!
"Hahahaha, not too shabby, right?" Fu Hu stood with his hands on his hips, laughing with immense satisfaction. "How about this ability of mine? Damn, we're definitely not ordinary people anymore."
"Alright, alright, it's solid work!" Su Jin coughed lightly, a deep sense of relief washing over him. "With this ability, our safety just skyrocketed! I'll give you a day to practice and test it. We launch the operation tomorrow!"
...
Dawn broke the next day. Down in the courtyard.
Su Jin and his two companions ran a final gear check.
Crude armor, helmets, firearms, and bundles of arrows were all securely strapped down.
The back seat of their vehicle was also stacked with over twenty Bolas.
A Bola, in simple terms, was a crude tripping snare made by tying heavy rocks to both ends of a sturdy rope.
When hurled, it could wrap around an enemy's legs.
The materials were easy to obtain, easy to make, and highly practical.
For mindless beings like Zombies, getting their legs tangled drastically reduced their threat level.
Naturally, it was strictly a single-target tool; throwing one into a swarming horde would be utterly useless.
Halfway through inspecting the gear, Su Jin glanced up.
Several women were leaning over the upstairs windowsill, watching them with anxious eyes.
Su Jin waved them off dismissively. "Get back inside! Stop interfering and finish your assigned tasks. We'll be back in an hour or two."
"Stay safe out there!" Fu Qingdai cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, shouting her farewell before slamming the window shut.
Confirming they were no longer under surveillance, Su Jin walked to the side of the building, hefted the propane tank bombs, and carefully loaded them into the trunk.
With everything prepared, Su Jin turned to Sun Ya and Wei De, who were standing by helping with the check. "You two head upstairs. Nobody leaves the apartment until we return."
"Don't worry, we'll hold the fort... Don't dawdle out there, get back as fast as you can." Sun Ya pointed a wrinkled finger at Su Jin's chest. "You used to carry that leather briefcase everywhere, and now you've sewn it into the lining of your coat. It looks bulky. What kind of treasure is in there?"
"A family heirloom. It's my only memento."
"Alright then."
The two old men patted Su Jin on the shoulder one after the other, then turned and trudged up the stairwell.
The three remaining men stood in the courtyard, exchanging silent glances.
After a moment, Fu Hu spoke up. "Who's driving?"
"You asked, so you're driving."
"Heh, fine."
...
They piled into the vehicle. Fu Hu took the wheel, with Su Jin riding shotgun in the passenger seat.
Cheng Du had the entire back seat to himself.
While Fu Hu started the engine, Cheng Du's gaze darted toward Su Jin.
After a brief hesitation, he fished something out of his jacket and slowly reached forward to offer it to his boss.
Feeling something brush past his ear, Su Jin flinched and whipped his head around.
"What are you doing?"
"Director..." Cheng Du offered an awkward smile, his eyes darting around. "Well... the Cold Vault missile detonated out by the university, right? So the ice over there hasn't completely thawed."
"I figured it would be cold, so I brought you two pairs of socks. Why don't you... put them on now?"
Su Jin took the bundle. Unrolling it, he stared at a pair of white, knee-high socks.
He shot Cheng Du a suspicious look and scoffed. "I gotta hand it to you, Cheng Du, you're a real bizarre guy. You're worried about me freezing, but instead of handing me clothes or pants, you give me socks? What exactly is the logic here?"
"You already have clothes. These socks are insulated... and they offer ankle support." Cheng Du wiggled his eyebrows, his face animated. "Try them on, Director. Just slip 'em on."
"You're a freak." Su Jin tossed the socks into the back seat and slapped Fu Hu on the shoulder, snorting in disbelief.
"Hey, Old Fu, is this guy completely brain-damaged or what? Seriously? Handing me socks!"
The engine roared to life. Fu Hu kept both hands on the steering wheel, his expression grim.
