In the shadows near the entrance of the villa district, Scarface stood clutching his splinted wrist, his eyes burning with hatred as he stared through a pair of binoculars at the villa.
Behind him stood more than a dozen thugs armed with steel pipes and machetes. Every one of them wore the same greedy expression.
“Boss Hu, that’s the villa,” Scarface said, lowering the binoculars.
“Just a father and daughter inside. The girl’s some pampered rich kid, and the old man isn’t much of a fighter. They’ve got enough supplies to fill a warehouse. Fresh meat, fruit, drinks, everything.”
His face twisted with resentment.
“And there’s one nosy bastard. Good fighter. Has some weird powers too. He’s the one who ruined my hand yesterday.”
Grinding his teeth, he continued, “Take him down, and everything in that villa, including the girl, is yours.”
Boss Hu spat on the ground and lifted the homemade shotgun in his hand, grinning viciously.
“Don’t worry. Anyone who hurts my men is dead. Once we get in, kill every man you see. Leave the woman alive. We’ll have our fun before dealing with her.”
With a wave of his hand, the gang tightened their grip on their weapons and began creeping toward the villa.
Before they had taken more than a few steps, a black figure shot out from the villa across the street like a bolt of lightning, planting himself squarely between them and Lin Qingtang’s home.
It was Rong Yuxuan.
His expandable baton snapped open with a metallic click. Blue arcs of electricity flickered around his fingertips as icy killing intent radiated from his eyes.
He had sensed something was wrong long before this.
Even from across the street, he had heard Abai’s warning growls. Combined with the increasingly dense chorus of zombie roars in the distance, he had rushed out almost immediately.
His only thought was simple.
Protect Qingtang.
No one was getting anywhere near her.
“So you’re the punk who broke my brother’s hand?”
Boss Hu stepped forward, raising his shotgun toward Rong Yuxuan.
“You’ve got a death wish. Get lost while you still can. Stick your nose into this again, and I’ll blow your head off.”
Rong Yuxuan’s lips curled into a cold smile.
“I’m protecting this villa.”
“If you want to touch the people inside…”
“You’ll have to step over my corpse first.”
Boss Hu burst into laughter.
“Got guts, huh?”
He swung his arm toward his men.
“Get him! Break both his legs first! Let’s see how he protects anyone after that!”
The gang charged, screaming as they rushed forward with pipes and machetes.
At the same time, more than a dozen zombies reached the villa gates.
Their rotten claws scraped violently across the wrought-iron fence, producing harsh metallic screeches as their growls grew louder.
Inside the villa, Lin Qingtang and Lin Shaoan stood in front of the surveillance monitors, every muscle tense.
Lin Shaoan raised his precision hunting rifle and disengaged the safety.
“Tangtang,” he said calmly, “stay behind me. Don’t expose yourself. I’ll deal with them.”
Lin Qingtang tightened her grip on her compound bow, though her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
Her eyes darted between two surveillance feeds.
One showed zombies swarming the gate.
The other showed Rong Yuxuan fighting alone against over a dozen thugs.
On the screen, Rong Yuxuan remained astonishingly composed.
He sidestepped a slashing machete and smashed a thug’s knee with his baton. Even through the monitor, the crack of shattering bone seemed audible.
But there were simply too many enemies.
Every time he dropped two, three more rushed in.
One thug silently circled behind him, lifting a steel pipe high over his head, ready to smash it into the back of Rong Yuxuan’s skull.
“Watch out!”
The warning escaped Lin Qingtang before she even realized she had spoken.
As though he had eyes in the back of his head, Rong Yuxuan spun around.
A bolt of electricity shot from his fingertips, striking the attacker’s arm.
The thug screamed as the steel pipe clattered onto the ground, his body convulsing before collapsing.
But using his ability caused the slightest hesitation.
Another thug seized the opening.
His machete came crashing toward Rong Yuxuan’s arm.
“Dad!”
Lin Qingtang spun toward Lin Shaoan, panic filling her voice.
“He’s going to get hurt!”
Lin Shaoan saw it too.
He immediately swung his rifle toward the target.
But the iron gate and surrounding wall blocked his line of sight.
He couldn’t get a clean shot.
Without another thought, Lin Qingtang sprinted upstairs.
She rushed into a second-floor bedroom.
The window there overlooked the open area outside the villa without obstruction.
She pushed it open just enough.
The precision rifle came to her shoulder.
Suppressor attached.
Bolt cycled.
Round chambered.
Sight aligned.
The movements flowed naturally.
Weeks of practice had become muscle memory.
Yet when the crosshairs settled on the thug raising his machete…
Her hands shook uncontrollably.
She had never killed anyone.
She had never even slaughtered a chicken.
In her previous life, she had always hidden behind others.
