55: The deterrent effect from next door

After the dull thud of that kick against the wall, Lin Xiaocao quickly fell asleep.

Chen Yun, however, curled up on the edge of the bed all night, the empty Jissbon box in her hand squeezed out of shape.

Just as dawn was breaking, Zhang Qiang woke up.

He hadn't slept well last night either; his mind was filled with those three missing rubber rings. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved and frustrated he felt.

"I have to get my payback."

Zhang Qiang climbed out of bed, didn't even wash up, and walked out the door wearing that greasy tank top.

He intentionally opened the security door wide, the hinges making a piercing creak, then slammed it shut heavily, shaking the plaster off the walls of the entire corridor.

"Fuck! This damn door!"

Zhang Qiang shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice loud enough to lift the roof.

He paced back and forth in the corridor, his leather boots thumping on the concrete floor as if asserting his dominance.

"I slept so damn well last night! This bed is just so comfortable!"

Zhang Qiang roared toward Room 301, intentionally emphasizing the word "bed."

There was no movement from the door of Room 301.

Unwilling to give up, Zhang Qiang stepped closer and slapped the wall twice with force.

"Brother next door, did I disturb you last night? Hehe, can't help it, I've got too much energy and my wife couldn't handle it~"

Just as he finished speaking.

"Click."

The door to Room 301 opened.

Wang Fugui walked out of the room.

He was still wearing that washed-out work tank top, with a wet towel draped over his shoulder and water droplets still hanging from his hair, clearly having just finished washing his face.

The early morning light slanted in from the window at the end of the hallway, falling on Wang Fugui's well-defined face.

That face was currently expressionless.

Neither smiling nor angry.

Only those eyes, like two bottomless wells, were so dark they made one's skin crawl.

The smug smile that had been on Zhang Qiang's face instantly froze.

Only then did he realize the difference in physique between himself and the man before him.

Wang Fugui stood there like a wall of flesh.

His broad shoulders almost filled the entire doorframe, and his tank top was stretched tight, the contours of his chest muscles as clear as if they were sculpted.

The most fatal part was his height.

Zhang Qiang was just over 1.7 meters tall; in front of Wang Fugui, he had to tilt his neck back to see the other's face clearly.

This looming sense of pressure made Zhang Qiang subconsciously take half a step back.

"Oh~ Supervisor Wang~"

Zhang Qiang greeted him with a fake smile, his voice carrying a hint of fawning and testing.

"You were quite fired up last night, weren't you? You almost slapped the wall down."

Wang Fugui didn't say a word.

He just slowly walked up to Zhang Qiang and looked down at the man who was a head shorter than him.

Then.

He raised his right hand.

That hand, wrapped in a band-aid with blood still seeping from the knuckles, was placed gently on Zhang Qiang's shoulder.

"Smack."

The moment his palm landed, Zhang Qiang felt as if he were being crushed by a small mountain.

It wasn't a pat; it was a press.

His five fingers were like five iron pincers, accurately gripping the joint of Zhang Qiang's shoulder blade.

"Hiss~!"

Zhang Qiang sucked in a breath of cold air.

A piercing numbness exploded from his shoulder, crawling down his nerve endings, and half of his body instantly lost sensation.

He tried to struggle, but that hand remained motionless.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, sliding down his temples and into his collar.

Wang Fugui's face leaned in closer.

That honest-looking face remained expressionless, but his mouth moved slightly as he spat out a few words.

"The wall isn't sturdy."

His voice was very soft, yet it sounded like it contained grit, grating painfully against the eardrums.

"Be careful."

After saying that, Wang Fugui released his hand and turned to go downstairs.

His footsteps were steady, one step at a time, making the stair railing hum.

Zhang Qiang stood there, feeling as if the bones had been sucked out of him.

He covered his left shoulder with his right hand, rubbing it desperately, trying to alleviate the numbness.

"Fuck~ Fuck~ Fuck~"

Zhang Qiang gritted his teeth, curses continuously popping out of his mouth.

But his voice was kept very low, for fear of disturbing that god of slaughter again.

He looked down at his shoulder.

Five clear finger marks were left on his clothes, the fabric soaked with sweat and sticking clammily to his skin.

"Is this a fucking human's grip?"

Zhang Qiang felt weak at heart.

For a moment just now, he even thought his shoulder blade was going to be crushed.

That feeling of helpless humiliation was even more infuriating than when Chen Yun threatened him with that Silly Big Guy last night... For the entire day, Zhang Qiang didn't dare go home.

He huddled in the factory's Transportation Team office, smoking while pondering how to get his payback.

Going at it head-on definitely wouldn't work.

That Silly Big Guy's strength was terrifyingly high; if they really fought, he wouldn't even have a chance to strike back.

"I have to use my wits."

Zhang Qiang squinted, the cigarette butt glowing and fading at his fingertips.

He had been in the factory for so many years; what kind of tricks hadn't he seen?

