For the time being, the main source of conflict was no longer on Zhang Yi's side.
Instead, it was between the various building units and even within the units themselves.
Through a single negotiation, Zhang Yi successfully created a rift in their loose alliance.
Moreover, by using the condition of only providing ten portions of food per building, he caused significant internal risks to develop within each group.
Now, he would wait and observe when and how the conflict would unfold.
But no matter the outcome, there would only be benefits for Zhang Yi, and no drawbacks.
...
As Zhang Yi had predicted, after Wang Qiang, Huang Tianfang, Li Jian, Chen Lingyu, and Zhang Yunian returned, the conflict exploded!
While the five of them were still negotiating with Zhang Yi, some people, ignoring their lives, began to gather forces and tried to storm building 25.
Had Zhang Yi not intimidated them with his sniper rifle, they surely wouldn't have survived!
Thus, the five of them were burning with anger.
After leaving building 25, these people began to settle scores with those who had made the decisions earlier.
The entire afternoon, screams echoed throughout the community as bloody purges began!
However, the next day, life seemed to return to calm.
No matter how many people had died, those who survived had to continue struggling to live.
Meanwhile, people from each building were sent to the central square to help with the snow clearing.
Zhang Yi knew that the building leaders had surely reached an unspoken agreement to hide the issue of "ten portions of food."
Otherwise, most residents wouldn't so obediently go down to work.
The snowstorm seemed slightly less intense today than usual.
For the first time in a long while, over a thousand people in the community gathered harmoniously, and surprisingly, their purpose wasn't to fight for food but to work together!
Everyone had tools in hand, looking around at their neighbors, and the initial awkwardness on their faces turned into warm smiles.
"It's been a long time since we've been out together like this!"
"Before the snowstorm hit, our community was so lively!"
"Yeah, every evening, everyone would come out for a walk. I remember you had a big golden retriever; it was so cute!"
"Ah, yes! Our dog, A Jin, was so well-behaved, so cute it made you feel sorry for it. Even if you hit it with a stick or stabbed it with a knife, it wouldn't bite. Ah~"
"Ha ha, let's not talk about it. After the snowstorm passes, we'll get another one!"
"Maybe by then, we'll only be able to keep an Arctic bear."
"Let's get to work! Our building leader said the more we work, the more food we'll get."
"Yeah, let's work hard. Let's experience life as farmers!"
"After this, life will get better!"
An elderly man looked up at the sky. The sky was a cloudy gray, but he felt as if he could see a faint hint of the sun.
It was as though the snow clouds were about to leave, and the bright sunlight would soon shine over the land, dispelling all the cold.
"Our community has reached a peace agreement. We won't have to fight and kill every day. We can eat enough and stay warm."
"This life is getting better and better!"
The old man smiled contentedly.
The entire atmosphere in the community had become unusually harmonious. Everyone worked together, chatting and laughing.
Though the snowstorm was still ongoing, the people no longer felt so exhausted because they now had hope for the future.
Even the temperature seemed to rise thanks to the large number of people gathered.
Wang Qiang and the other building leaders stood nearby, supervising the work.
Meanwhile, the neighbors had already grown accustomed to, and didn't even think it was wrong, that the leaders did nothing but enjoyed the best resources.
As for the actual manager, the only one still working hard was Li Jian.
Unlike everyone else's happy demeanor, his face was serious, and he quietly bent down to shovel snow, his focus unwavering.
Zhang Yi, fully armed, walked downstairs.
Seeing the scene, he couldn't help but smirk.
"Oh, Zhang Yi, are you out looking for supplies?"
Huang Tianfang from the adjacent building waved from a distance, also raising two fingers to remind Zhang Yi not to forget the cigarettes he promised him.
Zhang Yi smiled and said, "Yeah, everyone's working hard, and I can't be idle! Don't worry, your cigarettes won't be forgotten."
In the other direction, Wang Qiang from building 21 also shouted over.
"Zhang Yi, can you manage by yourself? If there's too much stuff, let me come with you!"
Zhang Yi laughed heartily. "What are you talking about? Don't I have a snowmobile? With it, I can carry anything, no matter how much!"
"That's settled then. Wait for me to come back! Oh, by the way, tell everyone not to slack off, and make sure they're working hard. I'll check on the progress when I return!"
"If the work isn't done well, food will be deducted!"
Zhang Yi said, his smile wide.
He pretended to head toward the back garage, and soon the sound of an engine started up as he drove off on the snowmobile.
Watching Zhang Yi leave, Wang Qiang's face darkened.
"Where exactly is he keeping that snowmobile? I've searched all around and couldn't find it!"
Huang Tianfang muttered under his breath, "So that thing's called a snowmobile, not a sled!"
...
Zhang Yi left the community and glanced back at the harmonious scene. He felt an inexplicable sense of irony.
But he didn't have time to pity those naïve people.
Though they had no personal vendettas with Zhang Yi, their sheer numbers posed a threat.
Letting them sort things out among themselves was advantageous to Zhang Yi.
On this trip, Zhang Yi didn't head straight to the supermarket but instead arrived at the Tianhai Mingzhu Mall in Tianhai City.
Tianhai Mingzhu was a famous old shopping center in the city, with a history of seventy years.
In the expensive, land-scarce Tianhai City, Tianhai Mingzhu was known for offering goods that were both cheap and of decent quality.
The main structure of Tianhai Mingzhu was a twelve-story shopping mall, with few big-name brands, mostly consisting of small shops around twenty to thirty square meters.
There were many stores selling cheap jewelry, counterfeit clothing, and so on.
In addition, there were stores selling underwear, hardware products, and even services like pant alterations.
Zhang Yi came here because he knew there was a veterinary shop.
After arriving at Tianhai Mingzhu, the main building was also half buried in snow, with only the upper part visible.
Zhang Yi found a suitable spot and broke through a window to enter.
Since the other stores were mostly low-end and uninteresting to him, Zhang Yi ignored them and headed straight for the veterinary shop.
It didn't take long for him to find the store.
Using a crowbar, Zhang Yi smashed the glass, entered the shop, and began searching the medicine cabinet.
It wasn't the old days when you couldn't buy rat poison at a pharmacy.
You could find deadly pesticides at certain stores, but their strong smell would give it away.
However, there was one substance, colorless and odorless, but with a deadly effect: rat poison!