Sun Haiping’s words were filled with regret, "Yesterday morning, I discovered we were out of water at home..."
The story wasn't very long. Sun Haiping found a large rat drowned in the water storage barrel at home. This made both him and his wife hesitant to drink it anymore, so they decided to go out and find a water source.
Qin Xia was definitely against it because the clothes she was sewing for going out weren't ready yet. At that time, clothes were easily torn by zombies. However, Sun Haiping thought that if they completely ran out of water, not going out would only deplete their energy further. Besides, it would take at least two more days for Qin Xia to finish sewing stitch by stitch.
So, he grabbed a table board, picked up the fire axe from the hallway, and went out alone. His target was the wandering zombies in the hallways. They definitely had keys, and keys meant access to water.
There was definitely water upstairs. He planned to lure the zombies to fall down the stairs before finishing them off, which was generally a viable tactic.
He did just that, and he did kill them as planned.
However, he didn't expect to capsize in the ditch while using a key to open a door. A zombie was hiding behind the door. As soon as the door opened, it lunged out, knocking over the stool he was holding and biting his finger.
Then, Qin Xia, who had rushed over, saw it. The couple exchanged a look. She didn't hesitate for too long, directly opened the fire cabinet, took out a new fire axe, and chopped twice to sever his arm.
Lin Yuan heard this, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. It turned out Sun Haiping had been bitten by a zombie.
"Fortunately, you were wearing thin gloves, and it only grazed your skin. It’s also thanks to your wife's swift reaction and decisive action. Otherwise, considering the blood circulation speed, you would have turned into a zombie long ago," said Lin Qingyan, who had arrived to check on Sun Haiping's recovery.
She wasn't lying. It takes about 20 seconds for the human blood circulation to complete one cycle. If bitten directly on the palm, the Type C mutated virus could reach the heart in about 5 seconds.
He had only grazed his skin, which also slowed down the spread of the Type C mutated virus, giving him a chance to survive and not turn into a terrifying zombie.
In fact, Sun Haiping was considered quite a calm person. He had started preparing these supplies on the very day the zombie crisis erupted. He noticed something was wrong in the afternoon and specifically went out to buy some food and water. At the time, he thought he could refrigerate it if he couldn't finish it, but he never expected it to actually erupt.
With water, food, a wife and child, and knowing there were survivors in the same residential area, they could have proceeded slowly and steadily.
But fate had other plans. Who would have expected a rat to ruin what was supposed to be a perfect plan?
"Actually, this is my fault. I didn't take good care of the water source and didn't cover it. I shouldn't have gone out to find water either. I was only thinking about the water at the time and became careless."
A single misstep leads to eternal regret. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Lin Yuan could only comfort him, "It's alright, comrade. What's done is done. You should rest your body for the next two days, and then you can consider joining us tonight."
"We'll join!" Sun Haiping immediately spoke for his wife and son.
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You don't want to hear where we plan to go next?"
"No need. Regardless of the plan, the ultimate goal is to find a safer place. I still have my wife and son, so please let me join. Although one arm is gone, my right hand is still strong. With some adaptation, I can still kill zombies. Even if you let me be cannon fodder, it's fine! As long as my wife and child can survive." Sun Haiping thought he had nothing to repay them with, and considering his wife and child, this remaining body was all he had to offer.
As he spoke, fearing Lin Yuan's group might disagree, he was about to kneel and beg.
Lin Yuan quickly stopped him, his face showing displeasure. "As a grown man, don't resort to kneeling. If you want to join us, you must first obey orders. Second, our team doesn't support idlers. Your wife has seen it, even our 11-year-old girls here have to do what they can. So, your wife and child won't be left behind just because of you; they also need to contribute. Even if it's just helping carry things or mending clothes.
We won't let any team member act as cannon fodder. You've only lost one arm, and there's still plenty you can do.
Think through these two points, and then you can join our team."
"We'll join! I can cook, and my husband can carry things. My son can also help you out," Qin Xia answered Lin Yuan decisively.
"Have you thought it through?"
"We have."
Lin Yuan nodded, considering them temporarily accepted. Further discussions would be held if other circumstances arose.
"In that case, I agree to let you join. We'll introduce you to everyone during dinner tonight. For now, rest your spirit."
Then, he beckoned to Zhao Mengnan. It was now his turn to conduct the combat training.
