Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

"Planting crops?" Huang Tianfang scoffed, his displeasure evident. "Have you ever farmed before? In this freezing weather, the crops will all die."

Zhang Yi calmly replied, "Hey, you can’t say that! Back in Siberia, didn’t they promote corn farming extensively?"

"If you think corn won’t work, I have other seeds: potatoes, wheat. One of them is bound to work."

Li Jian and the others were speechless.

"Zhang Yi, this isn’t a joke. How cold do you think it is outside? And where would you plant them in this icy snow?" Li Jian asked incredulously.

Zhang Yi, however, remained serious. "What does the cold matter? Haven’t we survived this long?"

"This snow disaster could last indefinitely. You might have noticed that the higher-ups have all vanished, preparing for a long-term situation."

"This suggests the apocalypse will continue for quite some time. If we don’t start growing crops, our food will soon run out, and we’ll all die."

"As for where to plant them, that’s easy." Zhang Yi pointed outside the window. "Isn’t there land everywhere? We just need to clear the snow, and there’s land beneath!"

"To combat the cold, we can use underground planting methods. Although it’s tough, we have to try."

"Only by maintaining a sustainable ecosystem can we survive this apocalypse!"

Among the five leaders, Huang Tianfang and Li Jian seemed interested.

Huang Tianfang had farming experience, and solving food issues through agriculture would give him an advantage over the city folks. Li Jian, seeing the potential labor force among his building's many residents, realized that transitioning to an agricultural model could boost his influence in the community.

Wang Qiang, skeptical, eyed Zhang Yi. Farming wasn’t something he’d ever do, but as the boss of Building 21, he could easily make others do the work.

Li Jian raised a pertinent question. "If we’re going to start farming, we need sufficient food. Three hundred portions won’t be enough."

Zhang Yi’s lips curled into a smile. "I don’t need three hundred people. Three hundred is already too many."

He spread his hands. "Alright, let’s discuss my second condition."

"Each building must send people to clear the fields daily. I need to see your progress."

"After all, I’m not working hard to find food just to feed freeloaders!"

Zhang Yi tapped his fingers on the table, watching the leaders mentally calculate their next moves.

"These are my two conditions. Agree to them, and I’ll provide supplies."

"And if you accept, the quality of the food will be guaranteed. In the future, I might even provide cigarettes, alcohol, clothes, and medical supplies!"

This promise caused a stir.

Wang Qiang shot up from his chair. "You can get cigarettes??"

His eyes were filled with longing.

Huang Tianfang’s lips trembled with excitement. "Do you have any cigarettes? Give me one to try! I haven’t smoked in over half a month; I’m going crazy!"

Both men were heavy smokers, and going without cigarettes for more than two weeks was driving them mad. Their recent irritability was partly due to withdrawal.

Zhang Yi grinned, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and tossing one to each of them.

The two men greedily grabbed the cigarettes and rushed to light them up.

"Got a light?" Wang Qiang asked urgently.

"Here, quickly!" Huang Tianfang replied.

They fumbled to light their cigarettes, deeply inhaling the smoke, and exhaling with expressions of pure bliss. They could forgo meals, but not smoking was unbearable.

Zhang Yi’s smile widened.

"So, do you agree to my terms now?"

Chen Lingyu, meanwhile, was too preoccupied with her wet pants to care, shivering in silence. Zhang Yunan, a muscle-bound, simple-minded man, was too baffled by the farming conditions to speak up.

Li Jian, hoping to negotiate further, was abruptly interrupted by Wang Qiang.

"As long as you can guarantee my cigarette supply, I’ll agree to any conditions!" Wang Qiang demanded. "But make sure I get at least two packs a day!"

Huang Tianfang echoed, "Same for me."

Zhang Yi replied, "I can only give you one pack a day each. Any more, and I can’t find enough."

Both men quickly agreed. "Deal! Just make sure we get our daily pack!"

Zhang Yi spread his hands, "So, we’re in agreement, right?"

Wang Qiang and Huang Tianfang, easily swayed by their addiction, had no objections. Li Jian, however, remained stone-faced, silently cursing them for their betrayal.

Seeing the internal conflict, Zhang Yi's grin widened. "Until you give me a clear answer, nothing is official. If you want your cigarettes, you’ll have to confirm your agreement first."

Wang Qiang, lost in his smoky haze, impatiently turned to Li Jian and the others. "What are you waiting for? We got what we wanted. Let’s agree and be done with it!"

Li Jian protested, "But this is—"

Wang Qiang snapped, "Enough! I said we agree. Stop wasting time. I hate long-winded people!"

Huang Tianfang, blowing out a smoke ring, added, "We should be reasonable. Zhang Yi’s been accommodating. We should understand his position too."

Li Jian, face dark, silently cursed Wang Qiang and Huang Tianfang. These two idiots had already caused infighting right in front of Zhang Yi!