Apocalyptic Rebirth

58.despair

Chen Zhenghao and his group spent an entire morning trying to break through the walls of Zhang Ye's house. However, after stripping away the wall panels, floor, and ceiling, they discovered that they were separated by a thick layer of steel.

A 20 cm thick steel plate was an absolute nightmare for them. There was no hope of breaking it down using manpower alone. Working under extremely low temperatures, without adequate energy to replenish their strength, only accelerated their demise.

Many of them were so exhausted that they collapsed on the ground. The sound of their empty stomachs rumbling was deafening.

But the available food was meager, and a few of them noticed their neighbors, through the gaps in their clothes, revealing their pale, snow-white skin.

A terrifying idea suddenly flashed through their minds: isn't this flesh?

The horrifying thought immediately sent shivers down their spines, and they tried their best to banish such notions from their minds. However, once this idea took root, it presented an unspoken option for desperate times.

They knew that if it ever came to that point, acts of cannibalism and infighting would be inevitable.

"Is there really no other way?"

Sun Zhichao was tormented, and he felt his arm beginning to swell and fester. Without antibiotics or even basic anti-inflammatories, let alone the means to clean wounds effectively, his injuries, which still had plenty of rust residue, were almost certainly fatal.

"Damn Zhang Ye, why do you have to be so ruthless?"

"Why should one person, like you, survive while so many of us suffer? What's wrong with sacrificing yourself a bit? Huh? Huh??"

Sun Zhichao roared to the heavens, his despair warping his very soul.

At this moment, Zhang Ye's neighbor suddenly stepped forward.

"Maybe you can try the balcony," they suggested. "When they renovated their house, they turned the balcony into a large glass window. There might be a chance to get in!"

The other residents couldn't see the back of Zhang Ye's house, but his neighbor could. Building 25 had some floors with balconies, and the 24th floor where Zhang Ye lived had a small platform that he typically used for planting flowers and airing out blankets.

Upon hearing Zhang Ye's neighbor's suggestion, the nearly desperate group raised their heads.

"A window? Haha, yes! Since he has windows, there must be an exit! It can't be completely sealed!"

"As long as there's a window, we can break in!"

Without hesitation, they barged into Zhang Ye's neighbor's house, the two balconies separated by only about 15 cm, with a fence in between. But this slight obstacle couldn't stop the current madness.

However, the outside balcony was not like the building's hallway. Currently, the hallway was sealed by various households, providing some insulation from the freezing cold. But outside, the northern wind howled, and the heavy snowfall could freeze people in just a few hours.

Chen Zhenghao and his group were too focused on their goal of breaking into Zhang Ye's house to consider the elements.

This frenzied mob, like madmen, jumped onto Zhang Ye's balcony. Zhang Ye, however, had noticed this development.

Both sides locked eyes for less than a second.

The neighbors brandished their tools and began to attack the enormous glass window, which was facing their balcony.

Zhang Ye, in turn, dragged a white lounge chair to the window and calmly reclined. As an afterthought, he poured himself a cup of steaming coffee.

The small balcony quickly became overcrowded with over a dozen people. Their pale faces resembled those of zombies. Combined with their manic expressions, they looked more like the living dead.

Zhang Ye thought that this might be the extent of what an actual zombie apocalypse might look like.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Ding!

A low, repetitive sound filled the air as this crazed group of people tried to break the window. Despite some accidentally striking their own hands, they didn't seem to feel any pain, allowing their blood to flow freely and freeze in the cold.

When they were pounding on the wall earlier, the sense of longing had not been as obvious. But now, they could clearly see just how luxurious Zhang Ye's life was on the other side of the glass.

A roaring fire in the fireplace, Zhang Ye dressed in just a shirt, lounging in the lounge chair like a rich landlord. On the table were snacks, pizza, hamburgers, cola, chicken, roast duck, and even Chinese oily noodles!

It was these foods that drove the neighbors on the balcony to the brink of madness. After abstaining for half a month, they reacted with wild excitement, as if they'd been reunited with their long-lost fathers.

"Roar!!!"

"Ahhhh!!!"

They were so overwhelmed by excitement that they forgot how to speak and resorted to shouting instead.

And then, with all their might, they kept hammering the window!

Zhang Ye held his coffee, appreciating the

spectacle. He applauded them to express his gratitude.

However, he felt a little hungry. So, he retrieved some food from his storage space: fragrant elbow meat, candied bananas, and some snacks. He even had a piece of pure cocoa butter chocolate.