Zhang Yi held the sniper rifle with excitement, observing the entire neighborhood through the scope.
Since it was nighttime, most other homes were without electricity, leaving the apartment building enveloped in darkness.
However, aided by the reflection from the snowy ground, the outside still appeared as a vast expanse of white, allowing some faint outlines to be discerned.
Suddenly, Zhang Yi's gaze sharpened. As he looked toward the nearby garage, he noticed two small black dots moving in his line of sight.
"Garage, people. Looks like they're heading for my snowmobile!" Zhang Yi's lips curled into a mocking smile.
Earlier that day, he had discreetly parked his snowmobile in the garage.
As expected, someone had attempted to sneak over during the night.
Unfortunately for them, their efforts were in vain.
After a while, Uncle You arrived.
Seeing an entire box of unopened instant noodles at the doorstep, his eyes welled up with excitement.
"I never expected these to be from Bai Xiang, Zhang Yi, you're really something!"
This box of instant noodles could last the three of them for a whole week if rationed carefully.
Considering Zhang Yi didn't have an abundance of supplies at home either, Uncle You couldn't help but feel deeply moved by this gesture.
In Zhang Yi's house, this kind of instant noodles was not in excess, with only slightly over twenty thousand boxes stored in the warehouse.
Moreover, he hadn't even eaten a single packet until now, given the variety of gourmet dishes prepared by hotel chefs in his home. Who would bother with such fare!
Uncle You picked up the instant noodles, knocked on the door, and said, "Zhang Yi, I'm taking these instant noodles. Thank you!"
Setting down the sniper rifle he held in his hands, Zhang Yi walked over to the door and replied, "Uncle You, why be so polite with me?"
Others might not matter much, but Uncle You was someone he needed to keep well-fed and safe.
Only by doing so could Uncle You continue to be his top enforcer and even serve as a human shield if necessary.
It wasn't heartlessness on Zhang Yi's part. Only when absolutely necessary would he let Uncle You risk his life for him.
Well, unless absolutely necessary.
Uncle You scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
"About what Xie Limei said to you during the day, don't take it to heart, alright? She's a bit of a chatterbox."
Zhang Yi lowered his gaze, faintly smiling.
"Hey, do you really intend to raise someone else's child, Uncle You?"
There was a hint of probing in Zhang Yi's tone.
He didn't particularly like Xie Limei, but he also didn't want to sour his relationship with Uncle You.
Thus, sowing discord had to be done gradually.
Uncle You laughed, "Hey, in this day and age, what else can I say? Finding a woman like her is already quite the feat."
Zhang Yi nodded, "Well, you're right. Actually, Sister Xie is a good woman, decent looks too, and she can bear children."
"I don't mean anything else, I just think you underestimate yourself, Uncle You."
"In this day and age, a strong and capable man like you, especially one skilled in fighting, is in high demand!"
"Joking aside, you could probably even aim for a female celebrity these days!"
Uncle You was quite pleased by the praise. "Am I really that great?"
Zhang Yi said, "Haven't you noticed the current situation? Those sing, dance, and rap pretty boys are useless. They can't even support themselves."
"Men like us can provide women with a sense of security."
Speaking up to this point, Zhang Yi changed the subject.
"But then again, let me switch gears. Sister Xie is actually not bad at all. You two should work hard and have her bear you a child too!"
"After all, a man needs his own child. Raising someone else's kid is, well... a bit complicated, haha."
Uncle You felt a bit awkward deep down.
Zhang Yi's words stirred up some thoughts within him.
He did like Xie Limei; she had a curvaceous figure and exceptional skills, enough to satisfy an old bachelor like him.
However, that child was less than a year old, and in these times, it was burdensome.
Taking care of her often woke Uncle You up in the middle of the night, depriving him of proper rest.
If the child were his own, it would be a different story, but the fact that it belonged to someone else was the key issue.
People were inherently selfish.
Uncle You had been harboring these feelings for a while, but he suppressed them, not delving too deep into them.
Coupled with Xie Limei's constant brainwashing, saying things like treating the child as if she were his own daughter, and that she would be filial to him when she grew up.
Over time, Uncle You ended up sincerely raising the child.
Zhang Yi's words served as a wake-up call, giving him a slightly different perspective.
"Haha, considering children and such, it's not something I dare to think about right now. Let's talk about it when things settle down!"
Uncle You held back the odd feeling in his heart, laughing as he spoke.
"Right, right, you're absolutely right. Haha, I was just speaking casually, Uncle You, don't take it to heart!"
"I have great respect for you and Sister Xie. I sincerely hope that you both find happiness."
Uncle You nodded, "Then I'll head back for now. Feel free to contact me if you need anything!"
After Uncle You left, Zhang Yi reloaded the sniper rifle's magazine and stored it back in the otherworldly space.
These rifles and sniper rifles would become his secret weapons.
After a while, the sound of running water from the bathroom ceased.
Zhou Ke'er emerged, wrapped in a towel. Underneath the pink towel was her milk-white skin.
Her well-toned, graceful legs exhibited elegant lines, radiating a captivating luster in the light.
Lying on the sofa, Zhang Yi lazily said, "I'm a bit tired today. You take the lead."
Zhou Ke'er looked at Zhang Yi on the sofa, her expression somewhat hesitant.
He had been out running around all day and was bound to be sweaty, not having taken a shower.
However, she didn't voice any objections. Instead, she obediently came over and knelt on the floor in front of him.
...
That night.
The Tianhe Gang, having lost four members, launched another attack on Building 25.
In the past few days, their successive successes had caused them to disregard anyone in Building 25 except Zhang Yi.
However, this time, they unexpectedly encountered resistance.
Leading the charge was Huang Tianfang's nephew, Huang Wei. Taking advantage of the cover of night was his specialty.
Around two in the morning, he and eight others infiltrated Building 25 under the cover of darkness.
But as soon as they reached the stairs, bricks were hurled down from above.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The guards on duty noticed the intruders and immediately fought back using whatever they had on hand.
Armed with kitchen knives, clubs, and various makeshift weapons, they held the high ground to repel the Tianhe Gang.
They also threw whatever stones, bricks, or heavy objects they could find, using them to buy time.
While resisting, they also pounded on the stairs and windows, creating noise to alert the neighbors.
Soon, the commotion roused the entire building's residents.
Driven by a desire for revenge and the scarcity of supplies, Huang Wei and his group decided to launch a direct assault.
However, their numbers were too few, and despite their formidable combat skills, they were outnumbered.
Moreover, due to Zhang Yi's reward, each of their lives was worth five people's rations!
The neighbors were spurred on, like they had been injected with chicken blood, rushing to grab their heads!
The battle lasted just a few minutes, and even though all sides fought viciously, three bodies remained at the scene.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Huang Wei and his group quickly yelled, "Retreat, run, run!!"
They fled, and the neighbors of Building 25 were ecstatic, shouting and chasing after them.
A worker who was slower got caught while trying to climb out of a window and had a kitchen knife slash into his buttocks, the blade plunging nearly halfway in!
He let out a miserable cry and struggled to crawl out with his injured buttocks.
After they left, the neighbors didn't dare pursue too far. After all, it was the dead of night, and they had no idea what was happening outside.
However, at this point, Zhang Yi had been awakened by the noise.
He stepped onto the balcony and looked down at the fleeing members of the Tianhe Gang. A sudden thought crossed his mind.
"From this distance, can I shoot them dead with a sniper rifle?"