Chapter 59: The Young Man

3204.

Su Dai and Sun Jingtao stood behind the peephole, fists clenched, silently watching everything happening outside.

If Su Dai hadn’t desperately held him back, Sun Jingtao—with veins bulging on his arms—would have already charged out with his bone cleaver when Bowl-Cut tried to attack for the second time.

Watching the crowd file into 3202, Su Dai finally let out a small sigh of relief, though her back was still cold with fear.

“Honey, this is basically daylight robbery! When Liu Dahong organized everyone to move sandbags during the heavy rain a few days ago, I actually thought he had a sense of responsibility and was doing it for the good of the residents in Qianshui Bay.

But now it’s clear—he’s just been scheming all along!”

“If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve just killed him with a single strike when I found out he was skimming off the official supplies!” Sun Jingtao stomped his foot in regret.

Unfortunately, the other side had already gained too much power.

Whatever they did now, it was too late.

A trace of worry flashed in Su Dai’s eyes. “Honey, maybe we should just give up our apartment voluntarily. Worst case, we move into the hallway on the 31st floor!

Once they break into 3201, we’ll be next on their list!”

As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.

First, they had to stay alive.

“No.” Sun Jingtao pulled his gaze away from the peephole and shook his head firmly.

Su Dai: “?”

“I saw Ye Qing. He just came up—he’s not with Liu Dahong’s group.”

“Ye Qing?” Su Dai was taken aback. She leaned over to look through the peephole, then turned back, confused. “You mean that young guy who rents 0101, the one with no parents who lives with his grandparents?”

Sun Jingtao nodded, grunting in affirmation.

Su Dai: “What does that have to do with us? He’s just a college sophomore, what could he possibly do?”

“That’s what you don’t understand. Xiao Ye was born into a family of police officers, but sadly, his parents died in the line of duty while chasing fugitives when he was young. He’s been living with his grandparents ever since.

His grandparents have trouble getting around and have chronic illnesses that need treatment at the traditional medicine clinic next to our complex, so they moved here from his parents’ work unit dormitory.

Don’t underestimate him—he’s a specially recruited national defense student, and he’s also this year’s national college martial arts champion.

I figure the reason he came up is probably related to his grandparents being killed by the blood mosquitoes. Most likely, he’s here to seek revenge on 3201.”

Su Dai: “Honey, you’ve been talking for a while, but I still don’t get it.”

Sun Jingtao sighed and patiently explained:

“First, in the underground parking lot, Zhang Qiqi kept insisting that it was 3201 who let the blood mosquitoes in when she went to the official shelter. I think there’s something fishy about that.

That girl from 3201 might be a bit withdrawn and cold, but she’s not immoral or clueless.

Second, to catch the bandits, you have to catch their leader first. If we can persuade Ye Qing to take down Liu Dahong, the rest of that ragtag group will be easy to deal with.

Plus, there are still some strong people among the residents and the property management. If we can get the residents on our side, our chances of winning go way up.”

“But Gao Daxiong is tough too. He just killed someone without batting an eye—he’s ruthless.” Su Dai still looked worried.

She was referring to Bowl-Cut, who, along with Gao Dazhuang, were the Tang brothers.

“That’s what you have me for. I’m confident I can handle him,” Sun Jingtao said, then added, “To be honest, I wish that girl from 3201 was home too. I heard she once picked up an eight-kilogram chainsaw with one hand—she must have some fighting ability.

Besides, if her door still has power, that chainsaw of hers is way more effective than our cold weapons.”

Su Dai seemed to understand, but also not quite. She was about to ask more when suddenly, a loud, raucous ringtone blared from the end of the hallway across from them.

“The great river flows east, the stars in the sky join the Big Dipper, hey hey, join the Big Dipper…”

The music was coming from the door of 3201.

The couple exchanged shocked glances. Sun Jingtao pressed his face right up to the peephole.

But it wasn’t just Su Dai and Sun Jingtao who were stunned.

