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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 244: The Morning of Zeng Yadong
As the sun rose and the gentle breeze swept through the trees, Flower Bird Island welcomed a new day.
For the vast majority of people, today was a Good Day. It might not be significant enough to be recorded in history, but celebrating it like a festival was perfectly acceptable. The warm sunlight and soft sea breeze were merely embellishments to the vibrant scene; the true highlight was the sound of horns blaring along the coast.
Indeed, after a brief period of rest, the great migration on Flower Bird Island commenced on this beautiful morning—technically, before dawn, the islanders had already begun their activities.
If a survivor from the city were to witness the scene on the island at this moment, they would find it hard to believe what was happening. It wasn't just the continuous flow of people; it was the joy radiating from their faces. This was no escape; it felt more like a jubilant celebration, bustling with energy as they hurried to transport supplies! Look at those groups of men and women carrying large and small bundles; they hadn't brought so much when they arrived on the island. How could they have accumulated so much after just a few days? And those soldiers in military green—what were those things hanging from their rifles? Were they fleeing or hunting? Why did everyone seem so much lighter on their feet? How could this group of emaciated individuals wear smiles as bright as wildflowers?
Of course, there were no city survivors present to observe these questions firsthand, so such doubts would not arise. Moreover, not everyone shared in the festive joy; at least Zeng Yadong and Wheat felt out of place amidst the merriment. It wasn't that they were unsociable; rather, they were burdened by worries that lingered without resolution.
It had been six days since they last saw New Xia Yang, with no news whatsoever. It felt as if that super tanker, which had been docked nearby, had never existed at all. Nearly a thousand lives seemed to have been collectively forgotten. Perhaps the Establishment's Decision-Making Body had long since grown indifferent to life and death, or perhaps the battle-hardened Brothers in Arms had developed hearts of iron. Maybe those who had escaped disaster had already cast aside their grief... But Zeng Yadong could not do that. She couldn't pretend that nothing had happened or discard the haunting images that visited her dreams each night.
Zeng Yadong was not a fragile woman; on the contrary, compared to most of her peers, she was strong, intelligent, and never lacked the courage to face bloodshed. Since the Cataclysm began until now, she had witnessed too many friends die before her eyes and experienced too many farewells. She believed her heart was strong enough and her emotions numb enough to accept even harsher realities; she just couldn't replace what might have happened with mere imagination.
For many people, life after the Cataclysm brought more fear, despair, and death. Zeng Yadong had long since shed her fears and confusion; for her, what was most difficult to endure was powerlessness—the inability to recover what had happened or prevent what might happen.
In the County Government office, Zeng Yadong could do nothing to save her fallen comrades but ended up using her Miao Knife under Su Lan's urgent pleas to end one life herself. On that last night in the Gobi Desert, she could not stop Kenny from fighting to the death against the Establishment and had to silently bid farewell to Su Lan. Now, on this joyous morning on Flower Bird Island, she could do nothing to change New Xia Yang's complete disappearance and could only force a smile as she joined the larger group in loading supplies onto ships.
Before the Cataclysm, girls like Zeng Yadong were often unlikable; they tended to share joy while burying sorrow deep within themselves. They greeted others with smiles while tasting bitterness alone—simply due to their nature. After the Cataclysm, girls like her had a higher chance of survival because they provided an inexplicable sense of security to those around them—a relaxation that contrasted sharply with the urgency of their dire environment. Unlike Jiang He’s reckless demeanor, Zeng Yadong’s thoughts were intricate; she understood what could be done and what couldn’t be done, what should be done and what shouldn’t be done—even though since teaming up with Su Lan, her approach often contradicted her previous ways.
The mountain winds swayed gently while voices buzzed around her; Zeng Yadong felt cold inside, along with Wheat, who resembled a blooming flower yet carried her own burdens.
