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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred Fourteen: Signal Source
The door to the conference room burst open, and a group of men led by Chef Wang was shoved inside at gunpoint by soldiers, lining up according to their height. Three women were the last to enter; White Radish Spirit and a seductive woman were disheveled, clearly having been dragged from their sleep, while only Little Liu Teacher was dressed appropriately, reportedly having been on night watch in the children's sleeping quarters before being brought in by the soldier.
Shaoshan, Jiang He, and Old Ma sat at the main seats of the oval conference table, watching the group with cold eyes and saying nothing. Principal Huang wore a forced smile, unsure whether to stand or sit, and could only nod and bow to appease everyone.
The young man who had lured away the zombies was unfamiliar to Jiang He; he had only seen Old Huang, White Radish Spirit, and Little Liu Teacher last time. He hadn’t expected there to be so many people here. Fortunately, it was just a bunch of kids that had run out that night; if these men had come to ambush them, they might have truly faced some trouble.
Jiang He sat to Shaoshan's left, expressionless but feeling somewhat awkward inside. He wasn’t sure what his current identity was—was he a guide? A military strategist? Or just a privileged captive? Shaoshan hadn’t restricted his freedom; he could leave at any time, but Jiang He didn’t want to give up this opportunity. Shaoshan had said that he had no authority to lead a rescue for survivors; he had a mission but could take Jiang He back to the Defense Zone to discuss matters with his superiors. Jiang He thought this was a viable plan; after all, he couldn’t think of any reason the military would refuse to assist in a rescue. Even if Shaoshan’s superior turned out to be unhelpful, Jiang He could still camp near the Defense Zone with everyone else—after all, it’s better to have shade under a big tree.
Regardless of whether Jiang He’s thoughts were realistic or not, at this moment, Shaoshan was his only lifeline. Whether he continued to wander aimlessly or found a stable place to stay depended largely on whether he could communicate with the leaders of the Defense Zone. Jiang He wasn’t sure if his people had safely returned to the Air Raid Shelter; he could imagine Song Yao worrying about him, but at least she still had Ming Junwei and Chao Yifan by her side, which eased his mind somewhat. He was determined to seek an explanation from the Defense Zone.
“Hey, what are you daydreaming about?” Shaoshan snapped his fingers in front of Jiang He’s face, pulling him back from his thoughts of returning to the Air Raid Shelter.
“Nothing much, just feeling a bit tired,” Jiang He replied sheepishly.
“Are you alright? Should I have Old Ma check on you again?” Shaoshan raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Jiang He’s bandaged wounds.
“I’m fine; I’m not that fragile!” Jiang He boasted lightly, though inside he felt quite grateful. He thought himself lucky; Shaoshan was somewhat unpredictable but seemed not to harbor any ill intentions toward him. Although Jiang He had provided some information they needed—albeit not crucial—he still appreciated Shaoshan's kindness and concern.
Shaoshan smiled broadly, tapping his fingers on the table to quiet the chatter among the group. “Don’t be nervous; relax. I’m Shaoshan, sent by my superiors to investigate some matters. I hope you can cooperate.”
“Yes, yes! The military and civilians are one family; it’s only right,” Principal Huang chimed in enthusiastically, his old face nearly wrinkling into a flower.
Chef Wang and his companions clearly did not share Principal Huang's level of awareness; although they said nothing verbally, their expressions indicated they were not inclined to cooperate.
Shaoshan didn’t mind and continued on his own: “I will only ask once; I hope you think carefully before answering. Do you understand?”
The people across from him fell silent, staring intently at this soldier exuding an air of bravado.
Jiang He cleared his throat and exchanged a glance with Old Ma, both of them sharing a look that suggested they found Shaoshan's predicament amusing.
"We're looking for a portable radio. Think back, has anyone seen something like that?" Shaoshan glared at the two of them, resting his elbows on the conference table, his aggressive gaze sweeping over the crowd.
From Chef Wang to Little Liu Teacher, a row of faces displayed expressions of utter confusion.
Old Ma was at a loss for words regarding Shaoshan's communication skills and added, "That thing isn't big; it's slightly smaller than a computer case, black or army green, with knobs and antennas on it. It's easy to recognize."
No one responded; everyone wore blank expressions, completely unable to comprehend what they were discussing.
Principal Huang observed the scene and said, "See? I told you it was a misunderstanding. These are all long-time staff members at our school; they wouldn't know about your gadgets."
Shaoshan pondered for a moment, waved his hand to silence him, and turned to Old Ma. "What do you think?"
"They probably don't know anything," Old Ma shook his head. Just as he was about to speak further, he noticed a girl wearing glasses across the table staring oddly at Jiang He.
"Do you know him?" Old Ma asked.
"I've seen him," Little Liu Teacher replied, somewhat apprehensive but maintaining her composure. She straightened her back and pointed at Jiang He. "I saw him a few days ago."
"Hey, long time no see," Jiang He greeted her with a wave, looking puzzled. What could seeing me possibly mean?
Little Liu Teacher glanced around at everyone and mustered her courage. "The thing you're talking about... I might know what it is!"
Her words struck like thunder; Shaoshan and the others, who had been ready to leave, suddenly perked up and looked at her in unison.
Little Liu Teacher felt flustered. Before she could explain further, Principal Huang interjected angrily, "What’s wrong with you, girl! You need to be responsible when you speak! You can't just spout nonsense!"
"I didn't—"
"Say a little less!" The White Radish Spirit, though unclear about what had happened, quickly chimed in to criticize Little Liu Teacher upon seeing Old Huang's flustered expression.
Shaoshan slammed his palm on the solid wood conference table, silencing the noisy crowd.
"Ask and answer; if you keep making noise, I'll throw you out." Shaoshan narrowed his eyes and gestured for Little Liu Teacher to step forward. "Now tell me, where did you see that thing?"
"I-I-I think I saw the kids with that thing..." Little Liu Teacher stammered, swallowing hard and nervously adding, "I can't remember clearly; should I bring it for you to see?"
"Oh?" The expression on Shaoshan's face was quite entertaining. He assigned two soldiers to accompany Little Liu Teacher while he returned to his chair, casting a sidelong glance at the row of people who dared not speak up, sneering repeatedly.
"Bro, this is definitely a misunderstanding; I really don't know anything about it." Principal Huang was sweating profusely, realizing from the soldier's demeanor that he was being equated with a fraud.
"Don't worry; we'll sort out whether it's a misunderstanding later." Shaoshan pulled out a cigarette and lit it, glancing around before cheerfully saying, "Jiang He, you're quite the lucky charm."
"What does that have to do with me?" Jiang He rolled his eyes and shot back with two sarcastic remarks.
"The girl only remembered this because she saw you; if you weren't here, she might not have dared to say anything!" Old Ma chimed in with a teasing tone, his horse-like face beaming with amusement.
Jiang He was already speechless at his two neurotic partners and chose to look elsewhere, pretending he hadn't heard.
After a while, two soldiers entered the conference room with Little Liu Teacher and a half-asleep boy in tow. The boy was drowsy and cradled a military green object in his arms.
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