Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Aunt Lin's Revenge, Zhang Yi Retaliates Directly

Zhang Yi sat on the couch, bored, letting out a yawn. While others were starving and freezing, he was living more comfortably than ever. His home was equipped with the perfect insulation system, and with an endless supply of fuel, he could keep his safe house at the ideal temperature all year round. There was nothing more for him to do. He just had to live happily each day. The TV wasn't showing anything interesting; most live broadcasts had shut down due to the extreme cold. Even the attractive streamers he usually followed couldn't bear the minus sixty to seventy degrees, or even lower temperatures, to perform in skimpy outfits. If any still did, Zhang Yi would give them a thumbs-up and say, "Now that's a hardcore person!" He opened his alternate space, which held plenty of electronic devices, including a vast collection of gaming consoles and AAA games. He had stacks of brand-new, unopened PS5s, Switches, and Xbox consoles, along with tens of thousands of game cartridges. Zhang Yi pulled out a brand-new PS5 and hooked it up to his massive 100-inch Sony TV. He started playing this year's latest AAA action game, *Bayonetta 3*. Other games like *Elden Ring*, *The Witcher 3*, and *Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice* were all within reach, offering great options for passing the time. If he wanted longer games, *Civilization* and *Cities: Skylines* were ready to keep him occupied for hours. With no more need to worry about work or social obligations, his life was even better than before the apocalypse! Wearing only pajamas, Zhang Yi snacked while playing his games, fully enjoying himself. After a while, his phone rang. Casually, he picked it up and saw that the annoying Aunt Lin from the neighborhood committee had tagged him in the group chat. "Zhang Yi, the roads are all blocked by snow. Grab your tools and come out to help clear it!" she commanded, her tone full of authority. Zhang Yi noticed that she had called for everyone to come out and clear the snow, but only a few responded. And now, she was singling him out directly. He glanced out the window. The snow had piled up so much that it nearly covered the entire first floor. The snow was three meters deep—clearing it manually was impossible. Plus, Zhang Yi knew that the snowstorm would last for at least another three months. Going out to clear the snow now was pointless since the snow would fall faster than they could shovel it. He immediately declined. "It's freezing outside. We'd turn into popsicles if we stepped out. Clearing the snow can wait until the storm stops." Others in the chat agreed with Zhang Yi. "Exactly, it's minus seventy degrees out. We'd probably get frostbite just by going outside." "We're not up north, where they have proper cold-weather gear. How are we supposed to manage?" Aunt Lin got angry. "What kind of attitude is this? Clearing the snow isn't for me—it's for everyone!" "You young men, in the face of disaster, should be stepping up to serve the people, not shirking responsibility!" Her frustration was directed straight at Zhang Yi. "Zhang Yi, as a representative of the neighborhood committee, I'm ordering you to come out and clear the snow! This is a time of crisis. We must unite and follow the organization's commands! If anyone dares to oppose me, it's an act against the neighborhood committee, and once this snowstorm ends, the organization will hold them accountable!" Aunt Lin once again used her position in the neighborhood committee as a shield. The other residents were angry but didn't dare speak up. With the snowstorm just beginning and societal order still intact, no one wanted to defy authority. Despite the neighborhood committee's seemingly small power, it directly impacted their daily lives, so people tended to avoid provoking them. Many hoped that Zhang Yi would stand up to Aunt Lin and speak out for them. Zhang Yi understood their cowardly mindset and sneered, full of contempt. But there was no way he would silently endure such treatment. He decided to confront Aunt Lin head-on. Looking through the chat history, he noticed that Aunt Lin had only tagged a few well-behaved young men in the neighborhood. The more troublesome or influential residents, she conveniently ignored. Zhang Yi immediately retorted, "Aunt Lin, you're right. Since this is for everyone's benefit, shouldn't the neighborhood committee members take the lead in clearing the snow?" "And speaking of young and strong people, there are many more residents here than just us. Why are you only calling out a few of us?" "Do you think we're easy to bully? I don't see you tagging any of the rich kids or influential people." "What's the matter? You go silent when it comes to them?" The other residents, seeing Zhang Yi speak up, nodded in satisfaction. "Zhang Yi is saying exactly what I'm thinking!" "Exactly, she's only targeting the nice guys. Why not call out people like Chen Zhenghao or Xu Hao?" Everyone in the neighborhood knew who Zhang Yi was referring to. They all lived in the same building and were well aware of the big names around. For example, Chen Zhenghao, who lived in Unit 601 on the sixth floor, was a well-known local boss with a construction company and hundreds of workers under him. Then there was Xu Hao from Unit 802 on the eighth floor, whose father was a famous developer in Tianhai City and had relatives in government positions. Aunt Lin hadn't mentioned either of them. Zhang Yi exposed her for picking on the weak, and her face immediately fell. She hadn't dared to mention those difficult people because she knew they wouldn't care about her orders. People like her thrived on bullying the weak and avoiding the strong. If Zhang Yi had been meek like before, Aunt Lin wouldn't have dared to tell him to clear the snow either. Now, with her pride hurt, Aunt Lin angrily sent several long voice messages in the group chat. "Clearing the snow is a public service for everyone's benefit! Some people are just so petty, lacking any sense of community spirit!" "Such people are a blight on our group of residents!" "If you don't want to help, fine! There are plenty of others willing to do it. Their sense of duty is much higher than yours." "And I'm not singling anyone out. I just didn't feel the need to tag everyone. Get your facts straight and stop making things up!" "If I hear more slander against me, I'll call the police!" Her explanation only made things worse, especially when she threatened to call the police, causing Zhang Yi to laugh out loud. Some of the more timid residents, fearing trouble, picked up their tools and headed out to clear snow. But Zhang Yi wasn't afraid of Aunt Lin at all. First of all, her unreasonable demands wouldn't hold up with the police. Secondly, did she really believe the entire system was still functioning as normal during this crisis?