Late at night, Zhong Yuansen followed the group up to the rooftop balcony.
When he discovered that "watching stars" literally meant watching stars, the parade of expressions across his face was priceless.
Fortunately, Yang Bin gave him a proper explanation.
After that, Zhong Yuansen watched more intently than anyone.
Ten-plus days of clawing through the apocalypse had taught him exactly how much strength mattered.
He'd just joined-and they handed him a secret this massive without a shred of hesitation. Warmth flooded his chest. He'd made the right call.
Maybe the threat of being sliced open for study had scared him into it at first, but he'd genuinely weighed the decision the entire way here.
More than ten days into the end of the world, he'd relied on his ability to grind forward one step at a time, killing zombies relentlessly just to claw his way to Tier 4. He knew exactly how brutal that road was.
And these people? Six of them. Same timeframe. One at Tier 5, five at Fourth. That alone said everything.
This team had something others couldn't touch.
In the apocalypse, a squad like this was what everyone dreamed of joining. He was no different.
He'd assumed it would take weeks-maybe longer-before they truly accepted him.
He never expected them to share something this big on day one. They already considered him one of their own.
That hit him somewhere deep. He'd led teams before. He knew damn well he could never have done the same. Yang Bin's vision was simply bigger than his.
A full night of stargazing, and everyone walked away with gains. Yang Bin's were the largest, naturally-his daily twenty-kilogram strength advantage over everyone else meant that even if this method spread, no one would catch him.
When they finished, Yang Bin's gaze drifted toward the villa backyard nearby.
What he saw made him grimace.
"What's wrong, Bin-ge? No crystal pickups tonight?" Chen Hao asked.
"Nope. Those bastards wised up. They're already checking their zombies' advancement status."
"Then forget stealing-let's just take them by force."
Yang Bin was tempted. Tier-4 Crystals were still in short supply.
Yesterday's haul from two thousand-plus zombies had yielded only seventeen Tier-4 ones. Chen Hao and Hu Wenliang had already hit Tier 4 peak.
But Zhao Kun's trio and Zhong Yuansen still needed plenty more.
Still, robbing them outright meant open war with the Wang family. Not that he feared them-but the timing was wrong. They needed to wait until their bodies could shrug off conventional firearms.
"Forget it," Yang Bin sighed. "Tier-4 Crystals aren't hard for us to farm anymore. We'll wait until they get their hands on cages strong enough to breed Tier-5 Zombies. Then it'll be worth the trouble."
"Fine. Lucky bastards get a pass."
"Boss, what are you guys talking about?" Zhong Yuansen asked, confused.
"Nothing major. Someone over there is farming zombies. Can't poach them anymore."
"Also-you're way older than me. Stop calling me Bin-ge. Makes me feel ancient." Yang Bin shook his head.
"Then I'll call you Boss," Zhong Yuansen said.
"Works for me."
"Hey, Bin-ge-should we switch to Boss too? I'm probably older than you as well," Zhao Kun chimed in.
"Call me whatever you want. Come on, let's get some sleep."
"Right."
Over at the villa, Wang Ruikai's eyes lit up as his men brought up the Tier-4 Crystals harvested from below.
Just as he'd thought-their method worked beautifully. At this rate, he'd hit Tier 4 peak in no time.
Once the special iron cages arrived, they'd start breeding Tier-5 Zombies.
And once he reached Tier 5? He'd walk through this world like he owned it.
A smile curled at the corner of Wang Ruikai's mouth. He was starting to enjoy this apocalypse.
Over the next few days, Yang Bin continued leading the squad on hunts across the city.
With Zhong Yuansen in the mix, their combat effectiveness jumped another tier.
Especially against large hordes-Zhong Yuansen could raise walls from the earth on the spot, eliminating the threat of being flanked.
Each wall only held for a few minutes, but those minutes were critical.
The others gained a new appreciation for Yang Bin's judgment. Recruiting Zhong Yuansen had been a masterstroke.
And Zhong Yuansen, over those same days, came to truly understand this team.
He'd guessed they might have ability users. He hadn't guessed there were three.
None were combat abilities, strictly speaking-but Yang Bin's and Hu Wenliang's were both far more valuable than any combat power in the right hands.
Chen Hao's ability, though, scared him on a primal level.
He'd assumed Yang Bin was the only one here who outclassed him. He hadn't accounted for the ghost in their ranks.
Against a horde, sure-Chen Hao's Invisibility wasn't as broadly useful as earth manipulation. But in a one-on-one? Chen Hao could slit his throat before he even registered the blade.
That seamless, traceless vanishing act was everyone's nightmare.
Even Zhao Kun's trio-no abilities among them-he didn't dare underestimate. Those three fought like rabid dogs.
In three days under Yang Bin's command, they killed over forty Tier-4 Zombies and took down another Tier-5 Zombie.
Yang Bin had spotted this one from a rooftop while scanning for Tier-4 targets. The thing was skulking inside a building like a dirty camper, waiting to ambush anyone who wandered in.
Once Yang Bin marked it, he quietly led the squad around to the building's rear. They climbed in, and all seven of them jumped it.
The zombie tried to bail through a window, but Zhong Yuansen sealed every exit with earth walls. It died under a seven-man beatdown with nowhere to run.
Probably the most humiliating death any Tier-5 Zombie had ever suffered.
But Yang Bin noticed a pattern: Tier-5 Zombies no longer roamed the open streets. They preferred hiding indoors, playing the camper game.
This cut both ways.
The upside: if you spotted them first, you could corner and gang up on them exactly like this.
The downside: if they spotted you first, you'd walk straight into a kill box.
And spotting them first required eyes like Yang Bin's. Without that edge, you were just prey walking into an ambush.
After the kill, Yang Bin offered the crystal to Chen Hao as usual.
Chen Hao shook his head.
"Bin-ge, Tier 5 is the last step before the Yaoguang Realm. You said yourself-reaching Yaoguang might trigger a qualitative transformation. So I think Tier-5 Crystals should go to you first. Once you hit Tier 5 peak and can't use them anymore, pass them down to us. That way, if a Yaoguang Realm crystal ever drops, you can break through immediately."
"Hao Zi's right, Boss." Zhao Kun's tone was serious. "We need to adjust crystal distribution. Priority one is pushing a single top-tier fighter as high as possible. You should only pass crystals down when they've stopped doing anything for you. If you're still gaining from them but splitting them with us, that just drags your progression down."
"Same here," Hu Wenliang added. "Even if you hit Tier 5 peak first and then hand crystals down, we'll still be ahead of everyone else out there. But what we need isn't just a lead over most people-we need someone who's ahead of everyone. Period."
Zhong Yuansen watched them push the Tier-5 Crystal back and forth, each one insisting someone else take it.
He thought about his old crew. The ones who'd palmed crystals when they thought no one was looking. The ones who'd hoarded in secret.
Something clicked into place.
Perhaps this was what a real team looked like.
Yang Bin considered their words for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. I'll take it first."