Chapter 18 - 18

Chapter 18 is getting chaotic.A week has passed in the blink of an eye, and the electricity and water supply time has been shortened to only 1 hour per day.The outdoor temperature reached a high of 60 degrees Celsius, and the supermarket announced a week-long closure because many goods could not be delivered, leaving them with no choice but to close.The small shops outside had long since closed down, and the main road was deserted, without a single car in sight, because cars are prone to tire blowouts when driving on the ground.There were no repair shops nearby, so many cars had flat tires and had to be driven back anyway.These past few nights, Su Xiaoyu has been quietly going out to the designated location to wait for the truck.Last night, after receiving the last batch of surgical equipment, the deal with Bai Muhanwas officially completed.She successfully stockpiled 250,000 sets of protective clothing, 220,000 N95 masks, and 300,000 ordinary medical masks, which was much more than she had imagined.I stockpiled two large truckloads of cold medicine, antibiotics, various anti-inflammatory drugs, stomach medicine, and high blood pressure medication.These skills will definitely come in very handy when dealing with people in the future.After spending time with Lin Xiuxiu, Su Xiaoyurealized that having another person around was actually quite nice, as she didn't have to lift a finger to take care of anything at home.I won't be lonely, otherwise I wouldn't even have anyone to talk to.So if possible in the future, it wouldn't be out of the question to form a small team and live together, of course, we must share the same goals and interests.Lin Xiuxiu came out of the house, her face full of anxiety. "The supermarket is closed. How are we going to make a living?"Su Xiaoyu: "If we can't guarantee our material livelihood, life will definitely be difficult in the future."Lin Xiuxiu was filled with worry. She couldn't even watch the TV series she usually loved, and she felt like something was going to happen.Su Xiaoyu was reading the messages in the group chat, where everyone was discussing what to do next.Some people suggested exchanging items, showing off their luxury goods, such as bags worth tens of thousands of yuan and leather jackets worth over 100,000 yuan, but were willing to exchange them for rice, flour, and vegetables.Many people were tempted and added each other on WeChat to chat privately.This is not a good sign. I originally thought the people living in this building were quite wealthy and had probably stocked up on a lot of things recently, so their survival and livelihood should be guaranteed.Of course, some people also showed off their stockpiled supplies in the group chat, showing how abundant they were.One homeowner combined two apartments into one, which has four refrigerators and is stocking up on a lot of meat and fish.She also sent a pained emoji, saying, "I only get one hour of calls a day. When will I ever finish all this food?"Then there were 50-pound bags of rice, seven or eight bags piled together, and white toilet paper next to them.This is blatant flaunting of wealth.This drew sighs from everyone.It's my own fault for not having any money!During this period, the government allocated a considerable amount of grain according to the population of each region. However, it was impossible to buy it at a fair price, as middlemen maliciously inflated prices, resulting in exorbitantly high prices for ordinary people.People who have so much spare cash to hoard things are, after all, a minority. Everyone has to survive; what if the extreme heat suddenly disappears tomorrow? Wouldn't all that money have been wasted?So basically, every little bit saved counts, as long as they don't starve. This kind of person makes up 70% of the population; they are people who don't have much money but still want to survive.Of course, some people with clear plans stockpile enough food to last at least one or two years, so that no matter how things develop, they won't go hungry. And in critical moments, this food can be exchanged for other goods, so it's not a losing proposition.Su Xiaoyu said, "Xiuer, look at this video of the gate facing the Da Nan Development Zone. Showing off wealth like this will only lead to trouble sooner or later."After seeing so many supplies, and then looking at the things displayed in the room, Lin Xiuxiuthought, "Compared to this person, we have far too little stockpiled!"Su Xiaoyu laughed, "Don't forget I left some things upstairs. You must remember that: never put all your eggs in one basket!"Lin Xiuxiu felt relieved when she thought about the things upstairs.Su Xiaoyu secretly contacted Zhao Yong and learned that the house across the street hadn't been sold and was probably empty. In exchange for two packs of cigarettes, she obtained the door lock code for future use.After the power outage, the candles were relit. Even if there was electricity in the house, they couldn't be used openly, as it would be a potential hazard if someone discovered them.Three days later.A massive fire broke out in the nearby cables, and the power went out for an hour, plunging everyone into complete panic.However, some clever people installed solar panels on their balconies to store electricity.This guy just wanted to show off a bit, since he didn't have much else at home, and as an installer, installing a simple solar panel was really too easy for him.That night, he was retaliated against and severely beaten by masked men, who also stole his belongings.Without electricity, there is no surveillance, and naturally, nothing can be found.Given the current situation, the security room downstairs is deserted. What can we do but suffer in silence?Once it happened, it happened again. Soon, a second house was robbed. A young couple was robbed when four or five masked men rushed in and emptied the house while the man was out taking out the trash.The woman screamed for help when she saw someone trying to steal her things, but no one came to her aid. Everyone only found out when she posted the video in a group chat.After watching the video, Lin Xiuxiu promptly went back inside to exercise. She had previously thought that perhaps the temperature would drop someday and she would return to her previous state. Now it seems that day will not come.Su Xiaoyu was quite satisfied with Lin Xiuxiu's energetic boxing.For dinner, we used the last two fresh tomatoes to make a stir-fried tomato and egg dish, and stewed pork ribs with dried green beans.During this time, they also tried growing vegetables, adding spiritual spring water to them. In addition, the temperature in the house never exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, and the vegetable seedlings gradually grew.It will be ready to eat in a few more days, which is good news amidst the misfortune.A message popped up on my phone.Su Xiaoyu saw Zhao Dayong's post, which warned them to be careful, as the building was no longer safe. Everyone was minding their own business, and no one would help if anything happened, so the stairwell doors had to be locked.I sent him a big smiley face to indicate that I understood.Then keep eating. No matter what, you won't panic if you have food in your stomach.I was asleep in the middle of the night when I suddenly heard a piercing sound.Su Xiaoyu immediately opened her eyes and woke up. She got out of bed, put on her shoes, picked up her baseball bat, and walked to the door. She looked through the peephole and saw the scene outside.Someone is trying to break into the building's main entrance. The perpetrator is clearly prepared and is using an electric drill to pry open the lock."Xiao Yu!" Lin Xiuxiu called softly.Su Xiaoyu turned around and gestured for her to be quiet.Lin Xiuxiu knew that someone had broken in, and she immediately thought of a frying pan. She turned around and went back to the kitchen to get the frying pan.