32: Next-door neighbor

Since then, Villa No. 35 gained the reputation of the "Living Yama" among the vicious forces, and for a time, no one dared to provoke them.

Ai Yues family lived peacefully amidst the thugs.

The thugs' firepower was too intense; Ai Yue could only stay inside the villa and couldn't go out, as someone would shoot the moment she stepped outside.

She couldn't save everyone in the same residential area, but Ai Yue managed to protect the two villas next to hers.

Whenever the thugs approached the two neighboring houses, Ai Yue would set up her sniper rifle and deliver a headshot with every bullet.

Over time, seeing that he couldn't take down these three villas and that going there was just throwing lives away, Fang Zhongguan temporarily gave up on the idea of seizing the three houses.

A mother and son lived in the villa to the right of Ai Yue's home.

The mother, Zhao Lan, was nearly sixty years old with a kind and gentle appearance, though a sharp glint would occasionally flash in her eyes. Her son, Wu Yong, was in his thirties, brawny and thick-set with a fierce look.

Inside Villa No. 36.

"A-Yong, we need to get on good terms with the neighbors. Tomorrow, let's go to Villa No. 35 and give them a few packs of instant noodles... No, let's give them a tin of tea instead. That stuff isn't filling, so it won't be painful to give away. A-Yong, did you see how even Fang Zhongguan's gang of thugs is afraid of them? If we rely on them, will we still need to live in fear?"

Wu Yong was a man of few words and kept his head down, nodding occasionally as he listened to his mother.

"It would be best if we could move into their house; then the two of us would be completely safe," Zhao Lan continued.

"How could they possibly let us move in?" Wu Yong paused his nodding and spoke with a frown.

"Are you stupid? Didn't you notice there's a Little Girl in their family? You've been attractive to girls since you were young, and you're so well-built; do you think that Little Girl will be able to move her feet once she sees you? If you two get together, would they still refuse to let us in?"

"What do you mean 'get together'? Would she even be interested in me?"

"Hey, I don't like hearing you talk like that. Why wouldn't she like you? Over the years, how many women have thrown themselves at you? It's like they've been bewitched; they can't be driven away. Won't that Little Girl be easy for you to win over?"

Wu Yong opened his mouth to say something but ultimately said nothing.

In his heart, however, he thought that the Little Girl had a murderous aura and was so formidable. She was nothing like the women who used to chase after him. How could she possibly be interested in him? Those women who clung to him were merely after his money; they weren't truly infatuated with him.

Zhao Lan continued to fantasize that once her son and Ai Yue got together, they would naturally move into the villa. She would then be the mistress of that house, and wouldn't their supplies be hers to enjoy as she pleased?

Wu Yong didn't bother explaining things to his mother and got up to return to his room.

Ai Yue was enjoying a delicious meal of three dishes and a soup with her parents, completely unaware that she was being targeted.

The living standard of Ai Yues family was just that of an ordinary family before the Apocalypse, but in the Apocalypse, it was different—it was equivalent to the level of royalty.

One thing the rumors about Villa No. 35 got right was that inside Villa No. 35, the 'delicacies' of the Apocalypse era were indeed so abundant they couldn't be finished.

The next day, the mother and son from No. 36 specifically dressed up and came to the front of Ai Yue's house with the tea, knocking on the gate.

Hearing the noise, Ai Guosheng put on his bulletproof helmet, grabbed a handgun, and went to the gate. He didn't open the small iron window immediately but asked through the door, "Who is it? What do you want?"

"Hehe... It's the Big Brother, right? We're from No. 36. We came specifically to thank you for saving our lives."

Ai Guosheng breathed a sigh of relief but didn't dare to be careless. Pressing himself against the gate, he cautiously opened the small iron window just a crack. After carefully observing the outside and finding no danger, he opened it fully. "There's no need for special thanks; it was just a small favor. It's not safe outside, so you should head back quickly."

Seeing the small iron window open, Zhao Lan quickly pushed the tea tin inside. "The world is so hard to live in right now. Our family doesn't have much left, and this tin of tea is the only thing decent enough to offer. Please don't look down on it; it's just a token of our gratitude. You must accept it."

Looking at the kind-faced Elder Sister and unable to refuse her further, Ai Guosheng accepted it.

"Alright, I'll take it. You two head back quickly, and be careful not to be spotted."

"Yes, yes, we're going back now. We're truly grateful to you..." Zhao Lan pulled her son, who was keeping a lookout on their surroundings, and kept uttering words of thanks as they returned.