5: Acquired the villa area

The faint light of dawn pierced through the mist, coating the silent residential complex in a layer of cold, silvery gray. Zhang Lei's figure darted and maneuvered through the living room, gripping a Riot Trooper's military-grade long blade tightly in his hand. Li Wei stood to the side, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, offering guidance from time to time.

"Lower your wrist! The power comes from your waist! Chopping isn't about brute force; it's about the 'snap' you whip out!" Li Wei's voice was low and powerful. He stepped forward, grabbed Zhang Lei's wrist, and adjusted the angle slightly. "Imagine your arm is the tip of a whip, and the blade is the lash! Like this..." He demonstrated, and the blade sliced through the air with a short, sharp whistle.

Beads of sweat formed on Zhang Lei's forehead, but his eyes remained exceptionally focused. He took a deep breath and swung the blade again, following Li Wei's instructions. This time, his movement was much smoother, and the sound of the blade cutting through the air carried a hint of sharpness.

"Brother Lei, up so early to practice your sword skills?" Jiang Xin's voice drifted over. He walked out rubbing his bleary eyes, and upon seeing Zhang Lei drenched in sweat, a look of surprise and admiration appeared on his face.

Zhang Lei sheathed his blade, stood still, wiped away his sweat, and gasped as he replied, "Can't help it, Brother Jiang. My Supernatural Ability still isn't strong enough. It's like setting off a firework—can't last long, and it's not very effective. I feel like if a real fight breaks out now, solid, hands-on close-combat skills are what will actually save my life." A flash of helplessness crossed his eyes, but then they lit up again. "However! I discovered a new way to use it!" He gripped the hilt tightly again and took a deep breath. Suddenly, a ball of golden-red flame erupted from his palm, and the flame, as if alive, rapidly spread along the hilt, covering the entire narrow blade in the blink of an eye! The originally cold metal blade now seemed wrapped in molten lava, emitting scorching heat waves and blinding light.

"Watch closely!" Zhang Lei let out a low shout, his arm muscles bulging, and swung forward violently! A condensed, golden-red flame blade, about half a foot long, shot off the edge with a "hiss," like a burning crescent moon, instantly striking a plastic bucket in the living room. With a soft "pop," the thick plastic bucket was easily sliced open, its edges instantly melting into a charred, viscous liquid that sizzled and smoked, filling the air with a pungent, burnt smell.

"Holy crap!" Jiang Xin stared, dumbfounded, his eyes wide, and couldn't help but curse. "Brother Lei, your ability is seriously cool as hell! I'm so damn envious of you! This enchantment effect is just like something out of a game!"

Zhang Lei grinned triumphantly, flicked off the few remaining sparks on the blade, walked over, and affectionately threw an arm around Jiang Xin's shoulder. "Haha! What's there to be envious of? You're the chosen one, with a system by your side—you're the perfect template for a novel protagonist! I'm just working for you, serving as your vanguard general. In the future, I'll have to rely on you to look out for me!" His tone was relaxed, carrying the banter typical between brothers.

Jiang Xin was amused and laughed out loud; the tension and oppression of the past few days seemed to be diluted a little by this laughter. He gave Zhang Lei's back a firm pat in return. "Alright! From now on, your brother will look out for you! The two of us brothers will carve out a bloody path together in this apocalypse!"

6:00 AM sharp.

The living room and foyer of Room 401 were packed tight. Twenty Red Alert Soldiers stood in two rows like statues cast from steel, the air seeming to become heavy due to their presence. The cramped space was filled with the mixed scent of gun oil, leather, and sweat, and the heavy sense of oppression was almost suffocating.

Jiang Xin stood before them. Overnight, the excitement he felt when he first acquired his power had settled into a steady self-confidence. The system's immense power gave him the foundation, and yesterday's battle and command had helped him quickly adapt to the role of "Commander." His gaze was like a torch as he slowly swept across every resolute face.

"At ease!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a clear penetrative power and unquestionable authority. The soldiers relaxed their postures in unison, but the focus in their eyes didn't diminish in the slightest.

"Time is tight," Jiang Xin said, getting straight to the point. He drew the pistol from his waist, the cold metal reflecting a sharp glint in the morning light. "Target: Xinghai Villa Area! Eight terraced villas, sixteen households! We must complete a thorough search by the morning!" He increased his speaking speed, carrying the urgency of a decisive battle. "After that, select the sturdiest, rugged off-road vehicles in the complex and depart immediately. Target—the jewelry stores on the first floor of the commercial street department store! Huaguo Gold! Phoenix Jewelry Store!"

Jiang Xin continued, "Each jewelry store conservatively has over 200 pieces of gold jewelry! Two stores will provide us with at least 10,000 in funds!" After finishing, Jiang Xin's eyes brightened. "After taking the jewelry stores, we'll immediately head to the nearby bank branch! Although Yongjiang County is a small place, the bank's investment gold reserves might be limited, but even a mosquito's leg is meat—we can't let it go!" Finally, his voice rose sharply, carrying an unshakeable determination. "Once everything is done, we head straight to the government building! Rescue my parents! There is no time to lose!"

"Groups remain the same!" Jiang Xin deployed them quickly. "Each squad will operate according to yesterday's groupings! Brother Lei, you're in my group, moving with Squad 1. Squad 2," he looked at the Sniper Li Ang, "will be led by Sergeant Li Ang!"

The order was given, and the soldiers saluted in silence, their movements as swift as the wind. The 22-man team, like a stream of steel, filed out of Building 5 and surged toward the villa area. On the residential roads in the early morning, wandering zombies were sparse and scattered, far less dense than on the main roads. Yesterday's disaster broke out on a weekday afternoon; most residents were trapped in office buildings or factories, and those at home were mostly elderly people with limited mobility and students on summer vacation, who now mostly became shadows wandering between the buildings.

Jiang Xin's gaze sharply swept over the meticulously planned parking spaces in the villa area. Suddenly, his line of sight was as if drawn by a magnet—four steel beasts with tough lines and extraordinary presence were parked there quietly: a Mercedes G-Wagon, like a dormant black beast; a Range Rover, exuding a sense of steady luxury; a Wrangler pickup, carrying an uninhibited ruggedness; and a Cadillac XT6, large in size, sturdy and reliable.

"Good heavens!" Zhang Lei also saw them and couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "All heavy hitters!"

A satisfied arc curled at the corners of Jiang Xin's mouth. "Plenty of power, high chassis, solid body—they couldn't be more perfect for short-distance marches!" He calculated quickly in his mind, "If we squeeze in, these four cars will be more than enough to fit all of us!" He had full confidence in the reliability and off-road capability of these luxury cars.

The battle in the villa area was much easier than expected. The zombie virus broke out at noon, so there weren't many adult men and women left at home. Most of the zombies were walking corpses turned from elderly people with slow movements and frail children; adult male and female zombies were relatively rare. The Red Alert Soldiers coordinated tacitly; the gunfire was low and precise, and the sound of the Riot Troopers' shields colliding and the dull thuds of blades entering flesh rose one after another, making the cleanup efficiency extremely high.