Still hoarding supplies in the apocalypse? I'll just go on a killing spree and looting!

Lin You remained silent for a long time before finally replying.

"Yes. Overwork led to sudden cardiac death. He collapsed on his way to work."

Lin You stopped, her voice low and clear in the gray fog, "When his grandmother died, she was clutching the breakfast she had brought for him. So now he feels that as long as he holds the biscuits he gave me, I won't die."

She turned around and looked at Mu Xue.

"He wasn't hiding food. He was hiding the people he loved. He hid Grandma in his breakfast, and I hid me in the cookies. Because he felt that as long as he had something in his hand, that person wouldn't leave him."

Mu Xue remained silent.

She saw Lin You's left hand clench and unclench repeatedly at her side.

It was such a small movement that she wouldn't have noticed it at all if she wasn't watching closely.

Mu Xue instantly understood what "tiredness" meant in An An's world, and what "not coming back" meant.

"Let's go." Lin You turned around and walked towards the construction site of the wall.

I couldn't bear to swallow the candy that was almost completely melted in my mouth.

Strawberry flavored.

It is too sweet.

But now she knows why An'an likes it—not because it tastes good. It's because sweet things can make time stand still for a little while.

He shared his candy with her, which meant he was sharing his time with her.

So I have to live no matter what, and there's also An'an...

Orchid Mountain Scenic Area.

The road leading to the Orchid Mountain Scenic Area is flanked by high mountains, and a winding road is built along the former riverbed.

It extends all the way into the scenic area.

A large group of people were busy at work here.

Lin You's arm was draped across her chest as she observed the progress of the project.

Behind him was Mu Xue, and in front of him was a scene of bustling activity.

Most of the survivors who were brought back are here.

The sun was hiding above the gray fog, and the temperature was not high, but even so, everyone's face was covered with sweat.

The bricks were taken from the wall inside the scenic area.

Various small stones, selected and unloaded from trucks, are being handed to experienced people to begin building the wall.

The outer side is a brick wall, and the inside is filled with stones.

To increase its sturdiness, there are also steel bars inside as a keel.

Leaving aside the remaining gate, the workload is not very large.

Team Leader Song walked briskly over from the direction of the visitor center.

His pace was faster than usual, and his face was not good. He came to Lin You's side and looked her over.

"I'm so glad to see you're okay."

Lin You turned to look at Team Leader Song, "What happened?"

Team Leader Song glanced around and said in a low voice, "This is not the place to talk. Come with me."

So Team Leader Song led Lin You into the visitor center's meeting room.

"We need to discuss the survivors' resettlement with you."

Team Leader Song took out a handwritten list from his drawer. "We brought back a total of 123 people this time. I suggest distributing them evenly across the work areas—bricklaying, moving, and logistics. The wounded should be given priority for light physical labor, and the elderly and children should be cared for by their families. We'll adjust the assignments based on the actual situation after they've adapted to the environment in a few days."

Lin You sat down at the conference table, took the water glass Mu Xue handed her, took a sip, and didn't look at the list. "No. These people need to be assigned according to their rank. And it has to be quick."

Team Leader Song had already pulled out a chair and was about to sit down when his movement froze in mid-air.

He slowly sat down, placed the list on the table, and pressed his fingers against the edge of the pages. "What level?"

"Combat personnel are classified as Special Grade One, skilled workers as Grade One, and ordinary laborers as Grade Two. Police officers' families are grouped separately; they receive a large amount of supplies without having to work, hence the Special Grade One treatment. The remaining personnel receive reduced basic survival supplies according to their rank. Their accommodations are also separate. The visitor center is reserved for combat personnel and police officers' families, while the rest stay in the food street."

Team Leader Song's expression darkened, which was completely contrary to his expectations.

"So this is what you meant by dividing people into different roles: soldiers, workers, and logistics personnel, each with their own responsibilities." Team Leader Song's voice was soft, but his tone was full of disagreement.

That day she said that everyone should know who is fighting, who is farming, and who is cooking, so that everyone knows what they are supposed to do.

He thought it was a division of labor. Now he understands that it wasn't a division of labor, but a hierarchical structure.

He pushed the list forward, his fingers moving away from the edge of the page.