Unlike Zeng Yadong, Wheat was a girl with a tender heart. Her unease and melancholy stemmed more from the worry and concern reflected in Dong Dong's brow. Compared to Pan Luo, Wheat was fortunate; her strength came from the subtle influence of those around her rather than being forged through personal suffering. If this girl could successfully reach the island and begin her "new life," it wouldn't take long for her to completely break free from the protection of her older siblings. However, the time had not yet come, so Wheat could only amplify Zeng Yadong's emotions in a half-active, half-passive manner.
“Dong Dong, shall we go?” Wheat asked. Her body was still developing; not to mention, her hair had grown significantly over these days, now long enough to cover her small backside when let down. Zeng Yadong, with nothing much to do, tied two long, smooth pigtails for her using hair ties. With her charming doll-like face, she looked just like a character straight out of a comic book. It was just that her tattered clothes somewhat spoiled the picture.
This hairstyle was not suitable for wandering through a city infested with zombies, which showed just how comfortable life on Flower Bird Island was. Setting aside many troubling matters, Wheat no longer needed Zeng Yadong to accompany her to the restroom these days; it felt almost like being back at home.
“Alright, let's go,” Zeng Yadong replied, retracting her gaze from the distance. With a hint of maternal affection, she gently ruffled the head of the girl who was not much shorter than herself. Her eyes were filled with countless thoughts that converged into a deep well as she gazed at the young girl before her, and her expression gradually softened.
The two girls had been sleeping in the lighthouse for several days now, enjoying their "special treatment" without needing to participate in labor on Flower Bird Island. The soldier on duty was also happy to have these two lovely girls around; the three spent their days chatting and joking, making time pass quickly. Little did Wheat know that while she slept soundly, there were two people keeping watch in front of the lighthouse: one was the soldier on duty, and the other was Dong Dong. The soldier was fulfilling his routine duty while Dong Dong seemed to be watching over something unknown in the night.
Wheat's watch had run out of battery; its hands were stuck at 9:08 on an unknown day. She couldn't bear to take it off and often misread the time. However, today was different; the main group was scheduled to depart early anyway. After a busy morning, she glanced at the sky and thought it must be almost time. The crowd on the island had dwindled significantly; most had already relocated. The ferry's horn continued to sound insistently—perhaps the driver hadn't taken his medication—blaring endlessly as if afraid that zombies might not realize there were still plenty of delicious human morsels in this corner of the sea.
The specific relocation plan for Establishment had been fully disclosed. Just like on that day in New Xia Yang, it was an all-hands meeting. Unfortunately, there were no loudspeakers on the island; that day had been exhausting for the officer responsible for making announcements—he had become a human megaphone. Whenever a leader spoke behind him, he had to strain his neck to shout back a response. By the end of the meeting, veins were nearly bursting on his forehead.
As for the content of the meeting, to be honest, it should have been considered one of the few good news items recently. The soldiers dispatched from the island successfully found a Free Trade Port and managed to refuel their supplies. Just yesterday, they had dragged New Pu Ocean to Free Trade Port and filled an entire hold with fuel! What was particularly uplifting was that this Free Trade Port had not been attacked by zombies; although it was deserted, all fuel supplies were intact—the freshwater machines were unharmed and stocked with clean water untouched. Aside from most food having spoiled—a bit regrettable—the rest of the situation couldn’t have been better! It felt as if Heaven had opened its eyes; these people had survived countless dangers only to stumble upon such an unclaimed land—a veritable paradise!
Thus, it wasn’t hard to understand why there was such a festive atmosphere on Flower Bird Island this morning; after all, survival had firmly gained the upper hand in this battle between life and death.
Initially, Zeng Yadong felt invigorated upon hearing this news; having fuel meant ships could travel far and returning to New Xia Yang would be easy enough. Although six days had passed and outcomes remained uncertain, one must see people alive or corpses dead.
But no.
Establishment firmly rejected Zeng Yadong's intentions with clear and resolute determination.
"Resources are limited and not suitable for long-distance navigation. Weighing the pros and cons, the safety of the majority is more important."
This was the response given directly to Zeng Yadong by a leader of the Establishment. It couldn't be said that he was being bureaucratic;
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