Apocalyptic Rebirth

66.Certificate of investment

Zhang Yi stood on the balcony, his body leaning against the window. As long as things took a wrong turn, he could easily retreat to his room.

Chen Zhenghao and his henchmen were on the adjacent balcony, appearing as if they had passed out.

However, Zhang Yi couldn't be certain if they were truly unconscious. What if they had set a trap with Zhou Ker to lure him in? It was possible that once he went over, they would spring back to life and eliminate him.

Moreover, there was a gap of about a foot between the two balconies, and the stainless steel railing was particularly slippery on snowy days. Climbing between the balconies, Zhou Ker could easily push him off the 24th floor.

So—

Zhang Yi pointed his gun at Chen Zhenghao and the others on the ground.

"Use these ropes to tie their hands behind their backs," he commanded, "I remember Chen Zhenghao had a gun; hand it to me as well."

Zhou Ker looked exasperated. She hadn't eaten for two days, had only drunk a little water, and now she had to drag ten people to the balcony. She had no energy left. Seeing Zhang Yi's extreme caution, even unwillingness to help, she bit her chapped lips and said, "Aren't you being too cautious?"

"Caution is the parent of safety. I won't take any risks," Zhang Yi replied calmly.

With the gun barrel still pointed at her, Zhou Ker had no choice but to follow Zhang Yi's orders. She picked up the ropes and tightly bound the hands of those individuals from behind.

When she reached into Chen Zhenghao's pocket to retrieve the gun, Zhang Yi's gun was still aimed at her head.

"Take the magazine out of the gun and throw it over here," he instructed.

Zhou Ker, looking at Zhang Yi, suddenly bit her lip and asked, "How can I trust you? What if I do all of this, and you turn on me afterward?"

Zhang Yi responded, "Right now, you don't have any other options but to trust me. Only by trusting me do you have a chance to survive in this harsh environment."

After a moment's contemplation, Zhou Ker realized that she had no choice but to trust Zhang Yi. She couldn't cross her moral boundaries and eat human flesh, but that also meant she was destined to starve to death.

Following Zhang Yi's instructions, she removed the magazine from the gun and threw it over to him.

Zhang Yi gave it a cursory glance to ensure it was indeed Chen Zhenghao's gun and then said to Zhou Ker, "Now go back to your room."

Zhou Ker returned to her room with caution, her heart racing.

If Chen Zhenghao and his group woke up, Zhang Yi could retreat to his room, but she would be doomed.

But, as Zhang Yi had said, she didn't have a choice.

Back in her room, Zhang Yi didn't immediately cross the balcony. He picked up the gun Chen Zhenghao had used from the floor. Glancing at the magazine, he saw it still had three bullets inside.

Zhang Yi placed the gun in his alternate space, then returned to his room, where he grabbed a water hose from the bathroom.

He aimed it toward the people on the other balcony.

The reason he didn't fire a gunshot was twofold: to save bullets and to avoid attracting unwanted attention and complications.

"Splish-splash!"

Water gushed from the hose, crossing a distance of about three to four meters, hitting Chen Zhenghao and the others. The transition from the indoor temperature of over 20 degrees Celsius to the outdoor temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius, with a nearly 100-degree temperature difference, caused the initially warm water to emit steam as it sprayed.

However, as soon as it landed on them, it began to freeze instantly.

In her room, Zhou Ker, witnessing the scene, couldn't help but hug herself tightly. To die frozen like this was indeed an extremely cruel fate.

Thanks to the ice-cold water drenching them, the group of people gradually began to wake up. The ice-cold water had seeped into their bodies, causing them to freeze all over.

"Ahhhh!"

A young Karami had lips frozen and turning purple, and he let out a terrified scream. He tried to get up but realized his hands were tightly bound behind his back. Additionally, the ground was covered in a thick layer of ice, making him continuously slip, rendering him unable to climb to his feet.

Chen Zhenghao was also awakened by the icy water splashing on his face. He looked bewildered and suddenly realized that he had been drugged. However, he didn't have the time to figure out who had drugged him now.

The relentless stream of cold water drenching his body made him feel as if he was in an ice cave, with a piercing, bone-chilling sensation like a thousand needles pricking every pore.

Everyone woke up, screaming in terror. But their struggles proved futile; they couldn't get up, and their numbers crowding the balcony made it even harder to move with limbs entangled.

"Zhang Yi!!" Chen Zhenghao shouted in rage when he saw the hose from the neighboring balcony spraying water onto them.

Finally, Zhang Yi emerged from his room, and a small opening was made in the previously unbreakable window.

Unfortunately, with his hands bound, he couldn't save himself from his impending doom. "You've made enough trouble. It's time for you to die," Zhang Yi said coldly.

Chen Zhenghao and his associates had killed nearly half of their neighbors in the entire building, almost matching Zhang Yi's body count. Keeping them alive any longer would mean facing an imminent struggle against him. While Zhang Yi wasn't afraid, he wasn't about to jeopardize his life.

Is there anything safer than a dead person?

Chen Zhenghao's group struggled and screamed with all their remaining strength. However, they couldn't get up, and the freezing water poured over their faces, into their mouths, and under their collars. Their clothes became soaked and turned into solid blocks of ice.

After two minutes, they were lying on the ground, unable to make a sound, only convulsing with bluish-purple skin.

Three minutes later, they couldn't move at all, having transformed into ten enormous ice blocks. After five minutes, these ice blocks grew larger and fused together into a single solid mass of ice.

To conserve water, Zhang Yi didn't continue to spray. In this condition, without modern medical means, they couldn't possibly survive.

Zhang Yi returned to his room and secured the locked door and windows. He then changed out of the heavy winter gear and called Zhou Ker.

"You've passed the test; you can come over now."

In the neighboring room, Zhou Ker heard Zhang Yi's voice, and the tension in her heart was finally relieved. Trembling, she replied, "Alright, I'll come over immediately."

She grabbed her medical kit, opened the door in a hurry, and left the hellish room.

Zhang Yi unlocked the four-layered door of the heavy safe and stepped back two paces, raising his pistol, aiming it at the doorway.

He glanced at the surveillance feed, confirming that Zhou Ker was in good shape before using the mobile app to unlock the last electronic door.

"You can come in now!"

Outside the door, Zhou Ker heard his voice and used her cold, pale hand to push the heavy door with all her strength. The door was incredibly heavy, and she struggled to open it. Yet, as it started to crack open, a surge of warmth enveloped her, dispelling the feeling of extreme cold.

Zhou Ker's eyes shone with excitement. It had been far too long since she had experienced such warmth. She pushed with all her might, and when the door was slightly ajar, a rush of comforting warmth embraced her. It felt like walking into a bath.

Slowly, she even began to feel the unbearable sensation of heat. After all, she was wearing six layers of clothes, including two down jackets. In Zhang Yi's apartment with a temperature of 27°C, the excessive heat was intolerable.

So, without paying attention to the pistol aimed at her by Zhang Yi, she hurriedly removed her clothes.