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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 130: Untitled 6
It is difficult to define a person's good and evil, at least for Jiang He, who does not know if there is a clear boundary between the two. Jiang He is confused, and this confusion stems from Shaoshan's actions.
When Jiang He encountered Shaoshan, the situation was quite special; he was barely alive while Shaoshan had a mission to complete. Although Shaoshan later claimed that saving him was to obtain some valuable information, Jiang He understood that he did not possess such great value.
Could it be that if Shaoshan hadn't found Jiang He that night, he wouldn't have been able to locate Principal Huang and his group in Gaoxian Town? Of course not. Even without Jiang He, he could still find Nantang Township. Even after Jiang He got involved with An Zheng, the situation in Daliugou caused him to lose his value again. If one were to follow Jiang He's speculation about Shaoshan during his time in Nantang Township, he would have been dead long ago.
Shaoshan was clearly not a benevolent person overflowing with kindness; saving someone once might be coincidence, saving twice could be exploitation, but what about saving three times? Moreover, there are different ways to save someone. Old Ma's treatment was merely a waste of time, while everything Shaoshan did in the moment when the Horde of Zombies charged was clearly beyond Jiang He's expectations. In other words, Jiang He would never have imagined that Shaoshan would go to such extreme lengths to save his life.
Let us rewind time to five minutes ago, when Cheng Long sat back in his vehicle, satisfied as he watched the Horde of Zombies engulfing Shaoshan and the others in their hiding place.
Shaoshan sat on the ground, loading bullets into his rifle and handgun with apparent nonchalance as he said, "As long as I'm not dead, it's still a draw."
Jiang He could not refute this statement; clearly, he did not care about the inexplicable death struggle between Shaoshan and Cheng Long at that moment. He was already in despair, watching as zombies swarmed toward them. Although his soldiers were desperately firing back, their efforts were proving ineffective. The Horde of Zombies moved chaotically yet seemed to share a singular focus; they roared and clamored, their murky eyes seemingly blind to their surroundings while their outstretched claws pointed directly at the people behind the two vehicles.
At Shaoshan's command, the remaining seven or eight soldiers formed a '品' shape at the rear of the vehicles. This spearhead formation was clearly unsuitable for defense; it was a common formation for breaking through enemy lines.
Jiang He felt momentarily dazed before an inexplicable surge of adrenaline coursed through him. He looked at Shaoshan with admiration and thought: A military man is indeed a military man; facing thousands of enemies surrounding me, I stand firm with my sword! What a man! What spirit!
Thus, this hot-blooded youth who dared to challenge even Optimus Prime was inspired; his weak legs suddenly filled with strength, and the 64-style pistol in his hand felt like an infinite-ammo Gatling gun as he leaped up to charge out with the soldiers in the spearhead formation!
However, before he could stand fully upright, a powerful force struck from behind. Shaoshan lunged forward and pinned him down to the ground while shouting angrily, "Charge out!!"
Strike Team roared in unison, their firearms firing in a synchronized burst. Even in broad daylight, the brilliant flash of gunfire and the rain of blood were unmistakable! A corridor was carved through the center of the Horde by bullets, and without looking back, the Strike Team charged into the Horde. After pushing through for less than ten meters, they suddenly realized that their Vice Commander, their support, had not followed them at all!!!
Confusion, panic, disbelief, and anger surged through the soldiers' minds, but it was too late. The Horde of Zombies was not a welcoming committee; the bloody corridor created by their gunfire was quickly filled with more Zombies. The suicide squad found themselves surrounded by the Horde of Zombies, their ammunition running out at an alarming rate. As they scrambled to reload, the Horde of Zombies closed in, further constricting their space to maneuver. Several warriors, filled with resentment and fury, discarded their empty guns and drew their Sabres, lunging at the nearby Horde, using their sharp blades to sever the decaying heads. But they were soon overwhelmed by more Zombies, who pounced on them, tearing and devouring them.
This one-sided slaughter happened in the blink of an eye. While it might sound vivid when described in words, to Jiang He, he only saw the squad charge into the Horde of Zombies, only to be engulfed by a tide of Zombies. There may have been a flurry of gunfire for a moment, but it quickly faded into the cacophony of Zombie roars.
Jiang He was completely stunned. He was pushed down to the ground by Shaoshan, and when he looked up, he saw the Horde surging forward to tear apart the squad members. In the next moment, he was dragged under a vehicle by Shaoshan. Before he could react, Shaoshan had lifted a manhole cover and shoved him down into it. Two dark figures followed closely behind, jumping into the pit. Then Shaoshan squeezed in as well, pulling the cover back over them. The round opening returned to darkness, with only two holes letting in a sliver of light.
……
……
The space beneath the manhole was small, with pipes crisscrossing at the bottom taking up most of it. Jiang He was pushed down and landed heavily on the cold pipe, struggling to catch his breath as another hefty figure landed on his back. The dampness below was overwhelming; both Yellow Dog and Tabby Cat jumped down one after another, seeming somewhat panicked as they barked and meowed louder than the Zombies above. Jiang He held his chest and stood up, pulling out a lighter to illuminate a small area.
Shaoshan climbed down onto the ground level from the pipe, and the cramped space felt suffocating. He blew out the flame and gasped for air before quietly asking, “Are you hurt?”
“No… I’m fine,” replied Jiang He, tucking the lighter back into his pocket. At his feet lay something warm; he moved his leg slightly to find that Yellow Dog had placed its paw on him and refused to budge.
“Damn it, these two creatures are really clever; they jumped down faster than I did!” Shaoshan chuckled softly twice, his voice sounding somewhat muffled in the confined space.
Still dazed, Jiang He stood there for a moment as his chest pain gradually subsided. The shock and disbelief from earlier returned to his mind. He looked up at the ceiling and murmured, “Your soldiers…”
“Don’t make any noise for now.” In the darkness, Shaoshan’s expression was obscured, but his voice had noticeably turned hoarse—a sudden change that was impossible to hide.
Jiang He fell silent, wanting to sit down but finding the space too cramped, so he could only rest his head on the pipe for a moment. The two of them, for some reason, suddenly reduced even their breathing sounds to a minimum, with only the soft slurping of a dog’s mouth echoing in the silence.
The roar above grew louder, with the heat well cover beneath the vehicle. Jiang He couldn't see what was happening above, but he could imagine the horrific scene. Those soldiers who charged into the Horde likely left nothing behind, not even scraps. Between the two vehicles lay many corpses, and right above him, on the Jeep that blocked the well cover, Old Ma's body remained seated there.
Jiang He slowly steadied his breathing. Although it was pitch black underground, he still hesitated to look at Shaoshan. His feelings were complicated; he didn’t know what to say. Jiang He had never been a soldier, but he understood the weight of camaraderie in life’s harsh realities. He had witnessed the bond between Bai Yudong and his subordinates. When they were evacuating from the Power Station, Bai Yudong ordered everyone to leave, but Big Mao, He Yong, and Communications Soldier refused. They insisted that Zhuzi and the younger soldiers like Xiaomi and Xiao Wei leave with Jiang He while they chose to stay behind as rear guards. Zhuzi and the others obeyed the order, their inner turmoil evident.
In Jiang He's mind, Shaoshan, Bai Yudong, and even Cheng Long—these soldiers—valued their comrades' lives above all else, no matter the circumstances. At certain moments, they would rather sacrifice themselves than let their friends fall into danger.
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