Cui Yang

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Cui Yang (崔旸)
Alias(es)	Zombie King (his fate in the original plot, reportedly averted) 38
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Military District; formerly associated with Leng Shiyi's squad; captain of a Daybreak City squad/Team Eight 259 366 367
Occupation/Role	Ex-military combatant, Lightning Ability user, squad captain
Status	Alive 423
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Appearance

Cui Yang is a tall, powerfully built man usually seen in camouflage. Shen Mo initially identifies him by his unmistakably military bearing and an almost unnaturally blank expression. 3

• Broad shoulders, solid chest, and lean, trained musculature. 185
• A rigid “poker face” that makes him appear intimidating or difficult to read. 3 17
• Sharp, vigilant eyes; in combat, he is compared to a cheetah poised to strike. 33
• Previously carried a gun at his waist before it was taken away for modification. 34

Personality

Cui Yang is blunt, observant, and intensely practical. He quickly identifies threats—from freshly mutilated corpses to suspicious bloodstains—and acts on risk rather than speculation. He prioritizes preventing infection, avoiding unnecessary attention, and keeping untrusted strangers from endangering the group. 33 216

His military discipline shapes both his strengths and flaws. He is reliable under pressure, values professional integrity, and avoids abusing his ability against Shen Yue despite being attacked by her. However, he has poor emotional timing: when Shen Yue is visibly upset over stolen chestnuts, he approaches her only to interrogate her about their origin. 28 369

Cui Yang is also suspicious by habit. Even after suspecting Shen Mo saved him from a Second-Order Mutant Rat, he refuses to trust Shen Mo completely because of the latter's concealed strength and unusual reaction speed. 30

Abilities & Skills

Lightning Ability

Cui Yang wields a Lightning Ability suited to direct offense, counterattacks, and coordinated combat.

• Channels lightning through icy water created by Leng Shiyi, allowing the electricity to spread efficiently through groups of mutant rats. 25
• Deflects an incoming Wind Blade with purple lightning before pursuing the hidden attacker. 40
• Retains only limited electrical power when exhausted, leaving him unable to fight at full capacity. 35
• Accidentally triggers a firework with his lightning, creating a loud explosion and drawing the attention of forest villagers. 187
• His ability can cause dangerous unintended effects; he takes responsibility for an unknown energy attack by claiming it was an accident involving his power. 32

Military Training

Cui Yang's military background gives him broad survival and mobility skills.

• Can drive trucks and states that his training included flying helicopters. 27
• Climbs using a rope with practiced ease and scouts terrain from trees. 185
• Identifies fresh human remains, assesses nearby danger, and keeps his ability ready before an attack. 33
• Recognizes the danger of mutated blood and orders it destroyed before villagers can be exposed to possible infection. 216

Tactical Judgment

Cui Yang consistently evaluates threats, resources, and team security.

• Deduces that a higher-order mutant beast is directing the rat swarm alongside Leng Shiyi. 25
• Rejects the theory that a Mutant Cat caused damage to a fortified gas station because the marks lack claw traces. 40
• Warns that incomplete intelligence could endanger Daybreak City, which he considers humanity's last hope. 80
• Identifies the black-robed Edric as likely connected to the Extreme Earth cult and correctly interprets his “divine miracle” as a special Spatial Ability. 216
• Reports suspicious West District movements to East District superior Jiang Wende during the sea operation. 423

Equipment

• Firearms — Finds and tests guns scavenged from a supply bag; he is comfortable handling lethal equipment. 185
• Rope — Uses it for rapid tree climbing and reconnaissance. 185
• Daggers and flint — Recovered during scavenging, though he considers such noisy or conspicuous equipment less useful in cities. 185
• Modified gun — His preferred firearm was taken away for modification; he expects to use his ability to fire bullets after it is returned. 34

Background / History

Cui Yang is introduced among Leng Shiyi's group as a camouflaged, expressionless man whose military origin is obvious at a glance. He participates in the group's early supply runs and serves as a capable driver, fighter, and threat assessor. 3 27

