Chapter 98: Don’t Mess With a Lunatic

""Exactly! Neighbors are supposed to help each other. You’ve got so many supplies—why shouldn’t you share some with us?!""

""Hah! Let me tell you the truth—someone already reported Jiang Yan for illegally possessing a firearm to the authorities today! Are you planning to cover for her and get yourselves in trouble too?!""

""Either let us move up to the 32nd floor, or lend us your inflatable boat, or split half of your supplies from the past few days with us! Don’t think we haven’t noticed—every time your boat comes back, it’s loaded with stuff!""

""Yeah! You have to give us half! Or we’ll just come up and take it by force!""

""Ye Qing, Sun Jingtao, I know you two are pretty capable. But even counting everyone, you’re just three people. That gun-toting she-devil isn’t even here right now, so I suggest you be smart about this!""

The people upstairs were all shouting at once, their words making no sense, each one sounding fiercer than the last.

Jiang Yan’s steps faltered.

She turned her head and glanced upward, only to see a dense crowd, some brandishing sticks and pipes, blocking the stairwell below the 32nd floor fire door.

Most of them were holding life preservers or something similar—probably people from the remaining buildings who had gathered together.

The fire door on the 32nd floor was half open, letting in a bit of dim light.

Ye Qing and Sun Jingtao stood guard at the door, both holding weapons.

Though they were outnumbered, their upright figures and advantageous position gave them an imposing presence—like two warriors holding a pass against a thousand enemies.

""You say someone has a gun just because you say so? What a joke! Which eye of yours saw it?!"" Su Dai cut in, deftly steering the conversation away from the supplies.

Her voice was brimming with anger.

Jiang Yan couldn’t see her, but guessed she was standing behind Sun Jingtao and Ye Qing.

""W-we all saw it!"" someone stammered, pointing to the people around them.

""Yeah, we’re all witnesses!"" Several others nodded in agreement.

Su Dai’s face turned red with fury at their shamelessness. ""Zhang Dan, how can you people be so heartless and shameless, spouting lies like this? Besides, Jiang Yan helped you uncover the truth—now you’re turning around and blaming her?!""

When they dealt with Liu Dahong and the others that day, these people weren’t even there!

""The guy’s dead—what good is the truth now? We don’t care! Don’t change the subject! Either give us the supplies, or give us the supplies!"" Zhang Dan, emboldened by the crowd, was especially aggressive.

Su Dai’s voice rose even higher: ""You keep talking about the authorities, but now you’re trying to rob us in broad daylight. Aren’t you afraid of what’ll happen when the authorities show up tomorrow?""

""Hah! You were selfish first! And anyway, who can prove we’re the ones robbing you?""

Su Dai wanted to retort, but Ye Qing raised a hand to stop her.

Ye Qing swept his cold gaze over the crowd, finally settling on Zhang Dan’s face. He spoke, enunciating each word:

""You want supplies? If you’re missing arms or legs, I wouldn’t mind sharing a little.""

As he finished, a hint of murderous intent flickered in his eyes.

""You little brat, still wet behind the ears—who are you threatening?! Damn—ow!""

*Thud!*

A dull thump echoed as a blunt weapon struck a skull, sending hot, red blood splattering everywhere.

No one in the stairwell expected Ye Qing to suddenly strike. The crowd, faces splashed with blood, recoiled in shock.

They were all from other buildings.

Over the past couple of days, they’d heard bits and pieces about what happened on the 32nd floor of Building A.

After several rounds of gossip, Jiang Yan had become, in their minds, a lunatic who lost her mind after her mother’s tragic death, and now roamed around with a gun, killing anyone she saw.

Don’t mess with a lunatic.

Especially not a lunatic with a gun—that was the consensus.

As for Ye Qing and Sun Jingtao, they only knew one was a former soldier and the other a college student—both seemed like decent people, nothing to be too afraid of.

Besides, they had the numbers.

""I’ll fight you to the death!"" Zhang Dan wiped the blood from his forehead and charged up the stairs, axe in hand.

*Bang!*

Ye Qing lashed out with a powerful kick, slamming into Zhang Dan’s chest.

Others rushed to catch him, but when they felt the blood drip onto their hands, they instinctively let go.

Already unsteady on the steps, Zhang Dan lost his balance and tumbled down.

*Crack!*

His already fractured skull smashed against the stairs. Eyes bulging, mouth twisted, he died instantly.

""Holy shit, you just killed someone in broad daylight!""

""Just wait till the authorities come tomorrow—you’re finished!""

…

The crowd shrank back a few steps, fear in their eyes, but still tried to save face by shouting defiantly.

""We’re done talking! If any of you try anything against the 32nd floor again, just come at us!"" Sun Jingtao stepped forward.

""Yeah! One comes, we smash one! A whole bunch comes, we smash a whole bunch!"" Su Dai, standing behind him, waved her iron hammer.

Ye Qing glanced coldly at the crowd. ""Still not leaving?""

""You—""

Someone tried to argue, but Ye Qing’s glare made the words die in their throat.

Someone, looking defeated, was about to leave when another stopped them.

""We can’t go! If we leave, they’ll get rid of Zhang Dan’s body! We have to stay and watch!""

""Yeah! We’ll wait here for the authorities’ boat!""

""Right, anyone who leaves today is a coward!""

""I don’t believe it—what, we can’t even stand in the stairwell? What’s he going to do, come down and kill us all?"" someone said, plopping down on the steps.

Seeing this, the others sat down as well.

Standing on the 30th floor, Jiang Yan craned her neck to watch for a while, until it started to ache.

After thinking it over, she put away her flashlight, hoisted the inflatable boat onto her shoulder, and started slowly climbing the stairs.

The now-silent crowd immediately heard footsteps coming from below.

A few people leaned over to peek.

The stairwell was dim, and compared to them in the light, Jiang Yan was hidden in the shadows.

After a few seconds, all they could see was someone carrying a boat up the stairs.

""Looks like a boat!"" someone whispered in surprise.

The crowd’s eyes lit up, everyone getting ready to make a move.

But when they saw Jiang Yan, carrying the inflatable boat around the corner, the light in their eyes died.

They didn’t know her by face, but they’d heard of her—and guessed it must be her.

Never mind anything else—just the fact that she could carry an inflatable boat up from the 16th floor was enough to show she wasn’t ordinary.

Instinctively, the crowd parted to either side of the stairs, leaving a narrow path for her.

""Jiang Yan!""

Su Dai and the others spotted Jiang Yan, their eyes lighting up with relief."