Zhang Yi feigned confusion and said, "What's the matter? I haven't done anything wrong!"
Lin Cainin replied, "Are you stupid? With the city locked down due to the snowstorm, we've almost run out of food at home."
"Now's the perfect time to show your loyalty to Yuqing by sending some delicious food over."
"If I were you, I'd bring over all the good stuff like steak and lobster."
"Once Yuqing is moved by your gesture, wouldn't your chances with her increase?"
Zhang Yi looked at Lin Cainin's message and could already imagine how the gold digger must be salivating at the thought of the food. He sneered.
This behavior was no different from begging. But what was laughable was that they begged while acting like they were doing him a favor. It was as if giving them food was Zhang Yi's opportunity to win them over.
Their arrogance made Zhang Yi want to slap them hard. Despicable!
Zhang Yi decided to play along with the two manipulative women. He replied, "But I don't have much left at home. It's just enough for me to get by."
Lin Cainin frowned and immediately chastised him, "Foolish! How long can a snowstorm last? Just skip a couple of meals! Once you win Yuqing over, wouldn't it be worth it?"
"If you can't even sacrifice a little, I don't think you're serious about Yuqing at all!"
Zhang Yi laughed even more. The two women were perfectly playing the roles of the bad cop and the good cop, using every trick in the book. Unfortunately for them, Zhang Yi, having been reborn, had long seen through their shameless tactics.
Faced with Lin Cainin's manipulation, Zhang Yi simply replied with a dismissive "Oh," then tossed his phone aside, ignoring her further.
Seeing the "Oh" message, Lin Cainin became furious.
"'Oh'? What do you mean by 'Oh'?!"
"I've been talking to you for so long, and that's all you have to say?"
"Hurry up and bring us the food! I want steak and lobster too!"
Lin Cainin was a foodie, and after days of eating nothing good, seeing Zhang Yi's feast only made her drool more. She had hoped to use Yuqing's name to trick Zhang Yi into delivering the food.
But the situation was developing in a way that she hadn't anticipated. That simple "Oh" nearly broke her!
Could it be… that he was no longer interested in Fang Yuqing?
No, no, no, that couldn't be! Lin Cainin recalled how attentive Zhang Yi had been to Fang Yuqing over the past few years and immediately shook her head.
"He must just be temporarily out of his mind!" Lin Cainin convinced herself.
Angry, she found Fang Yuqing and exaggerated the situation, claiming she had tried to ask Zhang Yi for supplies on her behalf.
Fang Yuqing coldly responded, "Hmph, who's Zhang Yi? Do I even know him? Don't mention him in front of me again!"
In Fang Yuqing's mind, if Zhang Yi wanted to regain his position as her simp, he would need to apologize profusely for the past few days and pay a huge price to earn her forgiveness.
Lin Cainin nudged Fang Yuqing and suggested, "Since Zhang Yi isn't getting it, don't you still have other admirers?"
In their complex, there were quite a few colleagues working in the warehouse. Among them was Zhou Peng, one of Fang Yuqing's more devoted followers.
Fang Yuqing knew exactly who Lin Cainin was referring to. She sneered; Zhou Peng didn't even qualify as a backup plan in her eyes. Though they both worked at Walmart, Zhou Peng didn't own property in Tianhai City and was still renting.
Fang Yuqing merely used him to get some small perks but had no real interest in him.
Lin Cainin pressed on, "It's freezing outside, and the snow keeps falling. We can't go out and buy anything, so why not use him for now and have him do some errands for us?"
Fang Yuqing considered it for a moment, thinking Lin Cainin's suggestion made sense. So, she sent Zhou Peng a message.
To her surprise, within five minutes, Zhou Peng eagerly rushed over with a backpack full of food. After all, working in the Walmart warehouse meant he could bring home discounted items, so he had plenty of stock.
One word from Fang Yuqing, and Zhou Peng, full of energy, picked out the best things and brought them over for her.
Zhou Peng even patted his chest and promised, "Yuqing, whatever you need, just say the word. You know I'd do anything for you!"
Fang Yuqing rarely smiled at Zhou Peng, but this time she did.
"Thank you, Zhou Peng! You're so kind."
With a few sweet words, Fang Yuqing dismissed Zhou Peng. As soon as she was back inside, her expression changed completely.
"Tch, you actually think you stand a chance with me? In your dreams!"
...
Throughout the building, the atmosphere was starting to shift. The extreme cold made it impossible to maintain warmth, even with the heaters running, and indoor temperatures remained below freezing.
For the southern residents of Tianhai City, the cold was unbearable.
Moreover, since they didn't have the habit of stockpiling supplies, two days of the snowstorm had left most families' refrigerators empty.
Although Grandma Lin continued to reassure everyone that the snowstorm would soon pass, people were growing increasingly worried.
But Zhang Yi watched it all unfold with great amusement.
He was fully prepared for the apocalypse, and life for him now was even more comfortable than before the disaster struck.
As an outsider, he merely observed the unfolding drama around him.
After being taught a lesson by Zhang Yi, Chen Zhenghao and his cronies had temporarily stopped bothering him. They knew that Zhang Yi's home wasn't easy to break into.
Moreover, Chen Zhenghao's leg was practically crippled. Without medical treatment, it wouldn't be long before he became permanently disabled.
As for his other lackeys, drenched and shivering, they were now all suffering from colds and fevers. Without any way to stay warm, they were more likely to die from their illness than from a lack of food.
Zhang Yi, at home, spent his time playing video games and browsing the chat groups for entertainment.
When he wasn't doing that, he worked out with his high-end fitness equipment, or read various professional books he had downloaded online, such as the Barefoot Doctor's Manual and the Militia Training Handbook.
It was always good to be prepared. Mastering these survival skills might one day save his life in an emergency.
Outside, the snow continued to fall, and the sky was so overcast that day and night became indistinguishable.
On the morning of the third day, Zhang Yi got out of bed, grabbed a succulent roast duck, and glanced at the clock.
"It's about time. The real show is about to begin," Zhang Yi muttered to himself.
At that moment, the chat group exploded with activity!