The commotion around them gradually died down. People even began breathing more quietly.
Two soldiers came forward from behind and quickly dragged away the old man’s corpse. The officer returned to the distribution point, his voice calm and emotionless.
“Next.”
Even Shen Hanyin was shaken by what she had witnessed. It was only the first day of food distribution, yet the military had acted with such cold decisiveness.
Then another thought crossed her mind.
Maybe it wasn’t the first day for them at all.
Perhaps countless similar incidents had already happened elsewhere. Experience gained through repeated tragedies had taught them that this was the most effective solution. The government clearly approved of such actions.
Maybe they had already predicted that the natural disaster would not end here.
The nation should have been making preparations long ago.
No matter how powerful a country was, it could not fight against nature itself. So the government had chosen to abandon a portion of its people.
That would also explain why there had been no rescue efforts since the torrential rains began.
People like them were probably among those who had been abandoned.
But if that was the case, why had the military suddenly appeared here now?
Was this their final act of assistance?
The line for food distribution was incredibly long. Shen Hanyin glanced at her watch. It was already past ten o’clock.
At this rate, there was no way they could finish distributing everything by noon.
She didn’t leave. Instead, she waited there for more than an hour.
She wanted to see what the military would do with the people who failed to receive food.
At exactly noon, the military loudspeaker announced that today’s food distribution had ended and that people could return tomorrow.
But how could those who had waited in line possibly leave so easily?
There was obviously still plenty of food inside the trucks.
Even after hearing gunshots earlier, the crowd surged forward anyway, shouting for the military to leave the food behind.
Several soldiers at the front were shoved and jostled. One even had his cap ripped off.
Someone actually tried to seize a soldier’s rifle.
Seeing this, the officer immediately fired.
The bullet pierced straight through the man’s skull.
Only then did the crowd stop in terror.
The officer gestured for the soldiers to retreat.
They stepped back three paces and raised their assault rifles once more.
This time, however, the muzzles were no longer pointed toward the ground.
They were aimed directly at the crowd.
“If anyone follows us again, don’t bother leaving.”
The entire square fell silent.
No one doubted the truth of his words.
The military had completely changed its approach.
There were no warnings.
No punishments.
Only cold bullets.
Some people finally realized something.
Perhaps something far more terrifying was coming.
The military trucks quickly disappeared from sight.
Shen Hanyin turned and headed home.
Along the way, people were fighting over food everywhere.
The streets echoed with curses, screams, and cries of despair.
Just because someone managed to receive food from the distribution line didn’t mean it would remain theirs.
Everyone shared the same goal.
Survive.
Shen Hanyin carried no food with her, so naturally nobody targeted her.
She quietly continued walking home.
Ahead of her, an elderly woman had fallen onto the ice.
Her husband was desperately protecting the food they had obtained after hours of waiting.
Shen Hanyin tried to walk around them.
The old woman suddenly grabbed her pant leg and pleaded desperately.
“Young man, please help us.”
As though she had seized a lifeline, the woman clung tightly to her.
Shen Hanyin crouched down and gently pried the woman’s fingers away from her pants.
She had no choice.
She could only pretend not to see.
She wasn’t a saint.
She couldn’t save everyone.
Even the small amount of sympathy she still possessed had to be completely suppressed.
For several days in a row, the military continued distributing supplies on schedule.
Some people couldn’t hold back their anger.
“We worked so hard to get those supplies, and they were stolen immediately! What’s the point of giving us food if it just gets taken away? You people have enough to eat yourselves, but you don’t care about us at all. Why bother pretending to help?”
The crowd hurled insults and accusations.
The military never responded.
On the tenth day, something changed.
When noon arrived, the military didn’t leave.
Instead, they remained until every last supply had been distributed.
Then the officer raised a loudspeaker.
“This is the last bit of aid I was able to secure for you. Starting tomorrow, we won’t be coming back. The extreme weather is not temporary. The country has already begun constructing survival bases. I hope… all of you can stay alive.”
The short statement brought nothing but despair.
Almost immediately, the square filled with sobbing and wailing.
In just over a month, modern civilization had gone from thriving cities to frozen wastelands.
Many people had still been clinging to hope.
They refused to believe that the apocalypse had truly arrived.
Today, the government itself shattered that illusion.
Shen Hanyin silently walked home.
She remembered seeing news reports claiming that the country’s grain reserves could sustain the population for three years.
