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墨書 Inktalez
" Brother Jiu, what should we do?" Another young man said in a panic. It was only the first night since they arrived, and he had already choked on a few big buns. After that, he had to sleep in the pigsty. He was starting to feel uneasy about this woman.
"Just open the door," Song Jiu said nonchalantly as he pulled the door open. His face showed little expression, but inside, he was anxious: if she really was an insider for the Zombie, then they would be exposed. Thankfully, he hadn't said too much to the Pockmarked Girl. If there were repercussions later, he could always deny it.
Chef Jia surprisingly hadn't changed into casual clothes. Upon entering, he took off his chef's hat and walked into the back room as if returning home, coming out with a mirror and a comb. He calmly sat down across from the Pockmarked Girl and began to comb his hair. The atmosphere became awkward; Song Jiu and his companions remained silent while the Pockmarked Girl glared at them with bulging eyes, neither side willing to speak as the tension grew.
Chef Jia continued to groom his long hair and glanced at Song Jiu, softly saying, "You three should go back to the cafeteria."
"You're not allowed to leave!" The Pockmarked Girl shouted first, standing up and pointing at Chef Jia. "This is my room; you don't get to kick anyone out. If anyone's leaving, it's you."
Song Jiu and the others exchanged glances, not intending to get involved in their conflict. Just as they were about to excuse themselves, the Pockmarked Girl suddenly grabbed Song Jiu's arm and said, "They are my people."
"Your people?" Chef Jia looked at her with amusement, pointing at Song Jiu and asking, "Since when did you claim her?"
"It's a misunderstanding," Song Jiu chuckled awkwardly, shaking off the Pockmarked Girl's hand. "You two talk; we'll be leaving now."
"I said you're not allowed to leave! Jia Jia, stop meddling. They are my people; we need to rescue Effie. You can either continue being a chef or go report me—just don't interfere!" The Pockmarked Girl was resolute; this time it was serious.
"You shouldn't have come back at all. Not only can you not save Effie, but you'll also put yourself in danger. Can't you grow up? Can't you mature a little?" Chef Jia's calm demeanor finally showed a hint of anger as he directly confronted the Pockmarked Girl in front of Song Jiu and the others: "What do you think you can do to save Effie or anyone else? If the Zombie discovers any issues here, everyone will pay for your recklessness."
"Don't give me that lecture! You’re so mature while ignoring your former companions and only caring about your own comfort!" The Pockmarked Girl erupted with equal intensity, her gestures too vigorous causing fresh blood to seep from her recently bandaged wound. Chef Jia's expression changed as his cold gaze shot towards Song Jiu and his companions, sending a chill through the air.
"No, no, no! This has nothing to do with us!" Song Jiu and his friends quickly waved their hands, eager to escape this place of conflict.
"Stop scaring them so much! Why don’t you confront the Zombie instead?" The Pockmarked Girl took on a Big Sister demeanor as she blocked Chef Jia from approaching them. Taking a deep breath, her tone suddenly softened: "Just consider this a plea from me. I don’t expect your help; at least don’t hinder me, okay?"
"There are Zombie guards at the detention site. If anything goes wrong there, the entire camp will be implicated," Chef Jia quickly regained his composure and replied earnestly. "I don’t expect you to understand me either, but please don’t cause trouble. I just want to protect as many people in this camp as possible; what you decide is up to you."
"If you want to protect them, then tell me where all the missing people have gone!" The Pockmarked Girl cried out in despair as she questioned Chef Jia loudly.
"I understand how you want me to comprehend your companions, but I can't grasp your great love for those strangers while neglecting to save them," Pockmarked Girl said, her agitation growing. If it weren't for her aching arm, she looked ready to fight.
"I can only tell you that everyone is still alive. Maintaining the current situation is far better than destroying everything," Chef Jia said weakly as he sat down, pressing his fingers against his forehead in pain. "Once the balance is broken, it will only lead to greater casualties. Guli, I hope you can calm down and think seriously about this. Now is not the time to pursue freedom; our priority is survival. Living is what matters most."
