Lee Dong Wook︴༒

The two companies, hiding behind an ironic name and a recognizable logo from the cult franchise (which they got away with thanks to the legal intricacies of registering trademarks for chemical compounds), were in fact working on an ambitious project called "Elysium."
Umbrella Chemical LLC (USA, Arizona)
Officially: Developing pesticides and reagents for soil cleanup after industrial disasters. Their logo—a stylized red and white umbrella—was displayed on fertilizer tanks.
Reality: A military contractor. They were developing a "Enhanced Regeneration Serum" for the US Army. The goal was to create a super soldier capable of surviving critical injuries in biological warfare. Their facility in the Arizona desert (the secret "Hive" complex) was working on accelerating cell mitosis. The problem was controlling apoptosis (programmed cell death): cells regenerated so quickly that uncontrolled tissue mutations began.

· Shanghai Ruilan Bao Huosan Biotech Co., Ltd. (China, Shanghai)
· Official: Production of biodegradable polymers and food supplements for athletes (protein complexes).
· Reality: They were involved in neurobiology and viral vectors. Their goal was to create a virus transporter that could deliver the "genetic blueprints" from the Arizona serum directly into cell nuclei, bypassing the immune system. They used a modified rhabdovirus, which naturally infects insects, attempting to "teach" it to penetrate the human blood-brain barrier to treat dementia and PTSD. Funding came from shell funds tied to the technological race with the West.

The irony of fate: They wanted to create a drug that would make the nervous system invulnerable, but instead they created a pathogen that devours the brain itself, leaving only primitive, “rabid” instincts.

The world of 2023–2026 was preoccupied with surviving a geopolitical storm. The epidemic was brewing in the shadow of these events.

Geopolitical Background (Real Events): The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has entered a protracted phase. Sanctions pressure on Russia has caused a tectonic shift in the global economy: an energy crisis in Europe, the creation of new supply chains, and a redistribution of grain markets. In 2025, the Taiwan crisis erupted, completely shifting the attention of US and Chinese intelligence to military action in the South China Sea. Against this backdrop, UN resolutions regarding the inspection of biological laboratories were simply ignored—there was no time for bureaucracy.
The "Patient Zero" Incident (2024): Shanghai lab employee Li Wei (chief virologist) accidentally violated protocol while working with a mutated rhabdovirus. Contrary to calculations, the virus didn't simply deliver protein, but began restructuring neural connections. Li Wei became an "Alpha-infected" (retaining residual intelligence but experiencing manic hunger). Management managed to lock him down on the underground level "B-12."

Three Years of Secrecy (2024–2027): Companies formed private armies to hunt down the infected. They disguised the disappearances as acts of serial killers, outbreaks of mass psychosis, or accidents. But the virus leaked through sewers and rodents (which died, but spread the pathogen mechanically on their fur).

· Escape in mid-2027:
How did the infected escape? They actually had help. A group of eco-activist hackers, investigating toxic waste, hacked Umbrella's servers. Seeing footage of human experiments and mistaking the infected for "concentration camp prisoners," they initiated a global unlocking of the quarantine gates at all Umbrella facilities, hoping to free the captives. It was their "Freedom Day." As soon as the doors opened, hordes of infected poured into Shanghai, Jakarta, Los Angeles, and Arizona.

Dawn of the Dead. 70% of the population is either infected or dead. Major cities are open-air cemeteries.

· Virus Mechanics:
· Infection: Through a bite (saliva contains the highest concentration of virions).

Incubation: Humans have 24 to 48 hours before brain damage occurs. Symptoms include broken capillaries in the eyes, a temperature above 41°C (104°F), and necrosis at the bite site.

Behavior: Eternal hunger (hyperphagia). They don't just kill, they devour flesh to replenish decaying cells. Without food, the infected slows down and desiccates, but doesn't die completely as long as the brain is intact.

· Exceptions: Animals have a different type of protein in their cell membranes, so the virus cannot "stick" to them, causing only anaphylactic shock and death, but not resuscitation. Soil and plants have too rough a cell wall, so the virus simply settles on them (UV radiation and drying kill it within 6-8 hours), but blood on grass is dangerous.

· Ouroboros Serum (Anti-Virus):
· Developed at a later stage as a "fire plan".

Action: If injected within 15–20 minutes of a bite (before the virus reaches the spinal cord via the lymphatic system), it burns viral proteins. If more time has passed, it is useless.

Problem: The serum and the instructions for synthesizing it are hidden either in the "Hive" (Arizona) or on "Level B-12" (Shanghai). But the security there is automated, plus there are thousands of infected scientists in hazmat suits (armored zombies).

In this world, he is no longer the "national oppa".

• BIOGRAPHY

Full name: Lee Dong Wook
· Age: 45 years (as of 2027).
· Date of birth: November 6, 1981.
· Height: 184 cm (physical form is now drained, but wiry).
· Field of activity (in the past): World famous actor, model, presenter.
· Nationality: Korean.
Place of residence (before the apocalypse): Penthouse in Seoul, mansion in Gangnam-gu.
· Current location: The barricaded Seongsu High School on the outskirts of Seoul, converted into a survivors' camp.

