A frantic shout came from outside the window.

"We're saved! Rescue teams are coming! We're saved!"

Zhang Rui, a survivor on the third floor of the same building as Li Xuan, was shouting excitedly.

Survivors in the complex heard his voice and rushed to their windows.

"Is it true? Are rescue teams really coming? Where did you get this information!"

"The authorities released the search directions and coverage areas for rescue teams! Our complex is included!"

"Does your phone still have battery?"

"I have a solar power bank at home!"

Other survivors who received confirmation became ecstatic, their bodies that were nearing their limits suddenly bursting with renewed energy.

"Wahh~ They're finally coming! I've been starving for days and already ate everything edible in my house."

"Why couldn't they come earlier! Just a little earlier! Then my daughter wouldn't have starved to death! Why!"

"It's too late, over a month has passed before rescue came! Why didn't they save us first! When we reach the settlement, we'll go together to demand an explanation!"

After prolonged starvation, combined with the fear and threat of death from the zombie outbreak, and the pain of family members turning into zombies, many survivors had already reached mental breaking point, their inner darkness and malice multiplying endlessly.

Then someone shouted a question.

"How long until the rescue teams arrive! Can they make it today?!"

"Definitely not today! I saw comments from rescued survivors saying it takes at least five days, up to ten if slow!"

"Five days? I can't hold out for five days!"

"What if it takes seven days? Is there any way to get rescue teams to come to our complex first? Little Zhang! Call the rescue teams and tell them to save us first!"

"Right, right, if nothing else, save the children and elderly first! Children and elderly can't hold out much longer!"

"Take the women too, ladies first!"

On the third floor, Zhang Rui licked his lips. This was exactly the effect he wanted - the more desperate the complex survivors became, the happier he was.

The information was real - their complex was within the rescue teams' search range, but he had made one slight modification.

Rescue teams could arrive in as little as three days, up to seven days at most.

The reason he extended the timeframe was because he had no food left at home. He had been starving for days and was nearing his limit, possibly unable to hold out until rescue arrived.

To survive, he had devised a method.

First release the information to give hope to the complex survivors, then extend the timeframe to push the already starving survivors into despair.

When people despair, they find their own ways to survive.

"I hope these guys aren't too stupid," Zhang Rui murmured.

Survivors with brains would definitely think of Li Xuan!

Li Xuan must still have food at home!

Until just yesterday, tantalizing aromas occasionally wafted from Li Xuan's home, making countless survivors drool with envy.

Without any hope, even if the complex survivors united, Li Xuan wouldn't hand over food. This had been proven over the past month - Li Xuan was someone without any concept of kindness, incapable of showing mercy to the fairer sex, didn't respect the elderly or cherish the young, a purely cold-blooded creature!

But now things were different - rescue teams were coming soon!

The authorities had repeatedly issued warnings: no random harming of others, killing, or forcing others. Violators would not receive rescue, and serious cases would face severe punishment from authorities.

Although no one in the complex had seen Li Xuan kill anyone, various traces suggested that Li Xuan had killed people!

First, Li Xuan's neighbor brothers had disappeared. On the first day of the apocalypse, the two brothers were still messaging in the group chat. When Auntie Yun led people to cause trouble for Li Xuan, the brothers' bodies fell from the sky, triggering the zombie horde.

The killer must be Li Xuan!

If complex survivors firmly accused Li Xuan of murder, they could pressure him to hand over some food. Not too much, just enough for everyone to share and survive until rescue teams arrived.

As for whether to help Li Xuan conceal the murder afterwards?

Everyone would ostensibly keep it secret, but behind the scenes was hard to say.

The complex survivors deeply resented Li Xuan. Every time aromas came from his home, this resentment grew stronger!

Zhang Rui licked his chapped lips, "I don't need much food, just a little bit. I want to survive, to reach the settlement."

After some time, things unfolded exactly as Zhang Rui had predicted.

A survivor remembered Li Xuan and stood by the window shouting.

"Li Xuan! Rescue teams are coming soon! Take out some food! Share it with everyone!"

No sound came from the eighteenth floor. The survivor looked up and saw Li Xuan standing by the window. Their eyes met - clearly Li Xuan had heard but had no intention of responding.

No response was also an answer.

The survivor grew angry, malice spreading rapidly in his heart, "Li Xuan! Don't play deaf! I know you heard! The rescue teams will know you killed people! You can't escape punishment! Only we can save you now! If you want to survive! Hand over the food!"

This reminded other survivors, and immediately many joined in.

"Right, right! Hand over food! You killed people! We can help you conceal it!"

"If you don't hand over food, we'll definitely report you! So what if you can fight! Can you defeat the rescue teams!"

Sharp voices poured into Li Xuan's ears one after another, all ignored by him.

In fact, he had known rescue teams were coming for a while.

He also had a solar power bank at home, and his phone could still barely function, though the signal was weak.

Not only that, he knew another thing.

The first version was about to receive a minor update.

Simply put, version 1.1 was updating to 1.2.

Ding~

His phone vibrated. Looking down, he saw Zhang Rui from the third floor messaging him in the group chat.

[Zhang Rui: Li Xuan, why don't you take out a small portion of food and share it with everyone? A near neighbor is better than a distant relative. When everyone reaches the settlement, we'll be safer together and won't be bullied.]

[Zhang Rui: Once everyone gets food, they'll be grateful and help conceal the murder. We all know those two brats from 1802 were no good - you killing them could be considered eliminating a public menace.]

[Zhang Rui: I'm doing this for your own good. Listen to my advice, just hand over half the food.]

Li Xuan chuckled softly twice, not angered.

Being threatened was unpleasant, but what if you knew the so-called threat was just a joke?

[Li Xuan: Report me then.]

[Zhang Rui: ?]

[Zhang Rui: Brother, aren't you going to the settlement? You plan to survive alone in the apocalypse? This is the apocalypse, not wilderness survival!]

On the third floor, Zhang Rui stared blankly at his phone, muttering that this wasn't right.

The plan had gone smoothly initially, unfolding exactly as he envisioned, even better than expected. The complex survivors deeply resented Li Xuan, practically wearing "I want Li Xuan dead" on their faces.

So why did things go wrong when it reached Li Xuan's turn?

Was Li Xuan not afraid of official punishment?

Or did Li Xuan plan to survive alone in the apocalypse?

Both possibilities seemed equally absurd.

Like a survival enthusiast suddenly declaring they would traverse Antarctica alone.

No matter how Zhang Rui tried to persuade him after that, Li Xuan never responded.