The next day, Zhang Yi heard gunshots in the corridor.
"Bang!" "Bang!"
The two shots sounded more like firecrackers going off.
It was undoubtedly Chen Zhenghao taking action.
Clearly, Zhang Yi's words from yesterday had already taken effect.
On the brink of desperation, people's fear of death began to slowly fade. The promise of a week's worth of all-you-can-eat noodles was an irresistible temptation to them.
Zhang Yi turned on the surveillance and saw the moment the conflict erupted.
Two men, holding a wrench and a kitchen knife, lay on the ground, their blood staining the hallway.
Chen Zhenghao, though not unscathed, leaned against the wall, holding a gun, looking shaken.
They had blocked people from fetching water here, and others could naturally take this opportunity to retaliate against them.
Chen Zhenghao had his men drag the two bodies away, following them quickly back to their residence. A handgun was firmly gripped in his hand—his last line of defense.
After dragging the two bodies home, Chen Zhenghao gave his men a signal, and they immediately hauled the bodies into the kitchen.
Before long, the sounds of banging and clattering could be heard from inside.
Chen Zhenghao sat on the cold sofa with a sinister look in his eyes, feeling little warmth despite his surroundings.
Yesterday, upon returning home, he had seen the messages in the group chat, learning that Zhang Yi had put a bounty on his head.
This enraged him.
He saw himself as the hunter, and Zhang Yi was nothing but prey!
How dare the prey strike back at the hunter?
However, he had underestimated the desperation of people on the edge.
Earlier that morning, two desperate young men had come for his life.
This gave Chen Zhenghao a sense of crisis, but at the same time, it made him even more deranged!
"Die! I'll kill all of you! If you want me dead, you'll have to die first!" Chen Zhenghao roared.
As the adrenaline from the fight wore off, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back.
He called one of his men over to check what was wrong.
After taking a look, the man shouted, "Brother Hao, you've been stabbed!"
Chen Zhenghao's down jacket had been slashed open by the kitchen knife, leaving a 30-centimeter cut. Blood wasn't too noticeable on the black jacket, but upon closer inspection, it was clear.
Due to the cold outside and the adrenaline coursing through him during the earlier excitement, Chen Zhenghao hadn't felt the pain until now.
Upon hearing his subordinate's words, he immediately cried out in pain.
"Those two dogs! Chop them into pieces for me!"
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he quickly picked up his phone to call Zhou Ke'er.
"Dr. Zhou, I've been injured. Come over and help me dress the wound!"
Not long after, Zhou Ke'er arrived at Chen Zhenghao's house with her medical kit.
As she looked at the ruthless killer, her eyes were filled with disgust.
But for the sake of survival, she had no choice but to treat his wound.
In fact, the reason Chen Zhenghao's arrow wound hadn't worsened earlier was also because Zhou Ke'er had helped heal him.
Even though she was unwilling, faced with the barrel of his gun, she had no other choice.
"I won't help you for free," Zhou Ke'er said coldly.
Chen Zhenghao laughed and pointed towards the kitchen. "I'll give you a piece of the meat we're cooking later!"
Zhou Ke'er wrinkled her nose and finally caught a whiff of the pungent, bloody smell.
Her face changed. Having worked in a hospital for years, she immediately knew what it was.
Suppressing the urge to vomit, she coldly replied, "No, thank you."
Chen Zhenghao sneered. "Still trying to act high and mighty, Dr. Zhou? One day you'll eat it. If you don't, you'll die!"
"I'd rather die," Zhou Ke'er said, frowning.
"I wouldn't let that happen! In this world, having a doctor by your side is too important," Chen Zhenghao sighed.
If Zhou Ke'er hadn't treated his leg wound back then, he wouldn't have just lost a leg—he would have lost his life!
"Don't worry. If the day comes when I have to eat you, I'll save you for last."
Chen Zhenghao stared at Zhou Ke'er with a burning gaze. He had coveted her for a long time.
Had she not been so useful, he would have already made his move.
Zhou Ke'er frowned and stopped talking, focusing on treating his wound.
It didn't take long for the wound to be simply bandaged.
Zhou Ke'er picked up her medical kit and prepared to leave.
But before she could go, Chen Zhenghao gave a signal to one of his men, who immediately blocked the door.
Zhou Ke'er's heart skipped a beat. "What are you doing?"
Chen Zhenghao said, "Nothing. You can't leave until my wound heals."
Chen Zhenghao was scared now.
There were too many people out there who wanted him dead, and with a shortage of medicine, having a doctor by his side was the only thing that gave him peace of mind.
Despite her resistance, he forcibly made her stay.
Not long after, one of his men brought out a plate of cooked meat.
Zhou Ke'er saw a human finger among the meat and almost vomited on the spot.
Fortunately, having worked in a hospital where she often dealt with the dead, she managed to hold herself together.
Chen Zhenghao offered her some, but of course, she refused.
He sneered and didn't press the issue.
He believed Zhou Ke'er was just pretending to be dignified. Sooner or later, when she was starving, she would eat it.
"This isn't a long-term solution. Now even these dogs dare to fight back. It's not good for us."
"The only way we'll be safe is if we kill Zhang Yi and take over his house."
"His place is like a fortress, full of supplies—enough for us to live on for months. Maybe by then, the snow disaster will be over."
"So, the priority now is figuring out how to deal with Zhang Yi."
Chen Zhenghao said to his men.
They exchanged uneasy glances.
"Brother Hao, we've attacked Zhang Yi's house several times, but every time we've failed."
"His place is like a turtle shell. We can't break in!"
Chen Zhenghao replied, "I don't believe there's no weakness in his house. I also don't believe he won't leave at some point!"
"Here's what we'll do. Let's move next door to his place and take shifts watching him. As soon as we get a chance, we'll take him out!"
"Living in a high-rise is safer anyway."
His men, unsure of what to do, nodded in agreement to whatever he said.
Zhou Ke'er overheard their conversation.
Taking the opportunity to go to the bathroom, she secretly sent Zhang Yi a message to inform him of their plan.
Zhang Yi, upon learning this, smiled indifferently.
There was no way he was stepping outside!
"Got it. Stay there and keep observing," Zhang Yi replied.
As long as Chen Zhenghao needed medical care, Zhou Ke'er's life wouldn't be in immediate danger.
Zhang Yi wasn't in a hurry to act. With the bounty he had set, eventually, someone desperate enough would take care of Chen Zhenghao.
Chen Zhenghao and his men packed up their supplies and moved with Zhou Ke'er to the 24th floor.
The young couple who lived next door to Zhang Yi were terrified when they found out that Chen Zhenghao had moved in.