Chapter 114: Fire in the Hole!
The five representatives from the other buildings looked at each other before Huang Tianfang shouted loudly, "Where is Zhang Yi? We’re here to negotiate!"
Uncle You, carrying a crowbar, walked over. The scene reminded him of his days in the military, making him feel twenty years younger with his blood boiling with excitement. Fearlessly, he looked at the five building leaders and said, "Our boss is upstairs waiting for you. What, didn’t the 29 of you agree to come together?"
Li Jian adjusted his glasses, maintaining his polite and humble smile. "We discussed it yesterday and decided it wasn’t suitable for everyone to come. So we selected the five most capable among us to represent the rest."
They had their concerns too, fearing Zhang Yi might take the opportunity to eliminate all the leaders in one fell swoop. After lengthy discussions, they decided to send the five most influential leaders to negotiate with Zhang Yi.
Uncle You, following Zhang Yi’s instructions, frowned slightly and said, "Fine, come in. But only the five of you, no one else."
"And for safety’s sake, if you have any weapons, it’s best to put them away. It would be unpleasant if we had to search you."
This demand changed their expressions. Chen Lingyu’s eyebrows shot up as she angrily exclaimed, "A body search? What does Zhang Yi mean by this? Is this his attitude?"
Wang Qiang laughed maniacally, drawing a machete and pointing it at Uncle You. "Zhang Yi must have a death wish to be making demands at a time ! Are you people really not afraid of dying?"
Uncle You didn’t waste words, pulling out his phone. He had been in constant contact with Zhang Yi to keep him updated on the situation below. Hearing the arrogance in their voices, Zhang Yi laughed, "I understand. Wait a moment."
He realized he needed to curb their arrogance. These guys needed to understand that having more people didn’t always mean things would go their way.
Zhang Yi walked to the window and opened it, letting the cold wind rush in. He glanced down, seeing the crowd below. Retrieving a grenade from his alternate space, he swiftly pulled the pin, as he had learned from online tutorials, and threw it into the crowd.
Those at the back were watching the scene unfold. Although their numbers were large, most were just there to make up the numbers. They didn’t take the situation seriously, believing that with so many people, someone would be forced to provide them with food, clothing, and other supplies for free. They chatted happily, dreaming of an easy future.
Suddenly, they heard a whistling sound and instinctively looked up to see something falling.
"What’s that?" someone asked, thinking it was just a thrown stone, paying it no mind as it was still far away.
Before they could react, the grenade hit the ground.
The explosion sent flames skyward. Seven or eight people near the blast were immediately blown apart, with blood and shattered limbs flying alongside the snow.
The deafening explosion triggered a wave of panic and screams. One grenade had instantly killed seven or eight people, with two at the center torn to shreds by shrapnel. The blast and shrapnel injured ten more, leaving them bleeding heavily. In this environment, they were as good as dead.
The sudden explosion shocked everyone. Ordinary people rarely encountered grenades in their lifetime. Even in the apocalypse, they hadn’t imagined being attacked by grenades.
Chaos ensued. Despite the large crowd, most were there to make up numbers, and they were completely disorganized. In the panic, they trampled over each other trying to escape. The building leaders turned pale, trying to calm the chaos.
"Don’t panic! Don’t panic!" they shouted, trying to assert control. But this was no disciplined army. Even their most loyal followers were terrified, hugging the ground or huddling together.
Just then, Uncle You’s phone rang with a mocking voice. "Does having more people make you great?"
Wang Qiang and the others were stunned. The grenade had come from Zhang Yi! Where did he get a grenade? Why did he have one? Even Uncle You and Li Chengbin were shocked, realizing what had happened only after hearing Zhang Yi's voice. A wave of relief washed over them.
Uncle You, still in shock, cleared his throat and addressed Wang Qiang and the others. "Any objections now?"
They were too frightened to speak, exchanging looks that revealed how deeply they had underestimated Zhang Yi. Having guns was one thing, but pulling out a sniper rifle was another. Now, even grenades?
Facing Zhang Yi with just sticks and knives seemed impossible now.
With a somber face, Wang Qiang said, "We came to negotiate. No need for this kind of aggression."
Zhang Yi’s voice dripped with contempt, "Do you need over a thousand people for a negotiation? I found them annoying, so I helped clear them out."
Looking at his watch, Zhang Yi said, "Oh, it’s almost 2:30. You have five minutes. If you’re not here by then, there’s no need to negotiate. Let’s fight instead!"
"Fight?" they thought, realizing they were outmatched.
Wang Qiang and the others broke into a cold sweat. Chen Lingyu clenched her legs, biting her lip in pain. She had wet herself when the grenade exploded but couldn’t let anyone know.
"Please, we came in good faith to cooperate. Just wait, we’re coming up!" Li Jian said urgently. He walked up to Uncle You, "Can you tell us where Zhang Yi is?"
With a slightly smug expression, Uncle You replied, "13th floor!"
That meant climbing nine floors, which would leave them breathless.
Without delay, they dropped their weapons and rushed up the stairs.