The people in the group did not care about that. They simply wanted a reason to feel that what they were about to do was righteous.

The building manager posted again, finally dropping the weak and polished tone a little.

"Everyone, please do not fight. We can form a small group, go up, and have a proper talk with Bai Li. No one should use force. We only need to explain the situation. The rest depends on her attitude."

That message was followed by several approving emojis and a wave of quick replies.

"Yes, that is best."

"Proper talk."

"Everyone should go together."

"For the sake of survival."

Bai Li read the entire thing and leaned back slightly in her chair. Her expression never changed much, but there was a new stillness in it now, the stillness of someone observing insects gather on a hot stone before the fire comes down. She did not feel offended. She felt entertained, in a dry way. She almost wanted them to come a little faster, just so she could see which one of them would be the first to regret opening their mouth.

Then Xiao Li sent one more message.

"I still think everyone should not force her. Bai Li did not owe anyone before this. If she is willing to share, that is kindness. If not, there is no reason to turn on her."

A few people ignored Xiao Li. A few others openly mocked him.

"Easy to say when it is not your family starving."

"Stop pretending to be fair."

"Are you trying to get on her good side?"

Xiao Li did not argue further after that. He had already said enough.

One of the opportunists then wrote, "If we go up, we should at least bring a few people who can speak well. We do not want trouble. We only want to ask for supplies."

Another replied, "We can talk first. If she is still stubborn, then everyone can judge what kind of person she is."

Bai Li stared at those words. Her eyes were half cold, half bored. Judge what kind of person she is. The arrogance of these people was almost impressive. They had not even managed to survive a single day outside yet, and already they were planning to sit in judgment of the one person who had actually prepared herself. It was the kind of logic that belonged to fools who thought a crowd made them righteous.

She read the last few lines and saw that someone had already begun organizing the names of people who wanted to go upstairs. The list included the building manager, two men who always liked to stir things up, the woman who had pretended to be neutral while subtly pushing the group forward, and one more person Bai Li had only seen once or twice. They were talking as if they were forming a clean little justice team. Bai Li almost admired the stupidity of it. Almost.

Her phone rested loosely in her hand. She looked at the screen, then at the quiet room around her, and her expression stayed lukewarm, almost indifferent. To anyone watching, she might have seemed like she was simply reading gossip. In truth, she was imagining their faces when they reached her floor and found out that she was not the kind of person who would sit there and let them chant about fairness until they took what she had earned. The thought was not dramatic. It was not angry. It was simply practical. If they came upstairs, they would be the ones stepping into danger. If they wanted to make a group and call it justice, then she would gladly show them what justice looked like when it held a weapon.

At the end of the screen, the chat still kept moving, full of self righteous noise and greedy little plans. Bai Li’s mouth curved faintly, but the curve held no warmth. She locked the phone, set it down, and sat in the quiet apartment as if the whole thing had already become too small to matter. Outside, the building was full of people trying to turn hunger into righteousness. Inside, Bai Li only felt like she was watching a few fools line themselves up neatly before her hand. And if they really came up to her floor to demand supplies, then they would learn very quickly that the world no longer rewarded loud mouths or group courage. It rewarded those who survived.

If they still wanted to walk over, Bai Li thought, then let them.

...

..

After finishing her meal, Bai Li put on rubber gloves, washed the small pot and chopsticks, and then opened the security door to her room. The little apartment had gone quiet again after the long meal, and the soft sound of water in the sink made the room feel even more still.

She moved with the careful habit of someone who had always been used to keeping her space in order, even when the world outside was falling apart. The food had warmed her body, and the short rest had helped her regain a little energy, but her hands were still sore, so she did everything slowly and with patience.

She did not want to pull at the wound, and she did not want to leave anything dirty behind, because in a time like this, even a small thing could become a big problem later. When she was done, she turned to her computer and pulled up the surveillance footage.

Dozens of small windows appeared on the screen at once, each showing a different part of the hallway. She clicked on one and zoomed in, watching the hallway outside her door, then another one, then another. Everything looked quiet enough for now, though quiet in this kind of world never meant safe. After checking the feed, she took out her crossbow and placed it on the floor beside the bed. Then she lay down, closed her eyes, and let sleep take her.

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED.