At the tender age of six, Gao Shen could be seen cleaning up after himself, with a small tail waddling behind him.
Playing even became hard because he was not allowed to go outside without his younger brother, who was constantly left in his care. Every day, all he could do was stare out at the merry children through the window, wishing he could play like them.
His wish never came true, as all his free time on the school playground was stolen away when Gao Haiming started attending school. Every morning, Gao Shen would hold Gao Haiming's tiny little hand and take him to school, with a heavy school bag and lunch box weighing down his own back.
His breaks were entirely taken up by Gao Haiming, who would run to him every chance he got. Now, all of Gao Shen's time was spent being an older brother who could do nothing but care for and protect his ignorant little sibling.
As he struggled to accept his circumstances, Gao Haiming was not having a good time either while trying to befriend his classmates. Growing up, the only person he had been close to was his older brother. Gao Shen would always play with him and keep him company, so coming to school and having to make new friends was a daunting challenge.
Even trying to build a connection with a single person proved difficult. No one seemed to appreciate his efforts; instead, he was constantly teased for being short and for needing his older brother's protection.
After weeks of this, Gao Haiming contemplated giving up, choosing to spend his time with his brother, who was the only person who never teased him. But as time slowly went by, even this relationship seemed to fade as his older brother gradually grew distant.
Gao Shen no longer told him stories or hung out with him; all his energy was focused on his new friends. As Gao Haiming grew taller, more chores were dumped onto him, because Gao Shen was always going out with his friends, leaving him behind to do all the work.
Their parents were focused on their careers and didn't seem to notice anything, spending the majority of their time at work. They would come home late and exhausted, asking him to serve them food and complaining if anything was out of place. They didn't seem to care about him, focusing entirely on their own lives and leaving him to fend for himself whenever he faced any issues.
Even though they had both grown up in such an environment, they still matured into outstanding members of society—with Gao Shen becoming a highly skilled bounty hunter and Gao Haiming a criminal defense attorney.
Many people still couldn't understand how two brothers raised in the same environment could end up on opposite sides of the law, with one hunting down and capturing wanted criminals and the other defending them.
But none of that mattered when the message appeared.
Living in the same city, the first thing they did was reach out to each other to discuss their parents, who lived a few cities away. They had then rushed back home in an attempt to bring them to safety just as the attacks began.
As an accomplished earth researcher, their father had immediately been offered a place in the largest shelter. After taking their parents there and ensuring they were safe, the brothers could finally worry about others.
Gao Shen, who had left his fiancée back home, was the first to announce that he was going back. Thinking of the wonderful girl, his parents agreed, but they were shocked when Gao Haiming declared that he, too, had someone to return for.
With that, an agreement was reached: they would both head back, rescue their loved ones, and return to the main shelter.
At the time, the plan seemed foolproof and doable—until the attacks escalated. By the time they made it back to their homes, no one was there. All the surrounding buildings had been evacuated, proving the severity of the crisis.
Realizing they would have to search for their loved ones, their small group slowly began to take shape. Every day, they would wake up and roam the vicinity, trying to find any survivors who might know what had happened. Even though they had yet to find anyone with any recollection of seeing them, they refused to lose hope and kept searching.
Learning of the newly appeared shelter gave them a sudden spark of hope, as they believed the people they were looking for might have sought refuge there. It was clear that anyone hiding around Jing City had spotted the shelter within hours of its appearance.
Across various corners of Jing City, quiet discussions broke out over whether to venture out or stay hidden. But regardless of what was whispered, the brain-dead infectees grew excited as new targets exposed themselves.
In those few days, the previously deserted and silent streets suddenly stirred with movement as everyone started to make a play. Whether safe or not, humans could not let go of the small sliver of hope that had lit up in their hearts when they saw the shelter. It was as if the heavens had stretched out a hand to save them from their miserable plight. Looking at that outstretched hand, many chose to grasp it, even if it meant death for some.
Among the groups that chose to brave the journey, Gao Shen's small team was one of the first to set off. Leaving their previous hideout made them extremely wary, forcing them to stop constantly and vigilantly scout the path ahead.
After walking for what felt like hours and fighting off several deadly hordes of infectees, they finally crossed paths with another group of survivors. It was a small party that suddenly appeared before them right after they had finished off a group of infectees.
Looking at the formally dressed individuals, they could only assume this group had been at work when the outbreak began. Just like them, they had a leader—a tall, muscular man whose cold gaze could freeze anyone in place.
"Are you also going to the new shelter?" Gao Haiming asked as they settled down in a rundown gym to await daybreak.
Everyone on his team perked their ears up, eagerly awaiting the man's response.