Eyes: His famous deep, almond-shaped eyes with drooping lids are now almost always squinted. Their gaze is piercing, scanning the space. They no longer have the actor's languor—only a cold, calculating sniper, acquired on set and honed in real combat.

Skin: The porcelain skin that was once the envy of everyone is now marred by a thin scar on her cheekbone (a gift from an infected fan) and burn marks on her arms. It has become rougher from the wind and dirt.

Hair: Jet black, usually styled sleekly, he'd now mercilessly cut it short with a knife to prevent an enemy from snatching it. His long bangs were swept back, revealing a stern face.

Lips: Well-defined lips of the classic "onion" shape, often pressed into a thin line. His smile is now a grin of superiority before the shot.

Facial features: Sharp Asian cheekbones, a strong chin, and a high nose. His face has become even more sculpted due to a lack of food, giving him a predatory, infernal appearance. He's the spitting image of Jung Jin-man in a moment of rage.

Before the disaster, Lee Dong Wook was known to his friends as a funny, slightly shy man with a soft heart. But the virus rebooted his psyche. He didn't "become cool"; he remembered his characters.

· Jung Jin-man as the core: From "Assassination Shop," he inherited absolute, cold pragmatism. Lee Dong-wook doesn't risk anything for a nice gesture. If an infected person bites a group member, Dong-wook will kill them without hesitation before the agony begins, sparing both the person from suffering and the group from danger. He learned to disassemble a weapon blindfolded and calculate tactics three steps ahead.

· The resilience of "Goblin" and "The Tale of the Nine-Tailed Fox": He views his new life with a degree of fatalism. He lived the lives of immortal beings on screen, so when the world collapsed, he didn't break psychologically. He simply "switched genres."

· Survivor Psychology: Money and fame in the past taught him the most important thing: most people are liars. Now he trusts only his family. His fighting style is a mix of special forces hand-to-hand combat (role training) and brutal improvisation (bats, rebar). His sarcastic humor is still there, but it's become darker. "Looks like this show's ratings are off the charts," he mutters, looking at the burning Seoul.

Father (Name was not disclosed before the apocalypse. (Name is Lee Yong-ho). Call sign "Commissar")
· Age: 79 years.
· Pre-apocalypse occupation: Retired police officer.
Role in the shelter: Strategist and Guardian of Order. In the survivors' camp (the barricades at Seongsu High School), he's the one who enforces the law. He doesn't fight on the front lines due to his age and sore joints, but his word is law. His skills in reading people (interrogations, criminal psychology) are unmatched. He's stern, but fair. He's the only one who can calm Lee Dong Wook down with the line, "Son, I was catching killers before you could even act them out. Slow down."

· Mother: Kim Doo-sun.
· Age: 76 years.
· Occupation before the apocalypse: Housewife.
Role in the shelter: The soul of the camp and the main purveyor. Her housekeeping skills have become the foundation of survival. She knows how to make a can of stew last a week, how to make hydroponic fertilizer from rat droppings, and how to stitch up a wound so the scar is barely visible. She was the one who confirmed the fact and noted that her favorite tomatoes, grown in clean soil, are completely safe, even if infected ones have been around.
Condition: A quiet woman with a steel core, praying in the evenings. Since childhood, Dong Wook has feared her silent reproach more than a horde of zombies.

· Younger sister: Lee Sun Hee 1984.
· Age: 43 years.
Appearance and Facts: A sweet woman with features reminiscent of her brother, but softer. The same one who recorded a touching message for "Healing Camp," proving to the world that their bond is unbreakable.
· Shelter Role: Communications Operator and Scout. She's always been the family's emotional center, but after her friend died from a bite, she became bitter. She learned to hack radio frequencies and control drones (when there's power) to track the movements of infected swarms around the school. Her sense of danger is sharper than Dong Wook's.

(Lee Sun Hee's husband, name hidden, call sign "Son-in-law")
· Age: 44 years.
Pre-apocalypse occupation: Not a public figure. Let's say (logically for the lore) he was a civil engineer. That's why Lee Dong Wook, knowing the value of money, paid for their wedding—he respects people who build, not destroy.
Role in the shelter: Caretaker and Engineer. He's sullen and doesn't like being photographed (hence his reticence in the press), but his skillful hands keep the generators running. He's reinforced the school gates so that even a crowd of "runners" can't knock them down. He and the actor have a masculine, taciturn bond. They trust each other with their lives, but never say so out loud.
· Important: He is the one who most often looks after his nephew when Lee Sun Hee goes on forays.

· Nephew (Sister's son)
· Name: Lee Hyun Soo.
· Age: 8 years.
Role in the story: The meaning of life for the entire clan. He's the only child in the camp who can't remember the taste of chocolate, but knows 10 ways to kill an infected person. Dong Wook adores him with the same tenderness with which he played with fans. For the sake of Hyun Soo's future, for him to see a world without the virus, the family is ready to storm the laboratory in Shanghai.