Chapter 62: Live-Streaming a Feast for the Neighbors
"Open the door, open the door!"
"It's Chen Zhenghao. We're swapping houses with you. Open up, or I'll shoot!"
Inside, the young couple clung to each other in fear.
"What do we do? Theyâre here to take our house. We wonât even have the last bit of food left," the wife said, looking at her young husband with despair.
The husband, a bespectacled office worker, hugged his wife, trying to comfort her, "Donât worry, itâll be okay. If they want the house, weâll give it to them."
"Quick, hide the remaining food on us."
The couple hid their scarce food in their clothes and, trembling, opened the door.
Seeing the fierce-looking Chen Zhenghao and his men, the man swallowed nervously and bowed, "Brother Hao, this house is yours now. Weâll leave immediately!"
As he tried to leave with his wife, one of Chen Zhenghaoâs men sneered and raised an iron pipe.
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, the manâs vision went black as he collapsed, disbelief etched in his eyes even in unconsciousness.
He didnât understand why, even though he had complied, they still attacked him.
The woman screamed in terror, watching her husband fall, only for another pipe to strike her head, silencing her screams.
Two of Chen Zhenghaoâs men approached, ensuring the couple would never speak again.
Zhou Keâer, witnessing the murders, covered her mouth, utterly shocked.
She had never seen such brutality and couldnât maintain her composure despite her strong psychological resilience.
Chen Zhenghao glanced at her, smirking coldly, "It's too cold. They were going to die sooner or later. Dr. Zhou, you need to get used to this."
Having killed many, Chen Zhenghao had lost all respect for life.
Moreover, he feared Zhang Yiâs bounty and the recent attack had instilled fear in him.
He needed to suppress the residents more brutally to make them submit.
Zhou Keâer stifled her nausea and said nothing.
Chen Zhenghao arrogantly entered the apartment, instructing his men to clean up the bodies.
...
Over the next few days, Zhang Yi often heard noises coming from the apartment next door.
He knew it was Chen Zhenghao and his men searching for weaknesses in his defenses.
They also took turns monitoring Zhang Yiâs front door and back window, hoping to catch him when he went out to dump trash or fetch snow for water.
But Chen Zhenghao didnât know Zhang Yi had a huge storage space with ample water supplies.
However, Zhang Yi couldnât risk opening the window to throw out trash since Chen Zhenghao had a gun.
Yet, having more trash wasnât a big deal for a homebody like Zhang Yi.
When bored, he played games or watched downloaded movies and TV shows.
The resident chat group still echoed with pleas and furious curses directed at him.
"Zhang Yi, youâre an inhuman bastard!"
"You could extend our lives, but youâre too selfish!"
"Youâre destined to be lonely forever!"
"Donât you have a heart? By not helping us, youâll live your life in guilt and regret!"
Facing the neighborsâ curses, Zhang Yi had a simple response.
He decided to live-stream his meals, recording his daily life to show them.
"Hello, everyone. Today, Iâm making braised pork!"
He tossed a large piece of pork belly, weighing at least two pounds, onto the cutting board.
The neighbors went crazy with envy.
"Why use so much pork belly for braised pork? If you canât finish it, donât waste it. Give it to me!"
"Zhang Yi, youâre a beast! You donât deserve that pork belly!"
"Zhang Yi, I havenât had meat for a week. Please, just let me have some pork skin!"
"Even a sip of the oil would do. You donât need it, right? Give it to me, please!"
The starving neighbors had no resistance to such high-fat food.
Zhang Yi cooked skillfully, the aroma of the braised pork seemingly wafting through the screen.
After a while, Zhang Yi frowned, tasted a piece, and spat it into the trash.
"Too much soy sauce! Damn, the whole pot is ruined."
Although he cooked often, Zhang Yi rarely made large dishes, and an excess of soy sauce had ruined the taste.
The caramelized sugar was also overdone, making the meat bitter.
"How can I eat this? Such a waste, such a waste!" Zhang Yi shook his head, frustrated.
Intending to show off his cooking skills, he had messed up.
Regrettably, he had no dogs at home to eat the ruined pork, so he had to throw it all away.
The group chat exploded instantly, the neighbors going mad.
"Donât throw it away! My mouth is a trash can; throw it to me!"
"Why did you throw it away? Why, why, why? Ahhhh!!"
"Throw out your trash now, and Iâll pick it up!"
"Master, your old servant is late. Do you need a dog to handle your trash?"
Some were so angry they nearly fainted.
Their hearts bled at the thought of the wasted food.
In the freezing cold, with no gas for cooking, even a hot meal was a luxury, let alone braised pork, which they couldnât even dream of.
Yet, Zhang Yi had thrown away an entire pot!
"Better eat something ready-made."
Zhang Yi shifted the camera to his clean, neat table, filled with various dishes.
The warm yellow lamp made the food look even more appetizing.
Zhang Yi pointed to each dish, enthusiastically introducing them.
"Tonightâs dinner includes oil-braised shrimp, scallion-braised sea cucumber, specialty tofu, sweet and sour Yellow River carp, nine-turn intestines, marinated fish fillets, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, blackfish egg soup, and candied yams."
"Folks, the dishes are ready. Time to eat!"
He set up his phone like a food vlogger, picking up his chopsticks to feast.
The group chat went wild.
"Zhang Yi, just give me a bite. Iâll kowtow to you!"
"Zhang Yi, let my child have a bite of fish, even just the tail!"
"Zhang Yi, youâre my father, and Iâm your son. Let me have a sip of soup!"
The desperate pleas filled the chat, with some even bombarding Zhang Yiâs phone with calls.
Ignoring them, Zhang Yi enjoyed his meal, savoring each bite.
Seeing the furious expressions of his neighbors made the meal even more delicious for him.