Bai Li had only just finished her meal and turned off the TV when her phone drew her attention. The group chat for the residents of Building 9 in Jinghua Community had already blown up, and the message count sat far above ninety nine. She looked at it for a second, then opened the chat with the calm of someone opening a weather report, not a battlefield. The file showed that the chat had already been flooded with panic, rumors, questions about rescue, and fear about the streets outside, so Bai Li knew from the start that the building was not going to stay quiet for long.

The first few messages were still somewhat normal, at least on the surface. Someone asked whether the roads were blocked. Someone else said they had heard screaming in the hallway. Another person asked whether the emergency broadcast could still be trusted. A few residents said they had closed their doors and would not come out no matter what. There were also people asking if anyone had medicine, whether anyone had batteries, whether anyone had seen their relatives in the corridor. Bai Li read all of that without much reaction. She had seen fear before. Fear was not the strange part. The strange part came later, when the chat slowly changed from fear to greed. She scrolled down until she saw the first familiar name that made her expression grow a little colder.

It was one of the neighbors who had always kept a smiling face before the apocalypse, the kind of person who used to nod at her in the hallway and then stare too long at the boxes in her home whenever she passed by with groceries. Now that person suddenly spoke with great moral fire.

"Bai Li bought so many things before the apocalypse. I saw it myself. Boxes of rice, canned food, water, medicine, noodles, biscuits, everything. If she has that much, why is she still hiding it?"

Another person followed right away.

"That is right. Everyone is suffering now. If one family keeps so much food while others starve, is that really right?"

A third resident, one who had never spoken to Bai Li at all before, added in with a tone that sounded neutral but was clearly pushing the fire higher.

"Let us be fair. If she has enough, she should share some. It is not like this is the time for one person to be stingy."

Bai Li read the lines and gave a very small laugh under her breath. The laugh had no warmth in it. It was the kind of sound that meant she had already seen the end of these fools and found it boring. She kept scrolling.

The building manager joined in soon after, which did not surprise her at all. He had always liked to act like he was impartial while quietly helping whichever side made him feel useful. Before the apocalypse, whenever someone had an issue with the elevator or the water lines, he had been the first to tell people to be patient and think of the building as a family. Now his messages were full of the same polished nonsense.

"Everyone, calm down first. We must think about the residents as a whole. In a crisis, we need unity. If any household has more supplies, maybe we can discuss distribution together. It is not about taking. It is about helping each other survive."

Bai Li’s gaze paused there for a second. Her face did not change, but if anyone had been standing beside her, they would have felt the air around her turn a little colder. He had used the word "distribution" with such a straight face that she almost admired his nerve. She continued reading.

Someone else, one of the more cowardly types, sent a message that looked neutral on first reading but was actually meant to stir the room.

"If one family keeps too much and refuses to share, what happens if the rest of us can’t survive? Then what is the point of living in the same building?"

Another reply came almost immediately.

"That is why we should go upstairs and ask directly. If she is really a good neighbor, she will understand. If she does not, then everyone will know what kind of person she is."

That was when the group started to become truly ugly.

"Yes, we should form a group."

"Let us go together."

"We are not stealing. We are asking for the sake of survival."

"Exactly. She bought so much before the apocalypse began. How can she have such a full house while everyone else goes hungry?"

"Some people are too selfish. They care only about themselves."

"Since we all live in the same building, she should help."

Bai Li read those lines slowly, one by one. Her eyes were flat. Her lips did not move. If anything, her expression looked more and more like she was seeing a row of children playing with knives in the yard and waiting to see who would cut themselves first. She did not feel anger yet. What she felt was the dull, tired interest of a person watching stupidity gather courage.

Then Xiao Li spoke.

Xiao Li had once lived next door to Bai Li before moving up a floor. They were not close in a deep way, but they had exchanged food before, said hello in the hallway, and once Xiao Li had even returned a package Bai Li had accidentally left by the door. In this chat, Xiao Li’s message stood out because it did not try to take advantage of Bai Li. It did not sound greedy either.

"Bai Li did stock up a lot before this happened, yes, but that was her own business. I lived beside her before and know she is not the kind of person who goes around causing trouble. Right now it is not a good idea to force other people. Everyone should stay calm first and not rush to demand things from her."

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To be continued.