"I'm Zhou Min from the property management office," she said, trembling slightly as if attempting to make herself sound more authoritative.
Sun Ting vaguely remembered her—perhaps they had crossed paths in the lobby? She didn't care much either way. "What do you want?"
Zhou Min hesitated before speaking again. "We're all women here; moving those bodies drained us completely. Dong Fei never gave us enough food, so could you spare something to eat?" Her voice quivered as she anxiously awaited Sun Ting's response.
Sun Ting turned her head toward Tang Ze for guidance.
Tang Ze stood there with his hands resting on An Bai's slim waist, which curved gracefully like a snake's coil. An Bai leaned back slightly, her beautiful eyes closed as soft moans escaped her lips.
"One slice of bread each," Tang Ze declared, his mood surprisingly generous today.
Sun Ting nodded and opened a box of Three Squirrels bread—a popular Chinese snack brand known for its custard-filled slices—and handed one piece to each woman.
"That's it. Now leave," Sun Ting said, her tone growing increasingly impatient. Don't ruin my chance to please Tang Ze, she thought bitterly, glancing at how hard An Bai was working.
But Zhou Min pressed her palm against the door before it could close fully. "What about those two boxes?" she asked shamelessly.
Sun Ting's expression darkened instantly.
Tang Ze's brow furrowed, his grip tightening instinctively around An Bai's waist. An Bai let out a small gasp and opened her eyes.
"Xiao Bai, rest for now," Tang Ze murmured softly. An Bai, startled by the sudden tension, gently rested her head against his chest.
Tang Ze looked toward the doorway. "What did you just say?"
Zhou Min flinched but found courage in recalling that Tang Ze seemed reluctant to harm women. "You're Tang Ze, right? You once delivered takeout to my apartment." She tried to ingratiate herself, oblivious to how poorly her attempt landed.
"Oh, the property manager," Tang Ze replied, flashing a seemingly kind smile.
Seeing him appear cooperative emboldened Zhou Min further. "Look, you have so many supplies here. Surely you won't be able to finish them all. Could we take a couple more boxes?"
"That does sound reasonable," Tang Ze agreed, nodding slowly. Zhou Min's face lit up with relief.
"We'll only take what's fair," she assured him.
When Tang Ze remained silent, Zhou Min assumed he had acquiesced and pushed past Sun Ting. The younger woman stumbled and fell, biting back tears as she glanced at Tang Ze, who merely watched with an amused smirk.
"Old Li! Grab those spicy strips!" Zhou Min shouted, referring to a type of Chinese street food made from gluten. "Potato chips too! And duck necks, chicken wings—there's so much!"
The group of women began hauling away supplies without restraint.
Tang Ze patted An Bai lightly on the shoulder. An Bai bit her lower lip, gazing at him with eyes filled with longing.
Tang Ze stepped forward, smiling. "Still taking things?"
"Oh, come on, you won't miss these anyway," Zhou Min replied casually, waving her hand dismissively as she continued directing the others. Her greedy demeanor made Sun Ting sick to her stomach. We earned our food through effort, she thought bitterly, while these women think they can get everything for free.
Half of the room's supplies were soon piled outside the door.
Zhou Min clapped her hands together, grinning. "Don't worry, kid. We'll remember this kindness. When things settle down, we'll help cover up… whatever happened."
"I should thank you, then?" Tang Ze laughed loudly.
"No need, no need. We're neighbors—it's fate!" Zhou Min waved offhandedly, eager to leave.
Tang Ze scratched the back of his head, frowning. "You took so much from me and are leaving just like that? Seems unfair, doesn't it, Auntie?"
"How dare you call it stealing! It's sharing!" Zhou Min scolded, adopting a patronizing tone.
"Let me clarify—I never agreed to let you take anything. My girls can vouch for that," Tang Ze countered coolly.
Sun Ting immediately nodded vigorously. An Bai, still sitting on the floor, followed suit, bobbing her head in agreement.
"You people are impossible! Let's go, sisters. Ignore them," Zhou Min huffed, already forgetting the earlier scene where Tang Ze had swiftly ended someone's life.
Tang Ze sighed deeply, pulling out his pistol. Smiling faintly, he said, "Alright, now it's my turn to take back what's mine."
BANG!
Zhou Min's body crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath her shattered skull. Her widened eyes stared blankly ahead.
The women waiting outside froze, their faces etched with terror. They heard the gunshot, saw Zhou Min collapse, and then watched as Tang Ze emerged, holding a sleek black handgun. Silence enveloped the hallway like a suffocating shroud.
"This is what fairness looks like," Tang Ze announced cheerfully.
One woman finally snapped out of her shock—not to run, but to scream at the top of her lungs.
"AAAAH!"
BANG! BANG! ANG! BANG!
The rapid succession of gunshots echoed throughout Building 3. Panic spread across the neighborhood as everyone wondered what horrors were unfolding.
---
Building 4
"Boss! Gunfire in Building 3!" a man shouted urgently.
"I'm not deaf!" Ding Feng barked, tightening his hold on his girlfriend.
She chuckled nervously. "Maybe that delivery guy got what was coming to him."
Ding Feng nodded thoughtfully. "It's likely. Whoever has the gun must've been waiting for the perfect moment. With Dong Fei's men gone, he seized the opportunity."
His theory resonated with many, making sense given the circumstances.
"Should we check it out?" his girlfriend suggested tentatively.
"Wait two days," Ding Feng advised calmly.
---
Building 1, Floor 28, Apartment 2801
"Jiejie, more gunshots…" A young woman stood by the window, her bright eyes wide with fear as she peered outside. At twenty-five, Ye Qingyi possessed an ethereal beauty—a delicate blend of Eastern grace and Western sharpness. Her flawless white dress fluttered gently in the breeze, accentuating her slender figure while exuding an air of melancholy.
In the kitchen, her older sister Ye Yuling worked quietly. Though wrinkles marked her face and age had dulled her youthful glow, traces of her former beauty lingered. The two sisters shared a bond forged by years of separation—their parents' desperate wish for a son resulting in daughters born two decades apart.