Ye Qingyi pressed both hands tightly over her mouth, her entire body quivering uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face. Her gaze fixed on the cleaver embedded in her sister's forehead, and she could feel the silent plea in her sister's eyes—to find her daughter.
Mao Gang crouched down, his fingers curling around the handle of the cleaver. With a sharp tug, he wrenched it free, only to bring it crashing down again with merciless precision.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Sister-in-law," he said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion, "I'm doing this for your own good. Don't hold it against me." He paused, glancing toward the lifeless figure beside him. "Brother Yu, I've brought her to you. Your family is reunited."
Ye Qingyi watched in horror as her beloved sister was brutally hacked to death, her once-familiar face reduced to an unrecognizable mess. Even when bits of brain matter splashed onto her eyelids, she stifled every whimper, too terrified to utter a single sound.
The moment the door slammed shut, Ye Qingyi, who had been hiding under the bed, finally gave in to the overwhelming terror and panic that had gripped her heart. She sobbed quietly, her world crumbling into pieces.
---
In the garage, men from Buildings 2, 4, and 5 had gathered—a total of fifty-three. Some residents chose not to participate, either unwilling to descend into mindless savagery or too afraid of facing execution if order were restored. Each man carried a weapon: kitchen knives, fruit knives, and in the hands of the three leaders—Feng Jin, Ding Feng, and Sun Youqing—gleaming machetes nearly half a meter long.
The trio smoked leisurely, their faces lit with an almost feral excitement.
"Brother Ding, Brother Sun," Feng Jin began, his voice low and calculating, "after we finish with Building 1, let's set a time to raid Building 3 and take Dong Fei's stash. That guy with the gun—how many bullets does he have compared to our numbers?" Feng Jin, though lean and wiry, stood nearly six feet tall, a mole near the corner of his mouth giving him an unsettling appearance. A career criminal, he'd served time for theft but stopped short of murder.
Ding Feng was little more than a thug, hired muscle for local gangs. Sun Youqing, a construction foreman, had spent years dealing with ruthless individuals. Despite his portly frame, his reputation for cruelty preceded him.
None of them were decent men.
Sun Youqing exhaled a cloud of smoke, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "What's there to plan? Hit Building 1 tonight, move on to Building 3 tomorrow. Deal?"
They all understood the risks: Building 3 was more dangerous than Building 1, but its spoils promised to be significantly richer.
"I'm in," Ding Feng said, flicking ash from his cigarette.
"The two women are mine," Feng Jin declared, his eyes gleaming with lust. A lecherous grin spread across his face.
Ding Feng and Sun Youqing exchanged knowing looks. Women like An Bai and Sun Ting were prizes no man would willingly surrender.
"How about this," Ding Feng suggested smoothly. "Once we capture the women, we auction them off for supplies."
"Interesting idea," Feng Jin agreed without hesitation. Sun Youqing nodded in approval. But behind their smiles, each plotted how to eliminate the others, perhaps by forging temporary alliances to tip the scales in their favor.
At that moment, Mao Gang emerged from the elevator, his face streaked with blood, causing the group to pause briefly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The rolling shutter doors were pulled open, unleashing a horde of demons ready to storm the building.
"Brothers, you promised to leave my family alone!" Mao Gang stammered, visibly trembling with fear that they might renege on their word.
Sun Youqing clapped him on the shoulder, feigning reassurance. "Relax. Integrity is everything in our line of work. Men, move out! Kill the elderly, capture the young. Anyone who resists—cut them down!"
"Yes, boss!"
Instead of taking the elevator, the group charged up the stairs. The three leaders trailed behind at a leisurely pace.
Within minutes, screams, wails, and desperate pleas filled the air, transforming the complex into a living nightmare illuminated by the glint of bloodied blades.
An elderly woman living across from Mao Gang heard a knock at her door. She set aside her remote control, muttering curses as she shuffled to answer.
"What's with all the racket at this hour? Instead of gathering supplies, you're wasting time on nonsense."
Without so much as a glance, she opened the door. When she saw two young men wielding knives, she showed no fear. Instead, she launched into a lecture. "What do you think you're doing, waving those knives at an old woman? If you've got any guts, go out and fight for supplies. Young people these days have no respect for their elders."
The two young men were dumbfounded.
What kind of lunatics lived in Building 1? How had they survived this long?
"Stop staring and get lost," the old woman snapped, preparing to slam the door.
But one of the youths pressed his hand against it, grinning maliciously. "Old hag, I've been itching to cut you down for ages." With that, he raised his cleaver and brought it down on her shoulder. She cried out and collapsed, still cursing.
"You and your blasted loudspeaker, ruining my gaming sessions day after day," he spat, hacking at her repeatedly.
Mao Gang arrived at his doorstep just in time to see the old woman pleading for help.
"Gangzi, save me!" she gasped, her voice barely audible. But Mao Gang turned a blind eye, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He'd probably wanted her dead for a long time.
After delivering the final blow, the two youths began ransacking her apartment.
"Unbelievable," one muttered, holding up a box of yogurt. "This old bat hoarded an entire crate of yogurt, two boxes of water, and even some sugar-free soda?"
They were baffled. How had an old woman managed to stockpile so much?
By demanding it, of course.
Had they known, their worldview would have shattered.
---
Meanwhile, in Building 3, Tang Ze glanced toward Building 1 and chuckled. "Quite the commotion tonight."
"Building 1 has fallen to the others," An Bai remarked, a hint of worry creeping into her voice. Once Building 1 fell, they'd be next.
Sun Ting, wiping the floor, offered reassurance. "Bai, this isn't something we should concern ourselves with."
An Bai bit her lip, recalling the female corpse in the bedroom earlier. "I'd rather die than fall into their hands."
Tang Ze smiled confidently. "As long as I'm alive, none of you will die. I'll kill as many as it takes."
An hour later, the purge of Building 1 drew to a close. Boxes upon boxes of supplies were being carted down to the underground parking lot.
The three leaders stared at the mountain of loot, momentarily stunned.
Nearby, the men and women of Building 1 were separated, squatting on the ground. They, too, were surprised by the sheer volume of supplies. Weren't they supposed to be out?
"That Xie Yuhong really came through," Feng Jin remarked, tearing open a pack of spicy strips and shoving a handful into his mouth.
A lackey chimed in with a sycophantic grin. "Boss, most of these supplies were looted from the homes of the elderly."