But after the last incident where people were frantically searching for him on the forum, Li Tianran didn't dare to issue warnings anymore.

At least, not for the time being! Unless Yan Huang was facing a major disaster, he wouldn't easily expose his trump cards again.

Besides, ever since he had eliminated Liang Tianyu, there hadn't been any more missing person posts on the forum.

Such a coincidence.

Li Tianran had originally wanted to find someone to investigate the poster's information, but now it seemed he could save himself the trouble.

...

Half an hour later.

While people all over the world were gnawing on dry bread and eating plain boiled noodles with only salt, dreaming of the end of the food shortage in three months, Li Tianran and Hanhan were sweating profusely, enjoying a spicy hot pot on the electric stove.

Plate after plate of beef balls and mutton slices were placed into the pot, the tempting aroma spreading as the red broth bubbled.

"Big brother, dip it in sesame sauce…" Hanhan handed over a small bowl, filled with sesame sauce sprinkled with chopped scallions and cilantro.

Mutton slices and sesame sauce were a perfect match. Li Tianran took a bite, the savory flavor invigorating his spirits.

Actually, clear broth hot pot was a better match for mutton, as it preserved the mutton's own fresh taste. However, since the temperature had dropped so drastically recently, Li Tianran also liked to use spice to satisfy his desire to sweat.

Since the Cataclysm, the temperature difference between day and night had become increasingly extreme.

The highest temperature during the day was around two or three degrees below zero, while at night, the temperature could drop to around fifty degrees below zero. Ordinary people wearing three layers of down jackets still felt the biting cold wind, which made their whole bodies ache.

And now, at almost eight o'clock in the evening, the cold wind had already begun to howl outside the window.

Li Tianran opened his phone and saw several photos in his old university classmates' WeChat group. They were all of people wrapped in layers of coats, shivering in the cold wind, standing in long lines in front of food distribution points waiting to buy groceries.

Gao Le: "This damn weather is freezing me to death! And the line is so long… I really don't know when it will be my turn!"

Li Suya: "@Gao Le, what's the daily ration in your city now? My community only distributes half a jin of rice per household per day, and sometimes you can't even get it. It's infuriating!"

Since graduating from college, few people had spoken in this WeChat group.

Because after graduation, everyone had gone to different cities and chosen different industries. They had fewer common topics, so naturally they didn't chat as much.

But now, a disaster had once again brought classmates scattered across the world together to discuss the same topic.

The WeChat group quickly became lively.

Most of them were complaining about how difficult it was to buy food and how hard life was. Li Tianran simply watched silently, without speaking.

He wasn't too close to his university classmates.

During college, even though they hadn't yet stepped out of the school gates, some students already had social values. They made friends within their circles, and it was difficult for "country folk" like Li Tianran, whose family wasn't well-off, to gain the approval of many people.

Just then, Gao Le, who had been actively speaking in the group, suddenly mentioned Li Tianran.

Gao Le: By the way, I heard that Li Tianran went home to farm after graduation… I laughed for days at the time. A top student from a 211 university became a farmer. Now it seems he had foresight. Now there's a food shortage everywhere. He's definitely not starving like us. He's probably become a President Li by reselling grain. If only I had gone back to the countryside to be a farmer!

Wang Nannan: @Gao Le, are you stupid? This time, all the world's crops are failing and contain toxins. The grain that Li Tianran grows must also be a complete loss. He's probably lost a fortune. President Li… keep dreaming!

Gao Le: Haha, that's right! After all, Li Tianran relies on the land for a living… This time, the weather is really bad, completely ruining his livelihood!

Wang Nannan: @Li Tianran, old classmate, say something! Let us see what the great farmer entrepreneur has become now!

Zhao Yuhao: You two are enough! Everyone is a classmate. Li Tianran hasn't offended you. Is there any point in mocking him like this?

Gao Le: Who's mocking him? We're just mentioning it casually…

Wang Nannan: Yeah, yeah! I can't even tell the truth!

Zhao Yuhao: You're sick!

Li Tianran watched the conversation between Gao Le and Wang Nannan, his face expressionless.

Although it had been a year since graduation, he still had a deep impression of Gao Le and Wang Nannan.

Gao Le was his roommate. He had a particularly sharp tongue and liked to elevate himself by belittling others, as if doing so would make his own mediocrity seem superior to others.

