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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 20: Orphan
"Shall we sleep here for the night?" Ming Junwei pointed at the Service Area.
Jiang He and the others had wasted some time in the city, and now the sun was setting. The next Service Area was two hundred kilometers away, and given the current road conditions, it seemed they would have to sleep on the highway tonight. Although the group was prepared for camping, since there was a ready-made place to stay, there was no need to set up tents. No one knew what lay ahead; if they got stuck in the middle of the road and zombies attacked in the middle of the night, that would be a serious problem.
Jiang He, acting as the "team leader," agreed with Ming Junwei's suggestion and quickly informed the others.
Chao Yifan looked at the terrain of the Service Area and said, "Our inspection area might be a bit large."
The Service Area was located on one side of the highway and wasn't very big. At its western end was a concrete restroom, right next to a gas station, with a two-story small building beside it. Entering through the door revealed small supermarkets and dining areas on either side, with separate restrooms for men and women in between. Both the supermarket and dining area were not large, roughly the size of half a basketball court. An elevator was located at the corner between the restrooms and supermarket, with a sign on its door stating: No Entry for Unauthorized Personnel.
Jiang He stepped back to take a look at the entire Service Area and noticed that behind the building was suburban woodland, all enclosed by over three-meter-high barbed wire fencing. It seemed unlikely that any zombies could climb over it. The front of the small building was spacious, with parking spaces for private cars and long-distance buses; several private cars were still parked there, along with a Golden Dragon Bus. Both ends were open, so even if zombies came, they wouldn't have to worry about being trapped inside.
"Let's check together; it's getting dark, and it's unsafe for anyone to be alone," Jiang He said as he snapped his fingers loudly. "Turn all the vehicles around and park them at the entrance."
"Wow, you really do look like a leader," Song Yao teased with a laugh.
"Shut up, girl; just listen to my orders," Jiang He playfully flicked her forehead and thought for a moment. "I'll go inside to check with Ming the Great Hero and Chao Tianwang. If everything is fine inside, you can go in first while we check out the gas station."
"That's too much trouble; Yi Fan and Ming can go to the gas station while we check inside," Song Yao hurriedly said as she pulled an entrenching tool from the car, fearing Jiang He wouldn't take her along.
"Come on now; Sister An and Little Gold need someone to protect them, especially with kids around," Jiang He helplessly pointed at the other two and ruffled Song Yao's hair.
"Then Yi Fan can stay..." Song Yao quickly suggested.
"Not happening! If this keeps up, I'll be the fourth woman in our group!" Chao Yifan protested loudly as she pulled an axe from her backpack.
Ming Junwei, who had been silent until now, suddenly leaned over to Chao Yifan and said, "Hey buddy, can you give me this?"
"What?" Chao Yifan asked in confusion. "Why do you want to swap this flashy spear for a hand axe?"
"Come on, this thing looks good but isn't really useful. If you like it, it's yours," Ming Junwei said without a hint of reluctance, tossing the spear to Chao Yifan.
Chao Tianwang quickly discarded the hand axe and caught the incredibly cool spear with both hands, carefully running his fingers along its body. "You said it; no take-backs."
"A promise is a promise. Besides, this thing only has two arrows. If you're too close, it lacks power; if you're too far, you can't reach," Ming Junwei quickly picked up the hand axe and tucked it behind his waist.
"Sure thing. When we get to the next city, I'll grab some more arrows," Chao Yifan said, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he slung the spear over his shoulder without hesitation.
Ming Junwei thought for a moment and added, "This is a manufactured item; it's hard to find suitable arrows. If we come across an archery range, I’ll gather some for you."
"Brother Ming, you're the best! I love you!" Chao Yifan exclaimed joyfully, nearly bubbling over with happiness. He turned to Song Yao and said, "Let’s switch places; I’ll stay back to protect the women!"
Song Yao looked exasperated and advised, "You should really keep that axe; you've barely held it for a few minutes."
"Don't worry, I've got this," Chao Yifan chuckled awkwardly as he took the arrows from Ming Junwei and attached them to the spear.
"Alright De'er, Yi Fan, keep your eyes open," Jiang He said without further ado as he grabbed the Fire Axe and prepared to move out.
"Wait a second," Song Yao called out to the two of them. He ran to the vehicle and retrieved three powerful flashlights, tossing one to each of them.