After Lin Qingyan confirmed Sun Haiping was in no serious condition, she also returned to the training area. Wang Zhihai was on guard duty.
With Lin Yuan's approval, Qin Xia breathed a sigh of relief. After Lin Yuan and Lin Qingyan left, she turned back to her husband, "You good-for-nothing, do you think you can negotiate terms with them just because you've been practicing with the radio for a few days? Do you know how powerful that leader was? I personally saw him cleave a zombie's upper body in half! Do you think you're that great to negotiate with people!"
Sun Haiping: ...mortified.
Wasn't I just anxious?!
However, Qin Xia, like most girls from Shuzhou and Yuzhou, spoke fiercely but cared deeply for you. The moment after she finished scolding, she brought him sugar water.
"Drink this. The doctor specifically approved it. It's the last bowl. Sugar is a precious resource, so you must recover well from your injury and repay the team."
Sun Haiping looked at the bowl of thick sugar water, his throat feeling extremely dry. "But, wife, I..."
"Huh?!" Qin Xia didn't say anything, just gave him a stern look.
Seeing his wife's gaze, Sun Haiping said nothing more, picked up the bowl, and drank it all in one gulp.
Wang Zhihai watched from the side, feeling a sense of kinship.
Tsk tsk.
It seems they are all henpecked; now they have common topics.
His gaze shifted towards the training area.
Zhao Mengnan had already begun the demonstration.
"Now we're teaching the basic fighting stance. Spread your legs shoulder-width apart, then step back with your right leg, feet parallel, at a 45-degree angle. Watch my demonstration, and then everyone follow along once. I will have Comrade Mu Qingtian and Comrade Wu Tian correct your mistakes. If anyone has already learned some basics, follow my steps. If there are any errors, they will be corrected promptly."
The team members didn't think it was too simple and suggest moving on. This included Lin Yuan and Zhu Mingjun, who already had some foundation. They diligently followed Zhao Mengnan's pace.
After corrections from the two professionals, Wu Tian and Mu Qingtian, the other team members had mastered the essentials of the fighting stance.
"Next is the basic stance. The first move is the jab, divided into left and right jabs. For the left jab, generate power from your waist, transmit it to your arm, and quickly extend your fist. Due to its speed, it's often used for surprise attacks. Pay attention to rotating your hips so your arm can extend further and transmit force more evenly. Watch my demonstration..."
Correction, repeated practice.
"The second move is the cross, divided into left and right crosses. The left cross generates power by pushing off the left foot, transmitted through the waist and hip rotation, making it powerful and heavy. It's often used for frontal attacks. Watch my demonstration..."
Correction, repeated practice.
"The third move is the hook, divided into left and right hooks..."
Correction, repeated practice.
"The fourth move is the uppercut, divided into left and right uppercuts..."
Correction, repeated practice.
"The above are the techniques we need to master today, forming the foundation of combat skills. Tomorrow, we will randomly check your training progress. Everyone take some time to familiarize yourselves. Now, each person can train freely. If you have questions, raise your hand to ask. We will also identify problems and offer corrections. If you feel you've mastered a part, you can also raise your hand for us to check.
Also, remember one thing: only what suits you is good. You don't necessarily have to follow the standards exactly. As long as your balance is not affected during the attack, it's fine."
Lin Yuan and Zhu Mingjun raised their hands first to be checked. They were energetic and wanted to use this opportunity to gather some important supplies.
Under Wu Tian's suppressed laughter, Lin Yuan successfully completed the check and pulled Zhu Mingjun down.
"Sister Wu Tian, what are you laughing at? Captain's movements were very standard, weren't they?" Mu Qingtian asked curiously.
"Hahaha, Qingtian, it's nothing. You don't know why he's so proficient."
"Hey hey hey, Sister Wu Tian, I want to hear, I want to hear!"
Meanwhile, on the training ground, Zhao Anjing and the remaining two nurses held their aching arms, practicing the moves, wishing they could cry.
What were we thinking coming to train? We could have been medical personnel, saving lives and healing the wounded.
Zhao Mengnan: A medical soldier who can't fight is not a good medical soldier! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
Besides saving lives and healing the wounded, you also need to learn how to fight! Otherwise, how would you deal with aggressive patients? (ง•̀_•́)ง!
Go, little nurses! (Automatically ignoring Zhao Anjing's buff).