Wang Nannan was a girl from a good family. He heard that her father held a position in some government agency and had spoiled her since she was a child, which had led her to develop some not-so-good habits. She always felt superior to others and usually had a condescending attitude towards classmates and friends.

In college, Wang Nannan had a conflict with Li Tianran.

The reason was simple.

It was because of a poverty student quota.

At that time, there was a classmate named Wang Chong whose parents had been ill for years and desperately needed the subsidy, but Wang Nannan had also applied for the poverty student election.

In college, sometimes the poverty student quota wouldn't necessarily go to the person who really needed it. Some people who weren't poor could still get the money.

This was a very common occurrence.

Because of the influence of Wang Nannan's father, who worked in a government agency, the class's poverty student quota undoubtedly fell on Wang Nannan.

Although her family wasn't poor, who would complain about having too much money?

But on the day the subsidy was distributed, Li Tianran publicly questioned Wang Nannan and the advisor in front of the entire class and teacher: Why is it that Wang Nannan's family is so rich, yet she can still be evaluated as a poverty student? Why is it that Wang Chong's family is so poor, yet he was not selected?

Is this an evaluation of poverty students, or a contest of whose dad is better?!

Li Tianran roared, slamming the table and questioning the two.

The classmates were stunned.

This was originally something everyone knew about.

Wang Nannan wanted the money, and the advisor probably wanted to ask Wang Nannan's father for help. These were all open secrets.

But in order not to offend Wang Nannan and the advisor, everyone had unanimously chosen to remain silent.

But now that Li Tianran had exposed it in public, everyone couldn't pretend not to know.

The matter alarmed the school, and it ended with Wang Nannan being disqualified, receiving a major demerit, and the advisor being given a warning within the school and transferred away from Li Tianran's class.

From then on, there was an irreconcilable feud between Wang Nannan and Li Tianran.

Even now, Wang Nannan didn't forget to drag Li Tianran out to ridicule and mock him!

"These two can actually chat with each other. It seems that belittling me is their common hobby…" Li Tianran sneered.

The WeChat group didn't remain chaotic for too long.

Zhao Yuhao probably didn't want to get involved with people like Wang Nannan and quickly chose to block the group messages.

When Wang Nannan saw that Zhao Yuhao had stopped speaking, she immediately felt a sense of victory.

Wang Nannan: It's still good to work in a government agency. Our director specially approved some gifts for me from the grain procurement point. I didn't have to wait in line… I was a little embarrassed, but since he has something to ask my dad for, I shamelessly accepted it! I just looked at them. They're some braised snacks. I can finally have a feast tonight…

She posted a picture.

It was a few packages of braised snacks, like pickled pepper chicken feet and pickled pepper chicken legs. They were the kind that usually cost a few yuan a package in the supermarket, but although there was a food shortage, their prices had skyrocketed to two hundred yuan a package, which was terrifying.

Although these things weren't anything rare in ordinary times, they could be considered rare delicacies now!

Especially after eating saltwater boiled noodles for several days in a row!

Gao Le: I'm so envious! It's so great to have a good dad. I'm standing here in the cold wind waiting in line to buy food, and you're at home gnawing on chicken legs. Tsk tsk, what a difference! Does your dad still need a son?

Zhou Ning: Asking the same question!

Fan Pengfei: Sister Nannan, can you do a live broadcast? I want to deceive myself. I'm not eating pickled vegetables, I'm eating big chicken legs!

After speaking, Fan Pengfei posted a picture of instant noodles with saltwater and pickled vegetables, along with a crying emoji.

Wang Nannan: @Fan Pengfei, okay! I'll satisfy you!

Just then, a series of pictures suddenly popped up in the group again.

They were posted by Li Tianran!

In the boiling hot pot, the fresh and tender mutton slices rose and fell with the broth, emitting a tempting luster.

The red chilies were mixed with the meatballs, and just looking at it made people feel a fiery appetite.

Next to it was an electric grill, and thick steaks were sizzling with oil, their surfaces golden brown!

And most importantly, in a plate on the side of the hot pot, there was actually a dish of lush green vegetables!

At this moment, the WeChat group froze.

After a long while, Li Tianran finally sent a message.

"Oops! Sorry, I sent it to the wrong group. Let me withdraw it…"