Of course, someone like her would naturally have a boyfriend. Standing next to her was a man who embodied wealth and charm—a Porsche 718 parked casually nearby completing the picture.
"Let's head back, An Bai. We've still got half a tank of water left at home. Besides, this rain can't last forever," Ning Gu remarked lightly, his tone betraying no concern as he reassured his girlfriend.
An Bai's face remained pale, but she gave a faint nod. After stealing a glance at Tang Ze, she turned and walked upstairs with her boyfriend.
Tang Ze couldn't help but smirk. Even a scoundrel finds joy in chaos.
Back in his apartment, Tang Ze opened TikTok, only to discover that the app—and every other platform except WeChat—had gone offline.
In the property management group chat, however, things were anything but quiet. Complaints and curses flew thick and fast, each message dripping with frustration and anger.
That night, sleep eluded everyone. All they could do was pray for the rain to stop—but even by the following day, the downpour showed no sign of relenting.
Day three, four, five, six… the rain continued unabated.
And during those endless nights, sporadic sounds of destruction pierced through the darkness, accompanied by distant screams. The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on everyone's minds, driving some to the brink of madness.
Meanwhile, Tang Ze stayed put, indulging in lavish meals while waiting for the skies to clear. Once the rain stopped, he planned to claim a luxurious villa and enjoy life to its fullest.
On the seventh day, Tang Ze decided to check out the underground parking garage, where makeshift markets had sprung up for trading supplies.
As the elevator doors slid open, the clamor hit him instantly—the garage resembled a bustling bazaar. Women traded designer handbags and cosmetics for food, while men offered luxury watches, high-end gadgets, and even gaming rigs like the RTX 4090 Ti in exchange for bottled water.
"One Hermès summer collection bag for a case of mineral water!"
"A Rolex Submariner for four bottles—last chance!"
To Tang Ze's surprise, the gaming rig disappeared quickly, swapped for five bottles of water and a small bag of chips. He shook his head. That setup alone must have cost over forty thousand yuan, and now it was gone in exchange for basic necessities.
For now, the trades were orderly—but Tang Ze knew better. In another three days, civility would crumble entirely.
Suddenly, he spotted his neighbor Sun Ting, the livestreamer, setting up a stall to sell cosmetics. She clutched a bottle of water, sipping nervously as she watched the crowd. As Tang Ze approached, her gaze lingered on him briefly. This delivery guy probably has plenty of food stashed away, she thought bitterly. Yet watching him sip water made her throat tighten with longing.
Further along, Tang Ze noticed An Bai at her own stall. Her striking beauty drew a steady stream of customers.
"Hey, gorgeous. Spend a night with me, and this bottle's yours."
"Hmph, I'll give you two bottles."
"Three!"
The men began bidding like auctioneers, their voices rising in competition. An Bai flushed with anger, packing up her goods abruptly.
"Disgusting!" she snapped, shooting an accusing glare at Tang Ze before storming off toward the elevator.
One of the men sneered, "Who's pretending to be pure? Over in the red-light district, one bottle buys you a turn."
Red-light district?
Curious, Tang Ze glanced around. Beneath a flickering emergency light stood a group of women dressed provocatively, their heavy makeup failing to mask their exhaustion.
Then, without warning, rapid footsteps echoed through the garage.
A gang of twenty-something young men emerged, led by a burly figure covered in tattoos. His henchmen followed closely behind, armed with steel pipes and knives, their expressions menacing.
The chatter died instantly.
"Grab everything!" the leader bellowed, and his crew surged forward with cruel grins.
"Don't touch my stuff!"
"You dare steal from me? You're dead!"
The leader laughed coldly. "Hand over your supplies if you know what's good for you."
"Is there no law anymore? Robbery in broad daylight!" A man in his fifties stepped forward to protest.
"Law?" The leader—Ding Feng—snorted. "I am the law. Break his legs!"
A sickening crack silenced the crowd. Faced with such brutality, no one dared resist. Supplies were handed over without further protest.
"And take those women over there!" Ding Feng gestured dismissively toward the red-light area, his men chuckling darkly. While most residents were gripped by fear, these thugs reveled in the chaos.
They came and went in a flash. As soon as they disappeared, angry murmurs erupted among the men.
"We barely had anything, and they took it all! Why didn't anyone fight back?"
"Why didn't you fight, then?"
The accusations flew thick and fast, leaving Tang Ze shaking his head in disbelief.
Just then, a bespectacled man with a refined demeanor stepped forward. "Each floor has a security gate. I suggest we seal ours to prevent further raids. If we need to trade, we can pass items through the gaps."
His proposal was met with immediate approval. Without hesitation, they pulled down the gates and secured them tightly. Neighboring buildings quickly followed suit, dividing the complex into five isolated zones.
"I also propose forming teams to search for supplies," the bespectacled man added, rallying quick support.
But Tang Ze had no interest in joining forces. Apocalypse or not, why should I work for others?
Back on his floor, he found Sun Ting crouched outside her door.
"So you decided to hide here, huh?" he teased.
Though not as stunning as the flight attendant, Sun Ting was undeniably attractive.
She wasn't stupid—the moment the gang appeared, she'd fled to safety via the stairs.
Seeing Tang Ze's amused expression, she glared. "Do you have any water left?"
"If I did, what's it to you?" He leaned against his doorway, arms crossed, smirking.
"Typical loser!" she spat, slamming her door shut behind her.
Tang Ze chuckled softly. Yeah, I'm a loser. But in this world, survival is all that matters. Stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours.
Three more days passed. The rain showed no signs of stopping. The five buildings formed uneasy alliances, and tonight, his building was holding a meeting in the underground garage.
Everyone looked worse for wear—An Bai's lips were chapped, and Sun Ting's usual confidence seemed shaken.
The bespectacled man—Dong Fei—stood atop a car hood, megaphone in hand.
"Fellow residents, my name is Dong Fei. Before the apocalypse, I was a corporate executive. Since you've entrusted me to lead, I'll do my best to guide us through this crisis."
"It's been over a week with no rescue, no word from the authorities. Our supplies are running dangerously low. Yesterday, some from Building 4 risked going out to scavenge. They lost one man, but they returned with food."
Nods rippled through the crowd. Everyone had seen the updates in the group chat—Ding Feng and his gang had ventured out on wheel rims (no tires), struggling slowly through the rain. Rumors claimed one of his men caught a drop of rain and vanished.
"So I propose we form our own scavenging team."
Silence.
No one volunteered.
After all, this was a suicide mission.