Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Fifty-Five: The Office Building
As September drew to a close, the weather had turned cool. The desolate streets at midnight were further chilled by the winds brought on by the Cataclysm, causing goosebumps to rise on any exposed skin as the breeze brushed against it.
A woman gradually approached, offering a smile that felt like a warm spring thaw to the group. Her well-tailored blazer hugged her arms, revealing her pale forearms to the air, while a thin layer of stockings seemed to shield her from the early autumn chill.
Though it was unclear how this woman had managed to escape the hospital unscathed, the vigilance developed through numerous trials allowed the group to recover from their momentary shock. Pan Luo flexed her small arm, chambering a bullet and raising her hands into a standard shooting stance, the dark muzzle of her gun aimed directly ahead.
The other four did not move, but their slightly retreating stances indicated their cautious demeanor.
The woman stopped two or three meters away from the five of them, raising her arms slightly. A small revolver dangled from her finger as she gently opened her palm.
"Nice to see you again," she nodded in greeting and said softly, "Don't be nervous. I just want to ask if you've found any medicine."
Jiang He felt a chill run down his spine; the more he looked at this woman, the more she resembled a ghost. He glanced at Ming Junwei and noticed that the hero's expression was also somewhat strange.
"We found some," Cao Liang finally spoke up when no one else did.
"Do you have any antibiotics?" The woman's eyes lit up with excitement. "I don't need much; anything like cephalosporins will do."
"I didn't pay attention; let me check." Seeing that Ming Junwei and the others had no objections, Cao Liang unbuckled his backpack and began rummaging through it.
Jiang He swallowed hard as he spotted several Zombies peeking out from the entrance they had come through. "Should we... find another place to talk?"
"Sure, follow me." The woman had no objections and turned to leave. The remaining five exchanged glances, feeling somewhat bewildered.
"Hey..." Song Yao called out.
"What is it?" The woman turned back, looking at her with curiosity.
Song Yao pointed to the high heels she was holding and asked, "Why not find a pair of shoes to wear?"
The woman smiled lightly, looking a bit embarrassed. "My feet are too small; it's hard to find any."
"Let's just give her the medicine and leave," Cao Liang said, feeling somewhat troubled. While he was willing to show some friendliness, he didn't want to waste too much time.
"Let's take a look," Ming Junwei said, squinting at the woman's back. He whispered, "From what she said, antibiotics can treat Zombie wounds..."
"That's nonsense. She looks so eerie; she can't be a high-level Zombie, can she?" Jiang He scoffed, his curiosity suppressed by fear.
After walking a short distance, the woman turned around and noticed that the group hadn't followed. Confusion flashed across her face. "Is there a problem?"
"Where are you taking us?" Jiang He asked.
"To the County Government, the place you just passed," the woman shrugged and pointed at the increasing number of Zombies around the corner. "If you don't want to go, that's fine. Just give me some of your medicine; you won't need it."
"Let's go; you lead the way," Ming Junwei said, raising his hand to stop Cao Liang from speaking. He turned and added, "You guys take the medicine back first; I need to check it out."
"You’re not actually interested in this girl, are you?" Jiang He joked. "Forget about Dr. An?"
"Pfft." Ming Junwei punched him lightly. "Seriously, Old Cao is right; we can't delay important matters. We still need to come back for supplies anyway; it won't be a problem."
Cao Liang hesitated for a moment before taking Ming Junwei's backpack. "It's not that I'm being ungrateful..."
"I understand," Ming Junwei replied with a relieved smile. "Be careful on your way back; there's no rush to find me. I might arrive shortly after you."
Song Yao quickly calculated and guessed what was going on. She spoke up, "It's not safe for you alone; I'll stay with Jiang He."
Ming Junwei waved apologetically at the waiting woman, signaling her to wait a moment before turning back to say, "Alright then, Old Cao, be careful on your way."
Pan Luo had no objections and simply stood next to Cao Liang, observing the woman waiting nearby with mild curiosity.
