The words of the wealthy second-generation Lin Hao caused the entire group chat to explode!
"What? 2,000 yuan for a pack of instant noodles? Did I… did I hear that right?"
"Hey, stop raising the prices like this! I'm starting to get scared."
Some people tremblingly said, "The snowstorm… it'll pass, right? There's really no need to do this…"
They sent a voice message, but the quivering tone already showed how panicked they were inside.
People hadn't completely given up hope. Every morning when they woke up, they still hoped to see the snow stop, the sun rise, and life return to normal.
But the incident of the wealthy mother Xie Limei and the second-generation rich Chen Hao offering exorbitant prices for food deeply touched the fragile strings in their hearts.
Someone, pretending to remain calm, said, "Are you kidding? 2,000 yuan for a pack of instant noodles? Do you really think the apocalypse is here? Haha!"
"It's just a heavy snowstorm, nothing more. Winter came a bit early this year! It's not like zombies are surrounding the city, so why overreact?"
Zhang Yi saw this message and couldn't help but smile and shake his head.
Zombies surrounding the city?
Don't compare such a low-end scenario with the current Ice Age apocalypse.
Zombies, though terrifying, could still be fought off by human strength.
But facing a natural disaster, humankind was as fragile as insects in the face of the universe's power.
They had no idea how terrifying the disaster they were facing truly was.
Xu Hao arrogantly spoke in the group, "Don't worry about it! I've got the money. Can't I just spend it for peace of mind? If you want to sell, DM me. If not, forget it!"
Xu Hao acted like he didn't care.
But Zhang Yi had already seen through him—his indifference was a facade, and he was actually scared.
Otherwise, there's no way he would offer 2,000 yuan for a pack of noodles!
It wasn't hard to figure out.
Although Xu Hao was wealthy, with assets worth billions, in the apocalypse, he couldn't even order takeout, let alone enjoy his luxurious life.
Wealthy people aren't necessarily kind, but they're certainly not stupid.
Realizing the severity of the crisis, Xu Hao started buying up supplies from the neighbors at high prices.
Xie Limei, the mother, cried out, "How can you do this? We've got nothing left to eat. Buying food is a matter of life and death!"
Xu Hao responded bluntly, "I'm not robbing you. I'm just offering a higher price. Who sells to whom is their own business. Who are you to tell me what to do?"
Seeing Xu Hao ignore her, Xie Limei continued to plead in the group, "Please, help us. My daughter is only nine months old. I have no food, no milk for her. Both of us will starve to death!"
There was silence in the group chat in response to Xie Limei's plea.
At that moment, the selfish side of human nature was fully exposed.
Xu Hao was offering 2,000 yuan per pack of noodles!
And Xie Limei was offering half that price.
Considering the average salary in Tianhai City is around 5,000 yuan, who would want to sell their hard-earned supplies for so little?
Several people had already privately messaged Xu Hao to discuss deals.
Xie Limei seemed to realize what was happening and continued to cry for help in the group.
But still, no one spoke up, not even to comfort her.
After all, once you speak up, Xie Limei might think you're soft-hearted and latch onto you!
This helpless mother cried bitterly, overwhelmed by panic.
With an eight-month-old child in tow, she found it hard enough to take care of herself, let alone a helpless baby.
Zhang Yi's mind flashed with memories of Xie Limei from his previous life.
He didn't have a strong impression of her because she always portrayed herself as the delicate, sympathetic mother.
She had used this image to gain sympathy and survive by collecting supplies.
However, one thing struck him as strange.
In his memory, Xie Limei and her daughter had ended up living just fine.
At this point, Zhang Yi's eyes flickered with a sharp gleam.
This woman was definitely not as simple as she appeared. Everything that seemed pink and sweet had a dark side when peeled open.
After his death, she likely benefited from it too.
Zhang Yi understood that having a "savior complex" in the apocalypse could be deadly.
So, he stayed silent, choosing to observe Xie Limei coldly.
Many people died in the apocalypse, and he just wanted to take care of himself. As for others, if they died, they died.
However, Xie Limei's pleas eventually had some effect.
Uncle You, the security guard, softened and agreed to give her some food.
Xie Limei thanked Uncle You profusely, claiming she would never forget his kindness for the rest of her life.
Through the surveillance, Zhang Yi noticed that Xu Hao, using his money, eventually bought supplies from many neighbors.
The amount wasn't too large, but it would be enough to sustain him and his girlfriend for a few weeks.
Zhang Yi sneered, "This is the last gasp of money in the apocalypse."
It wouldn't be long before people realized, as their supplies ran out, that money had become worthless, and that supplies were the true king.
By then, many people would regret selling their supplies for money.
Xu Hao had indeed set a bad precedent in the group.
Moreover, since many of the residents in the building were friends or colleagues, Xu Hao's high-priced purchases had impacted everyone around him.
Once he set the price for supplies with real money, everyone realized just how scarce those supplies were!
Now, everyone held their supplies tighter and more desperately.
At the beginning of the snowstorm, some people were still willing to share or trade supplies with neighbors amicably.
But now, they had become more miserly than ever.
Even when asking their best friends for food, they would find every excuse to refuse.
On the tenth day of the Ice Age apocalypse, in Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining's home, the supplies were almost exhausted.
The two women, who once had picky tastes and loved high-end food, were now fighting over a single pack of instant noodles.
The food they had bought before, along with what the lovesick Zhou Peng had brought, had dwindled to almost nothing.
At the rate things were going, they would starve to death in about a week.
Both of them were wrapped in blankets, sitting on the sofa, their faces pale and gaunt. On the coffee table in front of them lay a pack of unopened compressed biscuits.
Lin Caining glanced at the biscuits and said to Fang Yuqing, "Yuqing, this is our last pack of biscuits."
Fang Yuqing's eyes were filled with pain.
In the past, she would never have allowed such coarse food to touch her delicate throat, even if you paid her.
But now, every time she ate, she cleaned the crumbs off the floor, unable to bear throwing anything away, eating every last bit.