Zhou Ke'er noticed that Zhang Yi still had a cautious attitude toward her, and she couldn't help but think to herself: No wonder he's been able to survive so comfortably in the apocalypse.
"Sit down," Zhang Yi said, gesturing toward the nearby sofa. At some point, he had already picked up the gun in his hand.
Obediently, Zhou Ke'er sat on the sofa two meters away from Zhang Yi, placing her hands together neatly on her knees like a well-behaved child.
"Listen, I let you stay here because you have some value to me," Zhang Yi began coldly. "But you need to remember that this is my home. The fact that you're allowed to stay here is a privilege, my generosity."
"So, you must follow all of my orders. Otherwise, I'll throw you out."
"And if you ever try anything suspicious with me, if I discover any ill intent, I won't hesitate to kill you!"
Listening to Zhang Yi's indifferent tone, Zhou Ke'er internally muttered, "So cold-blooded."
She knew Zhang Yi had his reasons for speaking this way, but if he had been a bit gentler, she might have been touched.
What she didn't know was that Zhang Yi had been gentle before, but his kindness had only been betrayed.
Zhang Yi pointed to another room. The apartment had a three-bedroom, one-living-room layout, with Zhang Yi occupying the master bedroom, leaving two smaller rooms available.
"You'll live in that room. But I need to warn you, every corner of this house is under surveillance."
"So you'll always be monitored. There is no privacy here."
"The door is a security door, only slightly thinner than the main entrance. It's not something you can open by force."
"The key is with me, and you'll only be allowed to come out at times I permit."
"If you have any objections," Zhang Yi pointed to the front door, "you can leave right now."
As if Zhou Ke'er would leave.
No matter how harsh Zhang Yi's conditions were, this apartment was like heaven compared to the cruel world outside.
She nodded, "Alright, I'll listen to you."
Her compliant attitude made Zhang Yi very satisfied. A smart woman was always easier to deal with.
If it had been someone like Fang Yuqing or Lin Caining, those delicate girls, they'd probably be crying and causing trouble by now.
They deserved to die in this apocalypse.
Zhang Yi put away his gun and adjusted another gun he had beside him.
Looking at Zhou Ke'er, his tone softened a little. "You're smart, which makes things easier for both of us."
"You understand what kind of hell is out there. Apart from relying on me, you have no other way to survive."
"So now, I'm going to tell you a secret. Listen carefully."
Zhou Ke'er widened her eyes in surprise.
"A secret? You... are willing to tell me?"
She found it hard to believe that someone as cautious as Zhang Yi would easily share a secret. It had to be something serious.
Zhang Yi explained, "Telling you this secret is to ensure your loyalty to me. But even if you leak it, I'm not too worried. After all, in this world, everyone is too busy surviving. I don't fear anyone posing a threat to me."
He shrugged. "All those who tried to kill me have been dealt with. You've seen it for yourself."
Zhou Ke'er nodded, looking intently at Zhang Yi, curious to hear what secret he was about to reveal.
Unhurriedly, Zhang Yi said, "You probably saw online what caused this snow disaster—it was due to the explosion of a supernova, which led to a gamma-ray burst."
"This radiation affects human bodies and can potentially cause mutations."
"So, I've developed a superpower, the ability to access an independent dimensional space."
Ignoring Zhou Ke'er's stunned expression, Zhang Yi continued, "The reason I've been able to live so comfortably up to now is that I've stored a large amount of supplies in this space."
"Otherwise, as you can see, this apartment wouldn't be able to store much on its own."
"As long as I'm alive, you can benefit from the supplies I have. There will be food to eat and hot water to bathe in."
"If I die, this apartment will quickly become no different from any other empty house, and you'll starve to death."
Zhang Yi still didn't fully trust Zhou Ke'er, even though he knew she was a kind person.
He only trusted benefits, not human nature.
Human nature could be twisted, and it didn't take much effort to do so.
By making it clear to Zhou Ke'er that her survival depended on his, he was binding her to his interests.
To convince her, Zhang Yi pulled a long sandwich from his dimensional space and tossed it to her.
Seeing Zhang Yi seemingly conjure a sandwich out of thin air, a glimmer of trust finally appeared in Zhou Ke'er's astonished eyes.
"Superpowers? Something like that really exists?"
Looking at the sandwich in her hands, she swallowed hard, not daring to eat it yet, and instead waited for Zhang Yi's command.
This large sandwich was enough to make two families fight over it outside! Especially since she hadn't eaten in two days!
"Eat it," Zhang Yi said calmly. "It's yours."
Unable to hold back any longer, Zhou Ke'er took a huge bite.
Seeing her eat so hastily, Zhang Yi, worried she might choke, poured a glass of water and handed it to her.
Zhou Ke'er devoured the sandwich, so overwhelmed with emotion that tears welled up in her eyes. Even this fast food, which she used to dislike, tasted heavenly now.
Oh God, how could a sandwich taste so good?
Meanwhile, Zhang Yi sat nearby, calmly explaining the rules of living here.
"I don't trust you completely, so be mindful of your behavior."
"Cleaning, cooking—you shouldn't wait for me to tell you to do these things."
"The drains are frozen, so when you need to use the toilet, you'll have to use specially made plastic bags, and then toss them out through the back window's hidden door. That's your responsibility from now on."
"In other words, from now on, you're my maid. You'll earn your comfort and food through labor. Do you understand?"
Zhang Yi had no intention of keeping idle people in his home.
Zhou Ke'er finished eating, nodding repeatedly. "I understand... Master," she said, blushing.
Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow, impressed by her ability to adapt quickly. No wonder she had become an attending physician at such a young age.
Seeing her eat her fill, Zhang Yi smiled faintly.
He rested his chin on his hand, his gaze drifting to her snow-white neck.
"Do you know why, out of all the people in this building, I chose you, even though we're not the closest?"
Zhou Ke'er pursed her lips. "Because I'm a doctor. You have everything you need, but you can't guarantee you won't get sick or injured."
Zhang Yi nodded slightly. "That's part of it. Even though I'm healthy, one should always be prepared."
He retrieved half a bottle of wine from under the coffee table, and with another wave of his hand, pulled out two wine glasses from his space.
He poured two glasses of red wine and pushed one toward Zhou Ke'er.
"And the second reason? Do you know what it is?"
Zhou Ke'er hesitated for a moment, then sipped her wine, understanding dawning in her eyes.
There's no such thing as a free meal.
"Because I'm a woman, and a beautiful one at that."
This woman understood the situation well.
She put down her wineglass, stood up, and, in front of Zhang Yi, untied her bathrobe.
Zhang Yi didn't pretend to be a gentleman. After half a month of restraint, he needed to release some tension.
So, he did.