Human nature is like this — people don’t fear scarcity, they fear inequality.

When everyone is suffering through a disaster, why should you look well-fed and neat, while others are starving to death?

Not only did the crowd not help, they were even waiting for the two of them to get closer so they could make a move to rob them!

Jiang Ning carried two knives — a butcher knife in her left hand, and a boning knife in her right.

With a cold expression, she shoved through the crowd and stood by the window, refusing to move.

Both knives were sharp, still stained with dried blood. The sight made the crowd instinctively back away two steps.

Someone, unwilling to yield, was about to lecture them — when Huo Yishen stepped forward as well.

The two of them stood like grim-faced gods of death, one on each side, mirroring each other.

Jiang Ning swept her gaze over the crowd, taking in everyone’s expressions, then said coldly, “Don’t give me any of that self-righteous crap. If anyone dares curse me or try to take our supplies — one person comes, I’ll cut one down. Two come, I’ll cut down a pair.”

The infamous reputation of the 18th floor was well-known throughout the building — everyone knew they were all dangerous.

These bastards lived in comfort, unwilling to share even a bit of their supplies. Last time, when someone tried to rob them, several were injured — one even died from blood loss.

Yesterday, someone had secretly reported them to the fire department. But the firefighters said they were only responsible for rescues — this wasn’t their jurisdiction. Once the floodwaters receded, they could report it to the police.

Seeing Jiang Ning’s stance, no one dared speak for a moment.

They were all afraid — one wrong word, and this crazy woman would start cutting people down!

Zheng Weili wasn’t a pushover either. She fought off several men and finally, with Lu Yu, swam to the base of the building.

Jiang Ning guarded against the people inside, while Huo Yishen helped bring things up.

Two bags of rice (20 jin each), one bag of flour (10 jin), some noodles and damp dried vegetables, two packs of candles, three large boxes of solid alcohol, fermented black beans and chili sauce.

Not much, but every bit was earned with blood and sweat.

Lu Yu was so exhausted he could barely stand. Zheng Weili had a slash wound on her arm, blood soaking through her clothes.

The surrounding crowd looked on, eyes glinting with greed, but no one dared make a move.

Yang Weicong and Su Mengyao stood in the crowd, faces twisted with complex hatred.

They wanted to cozy up to the group but knew Jiang Ning wouldn’t even look at them.

Someone eventually couldn’t hold back and asked to borrow the inflatable boat, saying they’d pay to rent it.

None of the four responded. With cold faces, they carried the supplies upstairs.

Behind them, a woman started cursing, with others joining in — condemning the 18th floor residents as cold-blooded and inhumane.

Zheng Weili was too weak to even speak.

Back on the 18th floor, Jiang Ning found iodine and bandages, and brought out anti-inflammatory meds.

The wound wasn’t too deep. She disinfected and wrapped it properly.

Both of them were still shaken, their souls half-floating.

They thought the building was chaotic — but the outside world was even worse.

They had arrived early in the rain, packed the inflatable boat, but soon, crowds flooded in.

More and more people blocked the way — like dumplings being thrown into a pot.

They finally waited for the supermarket to open.

Prices had shot up twentyfold. People rushed in non-stop, grabbing everything they saw — not just from shelves, but even from others’ hands.

With no internet, the store only took cash. Those with cash were happy. Those without tried trading gold jewelry — but it was slow and messy. Others just grabbed what they could and ran.

Police fired warning shots at first, and things calmed down briefly — but too many had no cash.

Supplies were limited. Soon, a second wave surged in — stealing and fleeing, chaos everywhere.

Everyone was scared. Scared that what little they managed to grab would get stolen right back.

Zheng Weili and Lu Yu escaped in the chaos — but the water was full of people, like a boiling pot.

People swarmed at them — some trying to rob their goods, others after the inflatable boat.

Even with Zheng Weili’s fighting skills, she couldn’t take them all. Some supplies were snatched. Her hand was slashed. Worst of all, someone even tried to stab the inflatable boat.

“If the raft wasn’t puncture-proof, we probably wouldn’t have made it back.”

This terrifying new world made Zheng Weili question humanity itself. She leaned weakly on Lu Yu, utterly drained.

Jiang Ning didn’t know how to comfort her. The apocalypse had only just begun.

Before they could catch their breath, there was a knock downstairs.

Good grief. A huge crowd — dozens of people packed in, spilling all the way into the corridor on the 17th floor.

Jiang Ning frowned. Were they coming to rob them?

Zheng Weili had risked her life for those supplies. These people didn’t dare brave the outside, so now they had their eyes on the 18th floor — hoping to take the easy route.

Tired and silent, none of them spoke. They quietly grabbed their weapons and headed downstairs.

Four pairs of eyes radiating killing intent stunned the crowd into silence. But despite their fear, they were reluctant to back down. With such a large group, they figured they still had a chance — confidence started to swell again.

A middle-aged man in glasses stepped forward, smiling widely.

“Don’t misunderstand — we come with no ill intent.”

Jiang Ning’s face was icy. “What do you want?”

“Hello, I’m He Zhi’an. I was elected as the floor representative. We’d like to discuss forming a team to go out and search for supplies.”

He kept smiling. Seeing the four of them staying silent behind the door, he explained awkwardly, “There’s been no government rescue yet, and the outside is complete chaos. It’s dangerous to go out alone — even if you find supplies, you might get robbed. So we thought of forming a team of capable people. That way, we can watch each other’s backs.”

“Do you have a boat or raft?”

“Well… that’s why we came to talk to you.” He Zhi’an chuckled awkwardly. “We’re all neighbors, after all. We see each other every day. In times of real disaster, we should look out for each other, right?”

The first half was soft talk — the second half was clearly a veiled threat.

Jiang Ning paused briefly. “Wait a moment. We’ll discuss.”

She signaled to the others, then walked to the window.

“What do you all think?” she asked.

Zheng Weili, hot-tempered as ever, couldn’t stand being threatened.

If they wanted that raft, they’d have to step over her dead body. She’d drag a few down with her — anyone not afraid to die could try.

“These people are even sneakier than they look. Why not just lend them the raft?” Lu Yu said more calmly. “A wise man avoids immediate losses. If we push them too far, they’ll rush us — and we’ll be the ones who lose.”

Zheng Weili disagreed. “No way. If we give in now, they’ll never stop.”

Jiang Ning turned to Room 1801. “What about you?”

“I don’t care. You all decide.”

“Going out to scavenge with them is out of the question. Even if we find something, with this many people, it’ll barely be enough for a mouthful. It’ll just lead to more scheming.”

“Why not lend them the raft — let them go look for boats?” Jiang Ning offered her idea. “There are plenty of outdoor gear shops in the city. If they go early, they might find more rafts or inflatable boats. Then they won’t keep targeting us.”

“Ning, that makes sense,” Lu Yu said. “But it’s chaotic out there — what if the raft gets stolen or damaged? What’ll we do then?”

“Don’t forget — I have another raft.”

Huo Yishen spoke up. “I have an assault boat.”

Lu Yu: “……”

Zheng Weili: “……”