And she had died because of it.
She had trained every day for this moment.
To protect herself.
To protect the people she cared about.
Now Rong Yuxuan was risking his life for her.
She couldn’t hide anymore.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Qingtang closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, every trace of hesitation had vanished.
Only determination remained.
Her finger squeezed the trigger.
Pop.
The suppressor swallowed nearly all the sound.
The bullet struck the thug’s machete with pinpoint precision.
The tremendous impact knocked the weapon flying from his hand.
The stunned thug stared blankly at his empty grip, unable to understand what had just happened.
Rong Yuxuan froze for an instant.
He looked toward the second-floor window.
Visible through the narrow opening was only the barrel of a rifle…
…and a pair of unwavering eyes.
Qingtang.
She had fired.
A surge of indescribable joy flooded his heart.
He almost forgot he was still surrounded.
His timid little girl wasn’t hiding behind a door anymore.
She had picked up a weapon.
She had learned to protect herself.
She was even protecting him.
“Damn it! There’s a shooter upstairs!”
Boss Hu reacted first.
Roaring in fury, he swung his shotgun toward the bedroom window.
Rong Yuxuan’s expression turned instantly murderous.
He would never allow anyone…
…to point a gun at his girl.
No longer holding back, blue-white lightning erupted wildly from his fingertips.
Three bolts struck simultaneously.
Boss Hu and the two men beside him convulsed violently before collapsing to the ground, their weapons scattering everywhere.
The remaining thugs were terrified.
This monster could really control lightning!
No one had any desire to keep fighting.
They threw down their weapons and fled in every direction, abandoning both Boss Hu and Scarface without a second thought.
Rong Yuxuan didn’t chase them.
Instead, he sprinted straight to the villa gate.
His baton swept left and right.
Within seconds, every zombie surrounding the entrance had its skull crushed.
Once the area was secure, he turned toward Boss Hu and Scarface, who lay groaning on the ground.
Scarface nearly lost his soul as Rong Yuxuan approached.
“D-Don’t come any closer! Our boss won’t let you off!”
Rong Yuxuan didn’t answer.
He simply stepped hard onto Scarface’s already broken wrist.
“AAAAAH!”
The scream echoed through the neighborhood.
Scarface curled into a ball, nearly passing out from the agony.
“I warned you.”
Rong Yuxuan’s voice was colder than winter.
“This villa isn’t yours to touch.”
“And the people inside…”
“…are completely beyond your reach.”
“I spared your life by taking only your hand.”
“If you come back…”
“I’ll take your life instead.”
He kicked both men toward the roadside like discarded trash.
“Get lost.”
“If I ever see you in this neighborhood again…”
“…you won’t leave alive.”
The two men scrambled to their feet and fled without daring to look back.
Silence returned.
Only the morning breeze rustled through the trees.
Rong Yuxuan turned toward the second-floor window.
Looking at the figure standing behind it, he smiled.
A small, gentle smile.
He lifted one hand and waved.
“Qingtang…”
“It’s over now.”
“Don’t be afraid.”
The window slowly opened.
Lin Qingtang leaned out, still holding the rifle.
A faint blush lingered on her face from firing the shot, but the fear in her eyes was gone.
She looked down at him for several silent seconds before speaking softly.
“Thank you.”
It was the first time…
She had thanked him on her own.
Rong Yuxuan’s heart melted instantly.
Even the tips of his ears turned red.
He hurriedly shook his head.
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“It’s what I should do.”
“Protecting you.”
After a brief pause, he added awkwardly,
“And… your shot was amazing.”
“You have incredible aim.”
A faint flush spread across Lin Qingtang’s cheeks.
She pursed her lips without replying before gently closing the window.
A moment later, Li An came running from the villa across the street, still clutching his sharpened steel pipe.
“Bro Xuan! Sorry! I overslept! I heard the fighting and came as fast as I could!”
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I’m fine.”
Rong Yuxuan shook his head.
“It’s all over.”
Li An stared at the bloodstains and scattered weapons covering the road before giving Rong Yuxuan an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“Bro Xuan, you’re insane! You handled all of them by yourself!”
Rong Yuxuan ignored the praise.
His eyes drifted back toward the villa.
He replayed the image of Lin Qingtang firing that shot over and over in his mind.
She had natural talent.
Excellent accuracy.
What she lacked wasn’t skill.
It was real combat experience.
Facing living enemies or zombies was completely different from shooting paper targets.
The apocalypse would only become more dangerous.
There would be more zombies.
More ruthless people.
He couldn’t stay beside her every second of every day.
She had to learn to fight for herself.
Only then could she truly survive.
After hesitating for a long time, he walked back to the villa gate.
Speaking gently through the heavy door, he said,
“Qingtang… Uncle… may I make a suggestion?”
