The lines of battle were being drawn, both outside and in.

The lines of battle were being drawn, both outside and in. As I handed out the food, I could observe the dynamics between the neighbors shifting. Regret shadowed the faces of those who had held back during the struggle, their remorse hanging in the air. This was exactly the attitude I was looking for—if their guilt made them fight against outside threats without hesitation the next time, my plan would be successful.

I motioned to the other neighbors, inviting them one at a time to come and pick up their daily rations. The bravest of those who had fought were rewarded with huge shares, while the rest were left sorry for not being able to contribute. When Suha, the spoiled son of riches, approached for his portion, I threw him a single candy.

"This is your ration for today," I stated sternly.

Suha's face reddened with anger. "This is not fair! Why do I receive so little while others are receiving biscuits?"

I arched an eyebrow, my voice cutting. "Fair? You have the nerve to talk about fairness when others gave their lives on the front lines, and you remained behind, yelling slogans like a coward. You should be thankful you're receiving anything at all.

The neighbors, who had been enraged at their small share, now felt a perverse sense of relief—they were not at the very bottom. Suha, though, had more to say. "There were so many fighting," he protested. "I couldn't even find an entry!"

I laughed, the sound cruel and bitter. "I don't care about reasons, only outcomes. If you couldn't find an entry, that's your fault."

Angry, he lashed out, "You're singling me out! This isn't fair!"

I motioned to two of our neighbors who stood nearby. "Hold him back." As they pinned him back, I leveled my gun at him. "What right do you have to speak of justice? The neighbor woman, age forty, did get some good punches in in the brawl. But here you are, a man in his thirties, and you're saying you couldn't offer anything?

The crowd murmured in assent. Encouraged by their approval, I spoke to them all. "If anyone else thinks I'm being too strict, you're welcome to leave. Go and get your own food. I won't prevent you."

Silence. No one left.

"Good," I said, slapping my hands together. "I expect everyone to obey orders from now on."

Suha, still rebellious, grumbled, "Jangi, don't push people too far."

His words were hardly out of his lips when I stepped on his right hand, eliciting a cringing cry from his lips. "Face reality, Suha. The world you knew no longer exists. I will not accept useless parasites within my community."

Addressing the others, I continued, "Take this as a warning."

Joe started picking up the rest of the food for future distribution, but before she could complete it, a voice shouted from the crowd.

"Brother Jang! I still have not received mine yet!" Fuching and her best friend shoved their way forward.

"Brother Jang always gets the best out of me," Fuching sighed. "You did not forget about me, right?"

I chuckled helplessly. "How can I have forgotten you? That's why I didn't plan any food out for you from the very start."

Her tears overflowed. "Brother Jang, am I not your favorite?"

I pushed her aside gently, smiling. "I was just being courteous earlier. Don't take it seriously. Besides, I already have a girlfriend. Do you think that you are superior to Joe?"

Joe, catching her cue, put her arm around me warmly. Fuching's tears became uncontrollable sobs. "How can you treat me like this? You've been sucking up to me for years!

I laughed again. "Before the apocalypse, you thought your looks could catch a whole ocean of fish. Now, in this world, how many packs of instant noodles do you think your face is worth?"

Suha, who was on the ground, took the chance to join in. "This woman attempted to lure me before the apocalypse. Thank goodness I'm clever."

The neighbors burst into whispers, their gossip slicing like knives. Fuching's mask shattered as she attempted to quiet them, but they disregarded her. With no alternative, she ran, tears running down her face.

I gave Suha another piece of candy. "Good boy," I grumbled, enjoying the irony.

With the crowd in place, I set my attention to mobilizing the building's defense. Children excepted, we had 47 able-bodied people left. I split them into six small units for 24-hour duty, providing continuous watch. "If something goes wrong," I ordered, "raise the alarm by banging on the stair railings or metal pipes. Don't forget, the bonus for eliminating an enemy is still in effect—five people's worth of food.

I clapped Uncle Yu on the shoulder. "You're a veteran. You're the most suited to lead this."

He nodded solemnly. For two days, everything seemed calm, but Joe was uneasy. "Two days of peace," she murmured, "always mean trouble."

She was right.

While I was practicing with my sniper gun from the balcony, two targets revealed themselves in the sights. My lips pressed into a cold smile—the Heavenly United clan couldn't hold out for too long. They were making their way to the garage, probably to get at my snowmobile. Too bad for them, I'd already tucked it away in my other space. Their attempts were futile.

Uncle Yu just called. "The defense is in place. Don't mind what Calim said."

I laughed. "I won't hold a grudge over some words. But Uncle Yu… are you sure you want to raise another man's child? You deserve better."

He roared with laughter. "In times like these, having anyone is a blessing. Can't be choosy.

I joked, "Then get her pregnant with your kid, too. Don't let someone else have all the perks."

His chuckle dissolved into an uncomfortable silence, but we both understood it wasn't the moment to harp on that. In the meantime, the gang made their move.

Under the cover of darkness, Hang Tien Fang's nephew, Wang Wei, led a group of eight into the lobby. Just as they reached the stairs, a brick flew through the air, forcing Wang Wei to dodge. The echo of knocking sounds followed.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The cries spread through the building like wildfire.

Wang Wei's face contorted with rage. "Brothers, charge! Let's finish them!"

Little did he know, a deadly trap awaited him.