Yet now the government had abandoned rescue operations and shifted its focus to building survival bases.
That meant this disaster would not end anytime soon.
Modern society had spent decades developing sophisticated systems of governance and social order.
Unless faced with a crisis they truly could not overcome, Huaguo would never casually abandon the peace and stability that generations had purchased with blood and sacrifice.
Nor would it willingly abandon its people.
The next day, before heading out, Shen Hanyin put on her stab-resistant vest and protective forearm guards.
The gear was heavy and uncomfortable.
She needed time to get used to it.
More people were searching for food on the streets now.
More people carried clubs and kitchen knives.
More people had turned to robbery.
Deep down, Shen Hanyin still hoped everyone could find enough food.
After all, only if everyone else remained relatively safe could she remain safe as well.
She wandered aimlessly for a while.
Since she wasn’t carrying any food to put on a show, she didn’t attract anyone’s attention.
Today was also her first day training with extra weight, so she decided to return early.
As she approached her apartment building, she noticed a crowd gathered at the entrance.
She initially intended to ignore them.
Then someone pointed at her.
“It’s him! He went out twice before. He definitely has food at home.”
Shen Hanyin looked over.
It was the man from the sixth floor.
Looking beside him, she saw Luo Qi and Xu Chengyi as well.
They were being blocked outside the building.
Eight people surrounded them.
Four men.
Three women.
And one elderly woman.
Shen Hanyin almost found it ridiculous.
What gave them the courage?
Luo Qi spoke first.
“I don’t know whose idea it was to gather here and stop me, but you should know very well that you can’t stop me.”
The elderly woman refused to back down.
“You found so much food. We’re all neighbors. What’s wrong with sharing some of it? You’re just going to stand there and watch us starve? If that’s the case, then nobody’s going to have an easy time.”
“Then go ahead and make your move.”
Luo Qi’s response was clever.
He addressed the elderly woman directly.
She looked like the type who valued her own life too much to act first.
Besides, she still appeared healthy enough. She hadn’t yet reached the point where starvation would drive her to risk everything.
No one moved.
Shen Hanyin quickly understood the situation.
This group had no real plan.
They were simply jealous.
Angry that others had food while they did not.
They had come together on impulse to demand a share.
A mob of opportunists.
Shen Hanyin remained silent.
The two sides stood there in an awkward standoff.
Everyone knew how embarrassing it felt.
Luo Qi spoke again.
“We’re not giving you any food. If you’re not going to do anything, move aside.”
He stepped forward.
No one dared stop him.
Shen Hanyin followed behind him.
Suddenly, an arm stretched out in front of her.
“You can’t leave.”
“The two of them eat together, but you live alone. You must have plenty of food. I saw you carrying full bags home every day before. Hand over half your food and I’ll let you go.”
The man was somewhat clever.
By allowing the other two to leave, he intended to isolate her.
“But I haven’t received any food these past few days.”
Shen Hanyin casually pointed at a random woman in the crowd.
“Unlike her. I see her getting food every day.”
The woman immediately shouted back, her voice several times louder than before.
“That’s nonsense!”
“Then let’s call it nonsense. I don’t have any food. Are you still going to stop me?”
The man didn’t move aside.
“We’ll know whether you’re lying once we search your apartment.”
Shen Hanyin said nothing.
Instead, she swung her baseball bat.
The bat crashed into the arm blocking her path.
A painful scream echoed through the air.
Without giving anyone time to react, she charged forward.
She kicked another man directly to the ground.
The baseball bat smashed into his knee.
She grabbed a nearby woman’s hair and slammed her onto the icy ground.
Then she kicked the woman toward the feet of the others.
Everyone stared at Shen Hanyin’s rapid series of attacks.
The remaining people exchanged uncertain glances.
Yet not a single person dared step forward.
Knowing when to stop, Shen Hanyin didn’t press the attack.
She hadn’t brought her knife today.
The other side still had nine people and plenty of weapons.
She had no intention of getting injured by accident.
In a cold voice, she said,
“I don’t have any food. Stay away from me.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the stairs.
As she climbed, she muttered to herself.
Next time, she needed to bring her knife.
Otherwise, she might end up at a disadvantage.
As she passed Luo Qi and Xu Chengyi, Xu Chengyi raised a thumbs-up toward her.
Shen Hanyin glanced at him but offered no response.
She had no need for flattery.
And she certainly had no need for anyone’s help.