This girl had crossed paths with Lan Jin and Huang Jinghe once during the poisonous fog period, back when everyone had to queue downstairs for supplies.
She had been standing in front of them in line. They had exchanged a few brief words at the time, but that was the extent of it. Not even acquaintances, really. So what made her suddenly want to pair up and move into Lan Jin's apartment? Was she really so at ease with trusting someone she barely knew?
And then there was that woman from Unit 701 earlier. Lan Jin had never interacted with her either, yet somehow both women had shown up at her door, one after the other. Did they plan this together? Or had someone sent them?
No matter how she turned it over in her mind, none of it sat right.
…
The girl outside the door gave an awkward smile when Lan Jin opened it. Then her expression turned soft and pitiful.
"Hello, Sister. I'm from the twelfth floor. I live alone. Last night, some people kept knocking on my door. I got really scared. Can I come stay at your place?"
"No."
Lan Jin's blunt refusal caught the girl off guard. But she clearly hadn't expected to be let in easily, because she didn't back down.
"Please, Sister, I'm really scared living alone. I promise I won't bother you. I brought my own food and water. You don't need to take care of me. I just want someone around."
"There should be others in this building who also live alone. Try them. I can't help you."
Lan Jin ignored the girl's outstretched offerings of bottled water and packaged food. Her brow furrowed in clear disapproval.
Sensing Lan Jin's irritation, Nana rushed up to the door. The big dog barked fiercely through the crack, sending the girl stumbling back in fear. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she stood there trembling, looking hurt and frightened, as if Lan Jin had just bullied her.
That kind of expression would make anyone wary of letting her in, especially someone who didn't want trouble.
Lan Jin kept her tone flat. "You saw him. My dog's aggressive. He doesn't like strangers. It's not safe for you to be here. If he bites you, who's to blame? And I'm out of dog food. Are you planning to be his next meal?"
The girl shook her head quickly, clearly terrified, but still rooted to the spot, too scared to leave. Her soft crying wasn't loud, but it was enough to draw attention. Soon, the woman from Unit 3204 opened her security door and leaned against the frame, tossing out a snide comment.
"Oh come on, poor girl's just asking for shelter. It's not like she's trying to rob you. She even brought her own supplies. Why are you so heartless? No sympathy at all?"
"You're so sympathetic, then you take her in."
Without waiting for a reply, Lan Jin shut the door in their faces.
But the woman from 3204 wasn't some good Samaritan either. There was no way she'd let the girl into her home. What if her husband got involved with the girl? As soon as Lan Jin shut her door, she did the same, afraid the girl would come knocking next.
Abandoned and teary-eyed, the girl from the twelfth floor slowly made her way down the stairs. In the stairwell, she ran into the woman from Unit 701.
Both of them had been rejected by Lan Jin. After a few words of mutual comfort, they quickly decided to stick together. The woman from Unit 701 moved into the twelfth floor apartment.
The twelfth floor might not be as safe as the thirty-second, but it was better than staying on the seventh. The woman from 701 finally felt like she could relax.
As for the two of them living together, Lan Jin didn't think it would end well. That girl from the twelfth floor was no match for the woman from 701. If anything went wrong, she'd probably be the first to get sold out.
And judging by the state of the woman from 701, Lan Jin doubted she had any real supplies left.
Simply put, anyone who let them in would only bring trouble on themselves.
But none of this concerned Lan Jin. Once the heavy rain season truly hit, things would get even worse. As long as these people stayed out of her way, she wouldn't bother them. But if they tried anything... she'd take care of them quietly. Eliminate the threat before it grew.
It wasn't about being cruel. In the apocalypse, if she wasn't ruthless, she'd be the one to die.
…
After being turned away twice, the women seemed to realize her place was a lost cause and stopped trying.
But while Lan Jin's apartment finally quieted down, things were getting lively elsewhere.
Take Huang Jinghe, for example. He lived alone. So did Lao Gao.
But between the two, Lao Gao's place was clearly more complicated. That muscular frame made him both dangerous and dependable. The danger came from Lao Gao himself. The safety also came from Lao Gao himself.
Still, neither he nor Huang Jinghe were the type to let strangers into their homes. So unsurprisingly, both had turned people away.
But rejection was just the beginning. When survival was at stake, food became the real focus.
With shelter secured, people started thinking seriously about food.
…
Two days later, a man with gold-rimmed glasses and a warm smile came knocking on every door on their floor.
Lan Jin heard the commotion as neighbors opened up, and after a pause, she opened her inner door as well.
All three households on her floor had their doors ajar, but no one spoke first. Everyone eyed the man in the hallway warily.
He smiled at them and gave a polite introduction.
"Hello, everyone. I'm the building representative for Tower 12. My name is Su Han. I've come to invite you all to a quick meeting at my place on the sixth floor."
He glanced at Unit 3201, which hadn't opened, and asked, "Is anyone living there?"
The woman from Unit 3204 rolled her eyes. "That place? Newlyweds used to live there. They moved to the base during the first relocation wave."
Su Han nodded and didn't press the matter. He turned back to the group.
"I'm Su Han. During the poisonous fog period, I volunteered as a relief worker and was later appointed as building rep for Tower 12. I've called this meeting for the remaining residents to discuss an important issue: our food situation."
The woman from 3204 perked up instantly. "Wait, does that mean food relief is here?"
Su Han shook his head. "No. There's been no news of outside aid. That's exactly why we need to come together and figure out how to help each other. Please meet on the sixth floor this afternoon at three. We'll talk about food, and anything else that concerns us."
The woman from 3204 scowled. "So you just want everyone to share their food? Why should I hand over what I have? Everyone should eat their own. What's there to talk about?"
Su Han replied calmly, "There's more to discuss than just food. We all live in the same building. No one wants to see our neighbors starve to death."