Chapter 106: Tianhai Military Camp
At this moment, the neighbors in Building 25 were huddled in their homes, eating the food Zhang Yi had provided. They hadn't bathed in almost a month, their bodies itching and some even developing skin diseases. They couldn't afford to use hot water for bathing, reserving every bit for drinking. Falling ill after a bath meant certain death.
Jiang Lei and Li Chengbin, college roommates and best friends working at the same company, were in high spirits that night. Zhang Yi had given each of them a box of braised pork rice. Though the food was rock-hard from the cold, they managed to warm it up by tucking it inside their down jackets.
In the pitch-black room, wrapped in thick blankets, only their heads were visible. Jiang Lei struggled to scoop a piece of braised pork with his spoon, savoring it like a gourmet meal. "Thank goodness we sided with Zhang Yi. We’re eating braised pork now!" he exclaimed happily.
However, Li Chengbin was silent, gnawing at his frozen rice. Unlike Jiang Lei, who used a spoon, Li Chengbin found it easier to eat by biting directly into the frozen food.
Seeing his friend’s silence, Jiang Lei nudged him with his elbow. "Don’t you agree? We should stick with Zhang Yi."
"Look at Zhou Ke'er—still looking glamorous in brand-name clothes, even Canada Goose jackets. She can even take baths!" Jiang Lei’s eyes were full of envy.
Li Chengbin glanced at him, mumbling, "What’s the use of envying them? We don’t have what it takes."
Jiang Lei sighed, "You’re right. If we had their resources, I’d try my luck too. But before that, I’d let you enjoy first," he joked.
Jiang Lei insisted, "Don't be so quick to judge. It’s not that bad."
"Shut up! The more you talk, the grosser it gets!" Li Chengbin snapped.
After a moment of silence, Li Chengbin finally spoke seriously, "Jiang Lei, don’t you think Zhang Yi is using us as cannon fodder? He doesn’t care if we live or die."
Jiang Lei looked shocked. "What do you mean?"
Li Chengbin recounted the neighbors' conversations from earlier. Jiang Lei fell silent too. "Talking about it won’t change anything," he said finally. "We thought about killing him and taking his supplies, but we couldn’t. He almost killed us instead."
"In this world, the one with the strongest fists is the boss. He gives us food, so we have to obey him."
Li Chengbin remained silent. Just then, their phone rang. Li Chengbin pulled it out from his pocket, his expression turning serious as he read the message. There was a mix of tension and excitement in his eyes.
The next day, Zhang Yi rode his snowmobile out of the neighborhood as usual. After yesterday's ambush, he took a different route this time. He didn’t bring Uncle You along today because he planned to dig up the buried weapons and gather more wood for future use.
The previous night, Li Jian and Chen Lingyu had contacted him again, asking about his decision. Zhang Yi brushed them off, saying he needed more time to think. But he sensed their impatience growing. He didn’t care about their attitudes; he was focused on their actions. The 29 buildings forming a united front would take time, and Zhang Yi intended to use that time to prepare thoroughly.
After two and a half hours, Zhang Yi reached the spot from the previous day. The vast white expanse lay before him, broken only by a few landmarks. He retrieved his excavator from his alternate space and began digging.
With his improved skills, Zhang Yi quickly unearthed a building. He wasn’t sure if it was the armory, but finding any building was progress. He jumped down to investigate and found a soldier's dormitory instead. The neatly made beds and lack of bodies surprised him.
"Strange. Why are there no bodies?" he wondered.
Checking several dormitories, he found the same scene. "Could they have all left?" he thought. The realization dawned on him: the soldiers were likely relocated to protect high-ranking officials who knew about the impending disaster. The officials had moved to shelters, taking the soldiers with them for protection and logistics.
This explained the empty warehouses Zhang Yi had seen before. The officials had likely moved their supplies as well.
Understanding this, Zhang Yi grew wary. These officials could reemerge as a significant threat once the disaster passed. However, for now, their presence maintained some semblance of order, delaying the rise of armed factions.