his neighbors in this unit, he needed to be more cautious of surviving outsiders.

In this apocalyptic world, anything could happen.