Chapter 112: Deployment of Troops

Chapter 112: Deployment of TroopsZhang Yi spoke to Uncle You, "You don’t need to do anything special. The negotiations tomorrow will be on our turf."

"The representatives from the other 29 buildings might come. I need someone to maintain order."

"I want you to lead this task."

Uncle You nodded. "That’s easy. When they arrive, we’ll search them and make them discard any weapons."

"Exactly," Zhang Yi replied. "I’ll inform the other neighbors."

Uncle You agreed. "Alright, that’s settled then." Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴøᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

After confirming with Uncle You, Zhang Yi opened the group chat for the residents of Building 25.

The residents were still begging Zhang Yi not to abandon them, hoping he would continue providing food as he had before.

Zhang Yi was done with their pleas. He typed, "Tomorrow, representatives from the other 29 buildings will come to pressure me. They want me to decide whether or not to provide them with resources."

"If that happens, I might have to abandon you. You know I can protect myself just fine."

"Or you can follow my orders, stand guard tomorrow, and perhaps we can survive. I’ll try my best to secure resources for you."

Hearing this, the neighbors grew anxious.

No one dared to object. They all agreed, promising to follow Zhang Yi's orders.

After all, most of Building 25's combat power came from Zhang Yi. Without his protection, they could be wiped out by the Tianhe Gang or the Wolf Gang at any time.

After making his plans, Zhang Yi patted Zhou Ke'er's hand.

"Rest early tonight! Tomorrow is a big day."

Zhou Ke'er bit her lip and whispered in his ear, "In that case, should I help you relax tonight?"

Zhang Yi smiled, "I need to conserve my strength. Let’s keep it simple."

Zhou Ke'er nodded and positioned herself in front of Zhang Yi.

...

The next morning, Zhang Yi woke up at seven. Glancing at his Rolex, he saw it was still early but couldn’t fall back asleep. He got out of bed and began preparing his gear for the negotiations.

He equipped himself with a bulletproof vest, modified bulletproof pants, a police helmet, a crowbar, and a machete. He also placed two military knives in his pants pockets for close combat, which were more practical than the machete.

He strapped on two fully loaded police handguns and six additional magazines on his waist. Then, he retrieved two assault rifles from his alternate space, each fully loaded. He planned to use these to quickly take out a large number of people if necessary.

Finally, he equipped his beloved sniper rifle.

Surveying his arsenal, Zhang Yi’s gaze fell on the boxes of grenades in his alternate space. "If they all gather in one room, I could just throw a grenade and cripple them, if not kill them outright."

A cold smile played on Zhang Yi's lips.

He had learned how to use grenades from online tutorials. This weapon, with its mid-range area of effect, was simple to use. He had never used one before, but after surviving so long in the apocalypse and killing dozens, his resolve was as hard as steel.

"Next, we just need to wait for the fish to take the bait!"

Zhang Yi’s cold eyes gleamed with anticipation.

...

By twelve noon, Zhang Yi was fully armed and went downstairs, instructing everyone to gather on the seventh floor.

Apartment 1301 was a spacious one-bedroom unit, ideal for hosting many people. Its height made it safe from attacks from below, and even if a fight broke out downstairs, Zhang Yi could quickly return to his safe house. It was very secure.

The neighbors, desperate for Zhang Yi’s food, complied without objection and gathered in the unit. Zhang Yi glanced at them without a word, then threw two black duffel bags on the floor. "This is today’s food. Distribute it."

In reality, Zhang Yi had collected food yesterday but had withheld it. After a day without food, the neighbors lunged at the bags, ravenous.

Zhang Yi watched them devour the food without saying a word. Today might involve a fierce battle, and these cannon fodder might not survive. He wasn’t being kind by feeding them one last meal; he needed them to be strong enough to fight for him.

Once they had eaten, Zhang Yi addressed them.

"Today’s task is simple. I’ll be negotiating with the other building leaders."

"We aim for peaceful communication, with little chance of a violent conflict. Your job is to stand guard and maintain order."

"If the negotiations succeed, you’ll no longer live in fear and can return to a normal life."

"So, stay vigilant and don’t let anyone disrupt the negotiations. Understood?"

Zhang Yi painted a promising picture of returning to a normal life.

Hearing the words "normal life," the neighbors were moved to tears. Some squatted down and cried, overwhelmed by memories of their previous harmonious life and the harsh reality of the past month.

One neighbor asked, "Zhang Yi, is it true? Can we go back to the way things were?"

"Yes!" Zhang Yi nodded confidently, his gaze unwavering.

"If we conclude these negotiations successfully and resolve the food issue, there will be no more bloodshed."

"So, for the sake of a brighter future, give it your all today!"

The neighbors were motivated, vowing to follow Zhang Yi’s lead in the hope of a better future.