"Wow! You guys have some great stuff! I've never even used this kind of brightness!" Ming Junwei laughed as he strapped the flashlight to his wrist and asked, "What else do you have that I haven't tried?"
“Sanitary Napkin. Shall we?” Song Yao said.
After the three of them were equipped, the sun had dipped a little lower, casting a backdrop of red clouds as they walked side by side through the open glass doors of the reception area.
Chao Yifan climbed onto the roof of the vehicle with a telescope, calling for An Zheng and Little Gold to wait inside.
The sky had not yet completely darkened, so there was no need for flashlights on the first floor. Jiang He and Ming Junwei protected Song Yao in the middle as they moved towards the small supermarket ahead. Jiang He glanced at the shelves in the supermarket and felt a surge of happiness. It seemed that not many had escaped from the Service Area, or perhaps they were still relatively calm, as most of the shelves were still stocked with goods.
Jiang He looked at the nearest shelf; vacuum-packed sausages and roasted chicken were intact.
“Wow, this happiness comes too suddenly! I haven't eaten meat in ages!” Jiang He licked his lips, eager to tear open the packaging and take a bite.
“Get a grip, all you think about is food,” Song Yao shot him a glance and walked straight into the central aisle.
Jiang He and Ming Junwei exchanged glances before heading off in different directions.
The small supermarket was not large; aside from three rows of shelves creating several aisles in the middle, other shelves lined the walls in a circular concave shape. The three of them made a round before meeting at the far end and then left the supermarket to enter the dining area.
In the dining area, four rows of connected tables and chairs occupied the space. Some tables still held remnants of meals that had not been cleared away, now spoiled and emitting a foul odor, surrounded by buzzing flies. A few drink cabinets stood by the windows, while two sides featured ordering windows. Jiang He glanced around; there were various local dishes like Sha County snacks, Sichuan stir-fries, and beef ramen—five stalls in total—none likely to have anything edible left. The half-door to the kitchen was at the back, and the three cautiously entered one after another, greeted by a wave of stench.
“Be careful,” Ming Junwei said as he led the way, his playful demeanor vanished.
The sign at the ordering window blocked out sunlight. The three turned on their flashlights, spacing themselves slightly apart as they carefully lifted the curtain of the first stall. Three beams of light illuminated the interior; aside from stoves and utensils, there was nothing else inside. They checked each of the three stalls in turn but found no source for the foul smell.
The curtain of the fourth room was stained with dried blood, its color darkened to a deep black. It didn’t look like it had been splattered; rather, it appeared as if a bloodied person had lunged into it. The three exchanged glances, and Ming Junwei gestured for the others to shine their lights on him. He then abruptly lifted the curtain, raising his hand axe. However, he did not bring it down; it hung suspended in the air.
Jiang He and Song Yao rushed over, and upon seeing what lay inside, they froze, gasping in shock, their eyes filled with fear, their bodies trembling slightly.
In the narrow workspace lay a single corpse, already decayed and reeking. The upper body leaned against an Operation Table. There was a dark hole in the center of its forehead, and its eyes seemed to be wide open. Beside the corpse sat a little girl dressed in a dirty princess dress that was unrecognizable in color, leaning against the corpse as if cradled in its arms.
What left the three of them stunned was that the little girl—was still alive!
The girl obediently rested against the corpse's chest, seemingly oblivious to the three people at the door. One hand clutched the edge of the corpse's clothing while the other reached for a plastic bag beside her. She took a bite from it and began chewing before swallowing. It seemed the food was too tough; she bit down hard enough that her cheeks bulged with each movement. After struggling to swallow, she climbed onto the side of the Operation Table, twisting on the faucet to bring her little head closer.
Song Yao trembled violently, covering her mouth with one hand as suppressed gasps escaped her.
Jiang He stood in shock, staring at the rotting corpse and the girl drinking water, his mouth opening and closing without producing any sound.
Ming Junwei took a step forward, causing the little girl to immediately jump down from the Operation Table and scurry back to curl up under the corpse's arm.
Song Yao could no longer contain her tears as they streamed down her face. Trembling, she approached slowly and crouched beside the corpse, softly saying in a quivering voice, "Little sister, don’t be afraid."
The little girl peeked out from behind the corpse to look at Song Yao. Her round face was covered in dust, and her dull eyes stared blankly at Song Yao without speaking or moving.
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