4: Chapter 4 Moral blackmail? Sorry, I don't fall for that!

Chen Ze spoke up suddenly, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

Everyone looked up in unison, gazing at the young figure in front of the observation window.

"Xiao Chen? How is it you?"

The first one to recognize Chen Ze was his landlady, Sister Hong. She looked at him in utter disbelief, as if she had seen a ghost.

Others might not have known Chen Ze's background, but Sister Hong knew clearly that Chen Ze was just a lowly food delivery guy. She never imagined that this Blockhouse actually belonged to Chen Ze.

After the shock, a bright, ingratiating smile blossomed on Sister Hong's face.

"Oh my, I really didn't expect this. Since this Blockhouse is yours, Xiao Chen, that makes things much easier!"

"Come on, come on! This is Xiao Chen. He used to rent my place, we're extremely close. He's such a good guy, he'll definitely take everyone in."

As Sister Hong spoke, she immediately beckoned everyone to move closer to the Blockhouse, acting very much like she was the owner of the place.

Seeing this, Chen Ze didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Big sister, listen to what you're saying—is that even human language? You were just telling me to get out because I was a few days late on rent, and now we're "extremely close"? To hell with you.

Before Chen Ze could speak, Manager Guo immediately chimed in, following Sister Hong's lead.

"Haha, I didn't expect this Blockhouse to belong to Brother Xiao Chen. That makes things easy! Everyone, go back and pack your things; we're moving into the Blockhouse right now."

"Brother Chen Ze is righteous. My wife and I will just stay on the fourth floor; we don't mind the heat or the cold!"

As soon as Yang Wei said this, several people nearby immediately looked dissatisfied.

Everyone knew that monsters would attack at night, and the higher floors were definitely safer. We want to move to the top floor too.

"Wait, Old Yang, what do you mean by that? Why should you get to live on the top floor?"

"Exactly! I have neurasthenia; living underground would be too noisy. I need to live above."

"Oh, give it a rest. I have three kids; I must live on the top floor."

Everyone started talking at once, and in an instant, they were arguing, each trying to secure a more favorable spot for themselves.

Chen Ze watched the chaotic scene, and this time he really couldn't hold it in. He sneered and spoke.

"Are you all brain-damaged? When did I ever agree to let you in? Get the hell out of here!"

As soon as he said this, the whole crowd went silent. Everyone was stunned for a moment, followed by even greater commotion.

An old lady with gray hair squeezed out from the crowd and pointed at Chen Ze.

"Young man, what do you mean by that? We're all from the same neighborhood. Now that we're in trouble, what's wrong with helping your neighbors? Is it necessary to be so stingy?"

"Exactly! Look at what you're saying. If we all stay together, wouldn't you be safer too?"

Yang Wei hurriedly chimed in to support her.

Guo Changzheng didn't speak immediately. He saw it clearly: the person upstairs was just a young guy, likely easy to manipulate. He pressed his hand down, waited for the crowd to quieten, and then spoke.

"Xiao Chen, look, a Blockhouse this big is really a waste for just one person. Everyone doesn't mean anything else by it; we just want a place to stay. Everyone was definitely a bit impulsive just now, don't take it to heart. We're all in this doomsday environment; we need to help each other to survive. If you're willing to take everyone in, we can help you defend the place later, right?"

After Guo Changzheng finished speaking, many people nodded in agreement, but some were still whispering.

"Just a lowly food delivery guy, acting all high and mighty. Isn't he just a bit lucky?"

"Damn it, once he opens the door, I'm going to give him a good beating!"

Chen Ze naturally couldn't hear their whispers, but he could clearly see their expressions.

"I already said it, the Blockhouse is mine. While I can still control my temper, get the hell out of here!"

He had seen it all today. What kind of trash were these people? How could they have the audacity to demand to move into his shelter?

Hearing Chen Ze's rebuke, Sister Hong immediately got anxious.

"No, Xiao Chen, you can't say that. I rented my place to you for half a year. Now that you've got this Blockhouse, logically, half of it should be mine. Even if you don't let them in, I should at least be able to get in, right?"

As soon as Sister Hong said this, Chen Ze was so angry he laughed.

"What? Did I not pay you rent for the place I rented? Following your logic, if your house gets demolished, should I get half of the demolition compensation too?"

"Sure, how about this? Your Blockhouse probably lacks everything. Let's swap; you go live in my luxury apartment. Even if we return to the original world later, the house will be yours. My house is worth at least 2 million!"

Chen Ze finally saw today just how shameless people could be.

Talking about swapping his Blockhouse for a luxury apartment—it was simply ridiculous. Did they really take everyone else for idiots?

"I'll say this one last time: I won't let any of you stay in my Fortress. If you continue to harass me, I won't be polite!"

In this unknown world, Chen Ze understood the principle of hiding one's strength. Although he had a gun in his hand, being too flashy wasn't necessarily a good thing; it would easily make him a target. Otherwise, he would have let the people below hear a gunshot right now.

Seeing that Chen Ze was immovable, some people already started to back down.

After all, the Blockhouse belonged to him. Instead of wasting time here, they might as well go back and reinforce their doors and windows to prepare for the monster attack at night.

"Manager Guo, look, we can't get into the Blockhouse. Maybe we should go back and figure something else out."

"Yeah, the sky is about to get dark. I don't want to die here on the first day."

"Let's go, let's go. I knew it, Old Guo couldn't get it done. With the time wasted here, I could have already reinforced my doors and windows!"

Listening to everyone's complaints, Guo Changzheng frowned deeply. He looked up at Chen Ze's cold, stern face and suddenly made a ruthless decision.

"Since it's like this, don't you regret it!"

He turned to look at the crowd.

"The kid upstairs doesn't treat us as neighbors, so we don't need to be polite to him either. Everyone, let's go together and take his Blockhouse by force!"

As soon as he said this, those who were preparing to leave all stopped in their tracks.

That's right, if he won't open the door, with so many of us, why don't we just smash the door open and take it? Anyway, there's no law to restrict us anymore; isn't it whoever has the biggest fist who gets to call the shots?

"Hehe, I was just waiting for those words from you, Manager Guo!"

Security Captain Lei Dayong grinned maliciously. He pointed at Chen Ze, who was on the Blockhouse, and continued.

"You little brat, I gave you a chance, but you didn't want it. Once I get the door open, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

After finishing, Security Captain Lei Dayong immediately beckoned the crowd.

"Come on, help me pry the door open! Anyone who doesn't pull their weight shouldn't even think about living in the Blockhouse!"

With someone taking the lead, many people in the crowd immediately became restless and followed Security Captain Lei Dayong, surging towards the Blockhouse's entrance.

Some of them grabbed stones and sticks from the roadside, completely unaware that their actions had completely triggered Chen Ze's murderous intent.