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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 249: The Old Place
Ming Junwei had thought that after experiencing so much, he had become indifferent to life and death. However, the moment he fell back into the compartment, he suddenly realized how deeply he still cherished the desolate, vibrant world. The desire for survival was something he had never noticed before. Although he had struggled on the edge of life and death in the past, it was only this time that Ming Junwei truly felt how close death was to him.
The incident happened in the blink of an eye. Xiao Wei, who was still busy fighting off Zombies on the road, and the graduate student had no idea that Ming the Great Hero had been dragged into the compartment. Despite Ming Junwei losing one eye and looking considerably worse for wear, there remained a blind confidence in this man within their subconscious. So when they heard Ming Junwei's urgent call for help, they were momentarily stunned, as if they couldn't believe their ears.
"Damn it!" After knocking down a Zombie in front of him, Xiao Wei looked up just in time to see a cloud of Blood Mist rising from behind the shattered window. The bus shook violently, and Ming Junwei's furious roar and cry for help came from there.
"Quick! Help him!" The graduate student was also taken aback; he never expected Ming Junwei would be in danger. Fortunately, they had fought side by side along the way and formed a certain level of understanding. The graduate student, who had been running ahead, turned back and smashed the glass of a nearby car with his knife, attracting all the surrounding Zombies. He shouted, "I've got the back covered!"
Xiao Wei wasted no time; steadying himself, he leaped from the top of the bus straight towards the open window. The graduate student was still quick-witted enough to realize that his physical abilities and combat experience were inferior to Xiao Wei's. Even though he had been leading the way, he might not be able to help Ming Junwei; it would be better to drag these Paralyzed Corpses away to clear a path for them both. However, what the graduate student did not anticipate was that more and more Zombies were staggering up from the snow, unlike those plant corpses they had encountered in Gansu Region. Initially, the Zombies moved awkwardly, but soon enough, they seemed to awaken fully, their roars rising sharply.
Sensing something was wrong, the graduate student recalled how they had seen countless Zombies lying in the snow between Jiuquan and their current location. They hadn't provoked them like today; they either avoided them quickly or dispatched them with a swift strike. Thus far, they had managed to progress without incident, but today Ming Junwei was indeed in trouble. As more and more Zombies closed in around him, panic set in for the graduate student, and he turned to run for reinforcements.
He couldn't handle so many Zombies alone; he needed backup!
At this moment, Xiao Wei had already charged to the front of the bus. He jumped too quickly and stumbled at his takeoff point, crashing through a small car's roof and landing inside with a thud. Xiao Wei's heart sank; how could this happen? Of all things, he landed on a luxury car? The canvas roof couldn't support his weight at all. With one leg stuck in what remained of the driver's seat skeleton, he leaned awkwardly and hit his head against the windshield hard enough to nearly knock himself out.
The Zombies on the bridge were relentlessly pursuing the graduate student while those behind the bus were awakened by Xiao Wei's commotion. Before Xiao Wei could pull his leg free from where it was trapped, nearby Zombies lunged at him with ferocious snarls pressed against the windshield as they pounded on it with all their might. At that moment, Xiao Wei couldn't spare a thought for Ming Junwei inside the bus; debris from the crushed roof fell around him as his Machete slipped from his grasp during his fall—he was truly unarmed and trapped.
Fortunately amidst misfortune, this batch of Zombies hadn't fully regained their normal capabilities yet. Observing their clumsy movements gave Xiao Wei hope for survival. The traffic jam was severe; there wasn't much space left for them to advance. A Zombie pressed its face against the glass edge; Xiao Wei took advantage of a rib bone from the driver’s corpse nearby and thrust it into its mouth, splattering blood everywhere as it finally went limp.
Fueled by adrenaline, Xiao Wei found his leg stuck in that skeletal chest cavity and decided not to force it any longer. Instead, he dragged himself out by pulling on half of the driver's upper body; that driver had long since died—his flesh completely devoured. Limping out of the car with one leg injured, Xiao Wei caught sight of another Zombie lunging at him from the side. He twisted his waist and kicked out powerfully with his other leg still attached to half a skeleton. The kick connected solidly; two rows of ribs became weapons as they crushed through the Zombie's skull upon impact.
