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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 131: Parting Ways
In the fading light of the setting sun, the sky was ablaze with fire.
At the intersection near Technology Park, ragged Zombies wandered aimlessly. They had devoured every corpse they could find, stuffing their insatiable bellies with flesh and blood, leaving behind gruesome stains on the cement pavement.
A lithe figure rolled out from under a vehicle, snatched a Sabre from a pool of blood and flesh, and swiftly decapitated two approaching Zombies. The other Zombies nearby remained undisturbed, continuing their aimless wandering toward the ruins of a burnt-out factory.
Shaoshan wiped the blood off his blade on a corpse and crouched down, calling out toward the underside of the vehicle, "Get up here and keep those two beasts quiet."
Jiang He looked exasperated; how could he possibly control those two little troublemakers? Reluctantly, he carefully lifted Yellow Dog up to the ground while Tabby Cat clung to his back, its claws digging into his skin, making him wince in pain.
Shaoshan glanced at the dazed Yellow Dog and made a shushing gesture. Yellow Dog seemed to understand, opening its mouth and panting heavily.
"Go check if the big truck can still run," Shaoshan instructed, pointing at the large truck. He crouched low and moved around to the back of the jeep, picking up several discarded firearms next to the mangled bodies of comrades who had been devoured beyond recognition. Most of the guns still had ammunition; these soldiers had been killed by Cheng Long's side without using concentrated fire against the Zombies. Unable to resist Tabby Cat's insistence, Jiang He climbed into the truck's cab. The glass was shattered with a bullet hole surrounded by cracks. A soldier had previously attempted to climb up and drive but was shot dead by a sniper from above.
The truck had taken many bullets but fortunately, the fuel tank and tires were intact. Jiang He tried starting the engine; it roared to life as the truck lurched forward. Nearby Zombies suddenly turned around and let out hoarse growls as they began to approach the truck slowly.
Shaoshan couldn't afford to be gentle with the bullets anymore. He grabbed several blood-stained Rifles and hurried back, grabbing Yellow Dog by the scruff of its neck and tossing it onto the truck before jumping up himself in a few quick strides.
"Don't turn around; just back out," Shaoshan said as he shoved Yellow Dog aside. Leaning out of the window, he fired two shots that knocked down several Zombies creeping too close to the rear of the truck.
Jiang He had never driven a large truck before; he fumbled with the long gear shift and heard scratching sounds from behind as some Zombies closed in on the vehicle, reaching out with their claws in an attempt to squeeze inside. Ignoring them for now, Jiang He followed his instincts: shifting gears and pressing on the gas pedal. The truck shot forward suddenly, slamming into several Zombies with a loud thud that left a pool of blood on the hood.
"Reverse!" Shaoshan's face was one of resignation as the gunfire erupted, clearing the way of the zombies chasing Jiang He. The truck briefly stalled before roaring back to life, slowly reversing a couple of steps and crushing a few fallen corpses beneath its wheels. With a sudden press of the accelerator, it shot backward.
At the entrance to Technology Park, there were hardly any zombies. The vehicle made a wide turn at the intersection, repositioning itself before speeding away along the route they had come.
Jiang He was unsure where to head next, while Shaoshan remained silent, seemingly lost in thought or perhaps daydreaming. The truck quickly left Technology Park, navigating through several roads before merging onto the highway. Jiang He found it somewhat amusing; this treacherous highway seemed to always pull him back in various unexpected ways.
The truck shook off the zombies trailing behind, gradually slowing down until it finally came to a stop by the roadside. A fallen sign lay nearby, its green placard indicating that they were still over fifty kilometers away from their destination.
"Huh? Why did we stop?" Shaoshan turned his head, looking at Jiang He with confusion.
So he was just zoning out earlier? Jiang He pondered, calculating, "What do we do next? Do you have any plans?"
"Oh?" Shaoshan smiled unexpectedly and said, "Aren't you in a hurry to run now?"
"What good would that do? My mind is a mess right now; I have no idea what to do." Jiang He lit two cigarettes and handed one to Shaoshan. He took a deep drag, letting the sharp smoke swirl in his lungs before exhaling slowly. "Your base has been compromised, your leader is dead, and you're left all alone. What now?"
"Don't worry about me; I can report this to my superiors. He Wei Guo is dead; that's a serious problem." Shaoshan pressed his fingers hard against his temples, clearly frustrated. After a moment of contemplation, he squinted and said, " Jiang He, you have two choices."
"What are they?"
"First, come with me. I'll inform my superiors about this situation; if they decide to send a team to Jiuquan Base, you could join us. Second... we part ways here and perhaps meet again someday." At the end of his statement, Shaoshan gave a knowing smile and winked at him.
"Then... goodbye," Jiang He said softly after thinking for a moment, expressing his choice.
"Oh?" Shaoshan raised an eyebrow, surprised. "So straightforward? Planning to go on a solo journey?"
"What else can I do? Don't try to fool me; you can't even protect yourself, can you? Besides, your superiors and leaders have layers of reporting and approval. By the time they make a decision, humanity might be extinct," Jiang He scoffed, stubbornly insisting, "Rather than waiting around, I might as well go alone. If I'm lucky, I might catch up with my people. If I'm not... well, I'll accept that."
"What do you mean by 'not lucky'? Not finding your companions or something else?" Shaoshan asked with interest.
"Both. Who knows how far I can go before I die?"
"Are you okay with that?"
"What's there to be okay about? I've been saved by many people countless times. I don't think I've done anything particularly bad, but I haven't accumulated much virtue either. Life and death are fated."
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