Chapter 108 Training the Neighbor
Steven shrugged his shoulders, waving dismissively. "That's it for today."
As the crowd started to disperse, Nathaniel Ross, who had been silently observing, suddenly spoke up. "Steven, it's obviously not a good idea for you to go out alone to search," he suggested. "How about you take a few more people with you? Your motorcycle looks like it can handle three people. With more hands, the search will definitely be faster!"
The others, overhearing Nathaniel, turned towards Steven with intrigued expressions. The prospect of joining the supply runs was tempting, especially after seeing Henry bring back clothes for Cara and her daughter. The notion of sharing in the spoils was undoubtedly alluring.
Emboldened by Nathaniel, a woman mustered the courage to speak. "Steven, if you need help, everyone would be more than willing!"
Steven squinted, a faint smile playing on his lips. "What, are you all eyeing my electric motorcycle too? If that's the case, we might as well split up. I won't be looking after you anymore!"
Nathaniel hurriedly attempted to clarify, but Steven cut him off, his patience fraying. He smoothly pulled out his handgun, disengaging the safety with a practiced motion. The crowd's collective demeanor shifted from bold to terrified in an instant.
"Steven, don't do anything rash! We're just discussing," Nathaniel stammered.
"Yeah, if you don't agree, then let's just drop it," someone else chimed in. "We appreciate you finding food for us. We mentioned it because we were worried you'd get tired. Please don't misunderstand!"
Steven sneered. "From now on, don't say things that are detrimental to unity. Or maybe I’ve been feeding you too well lately," he muttered. In one swift motion, he raised his gun and shot Nathaniel dead.
No one had expected Steven to shoot just like that. They had thought Steven would reason with them, and they could use their numbers and verbal advantage to make Steven speechless and finally agree to their request.
But they forgot that their relationship with Steven was never equal.
Chaos ensued as screams echoed through the narrow hallway, the people scrambling and tripping over each other in their frantic bid to escape. But Steven was far from done. "If I don't kill a few of you, you won't understand your place," he declared coldly, firing several more shots and killing four additional people.
Silence fell as the surviving neighbors fled in terror, leaving the hallway strewn with bodies. Only Henry and Cara remained. Henry, steadfastly loyal to Steven, stood by his side, while Cara huddled behind him, fear evident in her eyes.
Henry remarked, "They've been living too comfortably. They've forgotten who they are!"
Steven, contemplating the carnage with detached amusement, thought to himself, 'If it weren't for the fact that they're still useful as cannon fodder, I would have killed them all already.'
Out loud, he shrugged. "It's okay, I'm a kind person. I forgive them."
Cara, clutching Henry's arm, watched Steven warily. 'Kind? You'd better be.' she thought, suppressing a shiver.
"Let's go back!" Steven barked, his gun still in hand, as he strode away with icy determination.
He was almost ready now, and these cannon fodder wouldn’t be needed for much longer. Even if they didn’t perish in the upcoming battles, Steven intended to eliminate most, if not all, of them eventually. Their lives held little significance to him. He knew that, regardless of how many he killed, the rest would still grovel for food.
As anticipated, the people of Building 25 were petrified. They scurried back to their apartments, slamming their doors shut. The fear they had once harbored under Andrew's reign resurfaced, gripping them tightly. Back then, too, they had cowered in their homes, uncertain of when death might come knocking.
A new group chat emerged, excluding Steven, Elinor, Henry, and Cara—a digital echo chamber for the terrified tenants. Since the apocalypse, numerous such chats had sprung up, each a testament to the distrust and hypocrisy running rampant among them.
[What do we do now? Steven is angry and wants to kill us! We don't have guns; how can we fight him?] Someone nervously asked.
As their initial shock abated, they began to discuss their predicament more coherently.
[Steven is so unreasonable! We were just talking, and he pulled the trigger without hesitation.]
[The really scary thing is, he's killed so many people with his gun these past few days. How many bullets does he have? Why does an ordinary person have so many bullets, even a sniper rifle?] another chimed in.
[I’ve said it before: Steven is probably a war hero or a retired special forces soldier. Nobody believed me!] an avid fan of military novels opined.
[Regardless of who he is, we shouldn't have any illusions about him!]
[He's a selfish person. Everything he's done for us comes with a price.]
[His so-called kindness is all a lie! He's not that kind.]
[Right, he just wants us to be his cannon fodder, to seize supplies and territory for him!]
The chat was chat was awash with complaints about Steven, and even Elinor, Henry, and Cara were not spared from their disdain. Unable to confront Steven directly, they humbled themselves like ants before him. Online, however, they regained their self-esteem, transforming into digital warriors who freely criticized Steven.
After a lengthy diatribe, everyone felt somewhat relieved, having vented their frustrations. But a new concern emerged.
[Although Steven is very selfish and gives us food with ulterior motives, what will we eat if he stops supplying us?] someone asked, casting a shadow over their briefly inflated egos.
The chat fell silent. As they hunkered down in their rooms, a profound fear began to gnaw at them. They remembered how they had survived before Steven’s arrival. They had consumed everything edible in their apartments, even resorting to boiling leather belts and jackets. The most desperate among them had eaten feces, mimicking animals to eke out a meager existence.
The most unbearable agony was the transition from hope back to despair. Had they never glimpsed the light, they wouldn’t fear the darkness so intensely. But having tasted the relief Steven's provisions brought, the thought of returning to their former lives was unbearable.
After a long pause, someone tentatively suggested, [Actually, if you think about it, Steven is quite good. Those people he killed deserved it.]
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