Three days after the apocalypse began, the real drama finally started.
Zhang Yi knew what would happen today, so he hadn't slept all night, waiting eagerly for the show to unfold.
What happened was quite simple.
The entire Yue Lu community suddenly experienced a power outage!
Shortly after, due to the domino effect of the power outage, the water supply company was unable to function properly, leading to a water supply failure. Every household lost access to water.
This was all within Zhang Yi's expectations.
At the onset of the apocalypse, no one could have predicted how long this extreme cold disaster would last.
The authorities were still doing their best to handle the snow disaster. But as the days passed, by the third day, they realized that this was a problem far beyond human control.
With the extreme cold, major hydropower plants shut down one by one, and thermal power plants were unable to continue operating due to workers being unable to function. Once cities across the country exhausted their stored energy, power outages became inevitable.
At this point, only a few nuclear power plants were still operational, but the energy generated was solely reserved for government use.
The loss of power and water plunged ordinary people's lives into darkness.
Zhang Yi turned on his phone and saw that several group chats were flooded with messages, all showing "99+."
"Does your place have power?"
"Our house lost power too! And there's no running water. What's going on?"
"Same here—no water, no electricity! It's freezing, and we can't even use the heaters anymore. How are we supposed to live through this?"
"Why isn't the government stepping in to fix this? If this keeps going, people are going to freeze to death."
Zhang Yi silently shook his head.
At this point, the authorities could no longer take care of everyone. Survival would now depend on oneself.
He knew that today marked the true beginning of the apocalypse.
And with the loss of modern society's energy and food, humanity would soon face a massive wave of deaths.
Thinking about this, Zhang Yi glanced around his home, feeling a mix of fear and relief.
Seeing his home warm and secure, like a fortress, and knowing he had stockpiles of endless supplies in his hidden space, he felt a comforting sense of security.
In the community's owner group chat, tension and complaints were rampant.
"How long is this snow going to last? The heater's not working, and it's -30°C inside the house!"
"If this continues, people are really going to freeze to death!"
"The water's out too. Are we supposed to drink melted snow?"
"We're almost out of food. The snow has blocked the doors, and we can't even go to the supermarket. What are we supposed to do?"
Some people started calling out to Aunt Lin.
"Aunt Lin, didn't you say everything would be fine?"
"Yeah, I didn't stock up on supplies because I believed you. Now what are we supposed to do?"
"When are the authorities going to come and rescue us? Say something!"
Facing the neighbors' questions, Aunt Lin was filled with anxiety and fear herself.
In fact, she was more scared than they were.
The other residents didn't know what the authorities had planned for their rescue, but Aunt Lin had already received some inside information through the neighborhood committee.
"The entire world is covered in snow right now. They say it's a once-in-a-hundred-thousand-year snowstorm. We might be facing another mass extinction, an apocalypse!"
"Though the authorities are trying their best to cope, with over a billion people in the country, it's impossible to save everyone."
"Many of the country's key cities have already fallen!"
"If we want to survive, we'll have to rely on ourselves. Stock up on as much food and heating fuel as possible."
"I've already started going door-to-door, collecting supplies in the name of the neighborhood committee."
"But… isn't that harming others?"
"Harming others? If I don't do this, my family will freeze or starve to death within three days! I can't afford to care about anyone else right now!"
"Who knows how many people will die from this snowstorm? I need to take care of myself and my family first."
"That's right. While we still have some influence, we need to gather as many supplies as we can. At times like this, survival is all that matters!"
Aunt Lin stared at the neighborhood committee chat messages, trembling violently.
Even though the indoor temperature was now below -30°C, cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
Lying in bed under three heavy blankets, she felt suffocated but didn't dare throw them off because the room was like an ice cellar.
At that moment, her grandson, Little Tiger, lying beside her, asked, "Grandma, why is it so cold outside? When are Dad and Mom coming home?"
Looking at her little grandson, Aunt Lin's heart sank.
She had just spoken with her son and daughter-in-law earlier today. They were both working out of town and trapped in their rented apartment, facing a situation no better than hers.
"I have to protect both of us. We must survive!"
Aunt Lin bit her lip hard, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Little Tiger. Daddy and Mommy will be back soon."
After comforting her grandson, Aunt Lin picked up her phone and started addressing the owner group.
"Everyone, the disaster is only temporary. It's not unusual for the water and power to go out in such extreme cold."
"Rest assured, repair crews are already working on it."
"The government has issued a notice that during these extraordinary times, the neighborhood committee will be managing the community. We ask for your cooperation."
"If anyone refuses to cooperate and causes serious consequences, we will report them to the police for arrest and investigation!"
Aunt Lin's harsh words sparked outrage among the homeowners.
None of them had expected the neighborhood committee to threaten them instead of addressing their own negligence.
However, fear kept everyone silent, and no one dared to openly oppose her.
Zhang Yi, holding his phone, calmly watched Aunt Lin's messages.
He raised an eyebrow and let out a sneer.
He knew Aunt Lin was lying. In his previous life, she had used this despicable tactic to trick a lot of supplies out of others.
But he had no intention of exposing her schemes.
After all, whether the other residents lived or died had nothing to do with him.
Zhang Yi turned on his TV and resumed playing his game.
No electricity or water?
It didn't matter. He had stockpiled a vast amount of batteries, engines, fuel, and solid alcohol in his warehouse.
As for water, he had stored 500 tons of tap water, not to mention tens of thousands of tons of bottled water and beverages in his warehouse.
And if necessary, he could always melt snow to obtain water.
In short, Zhang Yi lacked neither fresh water nor energy.