Zhang Yi, feeling exhilarated, observed the entire neighborhood through the sniper rifle's scope.
It was nighttime, and since the other residents had no electricity, the building was pitch black inside.
However, thanks to the reflection of the snow, the outside remained a vast expanse of white, and he could still make out some of the scenery.
Suddenly, Zhang Yi's gaze sharpened.
When he looked toward the garage nearby, two small black dots appeared in his line of sight, moving.
"Garage... people. Looks like they're heading for my snowmobile!" Zhang Yi smirked coldly.
Earlier in the day, when he had returned, he pretended to park the snowmobile in the garage.
Sure enough, someone was sneaking around at night.
But unfortunately for them, their efforts would be in vain.
A little while later, Uncle You arrived.
Upon seeing the entire box of unopened instant noodles at the door, his eyes became misty with emotion.
"I didn't expect them to be White Elephant brand. Zhang Yi, you're really too considerate!"
This box of noodles, if rationed properly, would last the three of them a week.
Uncle You was deeply touched when he thought about how Zhang Yi didn't have much food left himself but still gave him so much.
At Zhang Yi's house, instant noodles weren't plentiful, with only a little over 20,000 boxes in storage. And even now, he hadn't eaten a single packet—after all, with chefs preparing gourmet meals, who would eat such things?
Uncle You picked up the noodles and knocked on the door, saying, "Zhang Yi, I've taken the noodles. Thank you!"
Zhang Yi put down his sniper rifle and walked to the door. "No need to be polite with me, Uncle You!"
He didn't care what happened to anyone else, but he was determined to protect Uncle You and make sure he had enough food to eat.
Only then could Uncle You serve as his ace fighter and human shield.
It wasn't that Zhang Yi was heartless—unless absolutely necessary, he would never let Uncle You die for him.
Uncle You scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.
"Don't take what Xie Limei said earlier to heart. She can be a bit talkative."
Zhang Yi lowered his eyes and smiled faintly.
"Hey, why would I argue with a woman? I'm not that petty!"
"But Uncle You, are you really going to raise someone else's child?"
His tone carried a hint of probing.
Zhang Yi didn't like Xie Limei, but he didn't want to sour his relationship with Uncle You either.
So, he dropped a little seed of doubt.
Uncle You laughed. "Hey, in these times, it's already rare to find a woman like that."
Zhang Yi nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Actually, Sister Xie is a good woman. She's pretty, and she can have children."
"I don't mean anything by it, just that Uncle You, you might be underestimating yourself."
"In these times, a strong man like you, who's good at fighting, is in high demand!"
He chuckled. "Joking aside, now you could probably even get a celebrity as a wife!"
Uncle You was pleased by the compliment. "Do you really think so?"
Zhang Yi replied, "Haven't you seen the situation right now? Those pretty boys who sing, dance, or rap are useless; they can't even feed themselves."
"It's still men like us who can give women a sense of security."
Zhang Yi paused for a moment before changing the subject.
"By the way, Sister Xie really isn't bad. If you both try hard, maybe she can give you a child someday!"
"After all, as men, we need our own children. Raising someone else's child... well, it's a bit... hehe."
Uncle You felt a bit uncomfortable inside.
Zhang Yi's words reminded him of some things he'd been suppressing.
He did like Xie Limei—she had a great figure and was skilled, able to satisfy his needs as an old bachelor.
But that child of hers was less than a year old, and in these times, that was a burden.
Taking care of her, he was often woken up in the middle of the night, his rest disturbed.
If it were his own child, that would be different, but it was someone else's.
People are selfish.
Uncle You had long harbored dissatisfaction but had kept it to himself. Moreover, Xie Limei kept telling him to treat the child like his own daughter, and that when she grew up, she would repay him.
Over time, Uncle You really had just been quietly helping her raise the child.
It was Zhang Yi's words that had opened his eyes and made him rethink things.
"Haha, having a child? I can't think about that right now. Maybe when things settle down later."
Uncle You forced a smile, suppressing his discomfort.
"Right, right. Haha, I was just joking. Don't take it to heart, Uncle You!"
"I respect you and Sister Xie a lot, and I sincerely hope you both find happiness."
Uncle You nodded. "Alright, I'll head back now. If anything happens, just contact me anytime!"
After Uncle You left, Zhang Yi reloaded the sniper rifle's magazine and returned it to the storage space.
The rifles and sniper rifle would serve as his secret weapons.
After a while, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped.
Zhou Ke'er emerged, wrapped in a pink bath towel, her skin as white as milk.
Her long, well-toned legs had an elegant curve, gleaming under the light.
Zhang Yi, lying on the sofa, lazily said, "I'm a bit tired today. You take the lead."
Zhou Ke'er hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Zhang Yi on the couch, knelt down in front of him.
...
Later that night.
The Tianhe Gang, having lost four members, launched another attack on building 25#.
After their recent successes, they completely underestimated the people in building 25#, except for Zhang Yi.
But this time, they unexpectedly met resistance.
The leader of the group was Huang Wei, the nephew of Huang Tianfang, who was skilled at night raids.
Around 2 AM, he and eight others sneaked into building 25#.
However, as soon as they reached the stairs, bricks were thrown down from above.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!!!"
The guards on duty had noticed the enemy and immediately retaliated with anything they could find.
Armed with kitchen knives, clubs, and other makeshift weapons, they blocked the Tianhe Gang from above and threw stones, bricks, and any heavy objects they could find to delay them.
While fighting back, they knocked on the stairs and windows, making noise to alert the neighbors.
Soon, the whole building was awake.
Huang Wei and his team were eager for revenge, and with resources in short supply, they opted for a strong attack.
However, their numbers were too few, and despite their fighting prowess, they couldn't match so many opponents.
Moreover, due to Zhang Yi's bounty, one life was worth five people's rations!
The neighbors, fueled by adrenaline, eagerly fought for the opportunity to kill!
The fight lasted only a few minutes, with everyone going for lethal blows. The scene left three dead bodies.
Seeing the situation go awry, Huang Wei shouted, "Retreat, retreat!!"
As they fled, the neighbors of building 25# cheered and chased after them.
One slow-moving worker, who hadn't managed to climb out of the window in time, had his buttocks slashed by a kitchen knife, with the blade sinking in halfway!
He cried out in pain, struggling to crawl out.
Once they were out, the neighbors didn't dare to pursue any further. After all, it was late, and no one knew what the situation was like outside.
However, Zhang Yi was woken up by the commotion.
He stepped onto the balcony and watched the fleeing members of the Tianhe Gang, suddenly struck with an idea.
"At this distance, could I use the sniper rifle to take them down?"