The neighbors, now full from the food, were feeling grateful towards Zhang Yi, thanks to Stockholm Syndrome.
When Zhang Yi mentioned that they could return to normal lives and no longer had to live in constant fear, their morale was instantly boosted!
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it!" one of them exclaimed.
"I can't stand this life for another day. As long as we can live normally, I'd be willing to risk my life!" another said.
Seeing that the morale was high, Zhang Yi slowly stood up from his chair.
"Alright, next, I'll assign everyone their tasks!"
They were about to face the tough people from the other 29 buildings in the community. They had to be fully prepared to ensure Zhang Yi's safety—everyone else could die, but they had to buy enough time for Zhang Yi to get back to the safe house.
Apart from Zhang Yi and Uncle You, there were 28 other people available in the unit.
Zhang Yi assigned Li Chengbin and Jiang Lei to lead eighteen people to guard the entrance on the fourth floor.
The entrance to the fourth floor was rigged with traps, leaving only a narrow path for entry. The surrounding area was filled with various electrical appliances and equipment.
Anyone who attempted to enter would have to come through the narrow passage, making them easy targets.
In other words, no matter how many people came, they could only come one by one, which was essentially a death sentence for them.
A direct attack would require a large number of people to move all the junk blocking the windows, which would take a lot of time.
So, even if the people from the other 29 buildings decided to launch an attack during the negotiation, Zhang Yi could use that time to eliminate everyone on the spot and leave calmly.
On the other hand, Uncle You led ten people to maintain order on the 13th floor.
Zhang Yi didn't leave many people behind; they were mainly there for show.
After all, even if the other side brought 29 people, in this spacious area, Zhang Yi could take them all out.
Everything was going according to plan.
Once everything was arranged, Zhang Yi waited for the others to arrive.
The scheduled time was 2:30 PM.
However, everyone was feeling anxious, so after 2:00 PM, people began to emerge from other buildings, one after another.
It was like a colony of ants suddenly pouring out of their nests.
On the white ground, the black figures grew more and more numerous.
The wind and snow continued to blow. The snow was lighter than usual, but the wind seemed even stronger. The howling north wind swept through, cutting through the buildings, making a sharp, shrill sound.
Zhang Yi sat by the window on the 7th floor, observing the scene below.
There were so many people!
They were pouring in from all directions, and at first glance, there were at least five or six hundred of them. This number was still increasing!
The middle area of the community was filled with people, and there was hardly any open space left.
"Trying to play tricks, huh?" Zhang Yi sneered as he took out his phone and sent a message in the building leader group.
"Tell everyone to get lost, or else none of you will be coming here today."
After sending the message, he put his phone away and retrieved his sniper rifle from space, placing it under his feet and covering it with the table.
Then, he shouted outside, "Uncle You!"
Uncle You, holding a large crowbar, walked in. "Zhang Yi, what's the plan?"
Zhang Yi said, "There are too many people coming. I'm afraid those guys won't be able to control the situation. You go take care of it! Don't worry, I'll provide fire support from here."
Uncle You glanced out the window, his pupils shrinking sharply.
But he nodded firmly. "Alright, I'll handle it!"
After Zhang Yi sent the message, the footsteps of the crowd didn't stop.
However, they did stop five meters outside Building 25.
A sea of black figures gathered, everyone wearing thick clothes, hats, and scarves covering their faces.
The entire area in front of Building 25 was completely surrounded, and even the light on the fourth floor grew dim.
Li Chengbin, Jiang Zhe, and the others felt their backs go cold as they saw the sheer number of people.
If they charged in, even with the advantage of the location, they would only be able to delay them for a while.
In a real fight, they would be dead for sure!
"How do we block so many people?"
"Weren't we supposed to be negotiating? This doesn't look like a negotiation!"
"They're clearly here to wipe us out!"
The neighbors stationed on the fourth floor felt a chill in their hearts, unsure of how to respond.
At that moment, a calm voice came from the stairs.
"Why panic! If they wanted to fight, they would have charged in already."
Uncle You calmly walked down with the crowbar.
Seeing Uncle You, everyone felt a bit more at ease. After all, they had witnessed his formidable combat abilities.
Li Chengbin furrowed his brow. "Uncle You, there are so many of them! They're not just from one building, are they? How do we fight?"
The others were equally scared, casting pleading looks at Uncle You.
Uncle You reassured them, "You don't need to worry. Their goal isn't you; it's to force Zhang Yi to give in during the negotiation."
"Besides, what do you have that they want? You really think they came here for you?"
Once Uncle You explained the situation, the tension among the group eased considerably.
They realized they had nothing of value to worry about. The target was Zhang Yi, not them.
For the first time, they were thankful for their own insignificance.
At that moment, the crowd suddenly shifted.
Paths opened up in the crowd, and five people, surrounded by their followers, walked out.
These five people were Huang Tianfang from the 26th floor Tianhe Gang, Wang Qiang from the 21st floor Kuanglang Gang, Li Jian from the 18th floor Harmonious Home, Chen Yuling, the building leader from the 9th floor, and Zhang Yinian, the building leader from the 5th floor.
They walked up to the entrance of Building 25, their faces filled with confident smiles.
Especially Wang Qiang, the 22-year-old street thug, who wore an expression of arrogance.
Behind them was an army of over a thousand people, filling him with boundless pride.
He now viewed Zhang Yi as a trivial figure.
They were confident that the negotiation today would end in their favor!
Wang Qiang sneered, "Did you see them? Just seeing our numbers probably scared them out of their wits."
Huang Tianfang, with his thin, yellowed face, couldn't hide his smug smile.
"Zhang Yi must be changing his pants by now. He won't dare refuse any of our conditions!"
A thousand people versus thirty—they couldn't see any way they could lose!
In their eyes, Zhang Yi had no choice but to comply with their demands.
Li Jian adjusted his glasses, his expression humble, but his eyes carried a certain arrogance and confidence.
Organizing an army of over a thousand people was something they could never have dreamed of in the past.
Now, they felt like generals commanding an army of thousands.
Chen Yuling crossed her arms, her face full of arrogance as she said, "Why are we standing here? It's cold outside. Let's go inside and talk to Zhang Yi. We'll let him accept the conditions we agreed on yesterday."