Without delay

Without delay, I aimed at the man who was at the forefront. My sniper rifle did not disappoint with its lethal accuracy—a single bullet tore through the heads of two henchmen, their bodies falling like puppets whose strings had been cut. At the sight of this, pandemonium broke out among the group. "Jangi has a sniper rifle! Everyone get cover!" someone shouted.

Seeing them panic, I couldn't help but smile, a cold satisfaction growing inside. Fear was a potent drug, and the more afraid they were, the more concentrated I became. I continued to fire, several more shots that found their mark with unerring precision. The tableau below fell into utter chaos.

In the negotiation chamber, the five delegates hardly had the courage to breathe, their faces pale. Having wiped away the smoke from my gun barrel, I smiled at them faintly. "Any objections now?" I said, my tone relaxed, nearly conversational.

Wang Chang and Wang Tien Fang were the first to raise their hands in assent. Chin Lingu and Jang Yi delayed not at all after them. Even Lien, who had been holding back all along, did not at last nod in assent, but did so with reluctance.

Good," I replied, sitting back in my chair. "If only all the people had been so sensible right at the beginning, things would have been easier. Why should I be pushed to act? Peace is more profitable." Pounding Lien's shoulder gently, I said, "Now go back and follow what I told you to do. No tricks.

Now that the negotiations had been finished, Lien and the others departed Building 25. In the meantime, my neighbors, with evident concern about my safety, clustered around me. I approached them with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Everything has been settled."

Their spontaneous response was flattery—bland words of commendation designed to win approval. One extremely ardent neighbor proclaimed, "They deserve a few sniper rounds just for questioning you, Jangi."

Shaking my head, I got serious. "Let me break down the terms of the negotiations." When they heard that there would be daily food distribution to the other buildings, my neighbors' faces grew somber with worry.

"Why must we feed these people daily?" one inquired. "We hardly have enough for ourselves.

I countered their protests with a serene smile. "If we didn't consent to these terms, do you think you can battle hundreds—if not thousands—of their own kind? We must be cautious."

Lifting my voice, I added with righteous conviction, "You have nothing to fear. As long as I, Jangi, am alive, none of you will starve. Trust me." My words resonated. In this harsh world, where food was short and warmth even shorter, having a leader they trusted was a solace. Some even wept, touched by what they perceived as my unshakeable determination.

They all promised to stick with me to the end. But not everyone believed. Uncle Yu, always so astute, seemed bewildered. "This doesn't make sense," he said. "It's the end of the world. No one plays the saint without a motive." 

I smiled, gesturing for him to come along. "You're right, Uncle Yu. Playing along with them is only a short-term solution." I then explained my real plan.

The original plan," I started, "was to entice all the leaders here and eliminate them in one stroke. With their leaders gone, the rest of the buildings would be in disarray, and they'd be easy to take over. But since they only sent representatives, we'll have to play the long game instead.

I went on, "Feeding 300 individuals a day will put their cohesion to the test. Inevitably, uneven sharing will plant distrust and infighting among them. When their internal strife breaks out, we can just sit back and enjoy the fruits." Uncle Yu listened carefully, nodding as comprehension came to him. "So you're going to turn their own vulnerabilities against them. Astute. If I were you, I would have most likely clashed with them.

Looking out the window at the white world and the bodies below, I talked reflectively. "At the moment, I'm using what we have to gradually whittle them down. But we can't end here. The outside world is uncharted territory, and there will be other, more powerful groups. If we're going to make a name for ourselves in this apocalypse, we're going to need more guns and a fortress that can take whatever comes its way."

Uncle Yu fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Finally, he nodded. "You're right, Jangi. This is only the beginning of the end. Who knows what challenges lie ahead?"