A brilliant idea suddenly struck me!
"Ghost! I beg you to be our instructor—teach us how to make weapons and how to use them! Please train us all! Only when everyone becomes strong and independent will this place truly be a safe haven! If zombies from the city ever launch a large-scale attack, a few strong men alone won't be able to protect everyone!" I pleaded with Ghost sincerely.
Originally, this ancient skill was a secret passed down in Ghost's family—only to male heirs, never to women. Such techniques are usually closely guarded, but to my surprise, Ghost agreed readily! "Actually, even before you arrived, I'd been teaching the farm's defense team. But those kids had never seen real threats, so they didn't take it seriously. It frustrated me so much I stopped teaching. But if you're willing to learn, I'm happy to share everything I know! My family has passed this down for generations—it seems its time has finally come!"
And so it was decided. The three of us returned happily to North Sky Green Factory, gathered everyone, and explained our plan.
Hearing that there was a master of cold weapons among them, everyone was filled with admiration. When Ghost met the sharpshooter Second Brother (who always carried a bow), it was like finding a long-lost brother. After a long discussion, Second Brother gladly agreed to be Ghost's assistant instructor, specializing in archery training.
Our group now numbered nearly 200—about 80 men, with the rest being women, elderly, and children. Except for the youngest babies, everyone could participate in training. In times like these, everyone had a strong sense of crisis—even the elderly with limited mobility and delicate women needed to learn skills to protect themselves.
But "delicate" certainly didn't apply to Zhang Qilin's group of tough women! Hearing about free training, they were electrified—their fierce aura was no less than the men's!
Ghost divided us into three groups:
Archery Team: 20 burly, sharp-eyed men with strong arms, plus 20 women led by Zhang Qilin (including Ke'er, Xiao Shuang, Xi Yan, and the Lin sisters). Men used large bows, women used smaller ones.
Spear Team: The remaining 60 men.
Slingshot Team: The other women, teenagers, and some eager elderly.
This way, based on physical fitness, Ghost would teach skills suited to each person.
Once groups were assigned, the next step was teaching everyone to make their own weapons.
Ghost first took the Archery Team to the large conference room on the first floor of the office building. With a movable whiteboard and markers, it was perfect for teaching. I joined eagerly—though I might need to coordinate during actual battles, I've always been interested in archery!
Ghost began: "Archery is the hardest of these weapons, so not everyone can learn it. Those selected—you've got the toughest part! You must practice diligently—at least 100 arrows daily. Only after 3–4 months will you be battle-ready! Don't underestimate it!"
"My requirement: in a pinch, you must be able to quickly make crear a functional bow from local materials and use it skillfully! I'll teach bow-making; Second Brother will train shooting—he's better than me! I specialize in crafting."
"Bows are long-range weapons. Zombies are toxic—avoid close contact. Bows' range is their advantage. Effective range is 50–100 meters, but for beginners, 20–30 meters is enough after training!"
Making a Self Bow (Single-Material Bow)
Ghost drew a detailed diagram on the whiteboard (he's an art teacher, after all.
Ideal materials: Yew or bamboo, but the farm has neither.
Local materials: The farm has a wood processing factory north of here. We'll select wood there.
Bow length: 1.5–1.7 meters. Too long makes it hard to draw.
Shaping: Use factory machines to carve the wood into a thick-center, thin-ends shape. Thicker ends increase draw weight. The thickest part is the grip.
Finishing: Sand smooth, then apply varnish (from a local hardware store) for waterproofing and insect resistance.
Stringing: Carve notches at both ends, string with nylon. "Train" the bow by drawing gently multiple times before full draws.
Draw weight: Composite bows can reach ~100 pounds; our self bows ~40 pounds (like lifting a 40-pound rice bag overhead). Women generally can't draw 40 pounds, so archery is for strong men.
Improvisation: If no long wood is available, bind two shorter pieces with wire to create a bundled self bow—just as effective.
Simple alternatives: Use a PVC pipe or bamboo strips (thicker ones need binding with twine).
Bowstring: Use elastic nylon. Unstring when not in use to maintain tension.
Lifespan: ~20,000 shots. With dozens of shots daily, it lasts years. Ours should last ~3 years.
Making Arrows
Shaft: Use "Sixth Path Wood" shrubs from nearby forests—straight, pinky-thick.
Process: Harvest, dry over charcoal fire, cut to ~1 meter, sand smooth.
Arrowhead: Use large nails (from hardware store). Remove nail head, insert into split shaft end, bind with wire. Heat tip red-hot, hammer into a cone shape for better penetration and easy retrieval.
Strengthening: Soak arrowhead in wood glue (or ordinary gelatin) to fill gaps, wrap with cloth strips.
Fletching: Cut hardboard into shape, glue to shaft. Check and repair fletching before reuse.
Alternative shafts: Bamboo strips or straight branches straightened by fire and pliers.
Nock: Carve a shallow groove for the string.
Shooting Technique: Mediterranean Draw
Place arrow groove on string, hold nock between index and ring fingers, other fingers draw the string.
Draw until arrowhead touches the bow, then release.
Alternative: Mongolian draw (uses a thumb ring), but requires strict training and special rings. We'll use the Mediterranean draw for simplicity.