Snowstorm: I'm Super Rich in the Apocalypse

Although she couldn't see her face, Gu Pan could already sense the woman's anger. But it was none of her concern; she very much admired her husband's temperament.

Lu Ruisheng was in business, but he wasn't the kind to rely on drinking or networking to find clients. He wasn't one for empty talk, but built his reputation on quality and credibility.

Of course, his background as a retired soldier also played a part. Many people might have more trust in the character forged by military service, which was certainly a bonus for his business.

After collecting her thoughts, the building manager spoke again, "We're all neighbors in this building, and from the census I conducted, everyone's decent. It's good to be vigilant, but you should also believe that there are more good people than not."

Gu Pan stepped forward and said to the building manager, "There's no need to discuss the door; we won't touch it. Is there anything else? It's cold, if there's nothing more, we're going inside."

The building manager hadn't come for the door, but upon seeing it, she thought to mention it. She had thought she was about to do a good deed for the entire building, only to be rebuffed by the residents of the seventh floor.

Angry though she was about the setback, she didn't forget the main matter at hand and told them, "There'll be a meeting downstairs shortly. Each household should send at least one person." Having said that, she continued upstairs to notify the others.

Duan Shumei looked at Gu Pan and asked, "Are you going later?"

Gu Pan, having nothing else on, nodded, "I'll go and listen."

Duan Shumei said, "Then I'll go too."

Both families got ready, wrapping themselves up in hats and scarves before heading downstairs together.

The entrance hall of their unit was spacious with two rows of chairs, and by now, many people had arrived.

Feng Zhekai from apartment 601 naturally joined them; he considered himself friends with Lu Ruisheng and Chen Shaonan.

Soon, the building manager completed the notifications, and most people had gathered.

She clapped her padded hands a few times and started, "Today, I've called you all together to discuss how we can collectively overcome this difficulty. Our community has seen several burglaries, likely by a gang. With insufficient police presence, we have to rely on ourselves. I propose organizing the men in the building into shifts for night patrols. By standing watch in turns, we can protect our homes."

Gu Pan remembered from her past life; they had participated in this initiative too. Back then, she truly believed in mutual assistance, but within a few days of electing Lu Ruisheng as their captain, dependency set in. People started requesting leave, and those vacancies were filled by the captain, Ruisheng. This time, Gu Pan absolutely wouldn't let her family be taken advantage of.

The owner of apartment 501 was particularly supportive, "I think the building manager's proposal is excellent. I support it."

The young man from apartment 901 glanced at the elderly woman from 501, "Auntie, your family has no men to send, no labor to contribute. Your 'support' is easy to offer."

Gu Pan had always felt that the man from 901 had clear vision and dared to speak the truth, with solid values.

The old lady from 501 glared at the young man from 901, "How can you be so lacking in vision? This is for the good of the entire building. You've got to think long-term."

The building manager clapped her hands, "Let's start from the first floor and confirm everyone's stance."

The two households on the first floor were quite unified. After a low discussion, they expressed their support. Although it couldn't be perfectly fair, it was indeed beneficial for the whole building.

The two households on the second floor followed with their support.

As each level agreed in turn, Gu Pan and her neighbors naturally didn't want to stray from the pack, considering they would be living there for many more months.

However, when it was time for their floor to express their stance, Gu Pan preemptively eliminated any potential risks.

She stated, "Our family's man is a retired soldier, injured and retired due to wounds suffered in service of the country. So, he shouldn't overexert himself. We will follow whatever patrol schedule you make, but don't assign us any extra workload."

Since the building manager liked to leverage moral obligation, Gu Pan decided to claim the high ground in that regard first.

Lu Ruisheng knew his wife had good reasons for saying this and agreed, "Indeed, I shouldn't overexert myself, and I ask for everyone's understanding."

The building manager couldn't use moral coercion anymore, but she still had the iron door on her mind, "Alright, when organizing shifts, I'll try to lessen your family's load. We can't let a soldier who served his country suffer. However, I've got to say, your iron door would really be better suited at the entrance of the building. We're all helping each other now - everyone understands you, so couldn't you also consider what's best for our building?"

Her words made sense to many in the building, and they start to debate the issue.

Lu Ruisheng had never intended to compromise on the door, saying, "Gaining entry to the building isn't limited to the front door. The stair windows on the second and third floors could let someone in just as well."

Before the building manager could speak, Gu Pan interjected, "And with that door, there are only two keys. Who would manage them? If someone needed to leave urgently in the middle of the night, should they knock on the door of the key holder?"

The building manager, who lived in 401, organized her words, "We can find solutions to these issues. We can seal the stair windows on the second and third floors with wooden boards and iron bars. The keys can be kept inside, ensuring they can't be reached from the outside but can be freely used from inside, right?"

Having said that, the building manager even congratulated herself on thinking of a solution so swiftly.

After listening to the building manager, Gu Pan laughed and cleared her throat, "Firstly, sealing windows with wooden boards won't secure them, and do you even have iron bars? Additionally, how can you ensure that everyone in the building is trustworthy? The two households that were burglarized had plenty of possessions. How did the thieves know about them? Our chat group consists of only the building's residents- don't you find that odd? Perhaps someone mentioned it without thinking, yet there may also be someone inside colluding with outsiders. Thus, I cannot base my safety on these uncertain factors. We won't move the door."

After Gu Pan finished, the crowd began to murmur, since indeed, it made sense. How could the thieves be so precise in their targets? Loose talk could be forgivable, but what if someone in the building was colluding with outsiders?

The building manager also flinched inwardly. She was afraid of this possibility, too. She might be able to control the building, but what if someone inside was colluding with the outside?

With this responsibility, her greatest advantage was ensuring her own family's safety, but if there was collusion, even that couldn't be assured.

Seeing the expressions of those around him, Lu Ruisheng spoke opportunistically, "That's why, if you have a clear conscience, you must be mindful of safety and protect your own home. For those without an iron door or extra locks, you can block your door with chairs or a table before sleeping. Even if thieves manage to pick the lock, it will be hard for them to get in, and there will be noise if they try. But make sure you have a clear emergency exit in case of fire, especially as many are using stoves for heating nowadays."