Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Who's Afraid of Playing Dirty

As soon as the phone was answered, a torrent of vicious curses rushed through. "Are you f**king looking for death? Who gave you the guts to mention me in the group?" "Dare to mess with me, Chen Zhenghao? You little punk, it looks like you don't want to live anymore." "I've got a hundred ways to make sure you can't stay in this city, you believe me?" Chen Zhenghao was a notorious thug in Tianhai City, with hundreds of people under his command, and rumors had it that he had even been involved in some murder cases. Because of that, everyone living in the same neighborhood avoided him. No one dared to provoke him. To establish his dominance, Chen Zhenghao's way of doing things was that anyone who offended him even a little would have to pay a heavy price. This was the so-called "face" of people in his world. So, even though Zhang Yi only mentioned him briefly in the owners' group, Chen Zhenghao still took it as a provocation. On the other end of the line, he cursed furiously, "You really have a death wish! You're quite the talker, huh? Mentioning me like that!" Zhang Yi wasn't going to put up with him. He let out a cold laugh and cursed back, "Who the hell do you think you are?" "Stop acting tough in front of me. You're just a worthless piece of trash from the streets. Why don't you start barking?" Zhang Yi cursed him back and felt a surge of satisfaction. In his previous life, this man had led the charge into his home and was responsible for his death, so Zhang Yi had long harbored a burning hatred for him. On the other end, Chen Zhenghao didn't expect Zhang Yi to dare to talk back! He was livid, and his insults became even nastier. Zhang Yi simply said, "You're just a useless piece of trash who only knows how to run his mouth. Who are you trying to scare? Why don't you go eat some shit?" After cursing, Zhang Yi hung up and immediately blocked him. Having cursed him out and then blocked him, Zhang Yi could already picture Chen Zhenghao flying into a rage on the other side. The thought made Zhang Yi feel great. He walked over to the television and turned on the security cameras. When Zhanlong Security Company built his safe house, they installed cameras all over the floor. In fact, the entire building was now under his surveillance. Zhang Yi glanced at the sixth floor, where Chen Zhenghao lived, and sure enough, their door was violently pushed open not long after. Chen Zhenghao stormed out, wearing a down jacket and carrying a baseball bat. But as soon as he stepped outside, he shivered from the cold. It was over -70°C outside, and to show off, he had only worn a down jacket over his long johns. He had even deliberately left the zipper open to show off the tattoo on his chest. But the biting cold immediately taught him a harsh lesson. Seeing no one around, Chen Zhenghao quickly rubbed his hands together and rushed into the elevator. Zhang Yi calmly reached under the coffee table and picked up a handheld crossbow. This type of crossbow was designed for hunting, and even a 300-kilogram wild boar could be pierced by its 20-centimeter bolt. As he hummed a tune, Zhang Yi loaded the bolt into the crossbow. After some practice over the past few weeks, he had become very proficient with the crossbow. Within 15 meters, he might not hit every shot, but he definitely wouldn't miss a target as big as a person's head. The elevator continued rising, and Zhang Yi, with the loaded crossbow in hand, walked to the door. At the top of his massive security door, two meters high, there was a special shooting port. Zhang Yi climbed onto a chair and opened the door covering the shooting port. This could only be opened from the inside. He then aimed the crossbow at the hallway outside. For extra precaution, Zhang Yi also had a pistol tucked in his pocket. Even if Chen Zhenghao was made of iron, today would still end badly for him. Before long, the sound of the elevator arriving echoed, and Chen Zhenghao emerged, cursing loudly as he approached. Using the owners' group info, he easily found Zhang Yi's apartment. When he reached the door, he raised his baseball bat and started pounding on the door while swearing. "Zhang Yi, get out here, you son of a b**ch!" "Weren't you acting all tough earlier? Come out now if you've got the guts, and see how I'll deal with you!" Chen Zhenghao cursed viciously and kept banging on the door. But this security door was 20 centimeters thick and reinforced with bulletproof metal. Its defense was stronger than some armored vehicles. Naturally, it wasn't something Chen Zhenghao could break with a baseball bat. In fact, the impact hurt his hands more than it hurt the door. While Chen Zhenghao continued to swear, he didn't notice that he was already in the crosshairs of a bolt. Zhang Yi watched Chen Zhenghao's fierce expression and a playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He aimed the crossbow at Chen Zhenghao's head. But after a moment's thought, Zhang Yi changed his target. In this post-apocalyptic world, everyone in this building except for him was doomed to die sooner or later. Chen Zhenghao was no exception. Killing him now would be too boring. After all, in his previous life, it was these deranged neighbors who had broken into his home and literally eaten him alive. Zhang Yi's smile grew wicked. He wasn't going to let this scumbag die so easily! So, he adjusted his aim. With a faint whistle of air, the sharp bolt shot out, piercing straight through Chen Zhenghao's leg. The bolt, powerful enough to kill a wild boar, went clean through his calf! Chen Zhenghao let out a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed to the ground, clutching his leg in agony. At temperatures of -70°C, with a penetrating wound like that, Chen Zhenghao's leg was as good as gone. Without medical supplies, infection was inevitable. Soon, he would die miserably from both the cold and the pain. Chen Zhenghao was in immense pain, and it finally dawned on him that he had messed with a truly ruthless person! Thugs like him relied on their fearlessness and recklessness. They bet on the fact that ordinary people wouldn't dare fight back. But facing someone ruthless enough to use a crossbow, even his heart was filled with terror. Chen Zhenghao was so scared that he fled in panic, dragging his mangled leg back toward the elevator. Zhang Yi chose not to fire again. The reason was simple: he wanted Chen Zhenghao to live a little longer. After all, he wasn't a total monster. Chen Zhenghao scrambled into the elevator, drenched in cold sweat that quickly froze in the -70°C temperatures. But at that moment, his heart was even colder than the air. The merciless attack from earlier had made him feel the raw, naked intent to kill. In today's world, anyone who dared to use a crossbow like that was not someone to be messed with! Chen Zhenghao looked down at his ruined leg, his calf completely pierced by the bolt. Blood soaked through half of his pant leg, quickly freezing into ice. In such extreme cold, the pain was dulled. But that didn't bring him any relief; instead, it terrified him. He knew that if he didn't get medical attention soon, his leg would be completely gone in less than half an hour!