The lower-floor residents who had been waiting outside to confirm whether Jiang Yan was home were also taken aback.

And, of course, so were the people across the hall, swinging hammers and crowbars as they tried to break through Jiang Yan’s outer wall in 3202.

“Manager Liu, there’s someone in 3201!” someone in the residents’ group shouted in alarm.

Everyone immediately rushed out of 3202 in a clamor.

Leading the charge was Zhang Qiqi. She put her hands on her hips and glared at the door of 3201.

“Jiang Yan, you little bitch! Get out here! Today you’re going to pay for my dead son!”

The others shouted in unison, “You little bitch, get out here!”

“Damn! I thought she wasn’t home—I was finally going to avenge my parents!”

“That shameless woman, she’s the one who let the blood mosquitoes in!”

The crowd erupted in angry, chaotic curses, but no one dared to actually step forward.

After all, that door was electrified with 500 volts—nobody wanted to end up a charred corpse by accident.

Liu Dahong raised his hand, and everyone instantly fell silent.

He walked a few steps closer to the door of 3201 and asked in a deep voice, “Miss Jiang, are you home?”

His words were polite, but his grip on the steel crowbar was tight.

The door to 3201 creaked open.

But not all the way.

To be precise, it opened just wide enough for two palms, still secured by three or four thick anti-theft chains.

The crowd was about to surge forward when a cold female voice, amplified through a loudspeaker, drifted out from the crack in the door:

“I advise you all to stay right where you are! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude! I don’t need to explain what happens when you mix 500 volts of electricity with a water gun, do I?!”

Everyone froze, instinctively taking several steps back.

Zhang Qiqi gritted her teeth and tried to provoke her. “Jiang Yan, stop hiding in there like a coward! If you’ve got guts, come out and talk!”

“You’re not even worthy of talking to me. Get lost!” Jiang Yan replied coldly.

“You—!” Zhang Qiqi’s face turned red and white with rage. She was about to rush forward with her knife, but Zhang Qiming pulled her back.

“Miss Jiang, we’re only here today to get an explanation! Everyone knows you’re the only one from Building A who left for the official shelter, so we want to ask—did you forget to close the door?!

It’s thundering and raining outside—please, search your conscience and tell us the truth!” A bespectacled man in the residents’ group called out.

“Yeah, if you lie, may you be struck by lightning!”

Every debt has its debtor.

Although the crowd had been misled by Zhang Qiqi, deep down they couldn’t be 100% sure it was this girl who let the blood mosquitoes in.

Most of them were honest people, not as ruthless or unreasonable as Gao Daxiong and Liu Dahong.

Jiang Yan listened to their childish accusations, her tone growing more serious: “Do you really want to know the truth?”

“Of course!” the crowd replied anxiously in unison.

Liu Dahong and Zhang Qiqi exchanged a knowing glance.

A few property managers gave him a subtle nod—they’d checked when they opened the door, and no one was there.

As for the security cameras, the power had long since gone out.

And since they were the ones in charge of the cameras, if they couldn’t see anything, no one else could.

Jiang Yan let out a cold laugh. “Then send a representative from your residents’ group up here. I’ll give you something—so you can see the truth for yourselves!”

Liu Dahong frowned slightly at her words.

“Neighbors, don’t be fooled by her! Whatever evidence she has, it’s fake!” Zhang Qiqi nearly jumped out of her skin.

But the residents ignored her, exchanging uncertain glances.

No one dared step forward—mainly because of that 500-volt electrified door, which still made them uneasy.

And they were also afraid Jiang Yan might be up to something.

“I’ll go.”

At that moment, a young man of eighteen or nineteen, dressed all in black, stepped out from the back of the crowd.

He was tall and stood straight, his thin face—made gaunt by malnutrition—showing no emotion.

His messy, long hair covered a pair of cold, indifferent eyes.

Sigh, still not finished. I’m okay, though—PK3 was a success, I’ve advanced! Thank you all, darlings!!! (heart gesture) Love you all~"