On the side, Zhou Peng was eagerly trying to impress Fang Yuqing.
However, it was evident that Fang Yuqing wasn't interested in a man like Zhou Peng. Despite Zhou Peng having much lower economic status than Zhang Yi, he even rented his house.
Nevertheless, Fang Yuqing still smiled and said, "Thank you, Zhou Peng. But unfortunately, I already made plans with friends that night. What a coincidence!"
A hint of disappointment flashed across Zhou Peng's face. He had spent an entire month's salary on those two concert tickets, hoping to confess to Fang Yuqing during the event. Little did he know that his efforts would be in vain.
Observing this scene, Zhang Yi's lips curled into a mocking smile. He knew that Zhou Peng, this lapdog, wouldn't achieve any results.
However, in his disappointment, Zhou Peng noticed Zhang Yi smirking nearby and couldn't contain his anger. To shift the embarrassment, he approached Zhang Yi, saying, "Zhang Yi, you're really unscrupulous! A grown man making a woman help you move things. Have some shame, will you?"
"Yushan was complaining about back pain all day after helping you. Next time, don't bother her with such things!"
Zhang Yi glanced at Fang Yuqing. So, this woman had spread the news.
Fang Yuqing pretended, "It's nothing, really. I didn't hurt myself. It's just that I'm not good at heavy lifting, and my back got a bit strained."
In an attempt to showcase his manliness in front of Fang Yuqing, Zhou Peng boldly pointed at Zhang Yi, "You quickly give Yushan 500 bucks for medical treatment!"
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yi's eyes turned cold, and he scolded Zhou Peng, "She volunteered to help me move things; I didn't ask for her help. Besides, who do you think you are to meddle in my affairs?"
Zhang Yi's harsh words left both Zhou Peng and Fang Yuqing stunned. As a mere office clerk in the warehouse without any power, Zhou Peng dared to scold Zhang Yi only because Zhang Yi was generally easygoing and avoided conflicts. However, witnessing Zhang Yi's anger now made Zhou Peng hesitate.
"Why... why are you yelling? I was just discussing it with you."
Zhang Yi sneered, turned, and walked away. He couldn't be bothered to waste words on Zhou Peng. To him, everyone he saw now seemed like a dead person. In a month, 99% of these people would die in the frigid storm of the apocalypse.
Why bother arguing with the dead?
After Zhang Yi left, Zhou Peng went to Fang Yuqing and whispered, "Yushan, I told you Zhang Yi isn't a good guy. You should stay away from him."
Fang Yuqing furrowed her brows, feeling puzzled. In the past few days, Zhang Yi seemed like an entirely different person. He no longer greeted her or chatted with her every night. "There must be something strange going on!"
...
After finishing work, Zhang Yi drove to a five-star hotel in Tianhai City.
It happened to be the Hong Fu Tian Xia, where he had made reservations for dinner.
Hearing that Zhang Yi had arrived, the manager of Hong Fu Tian Xia greeted him warmly and arranged a room for him. A night at a five-star hotel cost over a thousand, but Zhang Yi didn't mind spending it.
He had several million in hand, and he wouldn't feel wasteful unless he spent it all.
That night, Fang Yuqing, surprisingly, took the initiative to send Zhang Yi a message.
Fang Yuqing: "Zhang Yi, I passed by your place today and saw someone renovating it!"
Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow, "Yes."
Fang Yuqing: "You've been acting strange recently, hoarding things and renovating the house. Is something going to happen soon?"
Zhang Yi couldn't help but smirk. It seemed that his recent unusual behavior had caught her attention. He didn't care; others' opinions were meaningless to him now.
"Nothing," he coldly replied and tossed his phone aside.
On the other end, Fang Yuqing, faced with Zhang Yi's indifferent response, felt an uncomfortable sensation in her heart.
For the past two years, Zhang Yi had always been exceptionally good to her. He cared for her and chatted with her every night. However, recently, he seemed like an entirely different person—cold and unresponsive.
Even though she wasn't interested in Zhang Yi, she couldn't tolerate him losing interest in her. To Fang Yuqing, it felt like a fish escaping from her pond.
Although Zhang Yi wasn't a wealthy second-generation, he was still a high-quality middle-class man. If she couldn't find a rich second-generation to marry, Zhang Yi would be a suitable backup plan.
Fang Yuqing picked up her phone and sent another message.
"I feel like our communication has decreased lately. It makes me feel a bit lonely. 😔"
But after waiting for a while, she received no reply. Fang Yuqing bit her lip, starting to feel annoyed.
"This damned Zhang Yi! Has he gone crazy lately? I took the initiative to contact him, and he dares not to reply to my messages!"
Her roommate, Lin Caining, overheard Fang Yuqing's complaint and walked over with a smile.
"Zhang Yi has indeed been acting weird lately. Who knows why he's buying so much food and drinks, and even reserving banquets from hotels. It's like he's preparing for a shortage of supplies."
Hearing this, Fang Yuqing furrowed her brows. "Could it be that he got some information and is stocking up in advance?"
Laughing at Fang Yuqing's speculation, Lin Caining said, "Yushan, are you silly? If something were really going to happen, the authorities would notify us. Let's just relax. If he's hoarding supplies, people will laugh at us for being fools."
Fang Yuqing smiled self-deprecatingly. "True."
...
Zhang Yi stayed in the suite of the five-star hotel for several days.
During this time, he not only purchased banquets from various hotels but also practiced using compound bows and crossbows in his room.
Fortunately, his past interest in hunting had given him a solid foundation. Within a range of fifteen meters, his accuracy was exceptionally high. With a professional-grade compound bow in hand, he could shoot an arrow comparable to that of an ancient archer.
Not only was he preparing for potential encounters with humans, but he was also ready to face wild boars, jackals, large dogs, or anything else that might pose a threat.