The fight was won, the snow falling unrelenting

The fight was won, the snow falling unrelenting, but something had changed—our building had battled and emerged victorious in its first genuine fight for existence. It came at a price, however. As I re-entered the room, Joe stood by the window, her face ashen with concern. Her eyes fixed on the destruction outside, where the bodies of both neighbors and combatants sprawled in the snow. I put a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," I whispered. "I've chased them off."

Joe spun around, her eyes glazing over with unshed tears. "These individuals were hostile," she breathed, her voice shaking. "But… what's next? What if they return? And who knows what other dangers exist?" The concern in her tone echoed my own silent fears. The apocalypse was far from over—it was merely beginning.

I smiled faintly, trying to ease her nerves. "That's why I need to go out and see for myself. Our supplies won't last forever, and we need more if we want to stay alive."

Hearing this, Joe's expression tightened. She hesitated before saying, "Then I'll go with you. I can't let you face this alone."

I reached out, pinching the soft, white cheek of the woman with a playful smile. "No, woman. You should remain here and wait for your man to come back. In any case, I'm counting on you to hold down the fort when I'm away." Her expression softened, warmed by my words, although she probably thought that I did not entirely trust her yet. Nonetheless, she nodded, her silent assent pushing me to action.

Prior to departure, I quietly relocated all leftover food and coal to my secondary area—a minor precaution, just in case things went awry. Then, dressed in level three gear, I descended the stairs. The snow had now accumulated to the third and fourth floors by this point, leaving a bizarre, icy landscape. I cracked open a window and walked straight out into the heavy snow. It came all the way to my knees, so I shoved it aside, calling up a snowmobile from my other place. A shadowy figure on one of the higher floors unknowingly observed all I did.

Riding the snowmobile was freedom after weeks of being cooped up. The cold wind slapped my face, but the sound of the engine and the rush of speed were thrilling. After releasing some pent-up energy, I went to the Heavenly Sea City Police Station. The world outside was abnormally quiet, the snowstorm silencing all signs of life. The police station stood in the distance, dark and deserted, its windows covered with frost.

Inside, the chilling view of frozen officers who were huddled together welcomed me. Thin uniforms told a somber tale—they had probably been on duty when cold hit them, unaware of the impending freeze. I draped a white cloth over their lifeless bodies as a mark of respect. Underneath the cloth, my fingers came into contact with a set of keys. My heart jumped at the find—keys to all the rooms in the station, including, I hoped, the armory.

I soon located the armory door, and when it creaked open, my eyes opened wide at the arsenal of guns in front of me. Rifles, pistols, grenades—yes, even a sniper rifle. My own marksmanship, developed weeks of protecting my safe house, gave me assurance. With these guns, I could handle any gang stupid enough to mess with me. I took everything, packing it away in my other room before taking a final farewell visit to pay respects to the dead officers.

My second destination was a suburban mall, long smothered by snow. The once-luxurious items within were now rubble—remnants of a bygone world. The majority of the food at the supermarket had rotted, but I was able to salvage a few items that still looked edible. These, I knew, would be sufficient to placate my neighbors, at least for the time being.

Back at the building, I spotted members of the Heavenly United gang staring in the distance. The leader, Wang Tien Fang, coveted my snowmobile. He would have known the value it offered—mobility in an immobile world. I did not pay them attention and proceeded ahead, where a group of neighbors huddled around me.

"Shan, you did manage to find provisions?" Uncle Yu's voice laced with astonishment.

I sighed, pretending to be tired. "It wasn't simple. Places are usually cleaned out. This was the best I could manage." Even my words couldn't stop their hopeful eyes from filling with the bags. Their greedy looks turned quickly, and I pulled out my handgun in a threat. "I fought my way to get these. Don't even consider crossing me."

Uncle Yu, being keen to sense the mood, mobilized the crowd. "Shan has given us hope for survival! Let us thank him!" The neighbors started chanting my name, and their energy was contagious. Joe handed out the supplies, and I spoke to them firmly.

"Since you've decided to accompany me, I won't disappoint you. But this is the most perilous moment so far. If you want to eat these provisions, you have to battle the Heavenly United gang."

Just in time, the gang came out, shouting, "Give us the food, or don't blame us for what comes next!"

I took advantage. "Anyone who knocks one of them out gets food for five people!" I declared.

For a while, the neighbors were unsure, but the lure of food pushed them into action. With crude weapons—pots, pans, whatever was available to them—they rushed into the snow. The gang was not prepared. These formerly timid individuals were all of a sudden without fear, doing battle with all they had. Injuries did not deter them; desperation had numbed their agony.

Uncle Yu, with his military experience, turned the tide of the battle. The gang, realizing they were outnumbered, fled back to their building. Cheers erupted as the neighbors celebrated their victory, their morale bolstered for the first time since the snowstorm began.

Then, in the lobby of the building, I collected the group. "You've all done well," I told them. "This is the strength of unity. United, we can weather anything—even the apocalypse." I singled out two young men who had fought exceptionally well and gave them extra rations of food. They burst into tears at their first proper meal in weeks.

But as the crowd dispersed, Joe lingered beside me. "We won," she said softly, "but many are injured. Without proper care, they won't last long."

Her words hung heavy in the air. The apocalypse was far from over, and survival would demand even greater sacrifices.

