"Old Ma? Old Ma?"
On the 31st floor walkway, heavy rain poured into the corridor, hitting the tent.
Cai Zhi stood outside Ma Guocai's tent and called softly.
Ma Guocai unzipped the tent, saw Cai Zhi, and asked, "What time is it?"
"Almost 8 PM."
Ma Guocai nodded, "I'll take the night watch, you get some rest."
Cai Zhi looked around and said, "No rush, I have something to discuss with you."
Ma Guocai was startled, then quickly understood. He climbed out of the tent, and the two moved to the staircase.
First, they looked at Ding Yan and Fan Meiqin at the upstairs corner, instinctively keeping some distance.
Cai Zhi then whispered, "Did you hear the commotion this morning?"
Ma Guocai nodded, "With that racket, how could I not? Liu Erlong clashed with the young guy on the 32nd floor and took a heavy loss."
Cai Zhi added, "Who would have thought he had petrol and gas canisters? With those, Liu Erlong probably won't dare mess with him for a while."
Ma Guocai nodded slightly, then looked at Cai Zhi and asked, "What are you thinking?"
Cai Zhi said in a low voice, "That guy has petrol and gas canisters at home, probably more food too. My daughter can't hold on much longer. If she doesn't get food soon, I worry..."
Ma Guocai's expression changed slightly, and he whispered, "Should we try fishing again?"
Cai Zhi shook his head, "Liu Erlong's men have blocked the 10th floor. No one else gets a chance to fish. Even if they do, their catch gets seized."
"So what's your plan?"
"I want to seek help from the guy on the 32nd floor."
"Will he lend you food?" Ma Guocai asked with a bitter smile.
"Not to borrow food. I want to team up with him. If we don't unite, Liu Erlong will bully us to death."
"But… we tried to unite with others before, and you saw how it went. They're hard to trust. And Liu Erlong only needs to offer some food, and they'll betray us, maybe even sell us out."
Ma Guocai sighed. They had tried banding together before, but Liu Erlong crushed them each time.
Ultimately, it was because no one really knew each other, lacking trust.
Cai Zhi whispered, "This time is different. The guy on the 32nd floor and Liu Erlong are mortal enemies. He won't surrender."
"I don't want his food. I just want us to unite, to resist Liu Erlong. So we don't have to risk fishing, just to get robbed..."
Just then, they heard a noise in the corridor and immediately fell silent.
Ma Guocai reacted instantly, grabbing a dagger from his belt and turning toward the corridor.
There, a figure timidly walked down, saying, "Can… can you count me in?"
"Xiaoding?"
By the dim light, Ma Guocai recognized the person as Ding Yan, Zhou Jiaqiang's plaything!
Cai Zhi's expression also changed slightly. "When did you come over?"
Ding Yan's eyes carried hatred, "Brother Cai, Uncle Ma, can you count me in to deal with Liu Erlong?"
Cai Zhi kept quiet, exchanging a look with Ma Guocai.
Ma Guocai suddenly asked, "Where's Xiaofan?"
Ding Yan paused, "Dead."
Cai Zhi frowned instantly, "Dead? How?"
He had been in the corridor and heard nothing.
Ding Yan laughed bitterly, "I killed her."
"What!"
Cai Zhi and Ma Guocai's faces changed. They instinctively stepped back, distancing from Ding Yan.
Cai Zhi couldn't help asking, "Why?"
Ding Yan's voice carried despair, "Zhou Jiaqiang is dead. Fan Meiqin lost her backer and was looking for another man."
"She wanted to force me to join her, to raise her stakes, hahaha… She thought I was a coward, someone who'd let Zhou Jiaqiang rape me without resistance."
"If she hadn't tricked me into opening my door, how could Zhou Jiaqiang have entered my home?"
"Now Zhou Jiaqiang is dead, no one can protect her. Of course I killed her. I had to. Was I wrong to kill her, Uncle Ma, Brother Cai?"
Cai Zhi and Ma Guocai were shocked. They hadn't known the history between Fan Meiqin, Zhou Jiaqiang, and Ding Yan.
Cai Zhi had seen Ding Yan and Fan Meiqin in the corridor before.
Fan Meiqin was always flirty. If Zhou Jiaqiang wasn't around, she'd try to seduce him for some food.
He had seen Ding Yan, looking like a lifeless shell, cowering in a corner, letting Zhou Jiaqiang bully her.
He didn't realize she had been biding her time, waiting for a moment to avenge.
Even he, a man of six feet tall, felt a chill down his back.
"Xiaoding, we...we were just joking earlier..." Cai Zhi instinctively wanted to distance from her.
Ding Yan stared at Cai Zhi, "If you don't take me, I'll go tell Liu Erlong now!"
Cai Zhi frowned deeply, instinctively gripping a kitchen knife.
Beside him, Ma Guocai's heart skipped a beat. He pressed down on Cai Zhi's arm and quickly said, "Xiaoding, this isn't a joke. We need a proper plan. Let's discuss it first."
"What's there to discuss? The guy upstairs must need allies too. Just go talk to him directly."
"If you're scared, I'll go. I'll talk to him."
Ding Yan said bluntly.
After experiencing despair, some crumble while others become ruthless.
Ding Yan was undoubtedly the latter.
She had killed Fan Meiqin and become cold-hearted.
Ma Guocai hesitated, but Cai Zhi stared at Ding Yan and suddenly grinned.
"Alright, Ding Yan, if you can convince the guy upstairs, we'll team up!"
"Xiaocai, you…" Ma Guocai tried to speak, but Cai Zhi interrupted.
"Old Ma, another person means more power. Xiaoding has been reborn from despair. I think we can work together."
"A friend is better than an enemy."
"In a fight, you and I can tackle Liu Erlong, while Xiaoding can stab him from behind. No matter how strong he is, he'll die."
Ma Guocai fell silent. He turned to Ding Yan, finally smiling, "Xiaoding, welcome."
Ding Yan finally smiled, saying, "Wait here, I'll go talk to him."
Cai Zhi said, "Wait, I'll go with you. Old Ma, watch my wife and kids."
"Don't worry, I got this."
Cai Zhi and Ding Yan went upstairs. As they reached the corner, Cai Zhi glanced at the pile of cardboard.
Sure enough, there was a bloodstain, but no sign of Fan Meiqin's body.
Ding Yan seemed to know what he was thinking, "I threw the body downstairs."
"Brother Cai, with this flood lasting so long and no government rescue, we can only rely on ourselves."
"Fan Meiqin always wanted a man to depend on. She never realized she was just a toy without value."
Cai Zhi sighed, looking deep into Ding Yan's eyes. She seemed to have veered to an extreme.
Soon, they reached Liang Yuan's door.