Lin Shaoan’s voice answered almost immediately.
“Go ahead.”
“I know you’ve both been practicing with firearms.”
“But shooting stationary targets and shooting real zombies are completely different.”
“Qingtang did very well today.”
“But she was still nervous.”
“Her hands were shaking.”
“About five kilometers from here, there’s an abandoned food processing factory.”
“There aren’t many zombies there, and the open space makes it perfect for live-fire practice.”
“I’d like to take you there.”
“I’ll protect both of you the entire time.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“The apocalypse is too dangerous.”
“Only after you’ve truly fired at zombies…”
“…can you protect yourselves.”
After finishing, he simply waited outside.
No pressure.
No urging.
Inside the villa, father and daughter exchanged a glance.
Lowering his voice, Lin Shaoan said,
“Tangtang, he’s right.”
“You can become the best marksman in the world at a shooting range.”
“But if you panic during a real fight…”
“…your rifle becomes nothing more than scrap metal.”
“I think you should go.”
“With him there, it’ll be much safer.”
Lin Qingtang bit her lip.
She was afraid.
Afraid of facing those terrifying undead.
Afraid she wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger.
Afraid she’d become the helpless girl from her previous life again.
But she also knew…
Both her father and Rong Yuxuan were right.
If she didn’t face this fear now…
She never would.
After a long silence, she walked to the door.
Through the thick wood, she quietly replied,
“Okay.”
“We’ll go.”
Outside, Rong Yuxuan’s eyes lit up like stars.
His joy was impossible to hide.
Trying to keep his excitement from frightening her, he quickly said,
“Great!”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“I’ll arrange everything.”
“You’ll ride in the back.”
“I promise you’ll be safe.”
“Okay.”
The next morning…
The villa gate slowly opened.
Lin Qingtang and Lin Shaoan stepped outside.
Both wore stab-resistant clothing.
A hunting rifle and compound bow hung from their shoulders.
Their backpacks were filled with ammunition and medical supplies.
Abai walked proudly beside Lin Qingtang, ears standing tall as it scanned the surroundings, occasionally growling toward the distance.
The moment Rong Yuxuan saw her…
He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She wore a black tactical jacket.
Her hair was tied into a high ponytail.
Her expression was calm.
Her bright eyes were steady and determined.
She was still the gentle girl he remembered…
Yet somehow…
Even more beautiful.
Even more radiant.
“Bro Xuan! The car’s ready!”
Li An pulled up in a modified SUV from the property garage.
He jumped out with an excited grin.
“Full tank! Runs perfectly! It’ll plow through zombies if it has to!”
Rong Yuxuan snapped back to reality.
He quickly opened the rear door with careful courtesy.
“Uncle. Qingtang.”
“Please.”
“I’ll ride in the front with Li An driving.”
“If anything happens…”
“I’ll be the first to respond.”
Lin Shaoan nodded and climbed inside first.
Lin Qingtang glanced at Rong Yuxuan.
“Thank you.”
Then she quietly entered the vehicle.
Abai immediately jumped in after her, curling up obediently at her feet.
Rong Yuxuan gently closed the door before taking the front passenger seat.
“Drive.”
“Slowly.”
“Steady.”
Li An flashed an OK sign.
“You got it, Bro Xuan!”
The SUV rolled smoothly out of the villa district.
While driving, Li An couldn’t resist chatting.
“I heard Miss Lin saved you yesterday.”
“One shot knocked that thug’s machete clean out of his hand.”
“That’s awesome!”
Embarrassed, Lin Qingtang smiled shyly without answering.
Rong Yuxuan shot Li An a warning glance.
“Eyes on the road.”
“Fine, fine.”
“I’ll drive.”
He obediently turned forward again, though he couldn’t help muttering,
“She really was amazing…”
Ignoring him, Rong Yuxuan looked at Lin Qingtang through the rearview mirror.
His voice was warm and reassuring.
“When we get there…”
“Don’t be afraid.”
“I’ll lure the zombies out first.”
“They won’t get anywhere near you.”
“You can shoot whenever you’re ready.”
“And if you decide not to shoot…”
“…that’s okay too.”
“I’ll handle everything.”
“Don’t pressure yourself.”
“Just think of it as target practice.”
Meeting his gentle gaze in the mirror, Lin Qingtang felt something soften inside her.
She nodded.
“Okay.”
“Thank you.”
“You never have to thank me.”
His eyes were full of sincerity.
“As long as you’re safe…”
“…nothing else matters.”
An awkward silence settled over the car.
Even Li An wisely kept his mouth shut.
Half an hour later…
The SUV stopped outside an abandoned food processing factory.
The compound was enormous.
Tall walls surrounded several deserted factory buildings.
