Chapter 123: Watching from the Sidelines
Zhang Yi returned home and, as usual, checked the surveillance footage on his phone. After confirming that there was nothing unusual inside the house and that Zhou Ke’er was still in her room, he opened the door and went in. He opened Zhou Ke’er’s door and then took a long, hot shower.
Being outside all day, his cold-weather gear kept him from getting frostbite, but his skin still felt the cold, causing his pores to contract. Only when the hot water from the shower sprayed over his head and body did he fully relax.
Zhang Yi washed his face vigorously, feeling incredibly fortunate. "This state won’t last long," he thought. "Once I get rid of those troublemakers, I’ll find a comfortable place to live a new life."
Having been reborn for a month, Zhang Yi had already dealt with most of the people responsible for his death in his past life, using methods far crueler than what they had used against him. Next, he planned to clean up the entire community, dealing with them along the way. Afterward, he would dismantle his safe house and move it elsewhere.
The quality of the safe house was incredibly sturdy. Zhang Yi’s current plan was to find a large amount of explosives and blow up the entire building. The other items in the safe house could be stored in his alternate space. The outer shell of the safe house was made of lightweight and sturdy aerospace metal, almost indestructible even if it fell into the snow. After all, it was designed to withstand the friction of reentry from space!
"It won't take long to deal with these guys," Zhang Yi smiled joyfully. In the near future, he would bury his hatred and pain in this place and start a new life.
After his shower, Zhang Yi wrapped himself in a towel and went to open Zhou Ke’er’s door. She sat on the bed, her face flushed, her long legs tightly crossed, trying to endure something.
As soon as Zhang Yi opened the door, she dashed to the bathroom without meeting his eyes. Zhang Yi scratched his chin, wondering, "What’s going on?"Soon, he heard the sound of running water and realized, "I locked her in all day; she must have been bursting!" His lips curled into a mischievous smile. "She’s quite particular, not even willing to use a bottle."
Zhou Ke’er emerged from the bathroom, her face still red. She looked exhausted after holding it in for so long. Zhang Yi approached, wrapping an arm around her slim waist and holding her white wrist.
"Are you really that weak?"
Zhou Ke’er rolled her eyes at him. "Try it yourself next time!"
Zhang Yi shrugged. "I’m not that picky. If I can't hold it, I’ll use a bottle."
He rubbed his stomach, feeling hungry. He hadn’t noticed it outside, but now that he was in a warm room, the hunger hit him.
"Make some food, with extra meat. I've been burning a lot of energy lately."
Zhou Ke’er smiled and nodded. "Alright, I’ll make braised pork for you today!"
She happily ran to the kitchen, like a gentle and virtuous wife.
...
While Zhang Yi enjoyed the comforts of home, the leaders of the other buildings received the food brought by their subordinates. Seeing the plastic bag of food, their expressions varied, but most were disappointed.
Ten portions of food were just the basic daily ration, fitting into a single plastic bag.
In the Wolf Gang, Wang Qiang ignored his subordinates, rushed up, and tore open the plastic bag. After rummaging for a while, he found a pack of cigarettes. His eyes lit up, holding the pack like a treasure.
His subordinates, all long-time smokers, eyed the pack with hunger. They hadn’t smoked in nearly a month, driving them to madness.
The second-in-command, Xiao Lu, couldn’t help but ask, "Boss, can I have one?"
Other subordinates, emboldened, also asked, "Boss, give us one too!"
"We’re going crazy without a smoke. It’s driving us nuts!"
Wang Qiang frowned, displeased. He usually smoked a pack a day. This pack was just enough for him. If he shared, it would be half gone. Seeing the bloodshot, crazed eyes of his subordinates, he was startled.
After some thought, Wang Qiang said, "These cigarettes are hard to come by. I forced Zhang Yi to get them! You’re my good brothers, so I’ll let you have a taste. Work hard from now on!"
The subordinates, desperate for a smoke, readily agreed to anything Wang Qiang said.
Grudgingly, Wang Qiang handed out cigarettes, his hands trembling, his heart bleeding.
When his men received the cigarettes, they immediately lit them up, their eyes tearing up with happiness. Only true smokers understood the bliss of that moment.
Like widows long without a man, meeting a robust young man.
But the joy was short-lived. The cigarettes were soon smoked up. Wang Qiang quickly pocketed the rest, pretending not to see their longing looks.
"Alright, let’s distribute the food!" he announced.
Opening the plastic bag, Wang Qiang saw the low-quality bread and biscuits, but to him, they were treasures. They had been eating “roasted food” for so long, they craved normal human food.
"Swallowing hard," Wang Qiang gestured to a subordinate, who walked over dazedly. Wang Qiang handed him a piece of bread, smiling. "Xu Yi, You’re the weakest, you eat first!"