"Who would believe you?" Pockmarked Girl clearly wasn't listening to Chef Jia's words. She shot a sideways glance at the three mute guys and shifted her anger back to them. "Song, with that thing in your pants, why don't you say something?"
Song Jiu rolled his eyes, pretending he hadn't heard her previous comment.
Pockmarked Girl was furious, pacing around the table twice before saying through gritted teeth, "The zombies are surrounding the city, and you're all missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Song Jiu continued to roll his eyes, thinking to himself that it wasn't his problem; he was here to claim territory, not play the hero.
"Fine, fine, fine." Pockmarked Girl spat out the words with clenched teeth. Suddenly, a glint of determination flashed in her eyes as she sneered, "I'll make you shrink back." Before anyone could react, she lunged for the signal flare on the table and dashed out the door.
"Damn it! Stop her!" Song Jiu exploded in anger as he shouted while leaping outside.
However, their movements were a step too slow. Pockmarked Girl had planned this all along; the moment she burst through the door, she pulled the cord of the signal flare. The old-fashioned pull-string flare detonated immediately as it was pulled. By the time Song Jiu tackled Pockmarked Girl, two flares were already soaring into the sky, bursting into brilliant fireworks.
Although it was still afternoon and daylight lingered, the two firework displays were strikingly visible. Even without their colors, the loud whistling of the flares was enough to draw everyone's attention.
Song Jiu's head buzzed as he stared at the smoke dissipating in the wind from the fireworks above, his mind blank.
On the opposite bank, deep within the dense forest.
Luo Yu leaned against a shelter and gazed at the dazzling fireworks in the sky with an expression of undisguised surprise.
"Ha Jiu Ge is impressive; he managed to pull this off in just one day," Jiao Ziqian exclaimed as he jumped down from a tree branch and whistled excitedly. "Check your gear; prepare to move out."
"Wait a minute; there's a problem," Luo Yu frowned and stopped the excited Jiao Ziqian. "Us just lured the zombies over; they haven't started fighting yet. What signal did Jiu Jiu send?"
"Maybe Brother Jiu has already controlled the situation. Let's hurry up; isn't that what signal flares are for?" Jiao Ziqian didn't care much about it and ran over to grab two Steel Saw Blades from his sack and tucked them into his belt. With confidence, he began rallying everyone for battle: "Brothers and sisters, good days are coming! If you want to eat meat and drink wine every day, follow me!"
A group of Young Men cheered loudly, their steel knives striking together to create a rhythmic beat. The Ladies smiled modestly, their eyes filled with hope. There was no way around it; Jiao Ziqian had strolled around the camp and returned boasting about his exploits. The Young Men and Ladies believed him without question, having grown weary of life on the road and eager to settle into a new home.
"Don't rush. I'll go check the situation first," only Luo Yu remained calm, waving his hand to silence the crowd. "Be careful not to attract the Zombies. Ziqian, you gather everyone and prepare while I take a quick look."
"Oh my Luo Jie, Brother Jiu has already spoken. Why are you worrying so much?" Jiao Ziqian said, draping an arm over Luo Yu's shoulder as he murmured, " Brother Jiu only has A Hai with him. If we move too slowly, it could delay everything."
"Don't you find it strange? Signaling in broad daylight?" Luo Yu countered.
"What’s strange about it? Didn't we agree that we would wave the flag when the time was right?" Jiao Ziqian replied dismissively. "I know you're meticulous, so how about this: I'll take the lead, and you can wait with the reserve team."
"We don't have that many people," Luo Yu said anxiously. "And how are we supposed to get there? Are we really going to break through the Horde?"
Jiao Ziqian fell silent for a moment, realizing that was indeed the case. The encirclement of Zombies was already taking shape; Riverside Fortress was bordered by water on one side, while the other three sides were open terrain, all within the Zombies' active range. While attacking and plundering might be feasible, breaking through the Zombies' blockade seemed unrealistic.
"So I suggest we wait a bit longer. Look, there are still people on the wall over there," Luo Yu pointed across the river. Although it was hard to see clearly, the heads of those gathered were easily recognizable.
"I've got an idea," Jiao Ziqian exclaimed suddenly. "Why do we have to go back the same way? We could take the water route!"
