Observing Zhang Yi's lingering wariness, Zhou Keh Er couldn't help but marvel inwardly, "No wonder he can live so carefreely in the midst of the apocalypse."
"Please be seated," gestured Zhang Yi towards the adjacent sofa, the gun already in his hand at some point. Obediently, Zhou Keh Er sat on the sofa, two meters away from Zhang Yi, with her hands clasped on her knees, resembling a well-behaved child.
"Listen, I allowed you to move in because you hold some value to me. However, always remember, this is my home, and your residence here is a gift from me. Therefore, you must obey all my commands. Otherwise, I will drive you out. If I detect any suspicious behavior from you, I won't hesitate to kill you!" sternly stated Zhang Yi.
Hearing Zhang Yi's indifferent words, Zhou Keh Er couldn't help but silently criticize, "Truly ruthless." Although she understood Zhang Yi's reasons for such statements, a gentler approach would have moved her to some extent.
Little did she know, Zhang Yi had been gentle before, but his gentleness had all been in vain. He pointed to a room, explaining, "You will stay in that room. However, be aware, the entire house is under surveillance. So, you must live under my constant watch, devoid of any privacy. The door is also a burglar-proof one, a bit thinner than the main door but impervious to manual opening. The key is in my possession, and you can only leave during the times I permit. If you have any objections," Zhang Yi pointed at the main door, "you can leave now."
Would Zhou Keh Er ever leave? Even if the conditions imposed by Zhang Yi were stringent, this house was a paradise compared to the cruel outside world. She nodded, "Alright, I will follow your instructions."
Zhou Keh Er's compliant attitude pleased Zhang Yi. Truly, a clever woman made communication convenient. If it were someone like Fang Yu Qing or Lin Cai Ning, those delicate fairies, they might have thrown a tantrum. Perhaps, it was just as well they perished in this apocalypse.
Zhang Yi holstered his gun, adjusting the position of another one. His tone softened as he looked at Zhou Keh Er, "You are quite clever. This will make our future interactions easier. You should understand what kind of purgatory exists outside. Apart from depending on me, you have no other way out."
"Now, I'll tell you a secret for the sake of ensuring your loyalty. However, if you divulge this secret, I'm not overly concerned. After all, in this world, everyone struggles for survival, and I'm not afraid of anyone posing a threat to me," he shrugged. "Those who wanted to kill me before have all met their end, as you've witnessed."
Zhou Keh Er nodded, earnestly looking at Zhang Yi, eager to hear the secret. Zhang Yi continued nonchalantly, "You've probably seen the cause of the recent snow disaster online. It resulted from the explosion of a supernova, leading to a gamma-ray burst."
"These rays can have certain effects on the human body, potentially causing mutations. Hence, I acquired a superpower – possession of an independent alternate space."
Disregarding Zhou Keh Er's astonished gaze, Zhang Yi went on, "The reason I've been able to live so comfortably is because my space stores a vast amount of supplies. Otherwise, relying solely on this house, as you can see, wouldn't sustain much. Therefore, I live, and you can enjoy these provisions by following me. That's how we have food to eat and hot water for bathing. If I die, this house will soon become indistinguishable from others, and you'll starve."
Zhang Yi didn't fully trust Zhou Keh Er, even though he knew she was a kind person. He only believed in interests, not in humanity. Because humanity could be distorted with minimal effort. Only by telling Zhou Keh Er that his survival ensured hers could she become entirely part of his vested interests.
To foster trust, Zhang Yi conjured a long sandwich from his alternate space and tossed it to Zhou Keh Er. Seeing the magical feat, Zhou Keh Er finally showed a glimmer of trust in her surprised gaze.
"Superpowers? Do they truly exist?" Staring at the sandwich in her hands, she swallowed saliva, not daring to take a bite, awaiting Zhang Yi's command. Such a large sandwich would be enough for two families to struggle over outside, and she hadn't eaten for two days!
"Because I am a doctor," she replied, holding back her excitement.
Zhang Yi nodded slightly, "That's one reason. Although my body is healthy, one must always guard against unforeseen circumstances."
He retrieved a half-empty bottle of red wine from beneath the coffee table and produced two tall glasses with a bit of magic. Pouring wine into both glasses, he pushed one towards Zhou Keh Er.
"And the second reason, do you know why?" Zhou Keh Er took the glass, hesitated for a moment, then took a sip, a hint of understanding appearing in her eyes.
In this world, there was never a free lunch.
"Because I am a woman, and a very beautiful one at that." This woman had a keen self-awareness. Zhou Keh Er put down the glass, stood up, and, in front of Zhang Yi, untied her bathrobe.
Zhang Yi, not pretending to be a saint, had accumulated much negative energy over the past half-month and needed a way to release it. So, today was settled.