Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Chapter 121: Harmony

Chapter 121: Harmony

For the next period, the focus of conflicts shifted away from Zhang Yi and toward the other units and the internal affairs of each building.

Through a successful negotiation, Zhang Yi managed to create cracks in their loose alliance and leveraged the condition of only providing ten portions of food per building to instigate significant internal unrest.

Now, he observed when and how the conflicts would arise. Regardless of the outcome, it would only benefit him.

As expected, the moment Wang Qiang, Huang Tianfang, Li Jian, Chen Lingyu, and Zhang Yunan returned, conflicts erupted!

While the five of them were negotiating with Zhang Yi, some people had already disregarded their safety and tried to storm Building 25. If not for Zhang Yi's deterrence with the sniper rifle, those five wouldn’t have survived.

Naturally, these five were furious. After leaving Building 25, they immediately began to settle scores with those who made the decisions to attack. Throughout the entire afternoon, the neighborhood echoed with screams as a bloody purge commenced.

However, the next day, life seemed to return to normal. No matter how many had died, the survivors had to continue struggling to live. Each building sent people to the central plaza to clear the snow.

Zhang Yi knew that the building leaders had likely conspired to hide the "ten portions of supplies" detail. Otherwise, most residents wouldn’t obediently come down to work.

Today's snowstorm seemed milder than usual. The long-missed harmonious gathering of over a thousand people in the community wasn’t for a scramble over supplies, but for collective labor.

Holding their tools, everyone looked at their neighbors working around them. Their smiles were awkward at first but gradually turned warm.

"It’s been so long since we all came out together like this!"

"Before the snow disaster, our community was so lively!"

"Yes, every evening, everyone would come out for a walk. I remember your family had a golden retriever, so adorable!"

"Ah, yes! Our dog, Little Jin, was so well-behaved, that even if you hit it with a stick or a knife, it wouldn’t bite back. Such a sweetheart."

"Hehe, let’s not talk about it. After the snow disaster, maybe we’ll get another one!"

"By then, we might only be able to keep polar bears."

"Let’s get to work! Our building leader said the more we work, the more food we get."

"Yes, let’s work hard. We can experience the life of farmers!"

"With hope for the future, life is looking up!"

An elderly man looked up at the sky. It was a bleak gray, but he fancied he could see a faint sun, as if the snow clouds were about to clear and bright sunshine would soon spread, driving away all the cold.

"We’ve reached a peace agreement in our community. No more fighting and killing every day. We can eat and stay warm."

"Life is getting better and better!"

The elderly man smiled contentedly.

The entire community atmosphere turned harmonious. Everyone worked together, chatting and laughing. Despite the ongoing snowstorm, having hope made the hard work seem easier. The large gathering even made it feel warmer.

Wang Qiang and the other building leaders oversaw the work with their subordinates. The residents had long been used to this and even felt it was natural for the leaders to enjoy the most resources without doing any work.

Only Li Jian, as a leader, still worked diligently, shoveling snow with a serious expression while the others enjoyed themselves.

Fully armed, Zhang Yi came downstairs. Seeing this scene, he smiled slightly.

"Hey, Zhang Yi, heading out to find supplies?" Huang Tianfang from the neighboring building greeted Zhang Yi from afar, waving and signaling for the cigarettes Zhang Yi had promised.

Zhang Yi smiled warmly, "Yes, everyone is working hard. I can't slack off! Don’t worry, your cigarettes are safe."

From another direction, Wang Qiang shouted, "Zhang Yi, can you manage alone? If there’s too much stuff, I can help!"

Zhang Yi laughed heartily, "No need, I have my snowmobile. It can carry as much as needed!"

"Alright then, wait for me to return! And make sure everyone works hard. I’ll check the progress when I get back. If it’s not good enough, I’ll deduct supplies!"

He spoke with a big smile, then pretended to head to the back garage. Soon, the sound of an engine roared, and Zhang Yi rode off on his snowmobile.

Watching Zhang Yi leave, Wang Qiang's face darkened. "Where the hell does he keep that vehicle? I've searched everywhere and can't find it!"

Huang Tianfang muttered, "So it’s called a snowmobile, not a sled."

...

Leaving the community, Zhang Yi glanced back at the harmonious scene, feeling a strange sense of irony.

However, he had no time to sympathize with the residents. Their large numbers posed a threat to him, and letting them solve their problems themselves only benefited Zhang Yi.

This time, Zhang Yi didn't head to the supermarket but to Tianhai Pearl Mall, a famous old mall with a history of seventy years in Tianhai City. Known for its affordable and good-quality products, the twelve-story building housed mostly small shops selling cheap jewelry, knock-off clothes, underwear, hardware, and more.

Zhang Yi went there because he knew of a veterinary shop in the mall. Upon arrival, he found the upper half of the building sticking out of the snow. Finding a suitable spot, he broke in through a window. Ignoring the other stores with little interest, he headed straight for the veterinary shop.

Inside, Zhang Yi used a crowbar to smash the glass and began rummaging through the medicine cabinets. Nowadays, you couldn't buy arsenic from pharmacies, but rat poison was still available, colorless and tasteless, yet deadly.