Occasional zombie growls echoed through the empty grounds, but the numbers weren’t overwhelming.
Rong Yuxuan got out first.
After carefully checking the surroundings, he opened the rear door.
“We’re here.”
“It’s safe.”
“We’ll use the second floor of the office building.”
“It has excellent visibility.”
“Perfect for practice.”
Everyone climbed out.
Abai immediately positioned itself in front of Lin Qingtang, growling toward the factory.
“It already senses the zombies.”
Lin Qingtang stroked its head and tightened her grip on the rifle.
“Don’t worry.”
Rong Yuxuan stood beside her, maintaining a respectful distance while remaining close enough to protect her instantly.
“We’ll head upstairs first.”
They quickly entered the office building and climbed to the second floor.
The location was ideal.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire yard.
The only staircase had been blocked with heavy cabinets.
It was completely secure.
“I’ll lure a zombie over.”
“You stay here and shoot.”
With that, Rong Yuxuan turned to leave.
“Wait.”
Lin Qingtang suddenly called after him.
He stopped immediately.
“What is it?”
“We can always practice another day if you’re not ready.”
She shook her head.
“It’s not that.”
She looked directly at him.
“Just…”
“Be careful.”
For a moment, Rong Yuxuan simply stood there.
Then overwhelming happiness flooded his face.
He nodded vigorously.
“I will!”
“Don’t worry!”
He practically ran downstairs.
His footsteps were noticeably lighter.
Watching from nearby, Li An clicked his tongue.
He’s hopeless.
One sentence from her, and he’s already smiling like an idiot.
Down below, Rong Yuxuan soon lured a lone zombie into the open.
The creature staggered toward him with stiff movements and hungry growls.
He easily retreated into the clearing beneath the second-floor windows.
Holding it back with his baton, he looked up.
“Qingtang!”
“You can shoot now!”
“Don’t panic!”
“Aim for the head!”
On the second floor, Lin Qingtang raised her rifle.
The crosshairs settled perfectly on the zombie’s skull.
But her finger refused to pull the trigger.
Once…
That zombie had been human.
The terror from her previous life came rushing back.
Her hands began trembling again.
“Tangtang.”
Lin Shaoan stood beside her.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“It’s no longer human.”
“It’s a monster that eats people.”
“If you don’t shoot…”
“It’ll eat you.”
“It’ll eat me.”
“Shoot.”
She had debts from her previous life to settle.
This life…
She would carve out with her own hands.
She couldn’t fear anymore.
Closing her eyes briefly, she steadied herself.
When they opened again…
Resolve filled them.
Her finger squeezed the trigger.
Bang.
The bullet pierced straight through the zombie’s head.
Black-red blood splattered across the ground.
The corpse collapsed instantly.
Motionless.
She had done it.
For the first time…
She had killed a zombie.
Lin Qingtang stood frozen with the rifle in her hands.
Then…
A tremendous sense of relief washed over her.
The fear that had haunted her for weeks…
Finally began to fade.
Below, Rong Yuxuan looked up at her with undisguised pride.
“Qingtang!”
“That was incredible!”
“Perfect shot!”
Li An cheered loudly beside him.
“Miss Lin!”
“One-shot headshot!”
“You’re amazing!”
Looking at Rong Yuxuan smiling up at her, Lin Qingtang couldn’t help smiling too.
Sunlight poured through the windows.
Her eyes curved gently.
Like they held an entire sky full of stars.
Rong Yuxuan stared at her smile.
His heart skipped a beat.
He forgot to move.
For the next two hours, he repeatedly lured zombies into the open.
With each shot, Lin Qingtang became steadier.
Her aim improved.
Her confidence grew.
The hesitation and fear that had gripped her at the beginning gradually disappeared.
Lin Shaoan practiced alongside her as well.
Both father and daughter fully adapted to live combat shooting.
By noon, nearly every zombie in the factory had been eliminated.
Satisfied, the group packed up and began heading home.
“Qingtang.”
During the drive back, Rong Yuxuan looked at her through the rearview mirror.
“You were amazing today.”
“You were even better than I was the first time I killed a zombie.”
Lin Qingtang smiled, about to reply.
Suddenly—
Li An slammed on the brakes.
The SUV screeched to a violent stop.
“Holy crap!”
“Bro Xuan!”
“There’s a convoy ahead!”
Everyone immediately stiffened.
Looking forward, they saw four SUVs speeding toward them before stopping across the road.
One of the windows rolled down.
The face inside was one Lin Qingtang knew all too well.
Long Juanli.
Sitting beside her was a broad, heavyset middle-aged man with vicious eyes.
Zhao Hongbin.
The two convoys faced each other on the deserted road.
Neither side moved.
An unavoidable confrontation had finally arrived.