Ignoring the sharp pain shooting through his leg from where it scraped against debris, Xiao Wei bent down to retrieve his fallen Machete and swung it down hard into a nearby Zombie's Crown of Heaven with precision—its head nearly severed cleanly off.
Just then, another sound of shattering glass echoed from inside the bus followed by a sharp gunshot piercing through the air.
Xiao Wei froze momentarily in shock; they had long run out of firearms and ammunition—who fired that shot?
Unfortunately for him, there was no time to ponder as more Zombies began regaining their mobility amidst ongoing Mountain Battle chaos. They surged forward over cars blocking their path toward him. With a fierce Tiger Roar echoing through him, Xiao Wei swung his Machete like a windmill amidst a rain of blood while leaping toward a guardrail beside him just as another crash sounded from behind—the bus's glass shattered again.
Ming Junwei appeared at that window covered in blood shouting urgently: "Don't jump!" Just as those words left his mouth, Ming Junwei raised an arm; suddenly flames erupted alongside familiar explosive sounds as several Zombies lunging toward Xiao Wei were cut cleanly in half—guts and blood splattered everywhere onto Xiao Wei’s face.
Startled yet relieved at seeing Ming Junwei alive, Xiao Wei quickly rolled back over onto safety behind the guardrail as Ming Junwei whistled sharply before tossing him a gun through the window before disappearing again.
Holding onto that weapon dumbfounded for a moment before bursting into joy at having it back in hand again—Xiao Wei quickly aimed at an approaching Zombie and fired again. The tides turned swiftly; those Zombies that had been relentlessly pursuing him now faced dire consequences as each shot rang out—though not continuous every bullet found its mark taking down one Zombie after another until finally clearing some space around him littered with bloodied remains.
However now wasn't yet time to celebrate; while Xiao Wei had temporarily resolved his immediate crisis—the gunfire continued intensifying from behind the bus indicating that threats from those Zombies were far from over. Glancing back briefly revealed a group of Zombies chasing after the graduate student who sprinted away down another road trying desperately to shake off their pursuit while Luci and Yin Nuo appeared aware of trouble brewing here—they maneuvered Coach around toward Horde readying themselves to assist their comrade escaping ahead.
Xiao Wei took a deep breath and quickly crossed the flow of traffic, climbing over the back of the bus. As he looked up, he was startled to see Ming Junwei and two strangers standing on top of the bus, unleashing a barrage of gunfire at the zombies surrounding them. The flames from their guns lit up the area as they ruthlessly exterminated the undead. Xiao Wei hurriedly ducked to the side of the guardrail to avoid stray bullets, raising his own weapon to join the fray, creating a powerful crossfire that decimated the remaining zombies. Under the onslaught of four guns, the few remaining zombies were unable to make a stand, turning into a colorful rain of blood amidst the smoke and flames.
Gasping for breath, Xiao Wei squinted at the two strangers on top of the bus. They were also sizing him up; one turned to Ming Junwei and said something. Ming Junwei smiled lightly and jumped down from the roof, walking towards Xiao Wei.
"Are you okay?" they asked in unison.
"I'm fine, just a bit shaken. Lucky to be alive," Ming Junwei replied, wiping blood from his forehead with a self-deprecating smile. "Banged my head on the roof, damn it."
"What happened? Who are those two?" Xiao Wei glanced behind Ming Junwei. The two men had also climbed down and were now approaching with their guns slung over their shoulders, wearing strange smiles. They looked as if they had just walked into a restaurant and were surprised by what they found.
"Rescuers," Ming Junwei said, narrowing his eyes. He turned and handed his gun to one of them. "Thanks to you two for stepping in; otherwise, my brother and I would have been done for today."
"Don't mention it; we're all in this together," replied the slightly shorter man as he took the gun with a polite smile. Xiao Wei noticed that they were carrying more than just one or two guns; they had bags resembling golf club cases slung over their shoulders, with several shiny black gun barrels protruding from them.