"We don’t have any rafts," Luo Yu shook his head in disagreement. "Besides, if those on the wall spot us halfway across, we’d be sitting ducks."
"Just swim! The river isn’t even fast," Jiao Ziqian insisted, turning to ask, "Can everyone swim?"
The response was sparse, and the fervor of the crowd diminished significantly.
"Damn it! I'll swim myself; you all can take the long way!" Jiao Ziqian cursed under his breath and prepared to jump into the water.
Luo Yu had no choice but to stop him and soothe him. "Whether we take a detour or swim, it will take time. How about this: we drive over first and wait for the Zombies to engage at the front gate? Our manpower can only handle one side; if we get wiped out outside, what will happen to Brother Jiu?"
"Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you." Jiao Ziqian didn’t have any better ideas either. After thinking it over, he found Luo Yu's reasoning somewhat sensible. Reluctantly putting his clothes back on, he didn’t forget to admonish the Young Men: "Once we settle down, all of you need to learn how to swim! If you can't learn, you won't get any food!"
On the opposite riverbank, preparations were underway in earnest, while within the fortress, the instigator had already been tied up on a Fire Rack.
The Pockmarked Girl sat on the stool, her expression one of defiance, as if she were a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. She provocatively stared at the others, a look of triumph on her face. Across from her, Song Jiu sat with his teeth clenched, his hand gripping and releasing a dagger in frustration, nearly driven to madness. If it weren't for Chef Jia holding him back, the furious Song Jiu would have surely stabbed her twice.
Song Jiu felt it necessary to let off some steam; otherwise, the rising anger might just knock him out. Over the past three years since the disaster struck, he had witnessed the Sea of Corpses and encountered many villains, but he had never seen someone so reckless as this Pockmarked Girl. This was not just nonsense; it was outright self-destructive behavior. If she wanted to save someone, she should do it herself instead of dragging him into it. Did she think this was a bathroom where she could just do as she pleased?
Chef Jia remained silent nearby, her cold gaze shifting between the two. The turn of events was beyond her expectations. She had known that the Pockmarked Girl was restless, but she hadn't anticipated such impulsiveness this time. What worried her even more was that these three seemingly meek Young Men were not as innocent as they appeared.
The earlier commotion had drawn immediate attention; Scarface Bald rushed over to inquire about the situation. He wasn't foolish; he could distinguish between fireworks and signal flares. In such sensitive times, who would waste time setting off fireworks? If Chef Jia hadn't intervened in time, Song Jiu and the Pockmarked Girl would likely have been shot on the spot. Scarface Bald didn't care whether you were a newcomer or an old-timer; if you dared to stir trouble here, you had to be prepared for the consequences.
Fortunately, Chef Jia held a significant position, which may not have entirely dispelled Scarface Bald's suspicions but at least bought them some time. She assured Scarface Bald that she would handle things here while he focused on dealing with the Zombies outside. Afterward, he could return to address matters inside. Scarface Bald obliged and escorted everyone back into the house, locking the door behind them and assigning two Armed Guards to watch over it.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted from heated arguments to an icy silence. The only sounds were Song Jiu's heavy breathing and the Pockmarked Girl's indifferent snorts.
A Hai and another Young Man were at a loss for what to do. The signal flare had been ignited, indicating that Luo Yu's group would soon head to the riverside fortress. Outside the fortress, Zombies surrounded them while inside, the Militia stood ready for battle. Clearly, neither side was something Luo Yu's group could shake off easily. If Luo Yu came, they risked total annihilation; if she didn't come and Scarface Bald stabilized the situation outside, they would undoubtedly face dire consequences.
Chef Jia shared similar concerns; this mess had been caused by the Pockmarked Girl in broad daylight. While she could concoct excuses to placate Scarface Bald and his crew, there was no fooling the Zombies lurking among them. The Pockmarked Girl loved to cause trouble, but there were limits to such antics—signal flares were definitely beyond those limits. If things went south, she might get dragged down with them, especially since the flare belonged to one of her newly recruited subordinates.
The chaos tied together people who otherwise had no connection—Song Jiu and Chef Jia were filled with worry while only the instigator laughed lightly, satisfied with herself.
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