Chapter 179: Strange Call
Zhang Yi was utterly speechless. There were indeed many things in this world that he couldn't understand.
"Why didn't you answer my call?" a ghostly voice emanated from his phone. The call had connected on its own after the number dialed in again!
Zhang Yi felt a chill run down his spine, but he quickly calmed himself. As bizarre as this situation was, there could still be an explanation. If the caller was a hacker, they could potentially manipulate his phone in such a way.
"Who are you?" Zhang Yi asked coldly.
The person ignored Zhang Yi's question and began reciting some information. "Zhang Yi, born in 2025, currently 25 years old, resident of Jinwan District, Tianhai City, living in Room 2401 of Building 25, Yuelu Community..."
The person accurately listed Zhang Yi's personal details, which confirmed to Zhang Yi that he was dealing with a top-tier hacker who had somehow accessed his personal information through the Internet.
Listening to this recital, Zhang Yi's initial alarm gave way to a sense of calm. He had nothing particularly noteworthy in his past. Knowing his details was one thing, but what could anyone really do with that information? He was confident enough to challenge, "So what if you have my details? You think that will make me send you supplies? If you're so bold, go ahead and expose them. Let's see if I'm scared!"
There was a brief pause on the other end before the voice resumed. "I also know that you're currently staying in Room 101 of Cloud Manor. That house belonged to Wang Siming, whom you've killed, right?"
"Who are you and what do you want?" Zhang Yi demanded, his tone colder now.
Sensing Zhang Yi's change in tone, the caller grew more confident. "I'm your current neighbor. I also live in Cloud Manor. But you'd better not get any ideas. I can expose your information at any time."
"I suppose you wouldn't want others to know about your residence here, right?"
Zhang Yi realized why the person had found him and painstakingly gathered his personal information. If the caller was indeed in Cloud Manor, this was manageable. Zhang Yi could find an opportunity to eliminate this threat.
"So, is that all you wanted to say? What do you really want?" Zhang Yi pressed.
"Simple. I see you have plenty of supplies and can afford to keep women around. I want you to share some of your supplies with me," the caller said.
"Share with you? Why should I?" Zhang Yi sneered. "You think just because you have some information on me, you can make demands? Even if you expose me, it won't matter much."
"Well, what if people find out you have the stolen supplies from the Walmart warehouse?" the caller suggested, his tone turning smug.
The mention of the Walmart warehouse made Zhang Yi more cautious. He had looted the entire South China warehouse of Walmart three days before the apocalypse, amassing goods worth billions. These supplies were his lifeline, ensuring his survival.
"You're talking nonsense. The Walmart warehouse heist involved a massive amount of goods. Do you really think a small-time supervisor like me could have done it?" Zhang Yi replied, feigning ignorance.
The caller, sitting in a dimly lit room with only the glow of a laptop screen, grinned. "No need to play dumb with me. That heist is definitely linked to you. Even if you're not the mastermind, you have a significant amount of those supplies!"
"Even a single shelf’s worth from that warehouse would be enough to last you a year," the caller continued, his small eyes gleaming with intelligence behind thick LOTOS glasses. "I won't hide my identity. I'm Lu Fengda from Zhiyun Group. You've heard of me, right?"
Zhang Yi had more than just heard of him. Lu Fengda's name was renowned. Zhiyun Group was one of the top three information security firms in the country, and Lu Fengda was its powerful chairman.
With someone like Lu Fengda involved, it made sense how Zhang Yi's phone had been hacked. But there was a more pressing concern: if Lu Fengda could hack his phone, could he have also breached the security of the shelter, which was managed by a supercomputer?
The shelter had been built by a top security company at a cost of $10 billion, complete with independent large-scale servers. It should have robust network security measures in place. Moreover, Lu Fengda didn't seem to be at his office but rather at home, lacking the network infrastructure to perform such advanced hacking.
If he had control over the shelter’s network, he wouldn’t need to contact Zhang Yi via phone but would instead directly demonstrate his power over the shelter’s systems. This deduction gave Zhang Yi some reassurance.
"Ah, Mr. Lu. I've heard a lot about you. No wonder you could hack my phone," Zhang Yi said, maintaining a calm demeanor.
"For survival, I had no choice. You have plenty of supplies, enough for two women. One more mouth to feed shouldn't be a problem," Lu Fengda said. "Provide me with supplies, and I'll keep your secret. Plus, I can help secure your network from future hacks. What do you think?"
Zhang Yi wasn’t about to admit any involvement with the Walmart heist. Lu Fengda was likely bluffing to get a reaction.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I have no connection to any warehouse theft. But let's say hypothetically, what if I don't cooperate?" Zhang Yi asked, testing the waters.
"Think it over. I'm sure you don’t want to risk your current comfortable life. I can be a valuable ally or a dangerous enemy," Lu Fengda replied, his tone menacing.
Zhang Yi realized he needed to handle this carefully. He needed to find a way to eliminate this threat without compromising his position.