Chapter 38: Golden Liquid

Peng, feeling unnoticed, rapped harder on the door, his voice tinged with urgency. "Phoenix, Phoenix! It's Peng here! Open up, I've got something critical to tell you!"

Phoenix scoffed, fingers nimbly disarming the gun safety with a definitive click. He advanced towards the door and called out challengingly, "Who is it?"

Hearing Phoenix's reply, Peng gestured to Mira and Iris below, signaling for them to prepare for action. The women, inexperienced in matters of violence, tensed up, but the allure of seizing Phoenix's warm house, filled with ample supplies, solidified their determination.

"With all due respect, Phoenix, we've run out of food," Peng pleaded, masking his readiness to strike with a look of supplication. "As a colleague, could you possibly share something to eat?"

His hand, though hidden, was ready to unsheathe his knife at a moment's notice.

Phoenix, his back to the door, responded with indifference, "We're out of food here as well, I can't assist you with that!"

Mira and Iris inwardly swore. They were aware of Phoenix's abundant stash—those boxes of seafood were no secret. Yet, they had anticipated this denial and had come with a contingency plan.

Peng, feigning a reluctant sacrifice, produced a box of ibuprofen—a lifeline in these desperate times. "I wouldn't expect a handout. How about a trade? This medicine for some food."

Phoenix, deliberating behind the door, considered his options. To eliminate them was simple—a straightforward shot would do. But he deemed a swift death too kind for the likes of them.

An idea sparked within him. He retrieved an empty Pulse bottle from the bin, the remnants of his recent beer still on his palate. Conveniently, nature called. He unceremoniously filled the bottle, his stream resonating like a taunting melody.

"Ibuprofen, you say? That's quite valuable. Give me a moment to ponder," Phoenix said lazily, continuing his ruse while 'watering' the bottle.

The group outside misinterpreted the sound, but they didn't grasp what Phoenix was up to.

Peng, eager to seal the deal, insisted, "Come on, open up. Let's swap. Just a couple packs of instant noodles is all I'm asking for."

In these troubled times, ibuprofen could command a much higher exchange rate, but Peng's offer was a bait to coax Phoenix into unlocking the door.

Phoenix, done with his charade, pretended to contemplate. "Just two packs? That seems a bit stingy on your part."

Phoenix, now armed with a bottle of his own brand of 'iced tea,' climbed to the shooting hole in the door and unleashed the warm contents on Peng and the companions.

Shrieks erupted as the warm liquid rained down on them. At first, they mistook it for hot water in their confusion. But soon, the acrid scent made the horrid reality unmistakable. "This... is urine!"

Their screams were shrill as they retched violently, drenched in humiliation and fury.

Peng, blinded by rage, hammered against the alloy door to no avail, his hands aching from the impact. "Phoenix, you'll regret this!"

But the door remained unmoved, as sturdy as Phoenix's mocking laughter from within.

"Enjoying my 'brew'? Thought you could trick me?" he jeered from the safety of his sanctuary.

It dawned on Peng that Phoenix had seen through their ruse. Anger gave way to shock. He withdrew a kitchen knife, slashing wildly at the door, only to injure himself—the blade barely missing his face, his hand now bleeding profusely.

The winter cold made the pain all the more searing, and Peng's howls of pain were heart-wrenching.

Mira and Iris, stricken with terror, deserted Peng and scattered in fear.

Phoenix observed the unfolding disaster from the comfort of his room, pondering whether to further punish them. But he quickly dismissed the notion. Why compromise his security over some mad dogs?

He was, after all, the sovereign of this new, harsh realm.

Phoenix retreated to his couch and his video games, basking in his uninterrupted solitude. Outside, Peng and his defeated cohort shivered with fright and disgrace, their plot undone by their own folly.

Mira, spotting the disgraceful stain on her sofa, shrieked at Peng, "Get off my sofa!"

In this desolate new world, Phoenix's realm stood inviolate, his foes' conspiracy thwarted by their own hands—and his sharp wit.