During the factory raid, he uses lightning in combination with Leng Shiyi's ice to clear mutant rats. A Second-Order Mutant Rat nearly ambushes him, but Shen Mo intervenes; Cui Yang initially misunderstands the incident after Shen Mo accidentally pulls down his pants and later locks him in the car in anger. 25 28

After recalling the rat attack, Cui Yang concludes that Shen Mo may truly have saved him. He does not become trusting, but he agrees to keep his distance rather than continue bullying Shen Mo. 30

Shen Mo's exposed inner thoughts reveal that Cui Yang was meant to mutate after being bitten in the original plot and eventually become the Zombie King. Shen Mo believes his intervention changed that outcome. 38

Cui Yang later confirms that he owed Father Shen and Mother Shen a life-saving debt. He repays it by escorting their daughter safely to Daybreak City amid family disputes and the apocalypse. 259

Story Role / Major Arcs

Supply Runs and the Mutant Rat Incident

Cui Yang fights alongside the initial group during the factory supply mission. His lightning is particularly effective when paired with Leng Shiyi's ice, but the Second-Order Mutant Rat incident places him at the center of Shen Mo's mission to alter the original plot. 25 27 38

Gas Station and Road Encounters

He acts as the group's front-line scout and combatant, recognizing danger near mutilated corpses, coordinating lightning attacks against the Mutant Cat, and breaching the fortified gas station despite a Wind Blade ambush. 33 40

Intelligence and Daybreak City

Cui Yang receives and relays intelligence concerning Daybreak City. He fears that incomplete information could make him responsible if the city—described as humanity's last hope—falls. 80

Forest Village and Extreme Earth

While accompanying Leng Shiyi through the forest, Cui Yang scouts for settlements, acquires survival equipment, and inadvertently triggers a firework with his ability. After Yang Xuan advances, Cui Yang destroys contaminated bloodstains and encounters the injured Extreme Earth cult leader Edric. 185 187 216

Daybreak City Captaincy

By the time of the large-scale mission, Cui Yang is the captain of a small but capable Daybreak City team. He recruits Shen Yue and the reliable companions she brings, trusting her judgment without hesitation. 366

He later coordinates with Xiao Hui's team during the island operation and remains alert to the West District's movements as the mission collapses into a wider conspiracy. 378 423

Relationships

• Leng Shiyi — Teammate and frequent combat partner. Their ice-and-lightning combination is highly effective, and they cooperate smoothly in scouting and tactical decisions. 25 33 185
• Shen Mo — Initially hostile after the pants incident, Cui Yang later suspects Shen Mo saved him from the Second-Order Mutant Rat. He remains wary of Shen Mo's hidden capabilities. 28 30 38
• Shen Yue — The daughter of Cui Yang's benefactors; he escorts her to Daybreak City to repay her parents' life-saving debt. She later joins his squad for a mission. 259 366
• Yang Xuan — A teammate Cui Yang regularly mocks for his impulsiveness and perceived lack of intelligence. Cui Yang also acts protectively, supervising Yang Xuan's advancement and ensuring contaminated traces are destroyed afterward. 33 216
• Su Ze — A trusted associate with a teasing but functional rapport. Su Ze calls him “brother,” while Cui Yang rejects the overly familiar wording. 80
• Jun Yichen — An old military acquaintance who recognizes Cui Yang as Team Eight's captain and repeatedly teases him about his debt to the Shen family. 259
• Xiao Hui — A familiar allied captain. Cui Yang later agrees for their teams to operate together during the island mission. 259 378
• Jiang Wende — East District superior to whom Cui Yang reports suspicious West District activity during the sea battle. 423

Trivia

• Cui Yang considers ordinary guns increasingly less useful after abilities become widespread, though he still values weapons modified to work with his Lightning Ability. 34 185
• He is so socially tactless that a teammate privately concludes it is understandable he has no partner. 369
• He enjoys candy and is notably willing to eat while scouting or traveling. 185 186