"Be careful, don't slip," Tang Ze warned. The two women looked up and smiled, their delicate hands stained with bright red blood, their pristine bodies smeared with crimson, suddenly exuding an eerie yet mesmerizing beauty.
Looking at the room filled with food and water, Tang Ze pondered how to handle it all—how to maximize the value of these supplies? Barter goods for goods? Pointless.
What else could he trade for? People? There were no stunning beauties in this neighborhood worth exchanging for.
Watching the relentless rain outside, Tang Ze felt helpless. He wanted to go out and scavenge for supplies, but with the rain pouring down and winds picking up, it seemed impossible.
The two women had been dragging corpses until dawn and were utterly exhausted. After a hot shower, Tang Ze made sure they were well taken care of, preparing a hearty meal. Naturally, the meal was far more lavish than usual. After a hard night's work, they deserved nothing less.
Soon, a table laden with barbecue was set. If people from the other buildings saw this, they would probably lose their minds. But for Tang Ze, this was just another ordinary day.
Opening WeChat, the group chat for their building was eerily silent. It seemed that apart from him and the two women, everyone else was gone.
In the larger community group, discussions revolved around his alleged killings. Especially those from Building 1, who stood on their moral high ground, condemning him and calling for his execution.
However, many functions on WeChat had been disabled recently—no video downloads, no photo sharing, no video calls, no group additions, not even the "People Nearby" feature worked. Some residents had joined groups from neighboring neighborhoods early on, and the situation there was similar.
Tang Ze glanced up and chuckled, "Don't you two need some rest?" After working through the night, he thought they deserved a break.
Sun Ting's flirtatious demeanor had grown bolder, while An Bai beside her still appeared a little bashful.
Suddenly, Sun Ting stood up and sat on Tang Ze's lap. Tang Ze inwardly sighed. He was deep in thought, and now she pulls this move.
"Help me think of a solution first, then I'll reward you," Tang Ze said, wrapping his arm around Sun Ting's slender waist—it was soft and supple.
"What solution?" An Bai asked curiously.
"What do you think we should trade these supplies for?"
Without hesitation, Sun Ting replied, "Beautiful women, obviously."
An Bai hesitated. If they traded for beautiful women, what if Tang Ze abandoned them?
But Sun Ting knew Tang Ze's priorities. More supplies meant greater security for them. Besides, this was likely what Tang Ze intended.
"I've observed for a while now. Aside from you two, there are no real beauties left in this neighborhood," Tang Ze remarked, his standards still high. Not just anyone could meet his criteria.
"How will we know unless we try?" Sun Ting said, standing up and grabbing her phone.
Curious, Tang Ze asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"Promote it in the community group. How much should we offer?" Sun Ting silently cursed herself for acting without consulting Tang Ze first.
This time, Tang Ze didn't mind. He had been considering the same idea.
"Half," Tang Ze said calmly.
Sun Ting raised an eyebrow. "Isn't half too much?"
An Bai chimed in softly, "If half the supplies can lure out a beauty, I think it's worth it."
"I like your thinking, Bai," Tang Ze said, patting An Bai on the head approvingly.
Sun Ting shrugged her shoulders playfully. "Well, well, Bai. All those tricks I taught you, and now you're competing for attention?"
Sun Ting immediately sent a voice message in the community group: "Hello, fellow residents. I'm Sun Ting from Building 3. Are you troubled by hunger? Driven mad by thirst? I can solve your problems. These supplies are up for exchange—for a genuine beauty, Xiaomi. Interested parties, please private message me... Meow—" She then attached a photo of the supplies to the group.
As soon as she sent it, her phone buzzed with numerous friend requests.
The three eagerly checked the messages, only to find them filled with fake profiles and photoshopped images.
Sun Ting and An Bai were all too familiar with this. They quickly lost interest. This method wasn't going to work. There was even a fifty-year-old woman claiming to be the reincarnation of Daji, saying she could turn young with just a sip of water.
Tang Ze laughed so hard his stomach hurt.
"Forget it. Looks like we won't find any beauties this way. Better to regroup and search more strategically. Time is something we have plenty of."
---
In Room 2801, Building 1.
Ye Qingyi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Opening WeChat, she found several close friends unreachable—likely in grave danger. Only her friend in the upscale neighborhood seemed relatively safe, but as her brother-in-law had warned, safety was fleeting.
Opening the community group chat, Ye Qingyi scrolled through the messages. Many women were chatting casually. Scrolling up, she immediately spotted Sun Ting's advertisement: "Hello, fellow residents. Are you troubled by hunger? Driven mad by thirst? I can solve your problems. These supplies are up for exchange—for a genuine beauty, Xiaomi. Interested parties, please private message me... Meow—"
Looking at Sun Ting's sweet smile and flawless skin, Ye Qingyi couldn't help but feel envious. Especially when she saw the photos—the boxes of water, the various foods—her stomach rumbled involuntarily.
But her family still had enough food to last a month, so Ye Qingyi naturally wouldn't fall into such a trap, becoming some "big kitten" and having to meow—unless she was crazy.
Just then, a voice call came through.
Seeing the caller ID, Ye Qingyi's face lit up with a rare smile.
"Zihui, you're still up so late," Ye Qingyi said gently, her voice warm and tender.
A deep, magnetic voice responded, "Can't sleep. I miss you."
"I miss you too."
For a moment, silence reigned. Though they weren't married yet, they were engaged. They had planned to wed by the end of the year, but unfortunately, this disaster had struck.