Chapter 22 Natural disasters are merciless, but man-made calamities are intentional.
More ruthless than natural disasters are man-made disasters.
Under Zhang Fengqiang's plunder, the supplies that could have sustained several families for a few weeks have now all been stolen.
A family on the 9th floor had a large amount of food hidden in their home. Zhang Fengqiang broke into the house and brought a group of people, all of whom were young and strong men who had chosen to join him because of his ruthlessness and the abundance of supplies.
While they were searching, the woman was still hiding rice and flour under the bed.
After being discovered, the man tried to resist, swinging his fists to fight, but his fists were no match for the iron axe. Zhang Fengqiang had become somewhat obsessed with looting supplies these past few days, and with one swing of his axe, he severed the man's elbow.
Seeing this, the woman disregarded the supplies and rushed into the kitchen, grabbing a cleaver and ready to fight to the death. The teenage boy burst into tears...
The cries of teenagers are extremely penetrating.
The building suddenly became lively, attracting quite a few onlookers.
Everyone was fed up with Zhang Fengqiang's apocalyptic exploitation, but most people were unwilling to stand up for him and dared not speak out.
Now that someone has taken the lead, everyone is springing up like mushrooms after rain to watch the excitement and add fuel to the fire.
Neither Yu Miaomiao nor Lu An liked watching excitement; these were all things the little messenger had written in his composition for her to hear.
Despite her young age, Yao Yao's writing is quite objective and calm, showing none of the timidity and unease I felt when I first met her. Her words reveal courage and resilience.
The woman was desperate and had no choice but to fight to the death, since all their food and drink had been stolen and they were doomed anyway.
The couple scrimped and saved, going hungry, their hope for life almost extinguished. They survived until today only because they couldn't let go of their child, who was still young and hadn't yet experienced the world before the end of the world arrived.
Overwhelmed with grief, he raised a kitchen knife and slashed at Zhang Fengqiang. The man lying on the ground bleeding profusely also got up and fought Zhang Fengqiang and the others, showing a determination to fight to the death.
The man grabbed Zhang Fengqiang and slammed him against the glass window of the balcony. The glass, frozen and shaky by the extreme cold, was no match for the force of the impact, and the two of them fell into the icy snow.
However, because the floodwaters were frozen over, the nine-story building fell less than a meter off the ice.
The lack of a fatal blow gave Zhang Fengqiang a chance to counterattack.
Driven mad, he swung the axe at the man's neck. Blood splattered onto the ice, staining a large area of the open ground crimson like maple leaves.
These were all witnessed by Yu Miaomiao and Lu An standing by the window.
This was the first time Lu An had ever witnessed a real, bloody killing scene. Even though Yu Miaomiao had instilled in her hundreds of times that the apocalypse would amplify the ugliness of human nature and that death would be commonplace, she still turned her head away and dared not look at it again.
It's common in movies and TV series, and there are even things a thousand times more terrifying than this, but the impact is still enormous when the real scene is right in front of you.
As a result, the family didn't eat meat for two consecutive days, and it was just plain soup and water every day.
Seeing that her husband was lifeless, the woman raised a kitchen knife and slashed at Zhang Fengqiang, but she was no match for him and died in the freezing snow.
When Zhang Fengqiang and the others returned, they took all the food. The boy was clearly terrified. He ran crying to his parents' bodies, knelt down and cried for a long time before falling silent.
The family stood like ice sculptures on the ice in front of the building, and the blood was gradually covered by the wind and snow. A crime was insignificant in the face of natural disaster.
A society that has lost its order cannot be called a society; it can only be called a jungle where the strong prey on the weak.
None of the other onlookers dared to cause trouble; they all silently returned to their homes and locked their doors.
Natural disasters are merciless, but man-made disasters are even more merciless.
Zhang Fengqiang and his gang plundered one floor each day. After experiencing the murder on the 9th floor, the other floors cooperated by handing over supplies to buy their lives. They were about to reach the 17th floor.
"I heard the 17th floor is a fat sheep." Zhang Fengqiang twirled his axe, his face no longer showing any of the refined manners he had before the apocalypse; now, only bloodlust and cruelty remained in his eyes. He had previously heard Liu Mengmei say that she had personally witnessed two women on the 17th floor constantly receiving packages, buying a lot of things to take home.
He called the Yuan father and son over, pointed the axe at Yuan Lixuan's arm, and said, "Is this what that woman on the 17th floor did? That woman is ruthless. Do you want revenge?"
"Yes, yes, it's that little bitch. But she has a Tang sword in her hand, incredibly sharp." Yuan Yong gritted his teeth with hatred at the thought of the woman who hurt his son. His arm had recovered considerably, but it had left him with a chronic condition, and he could no longer lift heavy objects.
"That woman doesn't just have a Tang sword; she's also quite skilled in martial arts."
Lin Miaorong walked into the room from outside and touched Zhang Fengqiang's shoulder in a teasing manner.
She has now completely degenerated into a plaything for men. Anyone who has sided with Zhang Fengqiang can sleep with her whenever they want, and she exchanges this for Zhang Fengqiang's protection and food.
The culprit who caused her to become what she is now is Yu Miaomiao.
"Really? Even if she's got some skills, she can't beat so many of us. We'll go meet that woman tonight." Zhang Fengqiang pinched Lin Miaorong's buttocks, waved to the people around him, and they all tactfully left, closing the door behind them. Lin Miaorong then straddled Zhang Fengqiang's lap... Soon, strange sounds came from inside the room.
Zhang Fengqiang's wife has become a mere figurehead. She can only turn a blind eye to these matters. Making a fuss would only result in a beating, so she might as well ignore it. In any case, Zhang Fengqiang hasn't neglected the mother and son in terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities.
Meanwhile, a new note was slipped into the iron door of the 17th-floor corridor.
This time it wasn't a letter from the tent neighbor, but a warning from He Liang.
He told Yu Miaomiao about Zhang Fengqiang and the others' plans, of course, with a purpose: he hoped to exchange information about their upcoming plans for food and water from Yu Miaomiao.
He Liang was unwilling to associate with Zhang Fengqiang and his group, but given the current situation, he had no choice but to play the subservient role.
He would occasionally hide some food under the sofa, planning to save up enough food to leave and try his luck outside. It might be a dead end, but it was better than living here with a serial killer.
Lu An took the note and quickly returned to his room to discuss with Yu Miaomiao. They decided to exchange some food and water for their upcoming attack plan, which was certainly a worthwhile deal.
The two sides quickly reached an agreement. Yu Miaomiao handed water and food to He Liang, who then told her Zhang Fengqiang's plan in detail.
Zhang Fengqiang planned to smash the iron gate at 11 p.m. A while ago, they went out to scavenge for supplies and found ether in an abandoned clinic. After sneaking into their room, they would use the ether to knock out Yu Miaomiao and the other girl. Naturally, they planned to have some fun with their brothers before killing them, and the supplies would be theirs for the taking.
"Miaomiao, what should we do?" Lu An was at a loss for what to do and looked at Yu Miaomiao. Anyway, they were on the same side, and if they had to fight, they would just pull out their guns. There was probably nothing to be afraid of.