Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Xie Limei, sitting on the bed and feeding the baby, undid her blouse to help the child swallow the medicine. She didn’t argue with Uncle You but responded in a soft, vulnerable voice, “I did it for the child. You know, my only motivation for living now is the baby. If anything happens to her, what’s the point of me living?”

Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke.

Uncle You, turning to see her exposed chest, felt his heart soften despite his stern demeanor. His tone softened, “I understand your intentions, but we must show gratitude for kindness received. Without Zhang Yi, I wouldn’t have thought to stockpile supplies and would not have survived this long! I owe him a great debt that I must repay.”

At that moment, Xie Limei’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Actually, I don’t think you need to be so grateful to Zhang Yi. If he truly trusted you, he would have let us in to sit and chat. Instead, he threw the medicine out the window without showing his face. Isn’t that being cautious?”

Uncle You felt a pang of anger. “What nonsense are you saying? He was kind enough to give us medicine. How can you twist his kindness like that?”

Xie Limei calmly continued, “I’m not talking nonsense. Sure, he helped you, but it didn’t cost him much. Maybe he’s giving you small favors now, hoping you’ll become his lackey in the future. If he were truly a good person, could he have used such ruthless methods to kill dozens of neighbors? Unless he lets us live in his house, I won’t believe he’s a good person. His house is big enough for the three of us.”

Before she could finish, Uncle You shouted, “Enough!”

His face turned red with anger, scaring Xie Limei and making the baby cry.

Xie Limei hurriedly comforted the baby, apologizing softly, “I’m sorry. I was just worried. Being extra cautious isn’t wrong in these times.”

Uncle You said coldly, “Don’t ever say such things again! I know the difference between right and wrong. If I doubt my benefactor, am I still human?”

Uncle You, though simple-hearted, wasn’t foolish. He knew that even if Zhang Yi helped with an ulterior motive, it didn’t matter. There are no unprovoked acts of kindness in this world. Having worked as a security guard for over ten years, he understood the ways of the world.

Xie Limei, realizing Uncle You’s anger, decided not to push further. But this didn’t mean she gave up on convincing him. She desperately wanted to live in Zhang Yi’s warm house. Looking at her eight-month-old baby, she made a silent vow to do whatever it took to survive.

...

That night, the silver moonlight cast a cold and lonely glow over the snow-covered landscape. Snow had been falling for nearly a month, sometimes heavily, sometimes lightly, but never ceasing. The snow in the Yue Lu neighborhood piled up to the roofs, covering the ground in a thick white blanket.

Most people, out of habit, slept at this time.

The entrance to Building 25 was completely blocked by tons of snow, creating an impenetrable barrier. Suddenly, the snow at the entrance seemed to shift, with bits of ice falling to the ground. Soon, a large chunk of ice was pushed out, and a shovel emerged from the opening.

The hole grew larger as more snow was cleared, revealing ten figures dressed in heavy clothing, armed with shovels, rebar, and axes. The leader, a small, gaunt man with sharp, intimidating eyes, directed them to move forward quietly.

"Move up!" he commanded in a low voice.

The group moved with precision, some carrying makeshift shields made from wooden boards and frying pans. As they reached the tenth floor, they encountered a resident sneaking down to fetch snow. Without a word, a burly man swung his shovel, striking the resident's head.

Blood splattered on the wall as the resident fell without a sound.

The burly man turned to the leader and asked, “Second Uncle, what should we do with him?”

“Second Uncle” replied, “Leave him here for now. We’ll deal with him after the job is done.”

The group continued climbing, their target: Apartment 2401, Zhang Yi’s home.

At this moment, Zhang Yi was fast asleep, with Zhou Ke'er locked in the adjacent guest room.

The intruders silently reached the 24th floor, showing no signs of exhaustion despite the climb, indicating they were not ordinary people but might be from special professions.

Arriving at Zhang Yi’s door, they didn’t rush to break in. The leader signaled for silence and called, “Old Donkey, come here!”

A middle-aged man wearing a gray knitted hat and carrying a gray backpack stepped forward.

“Get this door open,” the leader instructed.

Old Donkey nodded, “Leave it to me.”

He set his backpack down in front of Zhang Yi’s door and pulled out various tools, including detonators and several rectangular objects wrapped in yellow tape. After a while, everyone hid in the hallway.

“Boom!”

An earth-shattering explosion echoed through the building, waking everyone from their sleep.

Zhang Yi was no exception. The explosion right outside his door left his ears ringing, and his eardrums throbbing with pain.