In the Qingmei Society group chat.
After the fourth Doomsday Rule was announced, everyone was unusually happy for once.
"Finally, we get one that doesn't torment individuals."
"That's right, with my old arms and legs, how could I possibly run any marathon or survive any fasting? This snow rule is much better."
"Perfect timing - that small estate I spent hundreds of millions on two years ago will finally come in handy. It has everything for food, drink, and daily use, plus its own generator in the warehouse, so no worries about power outages. If anyone in the group has nowhere to go, you're welcome to come to my place."
"Look at you talking like that - as if anyone in this group doesn't have a refuge already."
Liu Yuqiang watched the messages in the group and nodded slightly.
Without a doubt, every billionaire, after achieving financial freedom, would start considering contingency plans for disasters and emergencies.
Beyond asset protection, personal safety was equally important.
Therefore, not only had most people in the group built their own shelters, but they also held multiple passports and could immediately relocate if anything seemed wrong.
This fourth rule was exactly what these people were most happy to see.
Because it no longer tested individuals' physical or mental capabilities, but rather tested resource mobilization capacity.
Under the heavy snow, whoever had greater power and could mobilize more resources would have a higher chance of survival.
And these Qingmei Society members, even though the money in their hands had become useless, could still form a massive resource work by leveraging the connections they'd accumulated across various sectors over the years, plus their substantial assets like gold, and the manpower from their numerous company employees, supporting each other.
That's right, even though many people's company businesses had become free, they were still operating, still providing services to people, and still couldn't be shut down by authorities.
This way, the leaders of these major companies still held power. Many of their employees had chosen to remain with the companies because these employees believed that sticking together was the best choice under these circumstances.
Like Liu Yuqiang, the chairman of Jule Group - he was currently at his headquarters in the capital city Yong'an, where hundreds of employees had chosen to stay, gathering around their boss to survive together.
Many people in this apocalyptic environment developed admiration for the strong. They wanted to stay close to powerful figures, seek their protection, and follow their commands.
And wasn't someone like Liu Yuqiang - who started from nothing and built a commercial empire - exactly the kind of strong person ordinary people looked up to? In the employees' minds, sticking together with their iron-willed boss felt much safer than trying to figure things out alone.
It wasn't just Liu Yuqiang - many bosses of major companies possessed some degree of special personal charisma that could drive others to work hard for them.
This was why, even in this era of Doomsday Rules, the bosses of these industry-leading companies still maintained considerable influence.
Especially in fiercely competitive fields that tested who had tougher methods, like coal mining, earthworks, real estate, and logistics. The bosses who could become leaders in these fields mostly possessed the temperament of "board chairmen in peaceful times, mountain kings in chaotic times."
Having fought his way up through bloody competition over the years, Liu Yuqiang naturally had some of this rough-edged quality himself. As soon as the rule was announced, he gathered the several hundred employees holding the company for a meeting.
He announced loudly at the meeting: "As long as we stand united, I, Liu Yuqiang, will never let any of my brothers come to harm! I guarantee every brother will survive this rule!"
The employees naturally crowded around him, cheering enthusiastically.
Currently, the company wasn't short on various survival resources, and they had diesel generators ready for power. Liu Yuqang had specifically dispatched a group of employees to secure more diesel fuel for backup.
Having a moment of leisure himself, he watched the group messages when a suddenly popping message caught his attention.
Hengyun Real Estate Chairman - Zhao Jiping: "Brothers and sisters, someone is investigating me, seems like I've been targeted by the authorities. Those of you with connections, please help me find out what's going on!"
...
Heavy snow fell, cold air spreading everywhere.
Guan Tong, wearing a hooded scarf, walked along the road heading toward a nearby supply point.
Around the time of the second Doomsday Rule, the authorities had announced the establishment of supply points throughout cities for people to self-access emergency supplies during crises.
Guan Tong planned to get more high-energy food from the supply point, along with common items like windproof lighters, then find a vehicle and leave the city.
Along the way, he could see many people following official recommendations, responding to the call by heading toward nearby large buildings capable of accommodating multiple people for survival.
Like the Lihua Hotel that Guan Tong had left - it was currently packed to capacity. Other similar places like libraries, schools, and gymnasiums must also have gathered large populations.
However, according to the Hidden Rule, the more people gathered, the heavier the snowfall. From this perspective, it seemed like everyone dispersing would be the correct approach.