"Alright, we'll return as soon as we drop off the medicine," Cao Liang said solemnly, accepting the large kitchen knife handed to him by Jiang He. "I don't know why you insist on going, but please be careful."
"Yeah, you two as well," Ming Junwei replied, giving him a high-five before watching the two of them slip into an alley on another level. He then followed the woman's lead.
The woman pursed her lips, her eyes revealing nothing as she led the three across the street, around an office building, and after several twists and turns, they arrived at the back door of the County Government.
Jiang He clicked his tongue in amazement, his gaze toward the woman shifting several times. No wonder she dared to stroll barefoot in the middle of the night; it seemed she was already familiar with the routes.
"What are your names?" The woman was quite talkative. Although they walked quickly, she occasionally engaged in conversation with them, appearing neither nervous nor hurried, as if they were just chatting casually.
"Ming Junwei," Ming the Great Hero stated without hesitation, also revealing his companions' names. "This is Jiang He, and she is Song Yao."
"Oh, nice to meet you all! I'm Su Lan," the woman smiled at them and added, "You two must be a couple? That's wonderful."
"We've been married for a long time. That girl earlier is our child," Jiang He said nonchalantly without a hint of embarrassment. "We get married early in the countryside."
Su Lan chuckled at his nonsense but didn’t mind it. They walked along the iron fence for over a hundred meters before stopping at the government’s back door.
"We're lucky; there are plenty of supplies stored inside the building, and there are no people or zombies—it's very safe." Su Lan pulled out a brass key from her jacket pocket to unlock the door and let the three in. "It's a pity there are no clothes or a way to take a shower."
"Su... are you a government employee?" Song Yao asked, noticing that Su Lan looked somewhat familiar but couldn't bring herself to call her 'sister.'
"No, I haven't been here long; dawn marks my third day," Su Lan replied, her demeanor shifting from cold in the hospital to friendly now, leaving them slightly bewildered.
"Three days?" Jiang He exclaimed in surprise. "You seem quite familiar with this place."
"Yes, I had a companion who is local; they guided us through once," Su Lan said as she tucked her hair behind her ear and led them from the parking lot in the back yard to behind the office building.
Jiang He exchanged a glance with Song Yao, mentally tagging the icy-hot beauty with a label of boasting.
Ming Junwei showed little interest in their chatter, instead surveying the entire Courtyard. The parking lot was filled with many cars, mostly Black Audis, their bodies covered in dust, suggesting they hadn't been touched in a long time.
Su Lan walked up the steps and gently pushed open the glass door, bending slightly as she stepped into her high heels.
"Come in," Su Lan said, holding the door with one hand while illuminating the interior with a flashlight in the other. "We're in the county chief's office on the second floor. It's quite luxurious, not inferior to a presidential suite."
"What good is luxury?" Jiang He replied dismissively, taking Song Yao's hand and following Su Lan.
"Of course it has its uses," Su Lan said without looking back. The sound of her high heels clicked sharply against the marble floor. "Even though there's been a Cataclysm, we are still alive, right? Since we're alive, there's no reason not to make our lives a bit more comfortable. You can sleep in a cave or in a luxury suite; why choose the cave?"
Ming Junwei nodded in agreement, chuckling, "Miss Su certainly understands life."
"Just call me Aso; 'Miss Su' feels like I'm being called Jianghu Prostitute," Su Lan replied as she opened the safety passage beside the staircase and gestured for the three to enter. "When it comes to short-lived pleasures versus long-term survival, I would choose the former."
Song Yao listened intently, nodding thoughtfully. Jiang He couldn't help but chuckle softly, saying, "Don't let her brainwash you!"
"She's not wrong," Song Yao shot him a glare as the flashlight beam swept across the elevator lobby and into the corridor.
The clicking sound of Su Lan's high heels faded away, and as the light flickered, they noticed that the corridor was lined with red carpeting.
Comment 0 Comment Count