Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

The supermarket was in complete chaos.

The queue at the checkout counter stretched out in a long, winding line that seemed to have no end.

The customers' shopping carts were piled high like small mountains, as if they weren't there to shop, but to move house.

The shelves were emptied at a visible speed, especially the fresh vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy products, convenience foods, and bottled water sections, which became a mess almost instantly.

The stock clerks simply couldn't keep up with restocking.

The store was filled with noise, the crying of children, and the arguments of customers arguing over the last item. The air was stuffy and stale, mixed with the smell of human sweat.

Xu Xiaoyan was originally a warehouse manager, but at this moment, the warehouse staff were urgently transferred to the front to help.

She and several other warehouse staff were urgently summoned by the manager to support the sales floor. Their task was to move the supplies from the back warehouse as quickly as possible to fill the shelves and relieve the pressure on the front.

However, the conflict erupted as they were preparing to push their flatbed carts, piled high with goods, into the store.

Several administrative staff who usually only need to handle paperwork and make phone calls in the office were also asked to come out and help with loading goods. They stood at the entrance of the employee passage, their faces full of resistance and fear.

"Are you kidding me! There are so many people outside, packed like sardines in a can. Who knows if any of them are carrying the virus? Sending us out is like sending us to our deaths!"

A bespectacled male employee vehemently objected to the manager's arrangement, his voice shrill with fear.

"Exactly! Manager, this is too dangerous! Our contracts don't say we have to do this! Who's responsible if we get infected?"

Another female clerk echoed this sentiment, clutching the edge of her mask tightly as if it would provide an extra layer of protection.

"This is an order! These are critical times, everyone must step up! Anyone who doesn't go can forget about this month's bonus and year-end performance evaluation!"

Manager Chen was so angry that his face turned red, veins bulged on his forehead, and he roared in a hoarse voice. He was also in a state of chaos, with pressure from above, a shortage of manpower, and customers complaining.

The noise was particularly jarring in the busy and bustling backstage area. Xu Xiaoyan watched all of this silently, with no intention of getting involved. She had long anticipated that this situation would occur.

He adjusted his N95 mask, checked his gloves to make sure they were on properly, and then silently pushed up a heavy flatbed cart piled high with bottled water.

With her head down, she deftly avoided the arguing crowd and walked straight towards the bustling "battlefield" of the store.

Xu Xiaoyan's calm actions contrasted sharply with the chaos behind her.

Watching her retreating figure, the manager grasped at a straw and immediately yelled at the still-noisy office staff:

"Look! Look at Xu Xiaoyan! Even the warehouse staff are involved, and you office workers think you're so special?! Hurry up! Any more nonsense and you'll be treated as absent without leave!"

The moment Xu Xiaoyan pushed her cart into the store, she was almost overwhelmed by the noise and heat. Countless hands reached for her cart, eager to grab the goods she hadn't yet put on the shelves.

"Give it to me! Give it to me first!"

"This water is mine!"

"Don't push!"

She pursed her lips, gripped the cart tightly, and shouted in a raised voice:

"Please don't rush! There are plenty more to go! Please line up! Please line up to buy!"

Her voice was faint amidst the loud noise, but she still tried her best to maintain order.

At the same time, they put the goods on the shelves as quickly as possible, even though they are often sold out in seconds.

While mechanically repeating the actions of loading goods, she vigilantly observed the people around her, paying attention to whether anyone showed signs of severe coughing or fever.

The silver leaf mark on her waist remained cold, and the vast space in her mind gave her unprecedented confidence, but being in this out-of-control torrent of panic, she still felt her heart pounding.

That evening, the supermarket closed more than two hours later than usual.

After seeing off the last customer, who was still grumbling about not being able to snag some in-demand items, the heavy roller shutter slammed shut, temporarily isolating the outside noise from the inside exhaustion.

However, the internal turmoil had only just begun.

The employees, who were exhausted to the point of collapse, did not leave work immediately. Instead, they spontaneously surrounded Manager Chen, who also looked tired and had a hoarse voice.

"Manager Chen! This is so unfair!"

A young female employee, whose legs were swollen from standing at the cashier all day, spoke first, her voice trembling with tears:

"We work ourselves to the bone all day, watching others carry loads of stuff home, and what do we get? Nothing! We can't even use the internal discounts, why should we?"

"Exactly! We're human too, and we're afraid of being stuck at home without food or water! Others can steal things, but we can't even buy something at an insider price? Is that fair?"

Another male employee responsible for moving the goods echoed in a muffled voice, his face still covered in dust from the work.

"Yes, manager, you need to give us an explanation!"

"My children are still young, and my elderly parents are also here. If we really get locked down, how can we manage without some supplies?"

"Prices outside have secretly gone up, but our wages haven't increased by a single penny!"

The crowd was indignant, and everyone surrounded Manager Chen, each offering their own opinion.

The fear, exhaustion, and anxiety about the unknown that had accumulated during the day now transformed into an urgent need for basic necessities.

Manager Chen looked at the anxious and dissatisfied faces in front of him and sighed heavily.

He understood everyone's concerns, but there were indeed strict orders from above requiring all efforts to ensure supply, prioritizing purchases by ordinary citizens, and strictly prohibiting internal personnel from hoarding large quantities or using their positions to seize resources.

"Quiet down, everyone! Listen to me!" He raised his voice, trying to drown out the noise:

"We must understand the country's requirements! These are extraordinary times, and we must ensure market supply and stabilize public sentiment!"

If we ourselves panic and rush to buy things, what will happen to ordinary people?

"What is the responsibility of our supermarket?" These high-sounding words did not calm everyone's emotions.

"We understand the道理 (principles/reasoning)! But we're just ordinary people!"

"If others are protected, who will protect us?"

"Stop with the small talk, manager, just tell us if we can buy something! Even just a little bit would be great!"