[COD] Newbie's Rise to Power

Wang Zhiqiang tilted his head and replied, "Me? I'll choose vampire too."

You became interested: "Oh? Why?"

You might have thought that he was asking this because he wanted to say that he had chosen to become a zombie.

Wang Zhiqiang looked at you seriously and said:

"Because vampires don't have to keep their hands raised all the time."

You were taken aback, then gave a blank "Huh?"

Wang Zhiqiang frowned and continued earnestly:

"Don't you think it's tiring for a zombie to keep its arms raised all the time?"

Your mind is racing, but you eventually nod in agreement:

“You’re right. If he keeps his hand up, he won’t be able to wipe his mouth if he bites someone.”

Not elegant, not elegant at all.

Now it was Wang Zhiqiang's turn to be stunned; it seemed he hadn't even considered this possibility.

"ha..."

A very soft laugh rang out, very brief, but you still caught it.

You turn to look at Keegan, who has been standing to the side, and ask him, as if inviting him:

Sergeant Keegan, what about you? Which one would you choose?

Your eyes seem to say: Don't think I didn't hear you laughing, if you laughed, join in!

Keegan's deep, husky voice echoed in the night.

"Do I have to choose one, Kid?"

You nod: "Why don't I join in?"

He always stays quietly in the corner, seemingly keeping a distance from you, which makes you always want to pull him in and join you.

Keegan didn't reject you outright; instead, he thought for a moment before speaking.

"Okay, I..."

ch.83: A Young Man's Heart

"YN, what are you guys talking about?"

Will's voice rang out, and you turned around to see the two of them walking over, realizing it was time to take turns patrolling.

Wang Zhiqiang answered him for you: "They are discussing a very philosophical question."

You ignored Wang Zhiqiang's ramblings; all you wanted to know was what Keegan hadn't finished saying.

So you looked at Keegan and urged him, "Sergeant Keegan, what did you just say? Please continue."

Keegan nodded, then continued, "I'd like to ask first, what is jiangshi?"

You were stunned when he said that.

It was only at this point that you realized that because English couldn't accurately express it, you and Wang Zhiqiang were using the zombie's natural pronunciation.

Those who know this can distinguish it accurately, but those who don't know it cannot understand what it is.

You open your mouth, wanting to explain, but then realize it's a long story, and you also have to switch shifts with Will and Rowe, so you have to give up.

You pick up your gun and stand up: "This will take some time to explain. I'm going on patrol now. We'll talk about it later."

After saying that, you and Wang Zhiqiang replaced Will and Luo Wei and went to patrol around the house.

But right after you left, Loewe answered Keegan's question for you.

"Jiangshi (zombies) are a type of terrifying monster in China. They typically wear clothing from the Qing Dynasty and, like vampires, drink human blood, but they are different from vampires. Zombies have bluish faces, long, sharp fangs, stiff bodies, and outstretched arms..."

As he spoke, Luo Wei followed suit, raising his hand and even jumping around a couple of times.

"Zombies hop around like that, and they're incredibly strong. They're practically invincible, and powerful zombies aren't even afraid of the sun! Only... only very powerful mages can subdue them!"

After Rowe finished speaking, Will, who was standing next to him, asked in surprise, "Rowe, how do you know so much?"

Luo Wei shrugged: "Bro, have you forgotten about my girlfriend's relationship with YN?"

Will then realized: "So Blizzard told you!"

Luo Wei shook his head: "Not only that, she also dragged me to watch these films. She loves them."

Will said with a hint of envy, "Having a girlfriend is great, I want one too..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Luo Wei.

"You're not still thinking about YN, are you?"

Upon hearing this, Will's face flushed red, though it was too dark to see.

Keegan, too, silently cast his gaze.

Will spoke, his tone seemingly tinged with shyness:

"Of course... she's a very good girl, and she's especially beautiful in my eyes. It's a pity that she doesn't seem to have any plans to be in a relationship."

After saying that, Will looked somewhat disappointed.

Luo Wei, however, stabbed him in the heart: "Is it possible that she just doesn't like you?"

Will stared wide-eyed, seemingly not having considered this reason.

He wanted to explain, but didn't know how to start, since you weren't exactly enthusiastic towards him.

Will's face changed several expressions in just a few seconds before finally settling on dejection.

He stopped talking and silently sat down in the corner.

Luo Wei seemed to realize that his words had hurt his young heart, so he sat down next to him and began to comfort him.

"Don't be too sad. You're good-looking and have a good personality. There will still be other girls who like you."

Will felt like he'd been stabbed again, and hesitantly began to speak:

"Luo Wei, maybe you shouldn't try to comfort me. I feel even worse now."

Luo Wei rubbed his head, not knowing what to say, so he simply stopped talking.

Keegan, who watched the whole thing unfold, didn't utter a single word.

Of course, neither Rowe nor Will noticed it.

You and Wang Zhiqiang will split up and operate separately. Use sniper scopes and night vision goggles so you can see distant scenes even at night.

However, it does strain the eyes more than during the day, and you can only see the general outline of things if you don't look closely.

In twenty minutes, you saw nothing but a mouse with glowing eyes.

You and Wang Zhiqiang return to the truck, and Keegan and Rowe take over.

But when you got back, you saw three silent people.

You have some doubts.

Keegan is one thing, but why are the usually lively Will and the refined Rowe no longer interacting?

Will, in particular, looked wilted and listless, like a frostbitten eggplant.

You quietly asked Lowell, "What's wrong with Will?"

Luo Wei stood up and shrugged: "He's thinking about something sad. Are you going to comfort him?"

After Rowe and Keegan left, you and Wang Zhiqiang sat down and couldn't help but check on Will, who looked rather listless.

"Hey Will, is something bothering you?"

Will looked at you, hesitated for a long time as if he wanted to say something, and finally just shook his head:

"I'm fine, YN."

Wang Zhiqiang chuckled and then patted him on the shoulder.

"Brother, just take it easy."

Since the other party is unwilling to talk about it, you shouldn't ask too many questions.

Out of boredom, you take out your phone and search for video tutorials using keywords such as "how to make hairpins", "clasp switches", and "handicrafts".

Wang Zhiqiang, who was standing nearby, came over after listening to your video audio for a while.

"Girl, what are you trying to do?"

You didn't hold back with Wang Zhiqiang and directly revealed your plans.

"If we had such a hidden weapon, we would be safer in the future."

Wang Zhiqiang nodded: "Your idea is very good. It's rare to see poisoned weapons used on the battlefield."

After all, in most cases, they fight at long range using firearms, and hand-to-hand combat is really rare.

Even if you do have one, a dagger or military knife is usually enough.

Of course, this was from the perspective of the male soldiers; he hadn't really thought about the female soldiers' situation in detail.

You turn off your phone and sigh: "It's a pity I don't know how to do manual work like fixing clips and switches, and I don't know who in our base knows how."

Wang Zhiqiang reached out and patted your shoulder. You turned your head in confusion and saw his smug smile and bright eyes.

"So far away, yet so close, my dear sister!"

You look at him in surprise: "Brother, you can actually do this?"

Wang Zhiqiang waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned, but his expression betrayed a hint of pride.

"Many boys dream of becoming martial arts heroes when they are young, and they will make their own weapons to play with."

You: "But those are all simple toys. Making this switch requires skill."

You can make ordinary toys too, but the intricate details are not something you can do well just by doing them casually.

Wang Zhiqiang became even more proud: "Your brother here once made a pistol out of wooden planks! The switch and all that...so easy!"