Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Aunt Lin, Who Bullies the Weak and Fears the Strong

Zhang Yi completely dismissed Aunt Lin's words as nonsense. Since he had nothing better to do, he decided to toy with the old woman a bit. "Oh, Aunt Lin, you're quite something! If you're so capable, why don't you call Chen Zhenghao and Xu Hao to come down and shovel the snow?" Zhang Yi directly named names in the group chat, without any regard for anyone's feelings. Chen Zhenghao, nicknamed "Brother Hao," was a notorious local thug. When Zhang Yi's home was invaded, it was Chen, wielding a mountain axe, who led the charge. Xu Hao, an arrogant second-generation rich kid, was the first to pull a knife on Zhang Yi. In short, aside from a few good neighbors, the rest had either attacked or robbed Zhang Yi. He could even guess that after his death in his previous life, each of these people had taken their share of what he left behind. So Zhang Yi had no intention of giving anyone face. He ruthlessly exposed their true nature to disgust them. Aunt Lin's face changed as she stared at her phone. Zhang Yi's direct naming of names put her in a tough spot. After all, if she backed down now, she would become a laughingstock. No one would ever listen to her again. Left with no choice, Aunt Lin reluctantly tagged Chen Zhenghao and Xu Hao in the chat. "Dear neighbors, our community is our home, and clearing the snow is everyone's responsibility. I hope those who are available can bring their tools and join in." Shortly after, an ID named "25#602 Chen Zhenghao" responded with a string of question marks, followed by a voice message in the group: "Shovel snow? Shovel your damn head! Are you blind? Can't you see how much snow is still falling outside?" "Are you stupid? If you're sick, go to the hospital, but don't bark here. Tag me again, and I'll kill you. Believe it or not!" Chen Zhenghao unleashed a torrent of insults on Aunt Lin, and the group members burst into laughter. Aunt Lin had taken herself too seriously, but it was clear that these thugs didn't care about her at all. A second-generation rich kid like Xu Hao also sent a voice message: "What does shoveling snow have to do with me? I don't have to go to work, so I can sleep all day at home, no problem." He even posted a picture of himself lying in a thick bed, with a woman in his arms. This house was just one of Xu Hao's properties, where he kept women, and he just happened to be stuck here. To him, Aunt Lin's request was utterly ridiculous. Aunt Lin, thoroughly humiliated by Chen Zhenghao's insults, dared not talk back. She wouldn't dare provoke a real thug. But seeing Xu Hao's arrogance, she still tried to stand her ground: "You're still a member of this community! Shoveling snow is your duty." Xu Hao sneered, "Ha! Don't I pay monthly property fees? Without my money, you'd all be starving! You people who live off the property fees act like you own the place. What a joke!" These rich kids were no pushovers. Though Xu Hao might be a slacker, he had seen the world and had no reason to take a small neighborhood committee member seriously. He continued mockingly, "I've gotten where I am thanks to my family's influence. You think you're the same as me? Go shovel the snow if you need to; you probably need to earn your next meal! Once you clear the snow, I can finally leave this dump." Everyone in the group was furious at Xu Hao's arrogance, but no one could refute him. After all, he was only speaking the harsh truth: he had been born into privilege. With Chen Zhenghao and Xu Hao stirring up trouble, Aunt Lin lost her authority, and no one paid attention to her anymore. Furious, she turned her anger on Zhang Yi. In her eyes, everything had been going smoothly until Zhang Yi came along and ruined her plans. So, she privately messaged Zhang Yi in a fit of rage: "Zhang Yi, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?" "What are you even thinking? I asked everyone to shovel snow, not just you! Now no one wants to do it. Do you want us to stay trapped in our homes forever?" Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow. Oh, she's coming straight to me for a scolding? "Who do you think you're fooling? You're just a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong, and now you're barking up the wrong tree!" Zhang Yi retorted. "You got insulted by others and didn't dare say a word, so now you're coming to me for attention? I'm telling you right now, I'm not one to be messed with. Keep barking, and I'll make sure you regret it!" Zhang Yi had Aunt Lin completely figured out—she was just a coward who preyed on the weak. Sure enough, Zhang Yi's harsh words left Aunt Lin trembling in fear. She lived with her grandson and only got respect because of her role in the neighborhood committee. If someone truly ignored her status and came after her, she knew she wouldn't stand a chance. Terrified, Aunt Lin stopped replying and quickly blocked Zhang Yi, afraid he'd insult her even more. Her body shook—whether from the cold or from fear of Zhang Yi's threats, she couldn't tell. "That bastard! He's a lunatic!" Aunt Lin muttered to herself, trembling. "I'll get him back someday. Just wait!" In her mind, she began plotting her petty revenge against Zhang Yi. She imagined delaying his access to supplies or not informing him of community events, picturing him begging for her forgiveness as she smugly shut the door in his face. "You were so arrogant before—let's see how arrogant you are now!" she fantasized. With these thoughts, Aunt Lin comforted herself with a delusional sense of future victory and continued trying to mobilize the other residents to shovel the snow. Though many people in the community despised Aunt Lin, a few honest souls, worried about their future work commutes, still took their tools and braved the freezing -70°C cold to clear the snow. Meanwhile, Zhang Yi hadn't expected that, after dealing with Aunt Lin, someone else would immediately come looking for trouble. His phone rang, and when he glanced at the caller ID, it was none other than Chen Zhenghao. It seemed that Zhang Yi's earlier mention of him in the group chat had rubbed him the wrong way, and now Chen was calling to intimidate him. Zhang Yi had long harbored resentment toward this thug, and seeing him call now, a cold glint appeared in his eyes. He was actually hoping for some trouble—his secure safehouse was off-limits to others, but if anyone dared to come knocking, he had plenty of ways to make sure they met a terrible end. With that thought, Zhang Yi answered the call.