22.It's better to use the spare tire

Zhang Yi pretended to be clueless and said, "What's wrong? I haven't done anything wrong!"

Lin Caining replied, "Are you an idiot? With the city under heavy snow now, our supplies are running low at home too. This would be the perfect time to show your loyalty to Yuqing by sending over some delicious food, wouldn't it?"

"If I were you, I'd send over all the good stuff at home, like steaks and lobsters."

"When Yuqing is touched, your chances will increase, won't they?"

Zhang Yi looked at the message from Lin Caining and could already imagine the greedy look on that scheming girl's face. He sneered inwardly.

What's the difference between this behavior and begging for handouts?

It was ridiculous. Not only did he have to give them food, but he also had to act like he was doing them a favor. It was as if by giving them food, he was granting them a chance.

This kind of attitude made Zhang Yi want to slap them in the face!

Despicable!

Zhang Yi decided to play a little trick on these two scheming women.

He replied, "But we don't have much left either! Just enough for me to eat."

Lin Caining furrowed her brows and criticized, "Nonsense! How long do you think this snowstorm will last? Endure hunger for a couple of meals, and when you manage to win over Yuqing, won't that be a huge win for you?"

"If you can't even bear to part with this little food, I don't think you're sincere about Yuqing at all!"

Zhang Yi laughed even harder.

One played the good cop, the other the bad cop—Zhang Yi had seen through their tactics a long time ago.

It was a shame that Zhang Yi had come back from the past and had already seen through their shameless facades.

Faced with Lin Caining's good cop routine, he simply replied with an "Oh" and then tossed his phone aside, ignoring her.

When Lin Caining saw the "Oh," she was infuriated. "Oh? What do you mean by this 'Oh'?"

"I've been talking to you for a while, and this is your attitude?"

"Hurry up and send over the food! I want to eat steak and lobster too!"

Lin Caining was a glutton, and these past few days of not eating anything good had left her drooling when she saw Zhang Yi enjoying a feast.

Originally, she wanted to use Yuqing's name to coax Zhang Yi into sending over all the delicious food to them. But the situation had taken a completely unexpected turn. That single "Oh" had nearly broken her resolve!

Could it be... he had lost interest in Yuqing already?

No, no, no, that was absolutely impossible!

Lin Caining recalled Zhang Yi's attentiveness to Yuqing over the past few years and shook her head. "He must have just had a temporary lapse in judgment."

With resentment in her heart, Lin Caining went to find Yuqing and exaggerated the situation.

Of course, she told Yuqing that she had contacted Zhang Yi to ask for supplies on her behalf.

Yuqing coldly replied, "Hmph, who is Zhang Yi? Do I even know him? Don't mention him in front of me again!"

For Zhang Yi to regain his position as her loyal follower, he would need to apologize sincerely for the events of the past few days and make a significant effort to win her forgiveness.

Lin Caining nudged Yuqing, "This Zhang Yi is so clueless. Don't you have other loyal followers?"

In their community, there were quite a few colleagues who worked in the warehouse, including some of Yuqing's other pursuers, like the one who had been aggressively pursuing her, Zhou Peng.

Yuqing naturally knew whom Lin Caining was referring to.

She scornfully rolled her eyes, dismissing Zhou Peng as not even qualifying as a backup.

Although they had both worked at Walmart before, Zhou Peng didn't own a house in Tianhai City, and he was still renting one.

Yuqing merely took advantage of him to get some small benefits; she had no real affection for him.

Lin Caining suggested, "It's so cold outside, and the snow is so heavy. We can't go out to buy anything. Why not use him for now and let him do some tasks for us?"

Yuqing's eyes wandered for a moment as she considered that Lin Caining made a valid point.

So she sent a message to Zhou Peng.

To her surprise, within five minutes, Zhou Peng eagerly rushed over and brought a bag of supplies with him. Working at Walmart's warehouse meant they sometimes brought back discounted items for themselves, so they had a stockpile at home.

Zhou Peng even patted his chest and promised, "Yuqing, just tell me what you need, and I'll do anything for you. You know, for you, I'm willing to do anything!"

Yuqing, for once, gave Zhou Peng a rare smile. "Thank you, Zhou Peng! You're really kind."

A few sweet words

sent Zhou Peng on his way.

Then Yuqing returned to her usual expression. "Humph, with your appearance, you still dare to have thoughts about me? Maybe in your next life!"

In the entire building, the atmosphere was gradually becoming more peculiar.

Extreme cold, even with the heating on, had pushed indoor temperatures below freezing. The people of Tianhai City, used to a milder climate, found it hard to adapt. Without the habit of stockpiling supplies, their refrigerators were empty after just two days.

Although Aunt Lin kept reassuring them that the snowstorm would pass soon, everyone had their own concerns.

But all of this, Zhang Yi watched with a satisfied smile. On doomsday, he had prepared for everything, and life was more comfortable now than before the apocalypse.

He was like an outsider, quietly observing the unfolding drama.

After being taught a lesson by Zhang Yi, Chen Zhenghao and his henchmen hadn't come to bother him again. They knew that breaking into Zhang Yi's home was no easy task, and Chen Zhenghao's leg was practically useless now. Without going to the hospital, he would likely become permanently disabled in a few days.

As for the other followers, after being soaked in the water, they had all fallen ill one after another. With no means of heating, they would likely die of fever rather than starvation.

Inside his home, Zhang Yi passed the time by playing video games, reading books he had downloaded from the internet, like "Barefoot Doctor's Manual" and "Militia Training Manual." He believed in being prepared, and while he hoped he would never need these skills, they might just save his life in an emergency.

Outside, the heavy snow continued to fall, and the sky remained obscured by thick clouds, making it hard to distinguish between day and night.

On the morning of the third day, Zhang Yi got out of bed, enjoying a delicious Cheapway roasted duck while checking the clock.

"It's about time. The real show is about to begin."

Zhang Yi said with a faint smile.

And just at that moment, his phone's chat groups exploded with activity!