Chapter 16: Aunt Lin's Retaliation, Zhang Yi Fires Back

Chapter 16: Aunt Lin's Retaliation, Zhang Yi Fires BackZhang Yi yawned, sitting idly on his sofa.

While others were enduring hunger and freezing cold, he lived more comfortably than in paradise.

His home was equipped with the perfect insulation system and an endless fuel supply to keep his safe house at the most comfortable constant temperature all winter.

He had nothing more to do but ensure each day was filled with joy and contentment.

There was nothing interesting on TV at the moment. All live broadcasts had been halted due to the extreme cold.

After all, the beautiful anchors he usually enjoyed watching couldn't possibly endure temperatures of minus sixty or seventy degrees, or even over a hundred degrees below zero, to perform in skimpy outfits.

If anyone could, Zhang Yi would have to give them a thumbs-up and say, "What a trooper!"

When he opened his interdimensional space, he saw many electronic devices, including numerous gaming consoles and AAA video games.

He had stacks of PS5s, Switches, and Xboxes, all brand new and unopened.

As for game cartridges, there were tens of thousands.

Zhang Yi pulled out the latest PS5 and hooked it up to his 100-inch Sony TV, starting up a game.

He was playing the latest AAA action game, Bayonetta 3.

Nearby were games like Elden Ring, The Witcher 3, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

These were perfect for passing the time.

If he found the game durations too short, other games like Civilization and Cities: Skylines were notoriously time-consuming and could keep him entertained for days.

Without worrying about work or social obligations, this life was even better than before the apocalypse!

Since he was alone at home, Zhang Yi wore only pajamas, snacked while gaming, and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

After a while, his phone rang.

He glanced at it and saw that the annoying Aunt Lin from the community committee had tagged him in the group chat.

"Zhang Yi, the roads outside are blocked by snow. Come out with tools and help clear the snow!"

Her tone was imperious.

Zhang Yi noticed she was rallying everyone in the group to clear the snow, but few responded.

Unexpectedly, she had specifically targeted him.

Zhang Yi glanced at the heavy snow outside, which had nearly buried the entire first floor.

Three meters of snow was almost impossible to clear manually.

Moreover, Zhang Yi knew this snowstorm would last for at least three more months.

Going out to clear snow now was futile. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

He immediately refused, "It's so cold outside, you'd freeze just stepping out. We should wait until the snow stops to clear it."

Others in the group agreed with Zhang Yi.

"Yeah, it's minus seventy degrees outside. We'd get frostbite in no time."

"We're not living in the Northeast of China (Translator Notes: Northeast is the coldest region in China); we don't have proper cold-weather gear. How can we go out?"

Aunt Lin was furious.

"What kind of attitude is this? Clearing snow is for everyone's benefit, not just mine!"

"You young men should step up during a disaster and help the community instead of shirking responsibilities."

She directed her ire at Zhang Yi, who had led the opposition.

"Zhang Yi, as a community committee member, I order you to go out and clear the snow!"

"In these critical times, we must unite and follow the committee's instructions!"

"Anyone who opposes will be dealt with by the committee once the disaster ends!"

Aunt Lin played the community committee card, silencing the residents.

With the disaster just starting and social order still in place, no one dared to disobey.

Though the committee's power seemed insignificant, their authority impacted daily life, making residents hesitant to defy them.

Everyone remained silent, hoping Zhang Yi would confront Aunt Lin and speak up for them.

Zhang Yi understood their thoughts and felt a deep disdain for them.

However, he wasn't one to swallow his pride.

He decided to confront Aunt Lin openly.

Reviewing the chat history, he saw that Aunt Lin had tagged a few easy-going young people in the community.

She had avoided the troublesome ones or those with power and influence.

Zhang Yi sarcastically remarked, "Aunt Lin, you're right. Since it's for everyone's benefit, the community committee should lead by example in clearing the snow."

"And if we're talking about strength, plenty of strong young men are in the community. Why did you only tag a few of us?"

"Do you think we're easy targets? You didn't tag any of the people with social resources and background."

"What, are you too scared to confront them?"

The other residents nodded in agreement, satisfied with Zhang Yi's response.

"Zhang Yi is saying what we're all thinking!"

"Exactly, she always picks on the easy-going ones. Why not ask Chen Zhenghao and Xu Hao?"

Everyone knew who Zhang Yi was referring to.

Living in the same community, they were well aware of the influential figures among them.

For instance, Chen Zhenghao in unit 601 was a notorious local big shot, running earth-moving projects with hundreds of men under him.

Xu Hao, in unit 802, was the son of a famous real estate developer in Tianhai City, with family ties to officials.

Aunt Lin had deliberately avoided mentioning them because she didn't dare to provoke them, knowing they wouldn't give her the time of day.

Zhang Yi exposed Aunt Lin's cowardice, making her lose face.

She felt humiliated and, in her anger, flooded the chat with lengthy voice messages.

"Clearing snow is a public service for everyone's benefit. Some people are just petty and lack any sense of contribution!"

"Such individuals are a blight on our community!"

"If you don't want to help, fine. There are plenty of others with higher awareness than you."

"And I'm not playing favorites. I just didn't see the need to tag everyone. Get your facts straight!"

"If you continue to slander me, I'll report you!"

Aunt Lin's defense only made things worse.

Especially her threat to call the police made Zhang Yi laugh out loud.

Some residents, intimidated by Aunt Lin, reluctantly took their tools to clear the snow.

But Zhang Yi remained unafraid.

Not only were Aunt Lin's demands unreasonable, but the police wouldn't support her actions either.

Besides, did she really think all societal functions were still operating normally?