Ice Apocalypse (Season 1)

Chapter 68: Return the Favor

Zhou Keren noticed that Zhang Yi still harbored a sense of vigilance towards her, thinking to herself, "No wonder he can live so freely in this apocalypse."

"Please, have a seat." Zhang Yi gestured towards the nearby sofa, the gun in his hand now mysteriously present.

Obediently, Zhou Keren sat on the sofa, keeping a distance of two meters from Zhang Yi, her hands folded on her knees, resembling a well-behaved child.

"Listen, I allowed you to move in because you have some value to me. However, you must always remember that this is my home. Your residence here is a favor from me. Therefore, you must obey all my commands. Otherwise, I will drive you out. If you make any suspicious moves, once discovered, I won't hesitate to kill you!" Zhang Yi spoke with a cold tone, and Zhou Keren couldn't help but think, "How ruthless."

Though she understood Zhang Yi's reasons for saying such things, she felt that a gentler tone might have been more touching. Little did she know, Zhang Yi had been gentle before, but his kindness had been in vain.

Zhang Yi pointed towards a room. Their house had three rooms and a living room. Apart from Zhang Yi's master bedroom, there were two guest rooms.

"You will stay in that room. But let's be clear; every corner of this house has surveillance. So, you will always be under my watch, with no privacy. The room has a security door, slightly thinner than the main door but not something one can easily break. I have the key, and you can only leave during the time I permit. If you have any objections," Zhang Yi pointed towards the main door, "you can leave now."

Where would Zhou Keren go? Even if the conditions were harsh, compared to the cruel outside world, this house was a paradise!

She nodded, "Okay, I will follow your rules."

Zhou Keren's submissive attitude pleased Zhang Yi. Smart women made communication much more straightforward. Had it been someone like Fang Yuqing or Lin Caining, they might have thrown a tantrum. Perhaps that's why they didn't survive in this apocalypse.

Putting away the gun, Zhang Yi adjusted the position of another gun.

Looking at Zhou Keren, his tone softened slightly, "You are smart. It makes our future interactions easier. You should understand the hell outside. Other than relying on me, you have no other way to survive."

"So now, I will tell you a secret. Listen carefully."

Surprised, Zhou Keren widened her eyes, "A secret? You...are willing to tell me?"

Thinking that Zhang Yi, a cautious person, would easily reveal a secret, Zhou Keren was doubtful.

"To tell you this secret is to ensure your loyalty to me. However, even if you leak it, I'm not afraid. After all, in this world, everyone struggles for survival, and I'm not afraid of anyone threatening me. Those who wanted to kill me before have all been dealt with, as you've seen."

Nodding, Zhou Keren had indeed seen Zhang Yi's strength.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Yi continued, "The cause of this snow disaster, I believe you've seen it on the internet. It was caused by a supernova explosion, leading to a gamma-ray burst."

"This type of radiation has a certain impact on the human body, possibly causing mutations."

"So, I possess a superpower – I have gained an independent spatial dimension."

Ignoring Zhou Keren's astonished expression, Zhang Yi continued, "The reason I can live comfortably until now is that my space stores a large amount of supplies. Otherwise, relying solely on this house, as you can see, wouldn't be enough for long."

"Therefore, I live, and you can enjoy these supplies by following me. You can have food to eat and hot water to bathe. If I die, this house will quickly become indistinguishable from the others, and you will starve."

Zhang Yi didn't completely trust Zhou Keren, even though he knew she was a kind person. He only believed in self-interest, not in human nature. Because human nature could be twisted without much effort.

Only by telling Zhou Keren that he was alive could she become completely integrated into his interests. To make her trust him, Zhang Yi took out a long sandwich from the spatial dimension and threw it to her.

Seeing Zhang Yi perform this magical act, Zhou Keren's amazed eyes finally showed a trace of trust.

"Superpowers? Does such a thing really exist?"

Looking at the sandwich in her hands, she swallowed her saliva, not daring to eat it yet, waiting for Zhang Yi's command.

With a casual tone, Zhang Yi said, "Go ahead, it's for you."

Zhou Keren couldn't resist any longer and took a big bite. Zhang Yi, seeing her eat so eagerly, was afraid she might choke, so he poured a glass of water and handed it to her.

Zhou Keren finished the food, wolfing it down like a hungry beast. Fast food, which she used to disdain, now moved her to tears.

"Why is a simple piece of bread so delicious!"

Zhang Yi, while setting aside the gun, explained the rules of living here in a soft tone.

"I don't fully trust you, so you have to be sensible. Cleaning, cooking – don't wait for me to order you around. The sewer is frozen, so when you need to use the toilet, you have to use a specially made plastic bag, then throw it out through the window's secret door. From now on, that's your responsibility."

"In other words, you will be my maid. You'll have to rely on your labor to get a comfortable living environment and food. Remember that?"

In Zhang Yi's home, there was no place for idleness.

After finishing the meal, Zhou Keren, satisfied, kept nodding, "I understand. Master... I mean, Master."

She called out shyly.

Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow, "This little girl is quite smart!"

Seeing that she was full and satisfied, Zhang Yi's lips revealed a faint smile. Holding his chin, he gazed at her snowy neck.

"Do you know why, with so many people in the entire building, you and I are not the most familiar, yet I chose you?"

Zhou Keren pursed her lips.

"Because I am a doctor."

"You lack nothing, but you can't guarantee that you won't get sick or injured."

Zhang Yi nodded slightly.

"That's one reason. Although I'm healthy, one should always be prepared for potential risks."

He took out a half-empty bottle of red wine from under the coffee table and seemingly performed magic, producing two tall glasses. Pouring two glasses of red wine, he placed one in front of Zhou Keren.

"So, the second point, do you know why?"

Taking the red wine, Zhou Keren hesitated for a moment, took a sip, and a trace of understanding appeared in her eyes.

There was never free bread in this world.

"Because I am a woman, and a very beautiful woman at that."

This woman was very self-aware.

Setting down the wine glass, Zhou Keren stood up.

In front of Zhang Yi, she untied her bathrobe.

Zhang Yi didn't pretend to be a gentleman. After more than half a month of suppression, he needed to find a place to release.

So he released.