Chapter 9
By the fifth day, the situation had clearly worsened.
Ji Yang could see that the previously quiet and harmonious property management group chat was now filled with homeowners complaining. The price for running errands had surged to five hundred per order, which was an absolute rip-off.
But at least, for now, there were still people accepting orders.
Most things could still be bought, but items like vegetables were starting to run low.
Because the heavy snow had blocked the roads, transport vehicles couldn’t pass through quickly. Even if merchants placed orders and paid, the goods were still stuck on the road, unable to move.
The residents of 1501 across the hall had already ordered takeout twice, both times during the day. Ji Yang was exercising in her living room, so she happened to overhear a little.
It had to be said, the excellent soundproofing was a bit inconvenient at times; it was harder to notice what was happening outside.
Fortunately, Xixi’s dog ears were sharp. Every time it heard a noise, it would go to the door to take a peek. Seeing that the person wasn’t heading their way, it would happily trot back and sit beside Ji Yang, watching her exercise.
When she stretched, Xixi would also mimic her by prostrating itself.
It’s so adorable!
Therefore, on the seventh day, Ji Yang also symbolically ordered some takeout.
As soon as she opened the app, the once dazzling array of products now showed many items as sold out. At a glance, the most well-stocked item was ice cream.
Ji Yang immediately placed an order for some, and also bought some yogurt, potato chips, and other puffed foods. By this point, the total cost of the goods was already close to three thousand.
When she clicked to check out, the total came to three thousand three hundred.
The price was skyrocketing.
After paying, the merchant quickly accepted the order. The rider side was a bit slower, but after a few minutes, someone accepted the order. By this time, the snow was already thigh-deep. Although it hadn’t melted due to the cold and wasn’t slippery, it was still difficult to walk. Therefore, the delivery time was extended to an hour.
And this was from a large supermarket just one kilometer away from the community.
The delivery person was very efficient, arriving in just over forty minutes. When Ji Yang came out to get her delivery, she could clearly see the delivery person’s face, red from the cold, and the snowflakes accumulated on his head and shoulders.
She paused for a moment, then said kindly, “I’m afraid this heavy snow won’t stop anytime soon. Big brother, have you bought enough food for your family?”
The delivery man was taken aback, then grinned. “Thanks for the reminder. Not yet. After a few more orders, I’ll go buy some to take home.”
Ji Yang nodded slightly and said no more. She closed the door, and the bag in her hand was already in her space, its contents placed on the corresponding shelves by her consciousness.
A few days later, Ji Yang placed another order.
No one accepted it.
The other homeowners in the property management group chat naturally noticed this as well and were all grumbling in the group.
Just then, one person said: [I know a brother with a snowmobile who can help buy things. The commission is one thousand per order.]
Homeowner: [Holy crap? That expensive?]
[That’s price gouging!]
[Are you crazy? Do you really think this snow disaster will last for months? I don’t believe any of you have empty houses. There’s no need to be a sucker.]
[That’s right. I’m not buying anyway. I hoarded so many New Year’s goods before, I can definitely last for two or three months. With our country’s efficiency, the snow disaster will be over in a month at most.]
[Have you guys checked the weather forecast? It’s continuous blizzards and extreme weather. The meteorological bureau hasn’t said the blizzard will end anytime soon. If you can hoard, you should. If you’re not willing to spend the money, just go yourself. I went myself. It was a bit cold, but it was fine. The roads are walkable, but there really isn’t much left in the supermarkets…]
Of course, some people accepted it easily. It was a bit expensive, but there were many rich people. So, they immediately agreed and didn’t forget to speak up in the group: [Don’t make it sound so bad. Look at the situation, even the desperate Chou Tuan riders aren’t taking orders. The situation must be very difficult. It’s natural for someone willing to run errands to charge a bit more.]
[Exactly. If you don’t want to pay, go yourself. But it’s so cold, two thousand is two thousand.]
Ji Yang thought for a moment and also said in the group: [That makes sense. Can you bring water? I’m afraid the water will be cut off and I won’t have any to use. And what if the power and gas go out? Can the snowmobile carry gas canisters and a gas stove?]
People in the group: […]
[I’ve finally met someone with a greater sense of crisis than me.]
[LMAO, I bought those ages ago. For a once-in-a-century snow disaster like this, you have to be fully prepared. [Image]]
Ji Yang: …
She facepalmed. She had kindly offered a reminder, only to have this person expose themselves.
The image clearly showed a gas canister and a gas stove, along with piles of supplies.
Well… impressive.
She could only hope that there were few people in the group, and that order hadn’t broken down yet. Otherwise, this person was done for.
Who would have thought that this disaster wouldn’t just last for a long time, but for over a year?!
No one in the group was thinking too much at the moment. Instead, they were extremely envious: [Big brother, while others take one step, you’ve thought a hundred steps ahead.]
[Strong!]
[Copying homework, copying homework…]
One or two people hoarding quickly led to a whole group of people hoarding. Whether it was an instinctive sense of crisis or the material anxiety brought on by those around them, this round of hoarding was more intense than imagined.
