The rest of the neighbors stood paralyzed

The flame of the lighter danced for a moment, casting a weak light on Auntie Lynn's face as the neighbors bestowed upon her a last moment of warmth before she passed away. Her cries disappeared into the chilly night, leaving an unsettling silence that appeared to resonate with the vulnerability of human beings in this post-apocalyptic world.

In the meantime, I yawned and stretched as I exited my tent. It was time to go to the army camp Uncle Yu had spoken of. Gliding on my snowmobile across the sea of snow, I reached the site of the camp and called up an excavator from my pocket dimension. With the knowledge I had gained from excavating the gas station, I worked quickly, exposing the door to the camp's dormitories in seconds.

What had mystified me was the vacuity of the camp. The snow catastrophe had descended suddenly, and with the camp's inaccessibility and absence of transport, evacuation should have been out of the question. A chilling realization went through my mind—what if the military knew in advance about the catastrophe? Could they have pre-evacuated their men and equipment? The possibilities were mind-boggling. If someone had stored such weapons and supplies, they would be able to create a new order in this broken world. The idea chilled me to the bone. I had to prepare myself before this battlefield of factions arose.

Driven by urgency, I kept digging. The booming sound of the excavator resounded as I busted through the wall of the weapon arsenal. What I discovered left me speechless—a glittering assortment of military supplies. Guns, bullets, and a few big boxes of hand grenades occupied the room. I had been hoping for scraps but found a treasure. But tanks and heavy armored vehicles were noticeably missing. Maybe the military had taken them on a mission and left behind only part of their arsenal. I didn't think about it. What I had collected was plenty enough for now. If I had to, I could always loot another camp.

I drove my snowmobile home after placing the supplies in my pocket universe. But because I came home with nothing, the accusations by the neighbors started soon enough.

"Shangi, you went out for two days and brought nothing back? Did you just keep it all for yourself?" one of them taunted.

I snickered icily. "Too much face being given? Just two days apart, and you're acting arrogant already. Don't forget who rescued you ungrateful people in the first place. Because you like to take advantage of niceness, we're on our own now. Scavenge for food yourself."

A neighbor rushed forward to intervene. "Brother Jangi, don't take offense. That's not what everyone says. It's just. it's very difficult to find food out there in the snow. You should return and rest."

Within Building 25, there was resentment. The neighbors believed that they had done their part protecting the building and did not want me to act superior to them. Their complaint became louder until a man with a small red hat approached, his voice dripping with insincerity.

"Shangi, it must be tiring searching for food on your own. Why don't you take some of us with you the next time? Strength in numbers."

I saw the little knife concealed behind his back. Two other neighbors joined in, supporting him. "Jangi, if you ever need us, we will go to hell and high water for you."

I laughed to myself internally. Their hidden agenda was as plain as day. I did not hesitate to dig into my pocket, pull out my gun, and shoot the red-hatted man right between the eyes.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," I told her coldly. "I don't believe a word you're saying—not even the punctuation marks. It appears I've been too nice to you people, so much so that you've forgotten how you managed to make it this far. Without me, you would have been long gone for Chin Jenha and his crew."

The rest of the neighbors stood paralyzed, their faces white with terror. Some stuttered out half-hearted alibis. "Jangi, don't overdo it. We only wanted to talk to you about something, nothing else…"

But I wasn't listening to their apologies.

Gunfire rang out down the stairs, eliminating the two principal agitators in an instant. The other neighbors fled like leaves blown by a hurricane, eager to get away. The noise soon attracted Uncle Yu, Joe, and a couple of others. Joe came running over, her face ashen with worry. "Shangi, are you injured?" she asked, holding my hand firmly.

I tightened her hand reassuringly. "Those idiots don't have the guts to hurt me."

Uncle Yu, having heard the cause of the commotion, knotted his fists in anger. "They deserve it! A couple of decent meals, and they've already forgotten whom they should depend on."

I couldn't help but smile at his indignation. "I've always been a kind person. The ones who fled aren't worth my time chasing. Let this serve as a warning."

Celim May, who was at the rear, shook as she understood the message I had conveyed to all of them. The air was thick with anticipation and fear. But I couldn't depend only on these disposable neighbors to protect the building indefinitely. It was time to strategize for the future.

Back at the safe house, I asked Joe what had happened while I was away. Her account was bleak. "Auntie Lynn lost her mind after her grandson died and murdered a mother upstairs. Two neighbors had to deal with her." She hesitated before continuing, "And there is someone from Building Nine who wants to talk to you about cooperation. She says the details have to be dealt with by you yourself."

I arched an eyebrow, skeptical. Weapons and supplies were already available to me. "What can this woman possibly have to offer that would make cooperating worthwhile?"

Joe elaborated. "Chen Lingu once had a cosmetics firm in Heavenly Sea City prior to the apocalypse. She's now entirely occupied Building Nine.

This piqued my interest. A woman managing an entire building amidst the chaos? She must have some serious skills. Joe noticed my curiosity and pressed, "Why not find out what she wants? I'm curious to see how she got an entire building to fall in line."

In response, my phone rang with two friend invitations—one from Chen Lingu, and one from the financial director at my previous company, Lien. Cautious, I accepted them, and Chen Lingu sent me a message straight away.

"Mr. Jangi," she started. "I know about your reputation. You possess a snowmobile and means to stock up on supplies. I would like to offer you an agreement of cooperation."

I did not waste time. "If you must speak, then speak."

She asked for a voice chat, saying typing was inconvenient. I flatly refused. Chen Lingu had no option but to go on through text. Her old-world tactics of persuasion and charm were of no use here. She knew my abilities too well.

"Mr. Jangi," she wrote. "Building Nine is peaceful, and we have a great many survivors. We can supply manpower to take over territories, but we'll need food for these workers. Cooperation with us would neutralize the threat from Building Nine."

I laughed. "So you're threatening me? If I don't cooperate, are you going to attack?"

"Mr. Jangi," she said smugly. "You're an intelligent man. Cooperation would be a win-win situation."

Her brazenness tickled me. "This is the most brazen begging I've ever witnessed," I said to myself. Out loud, I said, "Let me consider it.

As I gazed out the window, the reality of her words hit me. The community was still silent now, but Chen Lingu had pointed out an uncomfortable fact—everyone was looking at Building 25. If they combined their efforts, as she proposed, the result would be disastrous. Could I stand firm if the whole community turned against me? One at a time, I could manage them, but all together… the numbers would change dramatically.