Zhou Peng, receiving no response, intensified his knocking on the door.
"Zhang Ye, Zhang Ye! It's Zhou Peng!"
"Could you please open the door? I have something important to discuss with you."
Zhang Ye sneered, retrieving his gun with a "click" as he released the safety.
Approaching the door, he inquired, "Who is it?"
Zhou Peng, hearing Zhang Ye's response, quickly signaled to Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining below.
Both women were tense, engaging in this murderous endeavor for the first time.
But the prospect of occupying Zhang Ye's warm and well-stocked house after eliminating him hardened their resolve.
Zhou Peng said, "Zhang Ye, it's Zhou Peng. Our food supplies are depleted, and as colleagues, can you spare us some?"
His expression pleaded, but his hand discreetly moved toward his hidden knife.
Leaning against the door, Zhang Ye nonchalantly replied, "We're out of food too. I can't help you with that."
Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining cursed inwardly. How could Zhang Ye be out of food?
There were boxes of delicacies like dried scallops, dried shrimp roe, and abalone in his kitchen, all genuine!
Nonetheless, they were prepared for such deception.
Gritting his teeth, Zhou Peng pulled out a box of medicine from his pocket.
"Zhang Ye, I won't take advantage of you for nothing! I'll trade you this box of ibuprofen."
In the bitter cold, many people suffered from colds and fevers.
In such circumstances, medicine could be life-saving, its value rivaling that of food.
To lure Zhang Ye into opening the door, Zhou Peng displayed his cherished ibuprofen.
Behind the door, Zhang Ye contemplated how to deal with them.
Kill them?
That would be easy. Whether with a gun or a crossbow, he could end their lives.
However, simply killing them seemed too dull.
In this apocalyptic world, death might be a relief, and survival an endless hell.
He wouldn't let these scoundrels off so easily.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Ye went to the trash can and retrieved a pulsating bottle.
Having just consumed several cans of beer, he felt the urge to urinate.
Facing the bottle, he opened the floodgates.
"Ibuprofen? Not bad. Let me think about it."
Pouring out urine, Zhang Ye lazily chatted with Zhou Peng.
Outside, the group heard a faint sound of liquid but remained unaware of Zhang Ye's actions.
Excitement appeared on their faces, sensing a plot twist.
Zhou Peng hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, open the door, and let's make the exchange. I don't ask for much, just two packs of instant noodles!"
At the current prices in the community, ibuprofen could easily fetch five packs of instant noodles!
Zhou Peng intentionally quoted a low price to entice Zhang Ye to open the door.
"Two packs of instant noodles? I'm afraid you're getting a bad deal. Let me be generous."
After finishing urinating, Zhang Ye replaced the urine bottle with a bottle of ice-cold red tea, brimming with white foam.
Thinking Zhang Ye was taking the bait, Zhou Peng leaned against the door.
"I'm starving now. Since we're colleagues, let's make it a good deal for you. Hurry, open the door!"
Using a stool, Zhang Ye climbed to the peephole on the door.
Then, facing the three outside, he poured the warm fresh iced tea down.
The group, unexpectedly drenched in liquid, was initially surprised.
"It's hot water! Still steaming!"
Feeling the warmth, they were pleased at first.
However, within a second, they caught a whiff of a pungent odor.
"This... this is urine!"
"Ah!"
Drenched in urine, the two women screamed like slaughtered pigs, immediately squatting and vomiting.
Furious, Zhou Peng pounded on the door.
"Zhang Ye, you %@&*! Get out here, I'll kill you!"
But the heavy alloy door didn't budge. Instead, Zhou Peng's hands throbbed in pain.
Inside, Zhang Ye laughed heartily.
"How's the smell of my urine? Good, huh?"
"A bunch of idiots trying to set me up. You think you're worthy?"
The group realized they had been discovered.
Furious, they cursed at Zhang Ye from outside.
Zhou Peng, enraged, shouted, "Damn, I shouldn't have talked to you! Just wait; I'll get in and kill you!"
No longer pretending, Zhou Peng pulled out a kitchen knife from his clothes and fiercely hacked at the door!
Regular doors were wooden and could be opened by breaking the lock.
However, Zhang Ye's door was a solid alloy, capable of withstanding RPG explosions!
Zhou Peng's knife struck the door like hitting steel.
The door remained unscathed, and the tremendous recoil sent the knife flying!
The knife barely missed Zhou Peng's head, leaving a long gash beside his ear.
Blood streamed from his injured hand.
A biological tidbit: human skin is more fragile in winter, and the sensation of pain is more intense.
Zhou Peng, shocked, narrowly escaped a fatal blow. Yet, the intense pain snapped him back to reality.
"Ah ah ah ah!"
Zhou Peng screamed in pain.
Witnessing this, the two women, overwhelmed by fear, abandoned Zhou Peng and fled.
Inside his room, Zhang Ye contemplated whether to go out and shoot them directly.
Even if he didn't kill them, injuring them would ensure a miserable existence in this icy apocalyptic world.
After some thought, he dismissed the idea.
Why?
Because outside were three mad dogs!
Although opening the door had a high chance of injuring them, there was also a fractional chance of being killed in retaliation.
Zhang Ye wasn't willing to gamble with his life.
That's right, he was the King of the Wily!
Enjoying his comfortable life, why bother taking unnecessary risks?
"No worries, I'll wait here and let them suffer. Let's see how long they last in this apocalyptic world!"
Zhang Ye, calm and composed, returned to the sofa and resumed his gaming.
Back in their home, Zhou Peng and Fang Yuqing were trembling on the sofa.
Zhou Peng, nearly losing his life a moment ago, was still trembling with fear.
Upon seeing the urine on Zhou Peng's body, Fang Yuqing screamed, "Ah! Get away! Who allowed you to sit on my sofa!"