Chapter 43: She's Anxious

The murder of the 301 occupant by Alexander cast a shadow of fear over the entire building. The once-active group chat fell silent as residents grappled with the new, terrifying reality. Alexander, aware of the secret owners' group, resorted to a mix of threats and false assurances in the public chat.

"Times are tough, and we're all just trying to survive," Alexander's message read. "I didn't want to kill, but that guy from 301 attacked first. We can live peacefully as long as everyone cooperates and shares their supplies."

Some, desperate for any semblance of normalcy, began to rationalize Alexander's actions, exhibiting classic Stockholm syndrome. But Phoenix, ever the observer, watched with a detached wariness. While confident in his home's defenses, he knew better than to underestimate Alexander.

"If he becomes a problem, I'll deal with him," Phoenix mused to himself.

The fragile peace shattered the next day. Residents, driven by necessity, ventured out to gather snow for water, only to be ambushed by Alexander's gang. Their stolen supplies already depleted, the gang was ruthless in their looting.

Panic erupted in the new group chat when Mary, living on the seventh floor, cried out for help. She had been caught by Alexander's men while trying to collect snow. Alone and vulnerable, Mary quickly became their target.

Frantically, she pleaded in the group chat, "Someone help me! They're breaking in!"

Uncle Isaac, sympathetic but realistic, responded, "I can't face them alone. We need numbers."

Mary's pleas became more desperate, accusing the men in the building of cowardice. But the sympathy for her plight was short-lived. Just yesterday, she had been berating the male residents. Now, her cries for help were met with scorn and schadenfreude.

"Go on, Mary. Use your boxing skills," taunted one.

"We're just trash, remember? You don't need our help," sneered another.

The women offered hollow words of support, highlighting the grim reality – in the face of danger, everyone was ultimately alone.

Amidst the ridicule, Mary's situation grew dire. Her door was kicked in, and she was dragged away by Alexander's henchmen. The group chat, once a place of communal support, now echoed with cruel jokes and fatalistic laughter.

Back in his secure home, Phoenix watched the scene unfold on his surveillance feed. He bit into a chocolate bar, commenting dryly on the grim spectacle.

"It's a cold world out there," he remarked, his voice tinged with irony. "Every exposed inch of skin is a threat to life."

In this new, brutal world, the rules of society had crumbled. Phoenix, safe within his fortress, remained an unmoved spectator, his only concern his own survival. The desperate struggles outside his door were just distant echoes of a world descending into chaos.