"Dividing roles is about each person having their own responsibilities, but dividing them into ranks is another matter. It's unfair to separate police officers' families and give them the highest treatment while ordinary survivors only receive the most basic survival supplies."

Lin You looked at Team Leader Song and said, "It's just that it's unfair. In the wasteland, fairness is the most useless thing."

Team Leader Song was not deterred by her words.

He stood up and walked to the window, his back to her, his fingers resting on the window frame.

She remained silent for a long time, then turned around, her voice even softer than before, as if lost in memories.

"I'm reminded of a case from when I was young..."

Team Leader Song stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, which was made from a tin can and had rough edges.

You can easily hurt your fingers if you're not careful.

After extinguishing the cigarette in the can, Team Leader Song began to recount an experience he had personally gone through.

His words came out haltingly, as if he was unwilling to discuss it.

"A town outside the city was swept away by a flash flood. The authorities have allocated resettlement funds, prioritizing the families of those involved in the rescue efforts."

"Firefighters, police officers, militia members. They're all on the list."

"There was a private school teacher who waded through the floodwaters to carry more than a dozen students out. He was halfway carrying the last child when he himself was swept away."

"He's not on the list. He's not a firefighter, not a police officer, not a militia member."

"His widow does not meet the priority criteria."

"Another militiaman had evacuated to a safe zone with his whole family before the flash flood, and he didn't rescue anyone. But his name is on the list."

"His family members have moved into the first batch of resettlement housing."

"The teacher's widow, with her two children, lived in a tent for several months."

"She came to see me."

"Ask me... why her husband saved more than a dozen people, why can't he even get a resettlement house in return?"

I couldn't answer her.

He turned around, staring into Lin You's eyes as he continued.

"What's the difference between the rules you've set now and that list? I don't think it's a good choice."

Lin You put the water glass on the table and stood up.

Her left arm was still in a sling across her chest, her right hand rested on the table, her fingertips touching the edge of the handwritten list.

"The story you told, the teacher's widow, she came to you and asked why her husband, who saved more than a dozen people, couldn't even get a resettlement house in return. You couldn't answer her."

Lin You raised her eyes and looked at Team Leader Song.

"I can."

"Because that militia member's name was on the list, but her husband wasn't. The list is the rule. Rules can have loopholes, but they can't be nonexistent. Without rules, you can't even get the first batch of resettlement housing—everyone will say they saved someone, everyone should have priority. Who do you give it to?"

Faced with Lin You's questioning, Team Leader Song was unable to answer.

Human nature is inherently selfish, especially in times of difficulty, when everyone thinks only of themselves and their families.

This is perfectly understandable.

"I don't rank them based on personal relationships. The reason police officers' families can receive supplies without working is because their loved ones risked their lives on the wall. If you let the people on the wall know today that their families are living more securely than anyone else, they won't be thinking on the wall tomorrow—'I'm risking my life here, while my wife is eating dry rations in the work shed.' They'll be thinking—'I'm risking my life here, while my wife is sleeping warmly in the visitor center.'"

"The difference in their fighting power isn't just a little, it's a difference of one life."

"You want fairness. But who's fair to the soldiers on the walls? While they're holding off the monsters, the people inside are sleeping soundly. That's the biggest injustice. If you divide the supplies equally now, you're just doubling that injustice."

She picked up the list from the table and placed it in front of Team Leader Song.

"You just mentioned that teacher's widow, whose husband saved over a dozen people, yet couldn't even get a single resettlement house. You think that's unfair. But have you considered... if that town didn't have a resettlement list, everyone would have to fight for it themselves. Who could she possibly compete with?"

"She had two children, so she couldn't get anything."

"The rules didn't give her preferential treatment, but at least they gave her order. What I'm doing now... is separating police officers' families and raising the treatment of all combat personnel to the highest level, not to bully those outside. It's to let those outside know..."

"If you want better treatment, pick up your weapons and climb the walls."

She walked towards the door, paused as she passed Team Leader Song, but ultimately didn't say anything.

Some words, once spoken, create irreparable rifts. She knew Team Leader Song understood, but he wasn't ready to adapt to the post-apocalyptic world.

She pushed open the door and went out.

Lin You's voice drifted over, "If you don't have a better way, just do as I say."