Chapter 70: Intimidation

Chapter 70: IntimidationZhou Ke'er raised the baseball bat in her hand and, staring at the huge block of ice in front of her, gritted her teeth and decisively smashed it down!

Having studied medicine, she wasn't particularly squeamish about dealing with corpses.

"Crack!" The ice block shattered with a sound, sending a painful shock up her hand. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, dropping the baseball bat.

Frowning slightly, Zhou Ke'er rubbed her sore hand. "It's so hard!"

Without waiting for Zhang Yi to say anything, she went back inside and returned with a large iron hammer. "This is more useful!" she said with determination.

Zhang Yi remained silent for a moment, realizing he had underestimated this woman.

Zhou Ke'er raised the hammer and smashed it down hard. Since there wasn't too much water poured on the ice block, the ice layer wasn't overly thick. Her strength was considerable, and she managed to shatter a large piece.

Zhang Yi filmed the entire process with his phone.

After the first hammer blow, Zhou Ke'er became more daring, and the fear she initially felt dissipated.

With the sounds of cracking ice, the block shattered into several pieces.

At this point, the contents were unrecognizable—just a mess of colors—but Zhang Yi knew exactly what they were.

After finishing Zhang Yi's task, Zhou Ke'er climbed back over.

"What's the point of recording this?" she asked while changing clothes, curious.

A smirk played on Zhang Yi's lips as he sent the video to the building’s chat group.

Zhou Ke'er suddenly understood. "You want to intimidate them so they won't bother you again?"

Zhang Yi smiled faintly. "Not just that. I want to replace Chen Zhenghao in their minds."

The neighbors feared Chen Zhenghao far more than they did Zhang Yi. Chen Zhenghao had a gun and would kill them and take their supplies without hesitation. Even though Zhang Yi had killed many people, he was still seen as a guy hiding at home, relying on sneak attacks.

Zhang Yi wanted to take control, preparing for the day he might need to leave his house. He couldn’t guarantee he’d never need to go out.

Zhou Ke'er nodded, supporting Zhang Yi's approach.

Zhang Yi sat on the sofa to rest and check the group chat’s reactions.

Zhou Ke'er, obedient and close like a kitten, leaned beside him, watching the group chat with him.

They looked like a pair of lovers deeply in love.

Zhou Ke'er’s feelings for Zhang Yi were rooted in dependency and a woman's inherent admiration for strength. To Zhang Yi, she was more of a servant at this point. If feelings developed later, he wouldn't mind, but for now, she was just a useful companion.

The internet seemed to have worsened lately. It took a minute for the video to upload completely, likely due to the heavy snow affecting the surrounding base stations. Nevertheless, China’s infrastructure was world-class, so communication hadn't yet become impossible, though long-distance communication faced more interference.

Curious neighbors clicked on the video, and upon seeing the gruesome deaths of Chen Zhenghao and his men, many laughed madly, tears mingling with their laughter.

“Chen Zhenghao, that devil is finally dead!”

“Cui, you can rest in peace now!”

“Finally... he’s finally dead! We can go out again!”

“Good riddance, you bastard! Hahaha! Hahaha...”

The neighbors hated Chen Zhenghao deeply. If he hadn’t led the violent chaos, many people in the building wouldn't have died. Their family, friends, and loved ones were brutally killed by Chen Zhenghao and his gang, leaving them with an indescribable hatred.

Zhang Yi posted a message in the group chat:

“Chen Zhenghao is dead. I, Zhang Yi, killed him.”

Zhou Ke'er glanced at him with slight resentment, thinking, "Wasn't it me who did it?"

Zhang Yi continued, “From now on, this building is under my control.”

The neighbors suddenly remembered the video was posted by Zhang Yi and that Zhou Ke'er was seen helping him.

“Zhang Yi... did you kill Chen Zhenghao?”

“You’re amazing! Thank you for getting rid of that monster!”

“Zhang Yi, do you have any food? I’m starving. My son is dead, my daughter is dead. But I want to live!”

“Zhang Yi, there must be food in your house, right? Please give me some. I’ll do anything you want!”

The neighbors' reactions disappointed Zhang Yi. They seemed to beg more than they feared him.

He turned to Zhou Ke'er. “I killed Chen Zhenghao, but why aren’t they afraid of me?”

Without hesitation, Zhou Ke'er replied, “Because compared to Chen Zhenghao, you’re a good person!”

Zhang Yi laughed at the idea. “Me, a good person? Don’t flatter me.”

Zhou Ke'er seriously said, “To me, you are a good person. You’ve never killed anyone without reason.” Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“As for Chen Zhenghao, he deserved to die.”

Zhang Yi chuckled but said nothing. He didn’t think of himself as a good person, but at least he hadn’t lost his basic moral principles yet.

Then, someone sent a voice message.

“Zhang Yi, is Zhou Ke'er living with you? Why only her and not me?”

Seeing Zhou Ke'er in the video sparked a realization and jealousy among the neighbors. Many now saw a chance to gain Zhang Yi's favor.

“Zhang Yi, I can do anything Zhou Ke'er can do, and better! Please let me in, too!”

“Zhang Yi, I’ve liked you for a long time. Can you be my boyfriend?”

“Zhang Yi, even though I’m a man, I’ll do anything for you...”

Zhang Yi found their messages disturbing.

Zhou Ke'er was equally stunned and felt a sense of crisis. As a woman and a doctor, she knew she wasn’t irreplaceable.

She bit her lip, determined to show her value and cling to Zhang Yi.

The neighbors' jealousy and resentment towards Zhou Ke'er grew, and they all pleaded with Zhang Yi.

Especially Fang Yuqing, who was furious when she saw these messages.

Fang Yuqing: “Yi, are you with Zhou Ke'er now?”

Zhang Yi ignored her.

Fang Yuqing panicked. In her filthy room, she looked like a madwoman.

Sun Zhichao, Zhou Peng, and Ge Jialiang had been dead for days, but she still had hope.

She believed she would one day enter Zhang Yi's house and live a good life.

With trembling hands, she typed: “Zhang Yi, now that Chen Zhenghao is dead, can I come to your place?”

“Didn't you say we would be together? Didn't you promise to take care of me?”

“You said you’d keep me warm and happy. You promised!”

“You have to take me in! Don’t stay with other women; you’re mine!”

Zhang Yi didn’t expect Fang Yuqing to be alive.

He coldly replied, “Are you still alive?”

Fang Yuqing’s eyes lit up.

“Zhang Yi must have thought I was dead and let Zhou Ke'er in. Now that he knows I’m alive, he’ll choose me over her.”

Her lips trembled with excitement. “I’m fine, Zhang Yi. You liked me so much; you wouldn’t change your mind, right?”

“Don’t let Zhou Ke'er stay. Let me come. I love you the most! Kick her out!”

At that moment, the disheveled Wang Min and Lin Cainin noticed Fang Yuqing's excitement.

Realizing she was chatting with Zhang Yi, they rushed over, faces contorted with rage.

“Fang Yuqing, don’t think you can abandon us and live well alone!”

They fought over the phone, desperately sending messages to Zhang Yi.

Lin Cainin: “Zhang Yi, I’m better than Fang Yuqing. I can do anything she can and more. I won’t treat you as a backup.”

Wang Min: “Zhang Yi, I’m older, but that means I know how to care for you. Young girls don’t understand tenderness. Give me a chance!”

Zhang Yi found their messages amusing.

Zhou Ke'er, feeling even more insecure, clung tightly to Zhang Yi's arm, afraid he might leave.