Ch53 This Gun Is Just a Replica
"Meng Ci!" Shen Que saw Meng Ci hadn't noticed the knife behind him. He kicked the person in front of him aside and reached out a hand to block the attack.
Though his arm was injured, the attacker had also been slashed by Shen Que.
"Are you okay?" Meng Ci shielded Shen Que behind him.
"I'm fine."
Thanks to his thick clothing, Shen Que's arm wasn't seriously injured.
With Shen Que now wounded, continuing the fight would only put them at a disadvantage.
"Stop!" Meng Ci barked coldly.
Seeing the object in Meng Ci's hand, the men froze in fear, hastily raising their hands.
"Drop your weapons!"
Deng Yang watched as the men he'd brought obediently began to discard their arms.
How could they possibly do that? If they truly surrendered, would they even survive?
Besides, these two were ruthless -they'd surely strike him down.
"Don't let him intimidate you!"
"Where could he possibly get a gun so easily?"
"He's clearly bluffing. If you actually drop your weapons, you'll be falling right into his trap."
Upon reflection, the others agreed Deng Yang's reasoning made sense.
The state strictly controlled firearms and ammunition. How could an ordinary citizen possibly obtain a pistol?
Thus, they halted their attempts to surrender their weapons, even growing angry at being intimidated by Meng Ci.
"Intimidation? Fake? Prove it if you dare!" Meng Ci sneered coldly.
Unless they witnessed the gun's true power, it seemed he couldn't make them give up.
Meng Ci aimed the muzzle at Deng Yang and pulled the trigger!
"Bang!"
Deng Yang fell to his knees in terror, frantically checking his ears and head for wounds. Only after confirming he was unharmed did he swallow hard and stand up.
"Still think it's fake?" Meng Ci demanded.
"No, no, it's not fake!"
"Brother, spare my life! I swear I'll never bother you again!"
Deng Yang immediately begged for mercy, then began shifting blame.
"It was her! She encouraged me to come!"
"Big brothers, I had nothing to do with this." Deng Yang dragged Li Ping into the story.
"She said you guys have tons of food, stockpiling it at home before the storm hit!"
"She also said your turf is safe, telling me to come and fight for it."
"Big Brother, I'll never come back."
Meng Ci nodded. "Alright, since you say she lured you here, I'll believe you."
"I can let you lot off!"
Hearing this, the group breathed a sigh of relief.
"Big brothers, we'll do whatever you ask! We promise to complete any task!" Deng Yang fawned.
"First, clean this place up."
"Second!" Meng Ci's gun pointed at Li Ping. "I don't want her to live past tomorrow."
"If she does, you won't get to live either!"
This woman had repeatedly thwarted them earlier and just now stabbed Shen Que. She simply couldn't be spared.
Li Ping, refusing to accept this, lunged forward to fight Meng Ci and his men, but two men quickly seized her.
"You two heartless beasts! Even as a ghost, I won't let you off!"
"You're the ones who killed my husband! Why should you still be alive?"
"Why haven't you died yet?"
Deng Yang stepped forward and slapped Li Ping across the face, prompting others nearby to quickly cover her mouth.
"Don't worry, boss. I guarantee she won't make it through tonight."
Meng Ci nodded in satisfaction and led Shen Que back inside.
Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep. Meng Ci retrieved alcohol and cotton swabs from the first-aid kit, disinfected the area, and bandaged it with gauze.
"If something like this happens again, don't shield me!"
Shen Que didn't agree. "It's fine. I've got thick skin anyway. It doesn't hurt at all."
Meng Ci pursed his lips, his expression troubled.
He'd sworn to stay out of this mess, yet here he was, getting deeper and deeper entangled.
And what was this about thick skin? As if his own skin was delicate and tender?
He was a man too, dammit. He didn't need anyone's protection.
Shen Que glanced at the gun Meng Ci had casually tossed onto the sofa. "That gun of yours. If
you don't secure it properly, don't blame me if it goes off."
The mention of the gun instantly perked Meng Ci up.
"This is fake!"
When buying firearms and ammunition in M Country, Meng Ci had asked the bald, tattooed man if he had any realistic replica guns-preferably ones that could
pass as the real thing.
The man had recommended this one. Not only did it sound and feel just like the real thing,
The only difference was it couldn't fire bullets.
The price, of course, was nothing like a regular toy gun-he barely managed to get it for a seven-figure sum.
Deng Yang and the others were probably too shaken by Meng Ci to check for bullet holes or anything behind them.
Actually, Meng Ci had initially wanted a real gun, but then he remembered tomorrow was the day the military delivered food supplies.
If these people went to report him, he wouldn't be able to explain himself, so he settled for this replica instead.
Shen Que took the gun upon hearing this, weighing it in his hand. The weight and craftsmanship felt undeniably authentic.
Meng Ci didn't dwell on the matter. Spotting the alcohol stove hotpot set on the table, he sighed.
"Among the supplies Zhang Mingtian and the others brought yesterday, there were two packets of hotpot ingredients."
"I was hoping to invite you over today to cook a hotpot together."
"But now you're injured, you definitely can't eat anymore."
Shen Que placed the gun on the coffee table and shook his head. "It's fine, I can eat."
"But your wound can't handle spicy food," Meng Ci said earnestly.
"One meal won't hurt," Shen Que insisted.
Since Shen Que was so determined, Meng Ci didn't refuse further. If the wound took longer to heal, at least it wouldn't be his own suffering.
So he cheerfully began preparing the ingredients.
There were medicines in the storage space. He'd give Shen Que a box of anti-inflammatory pills later and have him take them on schedule-it might not make much difference.
He plucked some greens from the flowerpot, washed them thoroughly, and placed them in a bowl.
Potatoes sliced, lotus root sliced, napa cabbage halved.
He retrieved a bag of wide rice noodles they'd found together at the supermarket earlier and decided to use them.
Ah!
There was still so much meat in the storage space, but since he was eating with Shen Que now, it felt awkward to take it out.
He'd have to wait until he was alone again to indulge in those treats.
"Here!" Shen Que placed a bag on the counter.
Meng Ci accepted it without hesitation. Opening it, her eyes lit up.
"Where'd you get all this meat?"
Inside the bag were two packs of lamb slices, a chunk of pork, and half a bag of hotpot meatballs.
"Bought it earlier. It's been frozen In the freezer the whole time," Shen Que explained.
Meng Ci nodded. He knew Shen Que had a generator at home, probably hooked up to the freezer, which was why the meat hadn't spoiled.
Thawing would take time, so Meng Ci soaked the pork in cold water while the meatballs and lamb slices could go straight into the pot.
He stir-fried the hotpot seasoning, brought water to a boil on the gas stove, then poured it into the alcohol stove.
Carrying it to the dining table, he lit the solid alcohol block beneath.
Meng Ci didn't ask Shen Que for help and quickly brought out the dishes.
Fortunately, Shen Que's injury was to his left hand, so his eating wasn't affected.
Cooking, however, would likely be a bit troublesome.
After all, this was to repay Shen Que for saving him. Meng Ci vowed to take care of Shen Que completely, cooking for him until his injury healed.