3: Parents are safe

"Brother Lei, how long can you use your Superpower for?" Jiang Xin looked at the faint spark on Zhang Lei's fingertip that hadn't completely extinguished, his tone carrying a sense of inquiry and a hint of imperceptible envy.

Zhang Lei flexed his fingers, and that wisp of weak flame dissipated completely into the air. He shook his head with obvious helplessness on his face, and fine beads of sweat even seeped from his temples, clearly showing that the demonstration just now had taken a toll on him. "No more than 5 minutes," his voice was somewhat low, "and its power is pitifully small right now. At most... at most I can produce a slightly larger fireball or a water arrow. It might not even be able to kill a stronger zombie in one hit." He spread his palm, as if he could still feel the sluggishness of that weak energy flowing through his meridians.

Hearing this, Jiang Xin's brows furrowed, and the light in his eyes grew sharp. He straightened his back, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the tabletop, making rhythmic thumping sounds. "In that case," his voice was resolute, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness, "our core strength for now must still be my Red Alert Legion! This is our foundation."

He took a deep breath and looked out the window at the gray sky; that oppressive leaden color seemed to weigh on his heart. "The next step must be to get funds! Only by mass-producing soldiers and growing our strength will we have the power to rescue our families..." At the mention of family, a deep sense of dread uncontrollably flickered in the depths of Jiang Xin's determined eyes. "God bless them, I hope they're all safe and sound." His voice trembled slightly at the last few words, and his fingers curled up.

Jiang Xin's father, Jiang Jun, was a man of iron who had dedicated half his life to the army; after retiring, he was placed in a minor position at the county government. His mother was a diligent clerk in the Government Building. Meanwhile, Zhang Lei's parents were currently trapped in the factory dormitories of the Lujiang City Economic Development Zone Industrial Park. Their families' safety was like a heavy shackle weighing on both their hearts.

With trembling fingers, Jiang Xin dialed his father's number. Every "beep... beep..." of the call connecting felt like a beat on the drum of his heart. Finally, from the other end of the phone came Jiang Jun's familiar but heavily panting voice, as if he had just finished a strenuous run: "Son? Is that you? Thank God!"

"Father! How is it over there? Where's Mom? Are you both okay?" Jiang Xin's voice was so urgent it changed pitch, and his body instinctively leaned forward as if he wanted to reach through the phone line to grab his father.

"Son, don't panic! Your mother and I are fine!" Jiang Jun's voice tried to maintain composure, but his panting betrayed his exhaustion. "We... those of us who weren't infected have retreated to the rooftop of the Government Building! The rooftop door... we've used everything we could find to wedge it shut and lock it! We're safe for now!" He paused, his voice suddenly rising, filled with an unquestionable warning, "Son! Listen to me! Outside is full of those man-eating monsters! You must, must hide well! Stay at home! Lock your doors and windows! Trust in the country! The rescue troops will definitely come! Definitely!"

"Okay, Father! I understand! I... I'm also very safe! You guys hang in there!" Hearing that his parents were safe for the time being, Jiang Xin's tense shoulders slumped instantly. He let out a long, silent breath of murky air, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted. Hanging up the phone, he looked at Zhang Lei with the relief of someone who had just survived a disaster.

Zhang Lei was equally anxious and immediately started a video call with his father. The screen lit up, showing the familiar, slightly haggard but still kind faces of Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Yun.

"Dad! Mom! How are you? What's the situation at the factory?" Zhang Lei's voice carried an urgent raspiness, his eyes fixed on the screen, not missing a single expression on his parents' faces.

Zhang Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear, "Son! It's terrifying! I looked down from the dormitory building, and the factory... the factory is full of those monsters! They walk all wobbly and pounce on anyone they see! Luckily, luckily your mother's old ailment flared up today; her neck pain was so bad she didn't go to work, and I happened to take leave to stay in the dorm with her..." (To explain, large factories usually provide couple's dormitories.) Zhang Lei's mother beside him also nodded repeatedly, her face pale but her eyes showing her lingering fear.

Zhang Lei's heart, which had been hanging high in his chest, finally fell back into his stomach like a stone. A strong protective urge surged in his heart, and he puffed out his chest, his eyes flashing with the sharp energy unique to youth and a bit of pride as a Superpower user: "Dad! Mom! Just wait! I... I'm a superhuman now! I will definitely go save you!" Before he finished speaking, he turned his palm upward and suddenly channeled his Superpower. With a "whoosh," a ball of flame—slightly more solid than before and leaping with orange-red light—ignited out of thin air, lighting up his young and determined face.

On the other end of the screen, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Yun's eyes widened instantly, their mouths slightly agape, their faces written with unbelievable shock! But then, thinking of those monsters wandering outside, this flame seemed to become understandable—in this world, what else was impossible? However, after the shock came even deeper worry. "Son!" Zhang Yun almost roared, his voice trembling, "Don't be impulsive! Don't do anything reckless! Wait for the country! Wait for the rescue army! That's the right path! Stay home properly; isn't there still food in the fridge? It's enough to last a while!" His gaze was stern, filled with a father's instinctive protection for his son's safety.

