After Zhang Yi finished speaking, the neighbors were all deep in thought, considering the pros and cons of his words.
Someone asked, "Zhang Yi, it's understandable that you and Zhou Ke'er don't have to do duty, but why doesn't Uncle You need to do duty either? He's clearly the best fighter!"
Zhang Yi stared at him and said slowly, word by word, "It's precisely because Uncle You is an important asset, that he needs to rest and save his strength for the key battles. Got it?"
This explanation sounded a bit flimsy, but no one dared to challenge Zhang Yi's words.
In truth, Zhang Yi's real goal was to ensure Uncle You's safety.
The others were on the front lines, responsible for repelling enemies from other buildings.
They were essentially cannon fodder, or more diplomatically, expendables.
And since Uncle You was skilled, kind-hearted, and straightforward, he was Zhang Yi's best subordinate, so of course, he had to keep him alive to serve him in the future.
Once the arrangements were made, Zhang Yi instructed the neighbors to return to their homes, leaving only those on duty to stay near the fourth floor.
To attack their building, the fourth floor was a necessary passage.
Whether they dug a tunnel below or climbed in through the fourth-floor window, they would have to go through there.
So, by guarding this floor, they could detect any approaching enemies in time.
After everyone went upstairs, Zhang Yi led Zhou Ke'er back.
He wouldn't leave his back exposed to people he didn't trust.
At this point, there were no other people around.
Xie Limei, seeing that Zhang Yi had yet to talk about the food for their family, couldn't help but ask, "Zhang Yi, did you forget about our family's food?"
Zhang Yi glanced up at Xie Limei with a hint of a cold smile in his eyes.
Uncle You quickly tugged at her arm. "What are you saying?"
But Xie Limei insisted, "Uncle You did the most work, but he didn't get anything. This is too..."
Zhang Yi replied, "The supplies I brought back aren't just this. What I gave to others is the inferior stuff, the good things are kept for now!"
"Uncle You, you can come to my place to pick it up later."
Upon hearing this, Xie Limei immediately put on a smile.
"I knew you wouldn't let him work for nothing!"
Uncle You rolled his eyes at her. "I've told you many times, Zhang Yi is someone you can trust!"
Zhang Yi smiled without saying a word.
Back home, Zhang Yi took out a box of instant noodles from his spatial storage and placed it at the door, then notified Uncle You to come pick it up in ten minutes.
Once inside, Zhang Yi quickly took off his cold-weather gear.
"Clang!"
The frying pan inside his leather jacket fell to the ground with a loud noise.
Zhou Ke'er laughed as she picked up the frying pan. "There's probably not even a ghost outside. You're being overly cautious!"
Zhang Yi smiled faintly. "You won't need this thing anymore."
He had found something better.
A police-issued bulletproof vest, both snug and secure.
After returning to his warm home, Zhang Yi felt an even stronger sense of happiness.
When he went out, facing temperatures of over minus seventy degrees, even with cold-weather gear, it was still freezing.
Especially when riding a motorcycle, the cold was even more noticeable.
Zhang Yi took some food out from his spatial storage and placed it on the table.
Zhou Ke'er was also hungry after a whole day.
Before he left, Zhang Yi had taken all the food, so neither of them had anything to eat.
The two sat at the table and dug in.
Zhou Ke'er curiously asked, "What's it like outside now?"
Zhang Yi replied, "What else could it be like? The heavy snow has sealed off the city, and the lower floors of the buildings are completely covered."
"If this situation continues, even if the snow stops and the temperature returns to normal, it'll take at least half a month for the snow to melt."
Zhou Ke'er nodded. "But winter is coming, and the temperature will only drop further."
"This is not a problem for us."
Zhang Yi said, "What we need to deal with now is people."
"People in the apocalypse are far more terrifying than devils."
After they finished eating, Zhou Ke'er snuggled up to Zhang Yi, resting her head on his shoulder.
Zhang Yi glanced at her. "What are you doing?"
Zhou Ke'er's face flushed slightly. "To warm up!"
As she spoke, she pressed her own fatty layers against Zhang Yi.
Ever since Zhang Yi opened her eyes to certain things, she seemed to have awakened, and now she clung to him every day.
Fortunately, Zhang Yi was young, strong, and full of energy. If it were anyone else, they might not be able to keep up.
Zhang Yi chuckled and gave her a playful slap on the backside.
"I don't have time for you right now. Go take a shower and lie down in your room!"
Zhou Ke'er threw him a flirtatious glance and obediently went off to shower.
What made Zhang Yi put aside even beauty?
Of course, it was a man's shared passion!
Zhang Yi took out all the firearms he had collected today from his spatial storage.
He was somewhat familiar with firearms, having joined the Tianhai City shooting club before and often practicing at the shooting range.
The police firearms were naturally much better than the ones he had bought through the black market.
So Zhang Yi discarded the guns he had been using, replacing them with two police pistols, both fully loaded.
The holsters and tactical belts were ready and could be worn directly on his waist.
Then, Zhang Yi began to examine the rifles and the large sniper rifle he had obtained.
The shooting range in Tianhai City also had rifles, but no sniper rifles.
However, with modern networks, detailed information about various firearms was available online.
Zhang Yi took out his phone and quickly found the descriptions of these weapons.
"I didn't expect those servers to still be running. Large companies really have their ways!" Zhang Yi sighed.
Although many online companies had shut down in the apocalypse and many software services had ceased, a few large enterprises' servers were still operational.
Of course, this was likely done in cooperation with the government.
At least so far, humanity hadn't given up on rebuilding after the apocalypse, still preserving some remnants of civilization.
Zhang Yi didn't have time to lament. He studied the usage instructions for these weapons online.
Since Zhang Yi already had experience with firearms, he learned quickly.
He might not be a perfect shot, but at least he knew how to shoot and reload.
"At worst, I can use them to intimidate people, and that's enough."
The mere presence of firearms was the greatest deterrent.
Zhang Yi thought for a moment, then filled all the magazines and switched off the safety, placing the guns in his spatial storage.
That way, in case of an emergency, he could grab a gun and start shooting.
But as for the sniper rifle, he was a bit reluctant to part with it.
A gun is a man's romance, and men's love for guns is almost instinctual.
Zhang Yi raised the gun and used the scope to aim at the building across the street.
The building about fifty meters away was clearly visible, and even the lock on the window could be seen clearly.
"Let's find an opportunity to try out this gun. This is the ultimate tool for taking people out secretly!" Zhang Yi smiled, his lips curling into a grin.
He wasn't fond of direct confrontations.
Hiding in a corner and picking people off without them knowing where he was—that was the real thrill!