Chapter 284: Wooing and Threatening
Although Zhang Yi disliked Chen Xinian as a person, he couldn’t help but agree with what Chen Xinian was saying.
Zhang Yi recalled his experiences managing a warehouse, especially what he went through during that time. When he was just a junior employee, he had to be careful to please both his superiors and the senior staff. Even when dealing with a supervisor who was only one level above him, he had to think hard about their preferences and act accordingly.
After a few years, he finally became a supervisor himself, managing seven or eight people. That was the first time he truly felt how wonderful power could be. A simple task assigned with just a word had others working hard to complete it. During meals, everyone always made sure to order dishes to his liking, with the fish head always facing him. When singing, the women always sat next to him. And this, was just the privilege of being a warehouse supervisor.
The higher one climbed, the more intoxicating the allure of power became, even to the point of reaching the fabled "your word is law." With just a hint or a few words, someone would arrange everything for you.
Listening to Chen Xinian’s rosy description of the future, Zhang Yi couldn’t deny that part of him did miss those days. However, without hesitation, he flatly refused Chen Xinian’s offer.
“What you’re talking about doesn’t hold any appeal for me anymore,” Zhang Yi said coldly. “If it were before the apocalypse, I would’ve happily taken a position of power, because in a stable society, the rewards of leadership far outweigh the risks. But now? Now, risk and reward go hand in hand. I’m not interested in meddling in the mess you’ve got at West Hill Base, and I’m even less interested in being anyone’s second-in-command.”
Zhang Yi wasn’t someone with grand ambitions. Perhaps his biggest dream in life was to date a few girls with baby faces and slim waists and then live a carefree life until the end. This laid-back attitude meant he was never cut out to lead a large group of people.
He wasn’t like Chen Xinian, who could be heartless, feasting on the finest delicacies while forcing the people below to survive on protein made from cockroaches and corpses.
“I refuse,” Zhang Yi said icily. “I enjoy my current life and have no intention of joining any faction or being under anyone’s control. If you withdraw your forces now, I’ll let bygones be bygones, and we can stay out of each other’s way in the future. How about it?”
Even though West Hill Base had attacked him several times, Zhang Yi hadn’t suffered any real losses, while the enemy had lost a lot of men. He wasn’t bent on revenge, so if things could end , he’d be happy to let it go.
But Chen Xinian wasn’t happy. Seeing that Zhang Yi wouldn’t budge, his expression finally darkened. Since diplomacy wasn’t working, it was time for force.
“Hmph! Do you think you can just walk away after killing so many of our people at West Hill Base?” Chen Xinian sneered. “Zhang Yi, I’m offering you a chance because I recognize your talent! But if you don’t appreciate it, I won’t hold back!”
“With the strength of West Hill Base, it’s only a matter of time before we take down your little shelter!”
Zhang Yi chuckled. “It’s just a matter of time, huh? You’ve sent so many men, guns, and explosives, but tell me, have any of them even managed to harm a single hair on my head?”
“They’re the ones who suffered heavy losses!” he added coldly. “You’re not offering me an opportunity; I’m giving you one!”
“Chen, stop now! You’ve got no chance of beating me!”
Calling him “Chen” was a clear sign of Zhang Yi’s contempt, and it made Chen Xinian boil with rage.
He glared at Zhang Yi with a menacing look and hissed, “Do you really think hiding in that turtle shell of yours means I can’t touch you? I could wipe you out with just one missile!”
Zhang Yi’s heart skipped a beat. A missile?
Now that was a serious threat. If his shelter were hit by a missile, no matter how much space he had in his pocket dimension, he wouldn’t be able to absorb such massive destructive force. Even the shelter itself would suffer devastating damage, with the surface completely destroyed and the underground sections severely shaken.
But Zhang Yi’s face remained calm, even breaking into a relaxed smile.
“Oh, really? This is the first time I’ve heard that Tianhai City has missile-launching authority. Impressive, very impressive!” Zhang Yi clapped his hands, his expression full of mockery.
Tianhai City didn’t have a large military district. Even if there were missile defenses in place, the authority to use them wouldn’t be in the hands of local forces. Especially now, in the apocalyptic world, such high-level weapons would be firmly controlled by the higher-ups. Who did Chen Xinian think he was? A mere regional warlord, thinking he could deploy missiles?
Zhang Yi was convinced that Chen Xinian was bluffing. He didn’t buy it for a second.
Chen Xinian, his face dark, replied, “What does a small-time warehouse manager like you know? I’m only giving you a chance because I don’t want to see you and your supplies go up in flames!”
“Zhang Yi, don’t make a mistake you’ll regret! When the missiles hit, there won’t be anywhere for you to cry!”