Chapter Sixteen: I Refuse to Leave the House

The doctor only glanced briefly before leaving; after all, with more than a dozen bullets in his head, surviving would be a miracle.

Because of their connection, the police simply took away the bodies and left.

Soon after, Li Siyao received a call requesting her to undergo a psychological evaluation and take administrative leave.

The two couldn’t help but smile—since they were already planning to return home, this was the perfect excuse to leave.

Everyone exchanged glances; some had stayed in the city for years or even decades, but none had ever experienced anything so thrilling.

What surprised them even more was how the two who had taken down three Hajji Black gang members seemed completely unfazed, as if it were as easy as eating or drinking.

The atmosphere grew livelier as the crowd began to toast Yang Jie. To them, Yang Jie had instantly become a major figure.

After downing over a dozen drinks, Yang Jie’s face flushed as he spoke.

“I understand why Big Head called me here. You want to cooperate with me, right?”

The wealthy, middle-aged woman was the first to speak.

“Yes, a decade ago, this city was quite good. Now with inflation and rising prices, life’s getting harder.”

“Some essentials have tripled in price, and with such high taxes, it’s no easy life!”

Encouraged by the woman’s words, others began sharing their struggles.

The young man with a buzz cut shrugged. “You all know I’m a high school teacher. Lately, school shootings have become rampant; every day I go to work on edge. A few days ago, they even made us wear bulletproof vests in class. Try telling people back home—no one would believe it.”

Yang Jie, who followed social media, was aware of their temperaments. Under normal circumstances, he might have helped them, but given the current situation, how could he? He was about to leave himself.

Gathering his thoughts, he scanned the room and addressed the three men and one woman tucked away in the corner.

“You four can leave.”

The four opened their mouths, ready to retort, but when they saw the gun in Yang Jie’s hand, they immediately backed down and hurried out. This guy was really willing to shoot.

These four were the ones who had recently wronged him. Yang Jie didn’t care about their excuses; offending him was enough, and sparing them from harm was already a nod to their shared heritage.

Looking at the seven or eight people left, Yang Jie waved helplessly. “Well, I have to disappoint you. I’ve already liquidated all my assets. A few days from now, I’m going back home.”

The crowd was stunned. Big Head frowned.

“Going back? Can you even get back now?”

Yang Jie shot him a glance. “What nonsense is that? I’m not a terrorist. Why wouldn’t I be able to go back?”

Big Head was momentarily taken aback but quickly recovered and explained, “Why? You’ve been doing quite well here.”

Others chimed in.

“I want to go back too, but how? There’s no one left at home, no house even. I can’t afford one anymore!”

“Hmph, I have a house, but competition back home is fierce. We’ve already been left behind!”

“I heard some people have done well after returning.”

“That’s just an exception. The old man next door sold his place here to go back to the city forty years ago. Now he wants to retire there but can’t even afford a home anymore. What’s the point of going back?”

Yang Jie gently raised a hand to quiet everyone.

“Since you’re treating me to dinner, I’ll speak plainly. But no matter what I say, don’t ask why. Once you step outside this door, I wash my hands of it.”

Seeing everyone lean in, Yang Jie continued slowly.

“Here’s some advice: whether or not you return home, start stockpiling large amounts of food, water, and weapons. In half a month, don’t leave your homes.”

When someone opened their mouth to ask why, Yang Jie cut them off. “Don’t ask. As a billionaire, I know far more than you can imagine.”

Everyone was baffled, unable to comprehend what he meant.

Suddenly, the buzz-cut man, as if recalling something, excitedly pulled out his phone. He tapped a few times and pointed at an image of a viral outbreak.

“Is it this?”

Yang Jie gave him a helpless look but said nothing.

The man hesitated, uncertain. “It’s worse than this?”

Yang Jie nodded silently.

A collective chill swept through the room, though some remained skeptical.

Yang Jie paid no mind. They were all compatriots trying to survive in this city; if he could help even a little, he would. Besides, these people had decent reputations online.

Such information might sound unbelievable, but if even one person believed it, that would be the first step—one step ahead of the rest.

After some discussion, a few were moved by his words.

“Come to think of it, natural disasters have increased this year.”

“Look at Florida—half the state wiped out by hurricanes!”

“Yeah, not sure why, but there have been more disasters these past few years than ever before.”

“After what Yang Jie said, I’m worried too. Maybe I should stockpile some supplies.”

“Hmm, that makes sense. Better safe than sorry. I heard people in Florida couldn’t even get water.”

It had to be said—the people here had a strong sense of crisis. Natural disasters struck frequently, and due to the political situation, official aid rarely arrived promptly, only coming after the worst had passed.

As for why there was no aid? Those in the know understood perfectly.

At that moment, Yang Jie’s ears twitched slightly, and he asked the wealthy woman,

“What’s your name?”

“Call me Qianqian,” she replied. Though much older and fuller-figured than Yang Jie, she dared not act like a senior in his presence; the old ways didn’t hold here.

“Qianqian, you said your husband’s a doctor?”

She shook her head. “No, he works in pharmaceutical sales.”

“Ah!” Yang Jie clapped his hands and immediately added her on WeChat. “Wait—I’ll send you a list. Have your husband source some medical equipment, okay?”

Qianqian’s face lit up. “Of course!”

This was an order; her husband would be thrilled to earn more.

That evening, after returning home, Qianqian’s husband stared at his phone in disbelief.

“Where did you meet this miracle worker?”

Qianqian set down her bag, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

He was ecstatic. “The order he sent me—do you know what it means?”

“Uh, what? I don’t understand that stuff.”

He explained, “Anesthetics, ventilators, surgical microscopes, high-frequency electrosurgical knives... dozens of medical instruments enough to equip a small hospital.”

“Look, he even ordered 11,000 units of tested, virus-free type O blood.”

“And then there’s hemorrhoid cream, anti-dermatitis ointment, glycerin enemas, adrenaline, insulin... these dozens of medicines don’t even match up.”