So, the group quickly quieted down. It was estimated that everyone had gone to private message the person who could deliver goods. Anyway, by the time it was Ji Yang’s turn, the other party directly replied: [Order slots are full. Your order will have to be scheduled for tomorrow. Would you like to add a one-thousand deposit to be prioritized for tomorrow’s schedule?]
Ji Yang: ?
She was just putting on a show. Since she was late, she let it be.
It was enough that other people in the community had bought things.
Although it might not extend their survival by much.
In extreme cold, the shelf life of food is greatly extended. Coupled with Xia Country’s habit of stockpiling grain, normally, once the country realized something was wrong and consolidated most of the granaries, it could basically sustain the entire population of 1.5 billion for three years.
However, this was only the most ideal situation.
Some people hoarded a lot, while others only realized they should hoard when they ran out of food.
What to do then?
They couldn’t just starve themselves to death, right?
When the instinct for survival kicks in, laws and morals can no longer restrain one’s behavior. Arson, murder, and looting—for the sake of food, people would do anything.
Those who were robbed would then go and rob others.
In the ensuing chaos, food might be wasted or hidden by some ruthless individuals, and those who were meant to starve would still starve.
In addition, with temperatures of minus forty or fifty degrees, people in the cities would freeze to death due to lack of fuel, or die from carbon monoxide poisoning. The population would plummet.
Ji Yang didn’t know the exact numbers because, at that time, a nationwide network was no longer available. She only knew that in the base where she was, at least half the population was gone.
—
The group was quiet for two days because someone was willing to run errands.
During these two days, the discussion was all about how to prevent water pipes from freezing. Some also mentioned that they had already prepaid ten thousand for their gas bill and didn’t know if it would be enough; heating was too expensive.
On the third day, someone started cursing in the group, accusing a certain person of profiting from a national disaster. The price had skyrocketed at this time. It was one thousand per order before, but now it was quoted at three thousand per order, and the weight couldn’t exceed one hundred jin.
Others chimed in, agreeing that they weren’t poor, but they weren’t suckers to be taken advantage of either.
The person who had first mentioned the snowmobile immediately popped up: [If you think it’s not worth it, go yourself. Do you really think you can just buy things casually now? I have a motorcycle, but I still have to travel far to buy what you want. Supplies are scarce everywhere now. A pack of instant noodles is being sold for over a hundred, and you might not even be able to buy it, okay!]
But no one paid him any mind.
Those who felt they had been ripped off were resentful. How could they listen to such whitewashing excuses?
Ji Yang lurked, thinking to herself that, as expected, the owner of the snowmobile was in the property management group. She glanced at the nickname; it was someone from Building 12 next door.
The occupancy rate of the community was not high, and the buildings were not super high-rises, so basically, four buildings were grouped into one chat group, with about a hundred people per group.
Ji Yang was in Building 9, which was in a group with Buildings 10, 11, and 12.
This person was good at making money, but he lacked a bit of foresight and a sense of crisis. The disaster money he was working so hard to earn now would all turn to foam, and he might even become a prime target for robbery in the future because of his snowmobile.
It was also that afternoon that the state issued an emergency notice, strictly prohibiting price gouging, high-priced errand services, and similar situations.
Of course, this had been mentioned before, but no one had paid attention, and those who were making money continued to do so.
But this time, the notice was accompanied by the news of a group of people being imprisoned.
This served as a powerful deterrent to many.
Some people online were gloating, thinking that those who profited from a national disaster had finally gotten their comeuppance. Others felt it was a pity. In such cold weather, they really didn’t want to run all over the surrounding supermarkets on foot to hoard supplies. Having an errand runner was a good thing.
The two sides argued endlessly online, creating numerous hot topics.
In the property management group chat, a homeowner forwarded this news with a [Smile] emoji.
Then, several others followed suit with a smile emoji.
The snowmobile owner from Building 12 did not show up and was extremely quiet.
And then… that night, the snow became heavier again. There wasn’t much wind, so the previously crystal-clear snowflakes now became heavy, falling in small clumps.
It was truly beautiful in the night, like a rain of white flowers from the sky.
It was just another heavy blow to the human world.
At the same time, another extreme weather warning appeared, reminding everyone that the weather might not change in the short term and that they should hoard supplies rationally.
Misfortune usually comes in droves. The water pipes, which had held on for more than ten days, also froze today.
This threw the homeowners into disarray. They started asking each other in the group for any news their contacts had heard, but the answers were either “I don’t know,” “I’m not sure,” or… a vaguely unsettling feeling.
Finally, someone typed: [Why don’t we go ourselves?]
As soon as this was said, someone immediately responded enthusiastically: [The supermarket is only one kilometer away. It’ll be tiring, but if we go ourselves, we can buy more.]
[That’s right, my family has a magic carpet. We can put things on it and just drag it on the snow. It’s not tiring at all.]
[I’ll go too, I’ll go too. Let’s go together.]
[…]