Chapter 127: Taking the Bait
Zhang Yi ignored Li Jian's request and turned to leave. Li Jian was a typical idealist. However, achieving ideals required strength, not just slogans.
Returning to Building 25, Zhang Yi passed by Wang Qiang and Huang Tianfang. Both men had cigarette butts in their hands, sucking so hard it looked like they might swallow the filters.
Seeing Zhang Yi, they immediately put on fawning smiles and hurried over.
"Brother Zhang, aren't you going out today? Or did you collect all the food yesterday?" Wang Qiang asked with a wide smile, looking enthusiastic enough to be Zhang Yi's cousin.
"I'm going out in a while," Zhang Yi replied with a smile.
Huang Tianfang also came over, grinning. "Zhang Yi is the biggest contributor to our community! Not like these useless folks," he said, pointing at the residents shoveling snow, "They can't even do a simple task and just keep asking for food! Hmph!"
Zhang Yi laughed. "If they don't know how to work, you should teach them!"
Wang Qiang glanced at the obedient residents he had tamed and sneered. "They have arms and legs, don't they? A good beating will make them obedient!"
Huang Tianfang interjected, "Yuxi? Why not ask for Zhonghua? Just be glad you have cigarettes at all. Don't burden Zhang Yi!"
Zhang Yi smiled. "That's not a big problem. I'll look for some and bring them if I find any. It shouldn't be too difficult."
"Besides, at this time, cigarettes are precious, but there's no concept of whether they are valuable or not. If you ask for Yuxi or Zhonghua, that's fine. But if you ask for brands like Dajiang or Hong Sanhuan, I might have trouble finding those!"
The three of them laughed heartily, the atmosphere very congenial.
"By the way, I'll see if I can find some good liquor for you guys. A bit of alcohol in this cold weather will warm you up!"
Wang Qiang and Huang Tianfang were thrilled by Zhang Yi's words. Both loved drinking, and alcohol was indeed a great way to keep warm in this cold.
"Brother Zhang, you're so generous! I misjudged you before. If you need any help, just let us know!" Wang Qiang gave Zhang Yi a thumbs up, genuinely moved.
Huang Tianfang, not wanting to be outdone, said, "Zhang Yi, you're our savior! I owe you my life, and from now on, I'm yours to command!"
Zhang Yi smiled warmly, patting their arms. "We're partners now! We're all just trying to survive this apocalypse, and only cooperation will lead to a win-win situation."
"Feel free to ask for anything you need! If I can provide it, I will."
With that, Zhang Yi pointed outside. "I’m heading out now!"
Wang Qiang and Huang Tianfang quickly responded, "Take care!"
Zhang Yi nodded with a smile and went to get his snowmobile, leaving the Yue Lu community.
Wang Qiang and Huang Tianfang watched Zhang Yi's departing figure, their expressions turning a bit complex. They glanced at each other, neither liking the other much, and then walked away separately.
On his way back, Wang Qiang pondered, "Why has Zhang Yi suddenly become so nice? Giving me cigarettes and even offering to bring back alcohol."
"Did I misunderstand him before?"
He furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
After the apocalypse, he coveted Zhang Yi's snowmobile, tried to steal it, and even ambushed Zhang Yi in the snow. Only then did Zhang Yi retaliate against the Crazy Wolf Gang.
Wang Qiang slapped his forehead. "So it wasn’t Zhang Yi being untrustworthy; it was me who was wrong first. Zhang Yi’s a good guy, someone I can get along with!"
A sinister smile slowly crept across his face. "I like dealing with straightforward people!"
On the other side, Huang Tianfang also pondered Zhang Yi's sudden friendliness. "Why is he being so nice to me? Logically, he shouldn't fear me with his strength."
"Maybe he genuinely wants peace and doesn’t want to fight anymore. After all, he’s alone, and his followers aren’t truly loyal to him."
"If the fighting continues, he might die one day too. So he’s scared!"
Feeling he understood Zhang Yi's change in attitude, Huang Tianfang smirked smugly. "This is good news!"
After leaving the community, Zhang Yi headed to the library again. "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami was fascinating, its subtle melancholy embodying post-war Japanese culture.
He leisurely finished the book, put it back on the shelf, and left. He wasn't the type to bring books home only for them to gather dust in his alternate space.
Zhang Yi belonged to that group of people who loved buying books at bookstores but lost interest once they got home.
Checking his Rolex, he saw it was afternoon. He should gather some food and return to the community.
He murmured to himself, "I wonder when those guys will fall for it. I need to slowly lower their guard and then find the right moment to strike."
Leaving the library, he gathered the necessary supplies at a supermarket and rode his snowmobile back to the community.
This time, among those collecting supplies, were several building leaders. Wang Qiang and Huang Tianfang were among them, eagerly eyeing the burlap bags at Zhang Yi's feet.
Of course, their goal was the cigarettes and alcohol Zhang Yi had promised. They came in person to ensure they got the rare goodies and prevent conflicts with their subordinates.
Seeing them, Zhang Yi’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile.
"Alright, everyone line up and collect your food in order!" Zhang Yi called out.
The leader of Building 1 stepped forward and whispered to Zhang Yi, "Zhang Yi, since you can get cigarettes for Wang Qiang and Huang Tianfang, could you get some for us too?"