July 17, 15:00
Outdoor temperature: 65°C
Half-Mountain Villa, entertainment room.
Lin Chu was wearing light shorts and a tank top, curled up in a massage chair with a freshly made iced mint lemon drink.
Ice cubes clinked in the glass, lemon slices floated bright yellow and fresh, and condensation slid down the cup walls.
She wasn’t watching a movie.
On the giant projection screen was a long-distance surveillance feed of the “Yujing Bay” residential district down the mountain.
There, a silent performance called survival was unfolding.
After the city-wide water outage announcement, residents who had been hiding indoors could no longer sit still.
Even though outside was over 60°C, thirst overcame fear of the scorching heat.
The Scene in the Residential Plaza
A thin young man wearing thick glasses—likely a programmer—was sneaking out of a convenience store back door, clutching a box of bottled water.
The store had already been looted. This was likely the last hidden stock he had found.
He held the water like his life depended on it and rushed toward his building.
But after just a few steps—
A muscular, tattoo-covered man rushed out from the side.
No words.
No warning.
No demand.
He simply approached from behind with a brick taken from a flower bed—
Bang.
Even without sound, the explosion of blood told everything.
The glasses-wearing man collapsed instantly onto the scorching asphalt.
The box of water spilled everywhere.
Plastic bottles warped and bulged under the 80°C ground heat.
The tattooed man didn’t even look at the corpse.
Like a beast, he rushed forward, grabbing the bottles frantically, indifferent to the burning ground.
Behind curtains in nearby buildings, countless eyes watched.
Some covered their mouths.
Some trembled and shut their windows.
But more of them felt something worse than fear—
regret.
Regret for not being the one holding the brick.
Regret for not getting there first.
This was the first drop of blood of the apocalypse.
A life lost… for half a box of water.
Lin Chu watched the rapidly drying blood stain on the screen as she sipped her iced lemon drink calmly.
Cold, sweet liquid slid down her throat.
While a life ended on the screen.
“This is the sound of order collapsing,” she said quietly.
She felt no nausea.
She had seen far worse in her previous life—cannibalism, human soup, people eating each other alive.
Compared to that, a brick to the head was almost mercy.
The Property Group Chat Explodes
6th Building 1202: Someone was killed! Downstairs! That tattooed man killed Xiao Zhang!
3rd Building 501: I saw it… his brain matter… oh my god… call the police!
Property Manager: Please stay calm! Do not go downstairs! Police have been called!
Police?
Lin Chu let out a cold laugh.
The police lines were probably already overwhelmed. Even if they came, what could they do in this heat apocalypse?
Half an hour passed.
No sirens.
Only the corpse remained under the sun, swelling and beginning to smell like cooked meat.
Then the tone of the group changed.
8th Building Tattooed Guy (the killer): @all Who else wants water? Come down if you dare. My brick doesn’t discriminate.
Silence.
No one dared speak.
Fear silenced everyone.
But soon—
A more dangerous emotion spread.
Desperation.
Building 1 Aunt Wang: This is outrageous! No water, no electricity—are you trying to force us to death?
Building 1 Aunt Wang: @Property Manager Isn’t there a wealthy family living in the half-mountain villa nearby?
Building 1 Aunt Wang: I remember they renovated for a year. They must have stockpiled supplies! Can’t they help us with some water?
That message was like oil dropped into boiling fire.
Lin Chu’s eyes turned cold as she saw her name tagged.
Shifting blame.
At this moment, dragging the “half-mountain villa” into the discussion was essentially turning her into prey.
2nd Building Elder Li: Right! That girl surnamed Lin! She keeps her house closed all the time—she must have generators!
5th Building Sister Zhang: @Lin Chu Miss Lin, we’re all neighbors. In times like this, shouldn’t you help a little?
6th Building 1202: Exactly! People are dying. Don’t be selfish!
Lin Chu slowly set down her drink.
She stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Below her lay a city filled with greed and desperation.
“Trying to guilt-trip me?”
“I don’t have morality.”
She picked up her phone and snapped a photo.
A glass of iced lemon water.
Golden grilled wings sizzling beside it.
And the indoor temperature clearly showing 26°C.
She sent it to the group.
[Lin Chu]:
(Screenshot: iced drink, roasted wings, cool room)
“Sorry, just woke up. What were you saying? Signal’s bad, can’t hear you.”
“It’s really hot though—luckily I’ve got iced drinks.”
Sent.
The group froze.
Then exploded.
Anger, jealousy, hatred—spreading instantly.
Lin Chu muted the chat.
She looked at the flood of messages and smiled faintly.
“Hate me? Good.”
“Only when you lose reason will you come to me… and die willingly.”
She turned toward the electrified perimeter fence outside the villa.
Her smile deepened.
“My electric fence…”
“…is getting hungry.”