Just as most residents were sitting down to enjoy their first proper dinner of the day, messages from the community staff began popping up in the group chat one after another.
"Attention, urgent alert: We've received word from higher authorities that an unidentified poisonous fog is spreading rapidly from the American region toward China. Multiple cities in China have already been affected. Inhalation of the fog can lead to suffocation and death. Everyone must immediately seal all doors and windows. Use tape to cover any gaps. Do not go outside. This is extremely important."
The staff tagged everyone in every group they managed. Over twenty consecutive messages were sent before they stopped.
At the same time, the loudspeakers across the residential complex kept broadcasting the warning in a continuous loop:
"Emergency alert, emergency alert. Poisonous fog is approaching. Please close and seal all doors and windows. Use tape to block the gaps. Do not go outside. Absolutely do not go outside."
And it wasn't just their neighborhood. Similar messages were being broadcast all over J City at almost the same time. The entire city was thrown into chaos.
"What the hell? I just picked up my chopsticks. Can I not eat in peace for once?"
"Eat what? Go seal your windows. If that fog comes, you won't be eating anything ever again."
"I'm in the middle of cooking. The food isn't even fully done. Am I supposed to shut the windows or finish cooking?"
"Are the people upstairs out of their minds? What matters more, dinner or your life? This must be serious. Hurry and shut the windows and seal the cracks."
"Exactly. As long as you're still breathing, you'll have time to eat later."
The emergency broadcast repeated on loop, making everyone even more anxious. After all, no one had seen anything like this before, not even in stories passed down through the generations. People knew that if the situation wasn't truly dangerous, the community wouldn't have gone this far. No one wanted to die, so even though they grumbled and cursed, they still moved quickly to follow instructions.
Of course, there were always some who believed, some who didn't, and some who thought it was just a prank.
"Poisonous fog? That's nonsense. I've lived for decades and never heard of such a thing. I'm not sealing anything. Let's see what this so-called fog can do to me."
"Wow, tough guy upstairs. I've already sealed my windows. If you run into the fog, be a sport and tell us what it's like."
"Yeah, we're curious if this is just scare tactics or the real deal. But I've got kids, I'm not taking that risk. I'll wait to see what happens to you."
"Are you guys stupid? If the fog really is deadly, how's he gonna tell us anything after breathing it in?"
"Good point. If he doesn't report back, it's real. If he does, it was a hoax."
"You people have too much time on your hands, gambling with your lives. Just listen and seal the windows already. You can't bet your life on this."
"I don't know. It sounds fake to me. What if this is just some community drill, like earthquake and tsunami simulations they do in other countries?"
"Other countries? What countries? That place's already underwater."
"It was just an example."
"Well, pick a different one. That one just sounds off."
As the chat grew more ridiculous, the community staff spoke again through the loudspeakers.
"Please take this seriously. This is not a game. Let us repeat, this is not a drill. Life only comes once. Value it. The poisonous fog is nearing J City. Seal your windows and doors immediately. Do not go outside. Please, do not go outside."
Still, despite the repeated warnings, they never mentioned how long the fog would last. Someone in the group quickly asked:
"Wait, the fog is coming so fast, and I haven't stocked up on food. I only have enough for a day or two. How long is this fog going to last? At least tell us how soon it'll arrive so we can run out and grab supplies."
"Right. Will it clear in a few hours or days? You can't just expect us to starve."
"My kitchen's empty. If we're stuck inside for too long, I'll starve in here."
The community staff replied and tagged everyone:
"Further arrangements will be announced. For now, seal all doors and windows."
Lan Jin looked at the two group chats on her phone, filled with messages flooding in non-stop. She wasted no time and got to work. She had already closed her doors and windows earlier, but hadn't sealed the gaps yet. Since there had been no immediate threat, she didn't want to trap all the air inside too early. But now that the warning had come, it was time to seal everything up.
She moved around the apartment, carefully taping every edge of the windows and doors. Qiao Qiao and the dog were both being unusually well-behaved, sitting one on a chair and one on the floor, quietly gnawing on their marinated chicken drumsticks.
Once the sealing was done, Lan Jin placed a few potted plants in corners of the home, trying to freshen the air just a little. They were cheap plants she had bought as filler during her supply runs, but now they came in handy.
Still not entirely reassured, she also pulled out the air purifiers. One large one for the living room, and a smaller one for the bedroom.
Once everything was set up, she suddenly remembered the windows in the elevator shaft and the emergency stairwell still hadn't been sealed.
Even though the elevator did not stop at the 32nd floor, the shaft still existed. The elevator entrance had been bricked off, but there was a ventilation window near it, which she had always left open for air. Now she had to seal it.
As for the stairwell, each window there was shared between two floors. Not a large window spanning both levels, but a small one about half a person tall, wedged between the 32nd and 33rd floor landings. Honestly, the poor design said a lot about the shoddy planning of the building. No one in their right mind would design stairwell windows like that.
Either way, it needed sealing.
Lan Jin grabbed a roll of tape and scissors and headed for the elevator shaft window first. After sealing that up, she made her way to the stairwell. But as soon as she reached the spot, she saw a teenage boy already at the window, working on sealing it.
She remembered the community staff saying there was a boy living on the floor above her, probably a teenager. This must be him.
Though she had lived here over a month, it was the first time she had actually seen him.
Lan Jin called out, "You live upstairs? I'm on the 32nd floor."
The boy had already noticed her when she entered the stairwell. As soon as she spoke, he responded quickly, "Yeah, I live just above."