Zhang Lei didn't immediately argue with his father's unquestionable tone. He slowly closed his palm, the flame extinguishing and leaving a wisp of blue smoke. He avoided the topic of taking risks and instead chattered with his parents about daily life, reminding them of trivial yet life-or-death matters: "Dad, Mom, you must lock the dormitory door tight! Turn the lock cylinder all the way! Then use tables, cabinets, and whatever heavy things you can find to wedge behind the door! Don't make too much noise! Those things... their ears are very sharp..." His voice was low and serious, filled with undeniable concern. He only reluctantly hung up the video call after his parents promised repeatedly.

Putting down the phone, the two young men looked at each other as if they had just survived an invisible battle; their tense nerves finally got a moment's respite. A faint, relaxed smile, like a glimmer of light through dark clouds, appeared on their tired but determined faces at the same time.

"By the way, Brother Jiang," Zhang Lei remembered something and looked at Jiang Xin with some curiosity, "you absorbed a crystal core... did you not get a Superpower?" He studied Jiang Xin carefully.

Jiang Xin shrugged helplessly and flexed his arms, his bones making a slight cracking sound. "No," he said with a hint of regret, though his gaze remained sharp, "besides feeling a bit stronger, running a bit faster, and my body being a bit tougher, there's nothing else. That crystal core... it seems not everyone can awaken from it." He clenched his fist, feeling his slightly enhanced physical strength, though it wasn't particularly powerful.

Hearing this, Zhang Lei fell into deep thought, his fingers unconsciously stroking his chin. "It seems zombie crystal cores don't guarantee a 100% chance of awakening a Superpower..." he mused, his eyes becoming deep, "and... I don't know if all zombies drop these crystal cores when killed. If it's random, then the difficulty of obtaining them will be high." This unknown factor hung over their future plans like a dark cloud.

"Brother Lei," Jiang Xin looked at Zhang Lei, his eyes containing both trust in his brother and a hint of confusion in the face of the unknown, "what do we do next?" Although the news of his father being trapped on the rooftop gave him temporary peace of mind, the urgency of the rescue hadn't diminished; it was just that the immense difficulty made it hard for him to sort out his thoughts for a moment. Fortunately, he wasn't fighting alone. Zhang Lei, with his dual Superpowers and meticulous mind, was a reliable strategist, and the well-equipped Red Alert squad beside them was the sharp sword in his hand.

Zhang Lei took out a piece of white paper and a pen from the bedroom, his movements brisk. "Brother Jiang, we can't rush this; we must plan before we move." As he spoke, he used the pen tip to quickly sketch on the paper. "First, the goal is clear: rescue Uncle Jiang and Auntie, they're at the Government Building. The straight-line distance is about 4 kilometers! In these 4 kilometers, we have to pass through many blocks, and the number of zombies won't be small. With just us and this amount of ammunition, charging in blindly is just suicide!" His pen tapped heavily on the paper.

"Then what should we do?" Jiang Xin leaned in, his eyes fixed on the lines gradually taking shape under Zhang Lei's pen.

"The priority is mass-producing soldiers! Mass-producing soldiers requires a massive amount of funds!" Zhang Lei's pen tip slid quickly, drawing a clear route. "Our first stop should be here—the commercial street only 1 kilometer away from the neighborhood! I remember there are two gold shops on the first floor of the department store there—China Gold and Phoenix Gold Shop! At the very least, they can provide several thousand in funds!" His eyes sparkled with sharp light. "Moreover, there are several bank branches on those streets! There might be cash reserves or investment gold bars, which would be another large sum. Only by summoning enough soldiers to form overwhelming firepower will we be qualified to storm the Government Building and bring Uncle Jiang and Auntie out safely!" His words were like war drums beating on Jiang Xin's heart.

With that, Zhang Lei's pen had already drawn a detailed route map starting from the main gate of the neighborhood to the department store. "Step one, break out of the neighborhood's main gate; then, we need to cross two main roads. The trouble starts from the second main road, where both sides are lined with shops. That's one of the busiest old streets in the Old City District, with extremely high population density, and it's right next to dense, old-fashioned residential buildings..." Zhang Lei's pen drew several overlapping circles in the area representing the old street, his expression solemn. "Conservatively estimated, the zombies entrenched in that area number in the tens of thousands. It's a tough nut to crack, but it's also the key to getting our startup funds!"

"Fine! I'll listen to you!" Jiang Xin slapped Zhang Lei's shoulder heavily, his eyes full of trust and determination. At this moment, Zhang Lei was already the indispensable strategist of this small team in his heart.

"Well then, before we act, let's secure our rear first." Zhang Lei put down his pen and pointed at the floor beneath them. "Arrange for the Red Alert squad to split into two groups and completely clear out our unit building! First, to sweep away hidden dangers, and second, to collect some scattered funds and crystal cores. Xinghai Neighborhood has 8 floors per building, with two units facing each other on each floor; theoretically, there are fewer than 80 zombies. There might be survivors..." Zhang Lei paused, his gaze becoming cold to the point of ruthlessness, "but we can't even take care of ourselves right now, so let's not make contact for the time being. We'll consider taking them in when our strength is great enough to establish a stable survivor base. Right now, any extra burden could be fatal."