Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies-Chapter 1162: Money or Face?

Chapter 1162: Money or Face?

Zhang Yi flew back. After fighting a major battle, his condition remained perfect. Not only was he completely unscathed, but his energy, vitality, and spirit were also unaffected.

The gazes of Qin Qigong and the others fell upon him.

At this moment, the way everyone looked at Zhang Yi had undergone a significant change.

In the past, they believed that although Zhang Yi was powerful, he was ultimately a minor figure of humble origins with a ceiling that might not be very high.

When encountering someone like Li Changgong, a descendant of a military family and a king among soldiers, he would surely only be crushed.

But today, they watched with their own eyes as Zhang Yi personally defeated Li Changgong.

There was nothing flashy about it; it was pure, hard-power suppression!

The strong always earn everyone's respect, and Zhang Yi was no exception.

Qin Qigong took a deep breath and sighed with emotion, "Truly worthy of being the Jiangnan Region's [Absolute Defense]. His strength is awe-inspiring!"

Shang Daowen murmured in a low voice, "Chaos, Chaos. Chaotic and obscure, unknowable, making it difficult to see his true nature. Indeed, the man matches his name. Anyone who dares to underestimate him will surely suffer a great loss."

Shang Daowen's words made everyone nod involuntarily.

Zhang Yi hid himself too deeply.

And his story was actually known to the higher-ups of the major regions.

They knew how, in every battle, he seemingly turned defeat into victory under the disbelieving gazes of others, while in reality, he held victory firmly in his grasp.

Such a character inspired awe in everyone's hearts.

Everyone secretly thought: We must never, ever oppose this man in the future, because you can never know how many trump cards he has hidden.

Zhang Yi was too good at hiding. This kind of person made it impossible to see his depth. Instead, after occasionally revealing a hint of his edge, it made people's sense of reverence for him even greater.

Zhang Yi smiled and said to everyone, "I won by a slim margin by sheer luck. I've made a fool of myself in front of everyone."

He spoke modestly, but no one dared to truly believe that.

Han Shanzuo, arms crossed, nodded and said, "Young man, you truly have skill. This time, even I, your elder brother, am convinced!"

He gave Zhang Yi a thumbs-up, his face wearing a sincerely convinced expression.

In truth, Han Shanzuo also disliked the arrogant and overbearing Li Changgong. Seeing Li Changgong get thrashed by Zhang Yi gave him a secret thrill.

Zhang Yi said with a beaming smile, "Luck, pure luck. I'm a bit tired and would like to go back and rest for a while."

Qin Qigong hurriedly said, "That's only natural."

He immediately had Shang Daowen arrange a vehicle to take Zhang Yi back.

Qin Qigong's heart was filled with immense joy at this moment.

The stronger Zhang Yi's power, the greater their success rate in going to the Qinling Abyss to exterminate the Ground Centipede swarm.

Plus, there was Li Changgong—although Li Changgong lost to Zhang Yi, he had still demonstrated sufficiently formidable strength.

If Han Shanzuo also agreed to go, coordinating with the Garrison Commander of Wuyou Valley, Zong Yue...

With four powerful, tank-class Epsilon-level superhumans, they should be able to secure a stable victory!

Within the crowd, Pagyi Gesang, who had remained silent the entire time, stood with his hands behind his back at the rear of the group.

His gaze followed Zhang Yi's movements. His small eyes slowly narrowed, occasionally flashing with a light of inscrutable meaning.

The corners of his large, plump face lifted slightly into a smile, and his well-groomed mustache lifted along with them.

"Chaos, Zhang Yi."

He silently recited the name in a voice only he could hear.

This is a rare commodity worth hoarding.

Just as Zhang Yi was about to leave, a hurried shout suddenly reached everyone's ears.

"Wait! Everyone, please don't leave yet!"

Everyone was startled by the voice. Looking back, they saw Li Changgong rushing over hurriedly from the distance.

Everyone looked at each other, their expressions somewhat odd.

Didn't this guy just get all emo because he lost to Zhang Yi?

He buried himself in the muddy water, wishing he would never have to see anyone again for the rest of his life.

How did he recover so quickly?

Li Changgong had returned.

He truly was very emo. After all, he had boasted so much before, only to have Zhang Yi slap his face at lightning speed.

Right now, he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

He even thought about leaving without a word, directly taking his people back to the Northwest Region.

However, after burying himself in the icy water for five minutes, he finally realized that running away wasn't a solution.

He was now the supreme commander of the Northwest Region. If word of his defeat by Zhang Yi in this battle got out, not only would his reputation suffer,

But even his rule over the Northwest Region could potentially be affected.

He had just taken his position; the situation below was turbulent and unstable, and he hadn't yet fully consolidated his control.

It was very likely that someone would use this incident to stir up trouble.

So, forcing down the sense of humiliation in his heart, he still chose to return and appear before everyone.

Li Changgong flew to the front of the group and landed. Facing everyone's strange and barely concealed gazes, he slowly opened his face shield.

Qin Qigong asked with concern, "My worthy nephew, are you alright?"

The corner of Li Changgong's eye twitched, while Zhang Yi opposite him looked at him with an indifferent expression.

Although Zhang Yi didn't say a word, that kind of cold, even somewhat dismissive demeanor once again stabbed at Li Changgong's heart.

Li Changgong couldn't help but grit his teeth, struggling to suppress the urge to flee immediately.

"Everyone, please wait a moment. There's something I forgot to tell you."

Everyone looked at Li Changgong curiously, wondering what he could possibly say.

Li Changgong took a deep breath and said to everyone, "This time, coming from the Northwest Region, we have brought gifts for everyone. Please do not refuse."

With his opening words, Li Changgong announced he would give each family a large batch of supplies, worth a hundred million yuan before the apocalypse.

This single move amounted to five hundred million worth of supplies.

Hearing this, everyone immediately understood what Li Changgong intended to do.

These supplies were essentially hush money, asking everyone present today to strictly keep the secret and not spread word of the outcome of this battle.

From the beginning, Qin Qigong had also strictly limited the spectators.

Only representatives from the major regions were here.

He was very cautious in his actions, also worried about the leakage of the battle situation here, including intelligence about the two combatants.

Therefore, after some thought, Li Changgong decided to buy them off with money.

Han Shanzuo laughed heartily, "I have no objections! Brother, you're truly too polite. I'll give you this face!"

Pagyi Gesang smiled, not rushing to answer, but instead looked at the others.

Jiang Han nodded and said, "I will also strictly keep everything that happened here today confidential."

Qin Qigong still needed Li Changgong's help, so naturally he nodded in agreement.

So finally, it all came down to Zhang Yi's attitude.

Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow and asked meaningfully, "So what result do you want? To tell the outside world that you won?"

Li Changgong's face flushed slightly red. He wasn't completely shameless; he couldn't bring himself to say something like that.

"That's not necessary. As long as you say nothing, that's enough. I, Gouchen, will remember this favor."

Author's Note