Chapter 18: No Fear When Playing Ruthlessly

The moment the call connected, a torrent of vicious curses poured from the other end.

“Are you fucking crazy? Who the hell told you to talk about me in the group?”

“How dare you provoke me, Chen Zhenghao? You little punk, you’re asking for trouble.”

“I’ve got a hundred ways to make sure you can’t stay in this city. Believe it or not?”

Chen Zhenghao was a notorious bully in Tianhai City, commanding a gang of several hundred. Rumor had it that he had once been involved in multiple homicide cases.

Because of this, all the residents in their neighborhood avoided him, afraid to provoke the man.

To assert his dominance, Chen Zhenghao’s style was to make anyone who dared offend him pay a heavy price.

This was the so-called code of the streets.

So even though Zhang Yi had only mentioned him once in the residents’ group chat, Chen Zhenghao took it as a direct challenge.

On the other end, he snarled, “You really want to die! You’ve got some nerve talking back! Bringing me into this.”

Zhang Yi wasn’t about to kowtow. He sneered and shot back, “What kind of worthless piece of trash are you?”

“Cut the crap with me. You’re just a useless scumbag, a waste of space. I’m calling you out—answer me!”

Zhang Yi let out the insult with a sharp satisfaction burning inside him.

He had long harbored a seething rage against this bastard who had once led the charge into his home and caused his death in his previous life.

Chen Zhenghao was stunned that Zhang Yi actually dared to talk back.

Furious beyond measure, he hurled even more vicious curses.

Zhang Yi didn’t hold back either: “You’re just a useless loser, all talk and no action. Who are you trying to scare? Go eat shit!”

After finishing his tirade, Zhang Yi hung up and blocked the number.

Blocking him right after the insult, imagining Chen Zhenghao’s furious rage on the other side, brought Zhang Yi an unparalleled sense of satisfaction.

He moved to the television and switched on the surveillance feed.

When the Zhanlong Security Company had set up his safe house, they installed cameras throughout the entire floor.

In fact, the whole building was under his watchful eye.

He focused on the sixth floor where Chen Zhenghao lived. Sure enough, the door to his apartment was soon violently flung open.

Chen Zhenghao emerged, wearing a down jacket, gripping a baseball bat, striding out with menace.

But as soon as he stepped outside, he shivered uncontrollably.

Outside, the temperature was below minus seventy degrees. To put on a show, he’d only worn a down jacket over a thermal shirt, deliberately unzipping it to reveal the tattoo on his chest.

The brutal cold immediately taught him a harsh lesson.

Seeing no one around, Chen Zhenghao hurriedly rubbed his hands together and rushed into the elevator.

Zhang Yi sat calmly on the sofa and leisurely pulled a crossbow from beneath the coffee table.

This type of hunting crossbow could pierce even a 300-kilogram wild boar; a 20-centimeter bolt could easily bury itself deep into flesh.

Humming a tune, he loaded the bolt.

After all this time practicing, he had become very skilled with the crossbow.

Within fifteen meters, while not perfect, he wouldn’t miss a target as large as a watermelon’s head.

The elevator continued ascending as Zhang Yi, crossbow ready, approached the door.

His massive security door featured a shooting slot two meters high, designed specifically for firing from inside.

Standing on a chair, Zhang Yi opened the slot—only accessible from within.

He then aimed the crossbow at the corridor outside.

For safety, he also kept a pistol in his pocket.

Even if Chen Zhenghao was tough, today would not be his lucky day.

After a short while, the elevator dinged, and Chen Zhenghao stormed out, cursing wildly.

Thanks to notes in the residents’ group, Zhang Yi easily knew exactly where he lived.

At the door, Chen Zhenghao grabbed his baseball bat and furiously pounded on the door, shouting, “Zhang Yi, you little bastard, come out!”

“You thought you were so tough just now? Come on out and see how I’ll finish you!”

He cursed viciously, slamming the door with all his might.

But the security door was twenty centimeters thick, reinforced with bulletproof metal—defense stronger than many armored vehicles.

Naturally, Chen Zhenghao’s baseball bat couldn’t break it; instead, his hand grew sore from the impact.

Unaware that he was already targeted by a crossbow bolt, Chen Zhenghao cursed and fumed.

Zhang Yi watched his fierce expression, a playful smile curling the corner of his lips.

He aimed the bolt at Chen Zhenghao’s head.

Yet after a moment’s thought, he shifted his aim.

In this post-apocalyptic world, everyone in the building except him was basically doomed.

People like Chen Zhenghao were no exception.

Killing him outright now would be too dull.

After all, in his previous life, it was these ruthless neighbors who had ripped him apart alive.

A wicked grin appeared on Zhang Yi’s face.

He wasn’t going to let this scumbag die so easily.

With that, he changed his target.

A faint whoosh broke the silence as the sharp bolt shot out, embedding itself in Chen Zhenghao’s leg.

Able to kill wild boars, the bolt pierced straight through his calf!

Chen Zhenghao let out a piercing scream, collapsing to the ground and clutching his leg, wailing in agony.

In this subminus seventy-degree cold, with a penetrating wound like this, his leg was surely ruined.

Without medicine, infection was inevitable.

He would soon perish miserably, trapped in pain and freezing cold.

Chen Zhenghao was in excruciating pain and finally realized he was facing a merciless adversary.

People like him relied on fearlessness and recklessness to intimidate the honest.

They bet on others’ unwillingness to resist.

But when confronted by a ruthless crossbow-wielding opponent, even they felt fear.

Panicked and trembling, Chen Zhenghao couldn’t even tell where the bolt had come from.

Still, true to his street-tough nature, he dragged his crippled leg and limped back to the elevator.

Zhang Yi chose not to press the attack—he wanted Chen Zhenghao to live a little longer.

After all, he wasn’t a demon.

Back in the elevator, Chen Zhenghao broke out in cold sweat, quickly freezing in the subzero cold.

But his heart was colder than the air around him.

The merciless strike just now had shown him unmistakable intent to kill.

In a world like this, anyone daring enough to shoot a crossbow was no easy foe.

Chen Zhenghao looked down at his shattered leg, completely pierced by the bolt.

Blood stained half his pants leg before freezing solid.

The extreme cold dulled his pain, but that offered no comfort—only dread.

He understood that without treatment, his leg would be useless within half an hour.