But would that really work?
Guan Tong wasn't sure.
He himself only had the courage to leave the crowds and venture alone to remote areas for survival because he had Shadow as a powerful assistant.
But for many others without useful Mind Power items, or those who had even shut down their Personal Terminals, was following the Hidden Rule's suggestion really suitable for them?
For them, might sticking together actually be more conducive to survival?
Like Xu Xiaotian - his item could generate one box of Instant Noodles per day using Mind Power. Could he really support himself going out alone to survive relying only on that? The risks seemed enormous just thinking about it.
Guan Tong believed that even if the authorities knew about this Hidden Rule, they would most likely stick with centralized rescue strategies. But they might evacuate a small portion of particularly important people to remote areas.
This might not be fair, but the world had never been fair to begin with.
Like those who were sleeping when the first [Sleep Deprivation] Doomsday Rule was announced, those who had just worked night shifts the previous day, those undergoing anesthesia for surgery, infants who didn't even understand what rules were... where was the fairness in this world for them?
However, Guan Tong believed the Hidden Rule would soon be discovered.
Because although some people lived in remote villages, that didn't mean they led primitive lives.
They still went online, played games, and had the same inter life as city dwellers.
When these people went online and saw that densely populated major cities had heavy snowfall while their small villages had light snow, they would definitely post about the situation online.
As soon as the official departments saw this and noticed the differences in snowfall between different areas, it wouldn't take long for the smart people at the Countermeasures Research Office to deduce the content of the Hidden Rule.
Just like the three Hidden Rules corresponding to the previous three rules: [Plunder Alertness], [Mind Victory], [Spend Money to Avoid Disaster]. Although the authorities didn't know these names, they quickly discovered their contents and wrote them into the White Paper.
If Guan Tong had any advantage, it was that he could personally see the content of Hidden Rules. This gave him timeliness and first-hand access.
He considered this very important.
Because from the [Plunder Alertness] rule, it was clear that under certain circumstances, the authorities might have discovered the content of Hidden Rules but chose not to publicize them for various reasons.
What has happened before will happen again.
Not publicizing, or selectively publicizing partial content - such things would definitely occur again in the future.
This would create information disparities between insiders and outsiders.
Guan Tong's ability to personally see Hidden Rules meant he didn't have to consume "pre-chewed" secondhand information from others, but could instead grasp first-hand information fastest, giving him tremendous initiative.
After organizing his thoughts, Guan Tong quickened his pace and soon arrived at the nearest supply point.
He saw dozens of people crowded in front of the warehouse door, their faces filled with resentment, yet too fearful to enter.
What's going on?
Guan Tong sensed something wrong and stepped forward to investigate.
As he approached, he immediately noticed a group of people wearing unified blue work uniforms at the warehouse entrance. They held wrenches, pliers, fire axes, and other tools, guarding the door and threatening to prevent outsiders from entering.
"These supplies belong to us now! All of you go get supplies somewhere else!"
"By what right?" someone couldn't help saying. "You seven or eight people occupying this many supplies?!"
"By this tiger-head pliers in my hand!" a vicious-looking man waved his pliers. "If you're unconvinced, come take a hit and see!"
"You dare hit people? Don't you believe we'll call the Peace Officers!"
"With this heavy snow, it would be miraculous if Peace Officers could come! Besides, what's wrong with us 'Longxiang Pharmaceutical' workers taking some supplies? Don't you believe I can call dozens more brothers from the factory with one phone call?!"
Others shrank back upon hearing this - these pharmaceutical factory workers were sticking together and all carrying weapons. If they really clashed with them, they would definitely be the ones suffering losses.
For a moment, many people left helplessly, but some with tougher tempers refused to leave, still confronting these pharmaceutical factory workers.
Guan Tong quietly retreated to the back, hiding in an already deserted milk tea shop.
He wasn't planning to leave - in fact, he couldn't leave. Going to another supply point would waste too much time, which he couldn't accept.
He slightly raised his hand, and the Wordless Book appeared in his palm.
Then he took off his jacket, pants, shoes, gloves, scarf, mask, and other items, leaving only the [Constant Temperature Tech Underwear] on his body.
"Shadow, come out."
The next moment, Shadow stood before him.
"Put these clothes on." Guan Tong ordered through mental command, looking toward the supply point warehouse. "Then go take down those people."
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