The compound could now comfortably house thirty people. Li Wei authorized the next recruitment phase — but only through trusted channels.
Chen Hao and Tang Ning handled vetting. Candidates came from discharged veterans, disillusioned police, and a few skilled civilians who passed background and psychological checks.
Ten new members joined over six weeks:
Two combat medics
One explosives expert
Three security specialists
One IT/cyber warfare specialist
One agriculture engineer for hydroponics expansion
Two mechanics
Each underwent the same brutal loyalty test: offered large cash bribes to betray the group. Only those who refused were allowed inside.
The compound population reached twenty-one adults + Old Huang.
Training escalated. Live-fire exercises at night. Simulated zombie-wave defenses using paint rounds. Medical trauma drills with realistic moulage.
Li Wei participated in every major session, leading from the front. His body — once soft from office work — had transformed: lean muscle, fast reflexes, steady hands.
During one evening strategy meeting, the IT specialist Liang Min reported:
"Dark-web chatter increasing about 'strange pneumonia' in Wuhan labs. Nothing mainstream yet, but medical forums are whispering quarantine rumors."
Li Wei nodded. "Monitor closely. Forward anything credible immediately."
PI update that night:
Li Na had started working nights at a low-end KTV as a "companion" — smiling for tips, nothing more according to the report, but the photos showed heavy makeup covering exhaustion. Zhang Mei collapsed at her cleaning job; diagnosed with pneumonia but discharged after basic antibiotics because she couldn't pay for admission.
A forwarded text from Li Na to a cousin:
"If Gege sees this, tell him mom might not make it through winter. We just need to know he's alive. Please."
Li Wei saved the screenshot.
Then turned off the lights.
Old Huang curled up beside the bed, warm and steady.