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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 237: Countdown 6
"How many days has it been?" Song Yao asked softly.
"Four days, and it's only increasing, more and more," Jiang He sighed as he handed the telescope to the American guy, Jones.
The weather this morning was not good; the clouds were thick and gray, as if it were about to rain. It was already late November, and the rainy season should have passed. Just a few days ago, the sun was shining brightly, but today it had suddenly turned gloomy, truly unpredictable.
Downstairs, the Horde showed no signs of dispersing. As Jiang He had said, not only had their numbers not decreased, but they seemed to have increased. Not just in the CBD Zone, but the outskirts were also filled with a large number of Zombies, as if every moving Zombie had converged here. It was unclear what was drawing them in.
"We can't wait any longer; our clean water won't last much longer," Jones said as he set down the telescope, his deep-set eyes filled with exhaustion.
"What do you propose?" Jiang He replied somewhat skeptically. Can't wait? What should they do? Commit suicide? They were trapped in the heart of the city, surrounded by steel and concrete for miles around, with Zombies everywhere. Even a tank would struggle to break through. Jiang He knew their water supply was dwindling, but what could they do? Break out? Ridiculous.
"Let’s go back and talk; I have a plan that we need to discuss together," Jones said without catching the sarcasm in Jiang He's tone. He frowned and added, "Though it’s a bit risky, it’s definitely worth trying."
Jiang He exchanged glances with his companion, both surprised. In recent days, they had either been cooped up in their room or standing on the rooftop watching the Zombies; they hadn’t given this matter much thought. Who would have thought that this previously silent American guy had actually come up with some ideas?
The three of them made their way back down to the floor where everyone was gathered. The atmosphere remained grim; those armed with guns looked listless, and those conducting research appeared equally dispirited. Aside from a few Soldiers who greeted Jiang He and his companion, everyone else was absorbed in their own tasks, barely lifting their heads. Observing this scene made Jiang He worry; morale had nearly collapsed over these past few days. He truly wondered if Jones could still command those unruly Mercenaries and Field Personnel.
Jones himself seemed confident as he strode into the Glass Workplace and clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Everyone, please move to the conference room; there are important matters to discuss."
For the first time in four days, such a commotion echoed through this floor. Many who had been resting with their eyes closed were startled awake; upon realizing it was their American superior calling them, some responded eagerly and got up to head toward the conference room. However, others pretended not to hear and continued with their tasks. Jiang He couldn't help but sigh inwardly; he had indeed guessed correctly. When Yan Guofeng was around, he could still command respect, but after Old Yan's sudden death, some people were less willing to follow orders. Mercenaries were like that—when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; they lacked the inherent loyalty of Establishment soldiers driven by duty.
Jones had anticipated this situation, showing no signs of concern on his face. As the remaining Field Personnel filed into the conference room, he turned to Jiang He and shrugged at the Brothers in Arms who remained in place. The meaning was clear: "I've brought in everyone I could; your people are your responsibility."
Jiang He shook his head with a wry smile, steeling himself to approach the Soldier. Although he had a good relationship with Shaoshan and Wang Zhongyu, that did not mean the Brothers in Arms would automatically follow his lead. Indeed, while the Brothers in Arms were somewhat protective of them, it was due to Shaoshan's orders rather than any personal charm from either of them. Nevertheless, the Soldier showed Jiang He some respect; after Jiang He explained Jones's intentions, a few Soldiers conferred briefly and nodded in agreement to enter the meeting.
A group of Field Personnel who remained still observed quietly, whispering among themselves. A few pointed at Jones, murmuring about something unknown.
Currently, there were fewer than two hundred Mercenaries and Field Personnel left. Over forty researchers had been withdrawn from the laboratory level, along with seventeen technical staff members. Only about fifty Field Personnel followed into the conference room, accompanied by members of the Research Team. The seventeen technical maintenance personnel stayed put, gathered outside the Glass Workplace, alongside the unmoving Field Personnel. There were only eight Soldiers from the Establishment left, specifically dispatched by Wang Zhongyu to protect Jiang He and his companion; the rest were at the CBD Defense Line, which had collapsed entirely after the air raid, leaving no survivors.
Jiang He considered the situation carefully; more than half of those not following orders were armed Field Personnel. If they continued in this idle state, it might be manageable, but if they suddenly decided to turn on each other, it would pose a serious threat. He hadn’t thought much about this before, but now he felt a sense of unease. Just days ago, food and water had been distributed as usual without incident; however, supplies were depleting rapidly now that they were trapped inside without means to replenish them. With so many people consuming resources without replenishment, it wouldn’t be long before they faced a crisis over dwindling food and water—at that point, it was hard to guarantee that these individuals wouldn’t resort to unscrupulous actions.
A chill ran down Jiang He's back; this was not mere speculation—trouble was brewing. The depletion of supplies could be the final spark. When living people turn against each other, their destructive potential far exceeds that of Zombies; these individuals were hardened fighters who found killing far easier than slaying Zombies.
"What's wrong?" Song Yao noticed Jiang He's sudden shift in mood and asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine," Jiang He replied quickly, calming himself as he pulled Song Yao down to sit beside him. Suddenly understanding Jones's meaning, he realized that this American had already recognized the underlying problem; when he said "we can’t wait any longer," he was likely referring not to Zombies but to the living around them.
Song Yao looked puzzled and was about to ask more when Jones spoke up from the head of the table.
"Everyone," Jones began directly without any preamble, "it has been four days with no sign of the Horde retreating. We cannot sit idly by; we must take action." Seeing that everyone had quieted down, he nodded in satisfaction and continued, "My Chinese is limited; I won't waste time on small talk. Let’s get straight to the point... I want to know if anyone here wishes to stay behind."
Jiang He rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking that this small talk was anything but brief—if it weren’t for their inability to leave, who would want to remain here? The reactions of others mirrored Jiang He's sentiments closely; however, they did not express it as openly. Everyone understood that Jones had more to say and thus remained silent, staring intently at him as they awaited his next words.
"Looks like there's nothing, right? That's good." Jones nodded with a faint smile, pulling out a scroll from under the table. With a swift motion, he unfurled it on the tabletop and said, "As everyone knows, this building stands at 528 meters tall. Given the situation on the ground, the aerial passage seems to be our only way out. However, we currently lack the means to ascend. With our existing resources, we can't build an aerial bridge. I've made numerous attempts, all of which have failed because there are just too many Zombies, and we... are too few. The height of the building provides us some shelter, but it has also become our obstacle. It's quite ironic when you think about it."
The attendees exchanged glances, unsure of what this American guy was trying to say. Some were already showing signs of impatience; perhaps they were regretting their decision to come in.
Jones smiled at the silent crowd, sensing that he had kept them in suspense long enough. He then placed emphasis on the paper spread out on the table and said, "God closes one door but opens a window. Fortunately, I found this window." With that, he held up the unfolded paper and introduced it grandly: "This is the drainage engineering plan for the CBD Zone."
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