As the blizzard continued, my resources were running low. Survival required action, and I could no longer wait to search for supplies. Informing the group of the locations of local malls and supermarkets, I concluded grimly, "My own resources won't last long. We must find more if we are to survive."

My words brought many neighbors to tears. They hymned my leadership, referring to me as their savior, their beacon of hope in this icy doomsday. They promised to obey my commands unquestioningly. But I was not fooled by their praise. Human nature is fickle, particularly in times of such desperation. These same individuals who now knelt at my feet would as readily turn their backs if it was convenient for them. Were it not for our shared enemy—the Heavenly United gang—I couldn't care less whether they lived or died. The pain of being torn apart in my previous life was a lesson I'd never forget.

Joe stood nearby, her worry evident. "The snowstorm has gone on so long… the outside world is paralyzed. Who knows what dangers are out there?"

I smiled weakly, trying to soothe her fears. "I've been looking to go out for some time. Now's as good a time as any. Don't fret, there's enough here to hold you over while I'm away." 

She hesitated, and then offered, "Let me go with you."

I laughed, nipping at her soft cheek. "No, woman. Stay here and wait for your man to return."

Her complexion colored, moved by my faith—even though it wasn't absolutely sincere. As she gave me a nod, I slipped the final of our provisions and coal into my secondary room, a precaution she didn't realize. Then, suiting up in my level three armor, I went down to the fourth floor. Snow had accumulated so densely, I merely needed to open a window to be out.

The freezing wind nipped at my cheeks as I ventured into the snow, which came up to my knees. Lucky me, I had stored some snowmobiles in my second space prior to the apocalypse. Calling one up, I rode it, without knowing that someone above was spying on my every step.

The rush of driving over the empty streets at breakneck speeds was exhilarating after being confined for so long. The snowmobile growled as I sped over to the Heavenly Sea City Police Station. My objective was evident: I required weapons—super ones. In such a world, firepower was the key to survival, and fear originated from a lack of it.

The station was dark and dead, the windows frosted. Inside, officers frozen in the corners, thin uniforms no defense against the lethal cold that had taken them by surprise. Covering their forms with a white cloth, I whispered a quiet thank you for their service. Under the cloth, something reflected—a set of keys. My heart jumped at the sight. With these keys, the armory would be mine.

Discovering the armory door, I flung it open to a treasure cache of weapons. In them, a high-powered sniper rifle stood out. Weeks of warding off intruders at my safe house had honed my shooting skills to deadly accuracy. With these guns hidden safely in my alternate space, I felt invincible. Even if the Heavenly United gang ever came back, I would be prepared.

My next destination was a mall in the suburbs under meters of snow. Luxury items, once the sign of affluence, now rested scattered like worthless trash. I paid no heed to them and headed towards the supermarket instead. Most of the food was frozen or spoiled, but I could salvage a few—enough to placate the neighbors temporarily.

When I arrived back in the neighborhood, lugging two huge bags of equipment, the appearance raised eyebrows. Members of the Heavenly United gang, observing from their building, quickly noticed. Their leader, Wang Tien Fang, looked at my snowmobile with greedy eyes, recognizing its worth in traversing the icy city.

The neighbors, in turn, were assembled in the courtyard, their faces lighting up with expectation. Uncle Yu came up, his tone full of wonder. "Shan, you managed to get this much on a single trip?"

I let out a sigh. "The supermarkets have been cleaned out. This is all I was able to scrounge up."

Their hopeful faces quickly gave way to greed. Unarming my handgun, I reminded them sternly, "I braved hell getting these supplies. Do not take them for granted.

Uncle Yu realized it, mobilizing the crowd. "Shan has given us hope! Thank him!" The neighbors started chanting my name, their cries ringing in the courtyard. But I was unmoved by their hollow compliments. Now was the time to set down the law.

I turned to Joe and had her spill the supplies on the ground. Turning to the group, I spoke sternly, "Since you've decided to follow me, I won't disappoint you. But this is the most risky moment so far. If you wish to eat, you'll have to fight the Heavenly United gang."

Just in time, the gang showed up at the door, yelling, "Hand over the food, or don't blame us for what happens next!"

I grabbed the chance. "Anyone who brings one of them down," I announced, "will be rewarded with food for five people!"

The neighbors were reluctant, but the threat of food galvanized them. With whatever they could lay their hands on—pots, pans, tools—they attacked. The gang was taken aback. These normally timid individuals had become a raging mob, driven by hunger. Injuries did not deter them; the thirst for survival overrode their pain.

Uncle Yu came into the battle, his military background swinging the balance. Overwhelmed and outnumbered, the gang ran back to their building. Cheers went up as the neighbors rejoiced at their hard-fought victory.

Later, I called everyone together in the lobby. "You've done well," I told them. "This is the strength of unity. Together, we can endure anything—even the apocalypse."

Glancing at two of the young fighters who had fought well, I gave them extra rations. Tears flowed down their faces as they took the reward, the first decent meal they had seen in weeks.

Joe stood by my side silently, her expression serious. "We won," she whispered, "but there are so many hurt. If they don't get proper attention, they will not survive.

Her words hung heavy in the air. The apocalypse was far from over. Survival demanded sacrifice, and this was only the beginning