After a tense pause, he spoke up. "Director... this outing isn't just a simple supply run, is it? I know it's dangerous, but I've noticed Sun Ya and Wei De have been acting strangely lately, as if they're hiding something big from us. Since we're all going out to risk our lives together, shouldn't we be told everything?"
"Wait, I didn't notice anything?" Cheng Du muttered from the back, genuinely confused.
Su Jin stared out the windshield, lost in thought, before finally letting out a helpless, bitter chuckle.
"Fine. Since you asked, I'll be straight with you. The infected aren't just limited to Zombies. There's another type that looks identical to ordinary people. These infected could be lurking among any survivor group. If we want to survive and expand our team, they are our biggest obstacle."
"I didn't tell you earlier because I was afraid you'd start suspecting each other. Before we even recruited new members, our small team would have fallen apart."
"But don't worry. Sun Ya and Wei De have devised an experimental method to detect these hidden infected. Our mission today is to help them retrieve the equipment needed for the experiment."
"We're risking our lives out there today. The medical university is sure to have many Zombies; we will definitely face combat. I don't want any unresolved issues in your minds. When we get back, don't say anything to the women at home. At least wait until we've built up the team."
"As long as there's a method... I understand." Fu Hu exhaled, visibly relieved.
"I don't understand!" Cheng Du suddenly reached out and grabbed Su Jin's shoulder, his voice rising in agitation. "Hey, why are we even expanding the team? What for? We're not trying to save the world!"
"We have self-defense capabilities now! We could just find a secluded place and live safely. The Gray Rain has disappeared, we could even farm! Why are we taking such risks!?"
"Hiding away just means the difference between dying early and dying late!" Su Jin grabbed Cheng Du's hand, his gaze stern. "There are no safe places left in this world, don't you get it? Fine, even if you find a place to hide for a lifetime, do you want to live in fear forever, like a pig? Like a dog!"
"We have no choice! We can only fight back, we must fight back! The greater the responsibility, the more people we need to share it with! We must rely on the majority, even if it means risking distrust."
"In this kind of world, helping others is helping ourselves. No one is a fool. Being selfish means either waiting to die or being sacrificed by others."
"Look at Sun Ya and Wei De! Two old men who lost all their family and were ready to commit suicide! Why do you think they're working so hard day and night? It's for us. Do you think we can retreat?"
Cheng Du swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. He slowly retracted his hand and gave a numb nod.
Fu Hu let out a bitter sigh. "The Director is right. I still have a wife and child. Qingdai is still young... I don't want her to have no future, to see her live in such a world."
As he spoke, Fu Hu removed his helmet and pulled out a photograph from inside.
His calloused thumb gently brushed over the glossy paper. It was a picture of his family of three.
Su Jin's face instantly turned pitch black.
Fu Hu stared at the photo, then turned to Su Jin. "Director, this outing is dangerous. If something happens to me, I hope you can take care of Zhang Wan and Qingdai... I can see Qingdai depends on you. Honestly, I support you. She's at that age where it's about time..."
"Hey, hey, hey!!!" Cheng Du reached forward from the back seat, slapping Fu Hu's shoulder. "Old Fu! You can't just force a pairing like that! Are you trying to emotionally blackmail the Director? I can't stand people like you!"
"Are you out of your mind? What does this have to do with you?!" Fu Hu roared, turning around in his seat.
"What does it have to do with me?! You're sabotaging team harmony, you know that! Forcing your daughter on him, making things difficult for the Director, you're despicable!" Cheng Du mocked venomously, removing his own helmet to extract a photograph. "How interesting, making it all about you. It's just a photo! Guess what? I have one too! I brought mine!"
Su Jin's face grew darker than the abyss!
"Director, this is my little brother..."
"What the hell is wrong with you two?! Are you both trying to curse me to death?!" Su Jin bellowed in rage. Bang! Bang! He punched both of them in the head.
"Drive!"
The engine revved, and the vehicle slowly rolled out of the residential complex.