"Move. Clear these zombies first." Yang Bin said.
"Got it."
Everyone piled out of the vehicle and charged toward the horde.
The fleeing man saw Yang Bin's group engage and stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes lit up the moment he got a good look at them. Then he simply sat down where he was, dressed his wounds, and watched them work like he had front-row seats to a show.
That made Yang Bin even more curious. Any normal person, seeing strangers intercept the zombies chasing them, would run faster - not sit down. Staying put was suicide. And he refused to believe someone who'd survived this long didn't understand that.
A few hundred zombies were nothing to Yang Bin's squad. They finished in minutes.
Afterward, Yang Bin had Old Hei and the others dig out crystals and clear the road while he walked over to the man with Chen Hao in tow.
Seeing them approach, the man stood and bowed.
"Captain Yang. Thank you."
"Have we met?" Yang Bin studied him.
"We have. I'm also a Zhongxiang Academy student. We crossed paths twice."
"Oh - I remember now. You were with Qin Wei's group." Hu Wenliang spoke up from the side.
"That's right. My name is Fang Sijie."
"Qin Wei's group had over two hundred people." Yang Bin's memory clicked into place. "How come you're alone?"
Fang Sijie was quiet for a beat before answering. "After we left the school, we went to the official base. Qin Wei... joined them. I didn't want to. So I left on my own."
Yang Bin raised a brow. "The official side is the legitimate government. Joining them is the smart play. Why refuse?"
Fang Sijie shook his head.
"If it were truly the government, I wouldn't resist. But what calls itself 'official' now has rotted from the inside. A man drowning in self-interest sits at the top. Join him, and you're cannon fodder."
Yang Bin's eyebrow climbed higher. Sharp guy.
"Making it from the official base all the way out here alone - not bad."
Fang Sijie gave a bitter half-smile.
"Barely survived."
"Something's been bugging me," Yang Bin continued. "When you spotted our vehicle earlier, you turned away instead of running toward us. Why?"
"In the apocalypse, people are scarier than zombies. The horde chasing me - I might outrun them. But running toward strangers? Guaranteed death."
"Then why'd you stop once we engaged?"
"You chose to help. If I ran after that, you'd take it poorly. I'd still end up dead."
The surprise on Yang Bin's face deepened. Three exchanges, and this man had his full attention.
"This guy's a goddamn find. Does that idiot Qin Wei have any idea what he threw away?"
If he was going to build a base, he'd need someone to run it. He sure as hell didn't want to drown in logistics. The man standing in front of him was perfect.
A grin spread across Yang Bin's face.
"You left the base alone. Where were you headed?"
"Out of Star City. Away from urban areas. Find somewhere rural and build up slowly."
Yang Bin's eyes lit up. This guy's plan was identical to his own.
"You're only Tier 5. Getting out of Star City solo is basically impossible. So - interested in joining Star Fall Squad?"
This was the first time Yang Bin had ever extended an invitation to a non-ability user.
But this one was worth it.
As for abilities - those were just a matter of time, weren't they?
"Your squad?" Fang Sijie looked at him steadily.
"Yeah."
"Why recruit me? My combat strength doesn't even register compared to yours."
He'd watched them fight. Most were Tier 6. Every single one an ability user. The realization had hit him like a truck.
He knew for a fact that before he'd left, neither the official side nor the military had produced a single Tier 6 evolver.
Yet this squad - fellow Zhongxiang Academy students, just seven of them - had surpassed the entire government apparatus.
Was he tempted by Yang Bin's offer? Obviously. But he wouldn't jump blindly. He needed to know why they wanted him.
"I'm heading back to the countryside to set up a base. I need a manager. You fit the bill. Join Star Fall Squad, and the base is yours to run." Yang Bin didn't mince words.
"Managing a base - you could handle that yourself."
Anyone who'd led a seven-man team past the official side's entire operation clearly wasn't lacking in leadership.
"Honestly? I'm chasing strength. I don't want to be buried in paperwork and petty disputes. And these guys -" Yang Bin jerked a thumb at his squad, "- they're great in a fight. Put them behind a desk and the whole thing burns down."
"If strength is what you're after, why build a force at all? A small squad seems to work fine."
"I'd love that. But these days, no backing means you're a target. Case in point - we're minding our own business at home, and some asshole fires a rocket launcher at us. Had to come all the way out here just to settle the score. With a real force behind us, that kind of thing doesn't happen."
"......"
"Is that vehicle full of supplies?"
"Yep. Came for revenge, figured we'd grab some souvenirs on the way out."
"...You leveled someone's base, didn't you."
"More or less."
"......"
Fang Sijie considered for a moment, then fixed Yang Bin with a serious look. "Establishing a base means declaring yourself independent. The official side won't tolerate that. If one day they come to absorb your base - what then?"
"Absorb?" Yang Bin almost laughed. "They can dream. My base - forget the officials, God himself shows up and he's not touching it."
"But they have heavy weapons. What if we can't match that firepower?"
"Won't be an issue. At the Yaoguang Realm, heavy weapons already start losing their edge. By the time that day comes - and I'm not even talking about the rest - the few of us will be well past Tier 7. Anyone who gets ideas about my base? I'll raze theirs to the ground."
Fang Sijie held Yang Bin's gaze. That look in his eyes - absolute, unshakeable certainty that the world would bend before he did.
A smile broke across Fang Sijie's face. He extended his hand.
"Thank you for the trust, Captain Yang. I'll join Star Fall Squad. And if we build that base - I'll pour everything I have into making it the strongest force in this apocalypse."
Something ignited behind his eyes.
The apocalypse. A man like him - how could he settle for obscurity? He'd wanted to build something great from the start.
Originally, he'd planned to do it at Qin Wei's side. That was half the reason he'd fought so hard against joining the officials.
But Qin Wei had disappointed him in the end. So he'd walked away without looking back.
Yang Bin smiled and clasped his hand.
"Star Fall Squad welcomes you."
"Captain Yang - aren't you worried I might play loyal while scheming behind your back?"
"No. Anyone who joins Star Fall Squad and isn't a complete idiot won't think about betrayal. You're smart. Even less likely."
His tone shifted, just slightly.
"And if you did betray us - with my strength, you could run to the ends of the earth. I'd still find you and kill you."
Fang Sijie nodded. His expression turned solemn.
"As long as everything you've said is true - I, Fang Sijie, am yours for life."
"Good." Yang Bin grinned. "From now on, we're brothers."