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The next day, the custom training uniforms that Wang Zhi had ordered were completed ahead of schedule and delivered to his doorstep. He took his own set and put it on.
“Whoa, it’s quite heavy.” Wang Zhi weighed the uniform in his hands—it was a solid 30 kilograms.
The uniform functioned exactly as he had envisioned. Small iron plates were evenly distributed throughout, ensuring uniform weight distribution without making any one area feel particularly burdened.
He could feel his movements slowing down—lifting an arm, taking a step, everything carried a sense of added gravity. It was as if an extra 30 kilograms of flesh had been suddenly attached to him, pressing tightly against his body.
Wang Zhi called the others over to try the uniforms on as well.
“Wang team, are we supposed to wear these all the time now?” Fatty asked while moving around in his suit.
“Except when you’re sleeping, you should wear it at all times. Treat it as part of your own body.”
“Hmm! It actually looks pretty cool.” Ying admired herself in the mirror, striking a few poses in satisfaction.
And so, the five of them, dressed in identical black uniforms, stepped into the training grounds. From a distance, they looked like they were just wearing regular training attire. Even up close, one could only tell that the uniforms were thick, completely unaware of the steel plates concealed within.
The best way to get accustomed to the weight was to run. Wang Zhi hopped onto the treadmill, but after covering barely half of his usual distance, he was already panting heavily and had to step off.
The sensation was similar to when he had first arrived at Dawn Tower—his stamina drained rapidly, and even the smallest movements left him breathless.
Glancing at the others, he saw they weren’t faring any better. Their faces were flushed red, clearly struggling to adjust.
At noon, the group headed to the second floor for lunch.
“Yo, nice outfit, buddy. Where’d you get it?”
As the five of them were enjoying their meal, an obnoxious voice suddenly interrupted.
Wang Zhi turned his head and saw a blond-haired young man, his expression arrogant, his demeanor that of a street thug. It seemed even Dawn Tower wasn’t devoid of such characters.
“Hey, I’m talking to you guys! Are you all deaf?” The blond smirked, emboldened by their silence.
“I advise you to walk away. Now,” Wang Zhi said coldly, fixing his gaze on the blond.
The thing he hated most was being disturbed while eating.
“Oh? Acting all tough, huh? What if I don’t? What are you gonna do about it?”
Just as Wang Zhi was about to set his chopsticks down and stand up, a few others rushed over.
“Captain Wang, sorry about this. He’s new and doesn’t know any better. I apologize on his behalf—please don’t take it personally. I’ll take him away right now!”
Outside, the blond-haired youth looked at his captain in disbelief.
“Captain, what was that for?”
“If you cause trouble for me again, you’re out,” his captain snapped, face dark with anger.
“Why?! I didn’t even do anything wrong!” The blond pouted, indignant.
The captain shot him a glance and said, “Do you know who they are? That’s the Sunset Twilight squad.”
“You mean… the only team in here that has actually killed people? But… but I’ve never even seen them before!”
“Of course you haven’t! They’ve been a Tier-3 team for a while now. They’re always on the third floor, only coming up here for meals. How many times do you think you’d run into them? If I hadn’t stepped in just now, we’d all be in serious trouble!”
The captain roared at him, and the blond finally realized the gravity of his mistake, lowering his head in shame.
“Enough. Just keep a low profile from now on. There aren’t many people here you can afford to provoke. It’s the apocalypse—no one plays by the old rules anymore. Now get back to training.”
“I… I get it, Captain. But… they won’t hold a grudge, will they?”
“They let us walk away, so I doubt they care.” The captain exhaled in relief.
“Geez, Captain Wang is famous now, huh? Looks like everyone respects you,” Su Muying giggled back at the cafeteria.
“Enough of that. Just eat. We’ve got more training after this,” Wang Zhi cut off her teasing.
After seven days of training, they had mostly adapted to their new uniforms.
“Wang team! I… I have some shocking news! The members of the Former Dynasty have returned!”
“So what?” Wang Zhi glanced at the breathless Fatty, unimpressed.
“No, listen! Only two of them came back.”
“What?!” Wang Zhi thought he misheard and asked again.
“Only… only two of them.” Fatty gulped, repeating himself cautiously.
“Quick! To the first floor!”
Wang Zhi called his team and rushed downstairs to the medical ward. If they had returned, the first thing they’d need was disinfection, treatment, and a full medical examination.
Upon arrival, he found Sophie and asked about the situation. He was told that the two survivors were in the medical room.
Entering, he saw two men lying on hospital beds, IV tubes inserted into their arms, slowly receiving nutrient solutions. One of them was Captain Duan Qingtian, the other Zhang Ming.
“Wang Zhi? What are you doing here?” Zhang Ming, who was in slightly better condition, looked up in surprise.
“What happened to you guys, Zhang Ming?” Wang Zhi asked anxiously. He was desperate to know what they had gone through.
“Ah… we…”
Just as Zhang Ming was about to speak, Duan Qingtian interrupted him.
“Please… can you promise me one thing?” His voice was weak.
“Go ahead.”
“Please take Zhang Ming into your squad. If he’s with you, I’ll be at ease.”
“What? Captain, what are you saying?” Zhang Ming sat up abruptly, staring at his captain in disbelief.
“I’m not fit to be a captain anymore. Just leave me behind,” Duan Qingtian said, tears slipping from the corners of his closed eyes.
Wang Zhi was stunned. Were they disbanding? Was Zhang Ming being entrusted to him?
He turned to Zhang Ming. From his first impression, Zhang Ming had seemed like a decent guy. After all, when Wang Zhi had first arrived on the third floor, Zhang Ming was the first to greet him. Besides, their team was short one person.
After a brief consideration, Wang Zhi nodded. “If Zhang Ming has no objections, I have no problem with it.”
“Captain, you…”
“Enough. I’ve made my decision. It was my mistake that led to everyone’s sacrifice. I failed as a leader. I have no face to remain here. Our team’s survival points will be split into two shares. Take yours and join Sunset Twilight.”
Duan Qingtian closed his eyes, his guilt weighing heavy. The loss of his comrades had left a deep scar on him.
“Zhang Ming, tell me—what exactly happened to you all?” Wang Zhi asked.