Zhang Yi said to Uncle You, "You don't need to do anything special. Tomorrow, the negotiation will be on our turf."
"At that time, people from the other 29 buildings may send representatives over. So, I need someone to maintain order at the scene."
"I want you to lead a team to do this."
Uncle You nodded, "That's easy. If they come, we can start by frisking them and make them throw away their weapons."
Zhang Yi said, "Exactly. I'll talk to the other neighbors."
Uncle You said, "Okay, it's settled."
After confirming with Uncle You, Zhang Yi opened the large group for the owners.
At this moment, the owners were still begging Zhang Yi, pleading with him not to abandon them.
They hoped Zhang Yi would continue to provide them with food as he had in the past.
Zhang Yi was too lazy to waste time talking with them.
He directly said in the group, "Tomorrow, representatives from the other 29 buildings will come to force me into a decision about whether or not to provide them with supplies."
"If that's the case, I'll have no choice but to give up on you. Anyway, you all know, I can still take care of myself."
"Or, you can follow my orders and stand guard tomorrow. Maybe we can still preserve a chance for survival. Of course, I'll also try my best to get you more supplies."
Hearing Zhang Yi's words, the neighbors immediately became nervous.
They no longer dared to object.
They quickly agreed, saying they would obey Zhang Yi's orders.
After all, right now, more than half of the combat power in building 25 came from Zhang Yi.
Without his protection, they would be wiped out by the Tianhe Gang or the Crazy Wolves Gang at any time.
After finalizing the plan, Zhang Yi patted Zhou Ke'er on the back of her hand.
"Rest early tonight! Tomorrow, there's something very important to do!"
Zhou Ke'er bit her lip, leaned close to his ear, and shyly said, "In that case, should I accompany you to relax tonight?"
Zhang Yi laughed, "I need to conserve my energy. Let's simplify things."
Zhou Ke'er nodded, skillfully approaching Zhang Yi, and lowered her head.
...
Since there were things to do, Zhang Yi woke up around 7 a.m. the next morning.
He glanced at the Rolex on his wrist; it was very early, and he was no longer sleepy.
Zhang Yi turned over, sat up from the bed, and began preparing the equipment for the negotiation.
Bulletproof vest, modified bulletproof pants, police helmet, crowbar, and mountain knife.
In the outer pockets of the pants, he inserted two military daggers.
If the situation turned into close combat, these could work wonders, better than the mountain knife.
Next, he prepared two police pistols, both fully loaded with bullets.
He also packed six magazines, all inserted into his waist.
But that wasn't enough.
Zhang Yi took two assault rifles from his storage, also fully loaded with bullets.
If they were in a room, pulling these out could quickly take down a large number of people.
No one would expect Zhang Yi to suddenly pull out assault rifles.
Then, there was his beloved sniper rifle.
With these basic weapons ready, Zhang Yi's equipment was complete.
Zhang Yi then glanced at dozens of boxes of hand grenades in his storage.
"If they all arrive and gather in one room, I just need to throw a grenade. Even if they don't die, they'll be crippled."
A cold smile appeared on Zhang Yi's lips.
He learned how to use grenades online.
This type of medium-to-short-range AOE weapon was simple to use, as long as he knew how to open it and when it would explode.
Zhang Yi had never used one before, but after surviving for so long in the apocalypse and killing dozens of people, his mindset had long become as solid as iron.
So, he could overcome any fear of firearms, at least not worry about his hand shaking when throwing a grenade.
"Next, let's wait for the fish to bite!"
A trace of anticipation flashed in Zhang Yi's cold eyes.
...
By noon, Zhang Yi, fully geared up, walked downstairs and ordered everyone in the group to gather on the 13th floor.
One of the apartments on the 13th floor had an open-plan one-bedroom layout, which was relatively large and convenient for gathering many people.
Moreover, at this height, they could avoid being attacked by people throwing stones from below.
Even if fighting broke out below, Zhang Yi would have enough time to return to his safe house.
It was very secure.
The neighbors, fearing for the food Zhang Yi held, naturally didn't dare to voice any objections and all arrived there.
Zhang Yi glanced at them, said nothing, and then picked up two black luggage bags from the ground and tossed them in front of them with a "bang."
"This is the food for today. Take it and divide it among yourselves!"
Yesterday, he had actually collected food but hadn't distributed it to these neighbors.
The neighbors, having gone a day without food, were ecstatic when they saw what Zhang Yi brought and rushed to grab it.
It was like a pack of wild dogs fighting for food.
Zhang Yi didn't say anything and quietly watched them devour the food.
There might be a tough battle ahead today, and if that's the case, these cannon fodder might not survive.
Don't get it wrong, Zhang Yi wasn't being kind by letting them eat a full meal before they die.
It was just that only after they were well-fed would they have the strength to fight for him.
Once these people finished gobbling up the food, Zhang Yi finally spoke and gave out instructions.
"Today, there's nothing special, just a negotiation with the other building leaders."
"We will adopt a peaceful approach, and there's a high chance there won't be any bloodshed. Therefore, all you need to do is stand your posts and maintain order."
"As long as the negotiation succeeds, we can all be rid of the days of fear and lead a normal life."
"So, everyone, stay alert today. Don't let anyone ruin this negotiation. Do you understand?"
Zhang Yi painted a big picture.
A normal life.
As soon as those words were spoken, none of the neighbors could hold back their tears from excitement.
Some covered their mouths, crouching down and crying on the floor.
In nearly a month, from living in a harmonious society to facing the apocalypse, they had endured too much pain.
They had even done many inhumane things.
Sometimes, they were so dazed they didn't even know if they were alive or dead.
Only in their dreams could they imagine living in the past instead of this tragic world.
One neighbor asked incredulously, "Zhang Yi, is what you said true? Can we... can we return to the past?"
"Yes!"
Zhang Yi nodded with certainty, his eyes without a hint of hesitation.
"As long as the negotiation ends successfully and we solve the food problem, there will be no more bloodshed in the future."
"So, everyone, for a brighter future, please give it your all today!"