After Zhang Yi finished speaking, the neighbors bowed their heads, contemplating the pros and cons.
Someone asked, "Zhang Yi, I understand why you and Zhou Ke'er don't need to take shifts, but why doesn't Uncle You need to either? He's clearly the best at fighting!"
Zhang Yi stared at him and said slowly, "Precisely because Uncle You is a crucial combat asset, he needs to conserve his strength and wait for key battles to deploy. Do you understand?"
Although this explanation seemed a bit far-fetched, no one dared to challenge Zhang Yi's words.
In reality, Zhang Yi's true intention was to ensure Uncle You's safety. The rest of them were on the front lines, responsible for repelling attacks from other floors – essentially cannon fodder or, more diplomatically put, expendable resources. Since Uncle You had excellent skills and a good-natured personality, he was the ideal subordinate in Zhang Yi's eyes, and thus he needed to be kept alive for future assistance.
With the arrangements in place, Zhang Yi instructed the neighbors to return to their own homes, keeping only those on duty near the fourth floor.
This location was a must-pass point for any attack on their unit. Whether it was tunneling from below or climbing in through the fourth-floor windows, defending this area would allow them to promptly detect any incoming enemies.
Once everyone else had gone upstairs, Zhang Yi led Zhou Ke'er back home. He wasn't about to leave his back exposed to those he didn't fully trust. At this point, there were no other bystanders around.
Xie Limei couldn't contain her curiosity any longer and asked, "Zhang Yi, did you forget about our food?"
Zhang Yi glanced at Xie Limei, a hint of icy amusement in his eyes. Uncle You quickly pulled at her arm, saying, "What are you saying?"
Xie Limei persisted, "Uncle You, you've been working the hardest, but you're not getting anything. This is just..."
Zhang Yi interjected, "The supplies I brought back aren't only this. What's given to others is of lower quality, I'm keeping the good stuff!"
"Uncle You, come to my place later."
Xie Limei's demeanor immediately changed, and she put on a smile. "I knew you wouldn't let him work for nothing!"
Uncle You gave her a side-eye. "I told you before, Zhang Yi is a trustworthy person."
Zhang Yi smiled and said nothing.
Once back home, Zhang Yi retrieved a box of instant noodles from his pocket dimension and placed it by the door. He then informed Uncle You to come pick it up in ten minutes.
In the room, Zhang Yi quickly shed his cold-resistant clothing with a clatter. The frying pan hidden within his jacket fell to the ground.
Zhou Ke'er laughed, picking up the frying pan. "It seems there's not even a ghost outside, you're really cautious!"
Zhang Yi chuckled, "I won't need this anymore."
He had found something better – a police-grade bulletproof vest that was both form-fitting and secure.
Back in the warmth of his home, Zhang Yi's sense of happiness grew even stronger. Facing temperatures of over seventy degrees below freezing outside, even with insulated clothing, the cold was still palpable. This was especially true when riding a motorcycle.
Zhang Yi retrieved some food from his pocket dimension and set it on the table. Zhou Ke'er was also hungry after a day without eating. The two sat at the table and enjoyed their meal.
Zhou Ke'er asked curiously, "What's it like outside now?"
Zhang Yi replied, "What else could it be like? The city is buried in heavy snow, and the lower-level buildings are completely covered."
"At this rate, even when the heavy snowfall stops and temperatures return to normal, the snow will take at least half a month to melt."
Zhou Ke'er nodded. "And with winter approaching, temperatures will only get lower."
"That's not a problem for us."
Zhang Yi explained, "Right now, we need to deal with people."
"People in this post-apocalyptic world are more terrifying than demons."
After finishing their meal, Zhou Ke'er leaned against Zhang Yi's side, hugging his shoulder.
Zhang Yi glanced at her. "What's the matter?"
With a slightly blushing face, Zhou Ke'er said, "I need some warmth!"
With that, she pressed her well-padded body against Zhang Yi.
Since their intimate experience, she seemed to have undergone a transformation, clinging to Zhang Yi every day.
Fortunately, Zhang Yi was young, energetic, and physically strong; otherwise, an average person might have struggled to handle her constant advances.
Zhang Yi laughed and patted her curvy rear. "I don't have time for this right now. Go take a shower and get back to bed!"
Zhou Ke'er gave him a flirtatious look before obediently heading for the shower.
What allowed Zhang Yi to dismiss even the allure of beauty? It was their shared interests, of course!
He retrieved the firearms he had gathered today from his pocket dimension. Having some knowledge of firearms from his time in a shooting club in the pre-apocalyptic world, Zhang Yi understood their usage to some extent.
Police-grade firearms outperformed those he had obtained on the black market. As a result, he retired his old weapons and equipped himself with two police pistols, fully loaded with ammunition. Holsters and gear were also readily available, ready to be worn on his waist.
He then examined the rifles he had acquired, including the sniper rifle. Although the local shooting range had various firearms, they lacked sniper rifles. Nevertheless, thanks to the internet, comprehensive information about firearms was available online.
Zhang Yi searched online and quickly found detailed information about these weapons. He marveled, "It's impressive that some internet servers are still operational. These major corporations truly have ways of maintaining their systems!"
Although many internet companies had collapsed in the post-apocalyptic world, a few large enterprises' servers continued to operate, often in collaboration with official efforts. Thus far, humanity hadn't completely abandoned the idea of rebuilding civilization after the apocalypse, preserving some seeds of culture.
Zhang Yi didn't dwell on these thoughts and instead focused on learning how to use the firearms. With his prior experience, he quickly grasped the basics, at least knowing how to handle and reload the weapons.
"At worst, these can still intimidate people, and that's enough."
The mere presence of firearms was a potent deterrent.
Zhang Yi decided to load the firearms with magazines and put them on standby with the safeties off in his pocket dimension. This way, he could retrieve them for quick use in emergencies.
However, he found himself particularly drawn to the sniper rifle.
Firearms were a romantic pursuit for many men – it was almost intrinsic. Zhang Yi raised the rifle and looked through the scope at a building across the way. The unit on the opposite side, about fifty meters from him, was visible through the window, with even the locks visible.
"I'll need to find an opportunity to test this rifle. It's truly a perfect tool for stealth."
A smile curled on Zhang Yi's lips.
Direct confrontations were not his preferred approach. Lurking in the shadows and taking enemies by surprise was far more satisfying.