"Damn, you guys are impressive," Xiao Wei exclaimed without holding back his excitement, giving them a thumbs-up. "Where did you get those guns?"
"The bank," the taller man chuckled, pointing at the gun in Xiao Wei's hand. "If you like it, it's yours. I heard your friend say you're quite skilled with firearms."
"Really?" Xiao Wei's eyes widened in disbelief. In this survival environment, let alone during peaceful times, who would give away guns as gifts? Especially upon first meeting.
"It's no big deal; we waste these things," the tall man grinned and gestured to his companion. "He almost dislocated his shoulder using that gun for the first time; I struggled too—couldn't hold it properly. Such a waste of bullets."
"Then I won't hold back." Xiao Wei's eyes sparkled as he slung the gun over his shoulder without hesitation and extended his hand. "I'm Weister; just call me Xiao Wei."
"Gao Yang," said the tall man as he shook hands with him. He pointed to his shorter companion and added, "This is Fifth."
The four of them introduced themselves in turn, establishing a quick acquaintance. This wasn't exactly a place for conversation, especially with a horde of zombies still lurking around. Ming Junwei made it clear that they needed to return to support their comrades. Gao Yang and Fifth readily offered to accompany them back to where they had parked earlier.
After picking up some graduate students, their small coach turned around and headed back into the city. Most of the zombies had been drawn away, leaving only a few scattered ones lingering around an abandoned fire pit. Xiao Wei wasted no time; from about ten meters away, he fired off a shot from his shotgun with tremendous power, sending both zombies and fire pit debris flying in all directions. Before any of them could react further, they heard an engine roaring in the distance; looking over, they saw their small coach charging back with blood splattered across its front.
The small coach screeched to a halt, and Yin Nuo leaned out from the passenger seat urging them on. "Get in!"
Ming Junwei hesitated for a moment before opening the car door and climbing inside. The graduate student sat in the back seat, staring curiously at the two strangers who had followed them.
"Is everyone okay?" Ming Junwei adjusted his comical eye mask, noticing the confusion in their eyes. He spoke up, "Thanks to these two, we managed to get away. We'll talk more later."
"Where are we going?" Luci asked, turning around.
"Ahem..." The tall, thin man named Gao Yang cleared his throat and said, "If you don’t have anywhere to go, you can come to our place to rest." Seeing their puzzled expressions, Gao Yang added, "Don’t misunderstand; I mean no harm. It's quite safe where we are. If you prefer not to come, that's fine too. We can just drop you off."
"Where is your camp?" Ming Junwei exchanged glances with Luci before asking.
"Not too far, in the city," Gao Yang replied with a smile. "It should take about half an hour by car."
Ming Junwei's eyes lit up as he asked, "Are there other routes we can take besides this one?"
"There are," Gao Yang said, maintaining his gentle smile as he pointed in a direction. "If you go that way, the road is pretty rough, but it won’t be as congested."
Little Coach turned the vehicle around and followed Gao Yang's directions, driving for less than five minutes before they reached the dirt road Gao Yang mentioned. By the roadside was a Great Wall Pickup truck; Gao Yang indicated that it was their vehicle. Without objection, Fifth got out and drove the Pickup ahead to lead the way while Gao Yang remained in Little Coach, engaging in casual conversation with the others.
Initially, everyone felt a bit wary. Having been through the trials of Establishment and RCA, they had learned not to trust strangers easily. However, this situation felt different. First of all, these two strangers had stepped up during a crisis and saved Ming Junwei and Xiao Wei's lives. According to Ming Junwei, if those two hadn’t suddenly appeared, Xiao Wei might have jumped into the lake and survived while he himself would have had little hope of making it out alive. Secondly, through their brief exchanges on the road, Ming Junwei sensed some underlying meaning in Gao Yang's words. From offering help to generously providing weapons, Ming Junwei found it odd until he realized after some conversation that Gao Yang was extending an olive branch.
Gao Yang initially spoke quite indirectly but soon noticed that Ming Junwei and the others were becoming more receptive...
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