In the apocalyptic world, condoms are undoubtedly a highly sought-after item.
After all, people are under immense pressure and need an outlet.
What's more, many have resorted to trading their bodies for supplies.
Thankfully, Chen Du has access to an unlimited supply of condoms.
Otherwise, they would have been snapped up long ago, leaving none for his own use.
...
As it turns out, no matter how much theoretical knowledge one possesses, practice is an entirely different matter.
An hour of tender moments passed between them.
The two leaned against the headboard, embracing each other closely.
At this moment, they had truly given themselves to one another—body and soul.
Chen Du suddenly pulled a handgun from his backpack and handed it to Xie Li.
"Let this be a symbol of our bond. With the growing number of zombies, your crossbow is becoming less effective. Carrying a handgun will significantly boost your chances of survival."
Xie Li didn't take it. Instead, she gently pushed it back into Chen Du's arms, shaking her head.
"If I take the handgun, what about you? You're the one who handles most of the fighting for us. It would be more useful in your hands."
Chen Du kissed Xie Li's forehead and handed the handgun back to her, saying affectionately, "Silly girl, take a closer look. This isn't my M9 handgun."
Xie Li took the handgun and examined it carefully.
Indeed, it was slightly different from the M9 that Chen Du usually carried.
Chen Du continued, "This handgun uses the same 9mm bullets as my M9. I found it on the trading platform yesterday and planned to give it to you soon anyway. Now seems like the perfect time."
The trading platform had begun to see transactions for firearms and ammunition, including grenades and Molotov cocktails.
Compared to the initial sky-high prices, they had dropped somewhat.
However, the costs were still prohibitively high.
Ordinary survivors couldn't afford much. Having even a few Molotov cocktails was considered wealth.
But for Chen Du, money wasn't an issue.
While others hesitated, Chen Du had immediately purchased the handgun without hesitation.
With his unlimited resources, he didn't need to worry about food or water.
What he lacked was a substantial amount of combat gear.
After all, Xie Li was still relying on her crossbow.
While it was effective against human enemies, it was nearly useless against zombies unless she managed a close-range headshot.
Chen Du had also noticed that as time went on, survivors were leveling up, and the variety of supplies was increasing. The zombies, too, were growing stronger.
As Xie Li's teammate, Chen Du felt it was necessary to equip her with a firearm.
At least for now, a handgun remained a powerful weapon.
After hearing his explanation, Xie Li finally accepted the handgun and placed it in her backpack. She hugged Chen Du tightly and said sweetly, "Thank you, Chen Du."
Chen Du had just mailed thousands of 9mm rounds to Xie Li to ensure she wouldn't run out of ammunition.
Suddenly being hugged by Xie Li, he felt a bit overwhelmed, his heart fluttering once again.
"Words alone aren't enough. You'll have to show it with actions."
...
After receiving the handgun, Xie Li needed to practice her shooting skills.
Unlike the crossbow she had used before, the handgun had significant recoil, requiring her to learn how to control it and stabilize her aim.
Chen Du drove Xie Li to a small forest not far from the villa area.
It wasn't overrun with zombies, making it the perfect spot for target practice.
Chen Du took out a homemade cloth dummy, tied it to a stick, and planted it ten meters away.
After setting up the target, he walked back to Xie Li.
"Xie Li, let's start with the ten-meter target. Once you're comfortable, we'll increase the distance. You've got experience with the crossbow, so adapting shouldn't be too difficult."
Xie Li loaded the magazine and nodded confidently.
"No problem. Watch me."
Chen Du guided Xie Li on the correct grip and stance, ensuring she was ready before letting her fire.
As a beginner, Xie Li missed the bullseye at first.
But as she grew more familiar with the weapon, learned to manage the recoil, and leveraged the precision she had developed with the crossbow, she quickly improved.
Bang!
Bang!
Two shots hit the center of the target!
Chen Du clapped enthusiastically from the side.
Xie Li was already quite accurate with the thirty-meter stationary target.
All that remained was practicing with moving targets in real combat scenarios.
"Xie Li, you're doing great! You're way more talented than I am. Keep practicing with moving targets, and soon we'll make a formidable team, storming the zombie headquarters together."
Xie Li pouted playfully.
"I don't want to be called a 'formidable team.' It sounds like something villains would call themselves..."
Chen Du laughed. "Alright, we'll come up with a better name later."
After that, Chen Du continued to help Xie Li practice with moving targets.
Once Xie Li mastered the handgun, hitting moving targets became second nature, and she quickly became proficient.
...
Zhang Hao had been feeling quite pleased with himself lately.
In this desolate apocalyptic world, he had managed to reconnect with his old lackey, Junior.
Now, he was planning to bring Junior over to serve as his right-hand man.
Ever since arriving in this zombie-infested world, Zhang Hao had struggled to adapt.
Back in the day, he had been born into a wealthy family, living a life of luxury with women fawning over him.
But in this world, he hadn't been able to establish a power base like Zhou Yu and live comfortably.
Instead, he had been surviving on scraps, sometimes going hungry, sometimes barely getting by.
Fortunately, not long after, he ran into Tian Xiaoyu, the campus beauty he had long coveted since their university days.
Since they already knew each other, they naturally became teammates.
During this time, Zhang Hao couldn't help but entertain some ulterior motives, setting his sights on Tian Xiaoyu.
But she was a tough nut to crack, refusing to let him get close.
After getting in touch with Chen Du, however, Tian Xiaoyu would often chat with him and purchase supplies, always smiling brightly.
It was clear that Tian Xiaoyu was genuinely happy.
Zhang Hao couldn't shake off the bitterness gnawing at him.
Why?
Why had he never seen her smile like that when she was with him?
Why did she light up like a woman in love whenever she talked to Chen Du?
How could Chen Du, someone he once dismissed as a nobody, rise to prominence in this apocalyptic world, becoming a legend among survivors?
Why?!