After listening to his teammates' stories in silence, Huang Liu finally spoke up.
"I was executed by firing squad."
Instantly, all eyes turned toward him.
"...What?"
One Purgator blinked in surprise. "Brother, what happened? Why'd they execute you?"
Huang Liu's tone remained calm. "I broke the law. So I was executed."
Another teammate frowned, confused. "You don't seem like the kind of guy who'd do something like that."
He really didn't match the image of a criminal.
"A few punks collecting protection fees stabbed my younger brother to death. Because they were minors—and one of them came from a well-connected family—
the court gave them only two or three years."
"I couldn't swallow that."
"So, on the day they got out and were celebrating… I made my move."
The group fell quiet. They instantly understood why he'd gone off the rails.
A curious young girl asked, "Did you kill them all?"
Huang Liu shook his head. "No. I let them live. I just crippled their eyes and limbs, and called an ambulance before I left."
"But I did kill their families. If they couldn't raise their children properly, they needed to take responsibility."
"..."
Even Draco didn't try to respond to that.
It was clear: Huang Liu had deliberately ensured those punks would live out the rest of their lives in agony.
After a brief silence, Li Wei muttered, "You're hardcore."
Huang Liu simply replied, "Not really. Just paying blood for blood."
"I lost my parents when I was a child. My little brother was the only family I had left. We grew up relying on each other, eating scraps from neighbors. When they took him from me… they took everything. So I made them pay."
"But I broke the law—there's no denying that. And in this era of surveillance cameras, running would've been pointless.
I would've just wasted manpower and resources. So after I finished the job, I gave my life savings to a kind-hearted woman who had helped us when we were young… and turned myself in."
His voice remained steady throughout, firm and unrepentant.
Everyone has their own code. When that code clashes with the law, people make different choices. This was simply his.
---
Eventually, the team reached the outskirts of a local gun shop.
After surveying the area and confirming the city hadn't completely collapsed yet, Li Wei made a sensible decision:
They weren't going to rob the place—not yet.
Police were still on patrol. And he had no desire to taste "freedom" in the form of American bullets.
Instead, he said to the others:
"This isn't far from the police station. Even if the T-virus outbreak starts soon, this zone will stay secure for a while."
"One of the story's main characters, Jill, works at that station. So let's rest at the motel nearby for now—eat something, get some sleep, and get ourselves sorted."
"When things go south, we'll take the gun shop by force, gear up, and find the protagonists. If we can tag along, that's our best chance to survive."
The group quickly agreed.
Once they were settled into the motel, Li Wei noticed that, while things were a bit quiet, no one seemed on edge anymore.
And that was a good sign.
Back when they first met, even though they had technically formed a group, everyone still viewed each other as strangers. A single conflict could've shattered their fragile alliance.
Now, after two hours of walking and talking, they had started to open up.
Names were exchanged. Stories were shared.
The tension had softened into cautious camaraderie.
Finally, the team was beginning to gel.
Compared to the chaotic newbie teams Li Wei had read about in web novels—where betrayal and in-fighting were inevitable—this group was surprisingly stable. No one had tried to backstab, steal leadership, or stir the pot.
Except for that one guy who declared from the start that he was going solo… but that was fine.
They had even lucked out with two legitimate combat professionals.
In Li Wei's mind, if Draco and Huang Liu—both experienced soldiers who'd seen real bloodshed—were properly armed, their firepower alone could rival an entire squad.
With the rest of the group supporting them?
They could probably handle two or three Lickers without breaking a sweat.
As for standard zombies?
Please. They moved like elderly women with arthritis.
Any halfway decent adult with a steel pipe and some nerve could take down several.
After resting for a while, Li Wei turned to the two soldiers and asked sincerely,
"Given what's coming, could you both teach the team some basic firearm knowledge? Maybe also what to keep in mind during combat?"
The others looked over instantly, their eyes filled with anticipation.
It was clear to everyone—these two were the heavy hitters.
If this team had any hope of surviving, it would start by learning from them.
Draco and Huang Liu exchanged a glance, then nodded in agreement.
Huang Liu stepped forward, face serious:
"When we loot the gun store later, Draco and I will help you pick weapons. We'll prioritize ones that are easy to reload and have low recoil. We'll also explain what ammo they use, so no one grabs the wrong kind."
"Plus, I spotted a decent clothing store nearby. We'll show you how to make anti-bite wraps out of fabric. Even if a zombie gets close, this might give you a better shot at surviving."
Draco added,
"I'll be assigning positions and sightlines during combat—gotta cover each other's blind spots."
"Remember this well: The moment you panic, you're dead.
Stay calm or die. Simple as that."
Someone in the back raised a hand.
"How much ammo should we each carry?"
Draco answered without hesitation:
"Depends on your physical fitness. Average person? Four to six magazines. That's 150 to 300 rounds. Any more, and you'll be weighed down."
"And bring a knife. Also: wear a mask and goggles.
One scratch or splash of infected blood could be game over."
As Draco spoke, Li Wei nodded in quiet satisfaction.
Every word exchanged brought the team a little closer together.
Trust would take time, but cohesion was starting to form.
In fact, getting Draco and Huang Liu to give that lecture was half the reason he asked in the first place.
Sure, it was helpful information. But more importantly, it gave the team something to rally around.
Neither of the soldiers had harmed anyone in the group.
They might've had bloody pasts, but here and now, they were trustworthy.
And people were naturally inclined to get along—especially when facing a common enemy.
In Li Wei's mind, he was already stepping into the role of team leader.
His combat skills might be miles behind Draco and Huang Liu, but after years of corporate life, he had something they didn't:
People skills.
He knew how to manage teams. How to build unity. How to keep morale steady.
Draco and Huang Liu had noticed his maneuvering, of course. So had a few others. But no one objected.
Those qualified to lead either lacked the experience or simply didn't want the responsibility.
Those unqualified had no grounds to complain.
'If this run goes well…'
Li Wei thought,
'I might be able to form a real team. No more being exploited by veterans.'
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
An Umbrella Corporation helicopter landed in the courtyard of a luxury estate.
A squad of armed men stormed into one of the villas and wheeled out a disabled man without warning.
He shouted furiously, "Wait! My daughter's still at school! You have to get her out!"
One of the soldiers replied coolly,
"We know. A team's already been dispatched."
The man, one of the researchers responsible for developing the T-virus, understood better than anyone just how bad things were going to get.
For him, negotiating was simple:
Save my daughter, and I'll cooperate.
__
Above, the sun had almost slipped below the horizon.
Darkness was coming.
__
T/N:
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