Indeed, some individuals gradually began to discern the peculiarity of Zhang Yi. Beneath the icy apocalypse, everyone experienced hunger and cold. Even those who usually had provisions in their homes faced immense hardship. However, Zhang Yi, in contrast, lived comfortably with abundant food and warm clothing. He had even chosen to install a fireplace in the southern city of Tianhai. Combined with sturdy anti-theft doors, it was evident that he had prepared for such circumstances.
Hearing this, Zhou Peng sneered and bitterly remarked, "If that's the case, Zhang Yi is even more despicable! Clearly aware of the impending snow disaster, yet he only cared about himself, neglecting to notify the neighbors!"
He spat vehemently on the ground. Due to personal grievances with Zhang Yi, Zhou Peng never missed an opportunity to disparage him.
Wang Min and the others remained with furrowed brows, ignoring Zhou Peng. Prioritizing oneself and one's family over others' well-being was a sentiment they could understand.
"The question is, what should we do next? If forcing the door is not an option, is breaking it down directly viable?" Wang Min pondered, directing her gaze towards Zhou Peng, Sun Zhichao, and Ge Jialiang—three of the few men in their group and potential key players for forcibly breaking down the door.
After a secretive discussion, the three men left via the stairs. Zhang Yi, armed with a gun and a crossbow, watched them depart casually. Although he could have taken action, he remained unhurried, seeking to observe their tactics for potential encounters with more formidable adversaries in the future.
After a considerable time, the trio returned, carrying a large and thick piece of wood. It seemed to have been dismantled from a bed. Several women stood by with umbrellas to shield themselves from a potential cold water retaliation by Zhang Yi.
The three men wielded the wooden beam and rammed it into the door with a resounding "Duang!" The noise echoed, causing the entire building to tremble. However, Zhang Yi was unworried; a 20-centimeter thick steel plate would require a Hulk-like force to breach.
Zhou Peng, Sun Zhichao, and Ge Jialiang desperately slammed the door. Zhang Yi, sitting on the sofa, eyes fixed on their attempts, simultaneously monitored the house's changes through a mobile app.
He remained composed, ready to intervene if anything went awry. However, the men's relentless pounding failed to make the door budge. Besides a few white spots, there was no visible damage.
After five minutes, the group was utterly dumbfounded. "How... How thick is this door? Even a bank vault door isn't this robust!"
Sun Zhichao and his companions fell into despair, expressing their frustration and despair. It was the sound of reluctance and hopelessness.
Witnessing this through surveillance, Zhang Yi smiled faintly, reassured about the quality of his safe house.
"Alright, it's time to teach you a lesson."
Standing up, Zhang Yi pocketed his gun, opened an iron box containing twenty crossbow arrows. Oddly enough, they were all covered in rust, intentionally created by Zhang Yi. Any minor skin abrasion could pose a tetanus risk.
In this environment without medical assistance, it wouldn't be rapidly fatal, but the wound would fester and rot in extreme pain.
As for the people Zhang Yi targeted, they were as good as dead. The remaining six individuals soon fled, leaving Zhang Yi satisfied. He didn't mind; they were already as good as dead, facing excruciating pain.
As time was on Zhang Yi's side, he didn't rush to open the door for a finishing blow, even with a one in a million chance of injury.
"The issue lies in the consumption of crossbow arrows!" Zhang Yi frowned, contemplating long-term solutions. Initially purchasing 300 crossbow arrows and 300 bow arrows, he refrained from going outside to retrieve them after each use.
After pondering, Zhang Yi had a sudden realization. He opened his spatial storage and found numerous ball bearings, suitable for a crossbow. There were also decorative glass beads with respectable power when shot from a professional crossbow.
Even if the crossbow arrows ran out, there were numerous metal products that could be dismantled and repurposed.
Satisfied, Zhang Yi mused, "Relying on these things, I can live comfortably for a lifetime."
While Zhang Yi reveled in his comfort, the situation for some others turned dire. Seven individuals, led by Fang Yuqing, originally intended to seize Zhang Yi's house, but their attempt backfired. Not only did one person die, but three were also shot with crossbow arrows, prompting a hasty retreat.
They didn't dare retrieve Landao's body, leaving it abandoned in the snow.