There were plenty of ways to mess with someone.

Around three in the afternoon, Zhang Qiang strolled through the factory area carrying his tea mug.

He specifically chose crowded places, like the cafeteria entrance, the workshop rest area, and outside the bathhouse.

At every stop, he would casually speak up.

"Hey, have you guys heard? That new Supervisor Wang is quite something~"

"How so?" someone chimed in.

Zhang Qiang lowered his voice, putting on a mysterious air.

"He's living in the Cadre Building now, Room 301. Do you know who's next door?"

"Supervisor Chen, right?"

"Exactly~"

Zhang Qiang gave a lewd chuckle, his eyes carrying a vulgar hint.

"You tell me, a grown man, single, living next door to a young married woman... and the walls aren't soundproof... tsk tsk~"

As soon as these words came out, the expressions of those around him immediately changed.

"No way? Supervisor Chen is such a proper person~"

"Proper?"

Zhang Qiang spat, crushing his cigarette butt on the ground.

"You can know a person's face but not their heart. Last night at home, I heard quite a commotion next door. Those walls are as thin as paper; I could hear everything clearly~"

"What did you hear?"

"Can I even say?"

Zhang Qiang waved his hand, looking as if he were hesitating to speak.

But that expression already had all the dirty words written on his face.

Rumors are like a stone thrown into a pond.

At first, it's just a ripple, but it soon spreads into a wave.

By dinner time, the entire factory area was buzzing.

Some said Wang Fugui was taking advantage of his physical strength to bully Supervisor Chen.

Some said Chen Yun couldn't stand the loneliness and was seducing a strong young man.

Others added fuel to the fire, saying that the wall between 301 and 302 had been cracked from the impact... Lin Xiaocao heard these words in the office.

She had taken half a day off today, saying she was helping the Labor Union organize files.

In reality, she was flipping through Zhang Qiang's driving records.

The Labor Union's archive room was on the second floor, right next to the Transportation Team's office.

Lin Xiaocao leaned on the windowsill, hearing Zhang Qiang's boastful words clearly through the half-open window.

"This dog~"

Lin Xiaocao gritted her teeth, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

She turned back to the filing cabinet and pulled out Zhang Qiang's driving log for this month.

It was a yellowed form, densely packed with records of every trip's time, mileage, and freight cost.

Lin Xiaocao took out a pencil.

She first used an eraser to rub out the numbers in one of the columns, then filled in a smaller number.

Her movements were gentle, erasing it so cleanly that no trace could be seen.

"I'll short you one trip; consider it interest."

Lin Xiaocao put the form back in its place and clapped the dust off her hands.

She walked to the window, looking at the man downstairs who was still bragging, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips... At nine in the evening.

Zhang Qiang finally went home.

He had lingered outside all day, only daring to go upstairs once he was sure Wang Fugui must have gone to sleep.

The door to Room 302 was still locked.

Zhang Qiang took out his key and inserted it into the keyhole.

"Click."

He turned it once.

It didn't open.

"What's going on?"

Zhang Qiang frowned and tried again.

It still wouldn't turn.

"Chen Yun! Open the door!"

Zhang Qiang slapped the door, his voice kept very low.

There was no movement in the room.

"Chen Yun? Are you asleep?"

Still no response.

Only then did Zhang Qiang realize.

The door was deadbolted from the inside.

"Fuck!"

Zhang Qiang kicked the door panel hard, but fearing he would disturb the neighbor, he could only suppress his anger and squat in the corridor.

He sat leaning against the wall and lit a cigarette.

The smoke rose slowly under the dim light, like wisps of resentment.

"Bitch~ just you wait~"

Zhang Qiang cursed through gritted teeth and wrapped his leather jacket tighter around him.

The wind in the corridor was strong, blowing in from the stairwell and making his neck feel cold.

He leaned against the wall like that, dozily drifting off... In the middle of the night.

Around one in the morning.

Zhang Qiang was woken up by a faint sound.

The sound was coming from Room 301 next door.

It was very soft, but in the silence of the deep night, it was as clear as if it were right against his ear.

"Sss~ it hurts~"

It was a woman's voice.

No, it sounded like the raspy voice of a boy going through puberty.

Zhang Qiang froze for a moment.

He slowly climbed up and pressed himself against the wall.

"Don't move, let me rub it for you."

This was Wang Fugui's voice.

Deep, gentle, and carrying a hint of doting that made one's skin crawl.

"Mmm~ be gentler~"

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes~"

"Then I'll be even gentler."

Zhang Qiang's eyes widened.

Countless images instantly flashed through his mind.

Two men.

One as strong as a bull, one as thin as a bamboo pole.

In the middle of the night.

"Holy shit~"

Zhang Qiang sucked in a breath of cold air.

He suddenly remembered the skinny kid he had seen at the factory during the day, who always followed Wang Fugui.

That sickly-looking young worker wearing a baseball cap.

"Are these two... gay?"