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墨書 Inktalez
At the Roundabout, at the Fan Bar.
Cyclops Dragon sat on the edge of the second-floor balcony, his legs propped up on the railing, staring blankly at the clear blue sky. He held a bottle of liquor in his hand, and on the small round table beside him lay a picture frame discovered by Yinuo, featuring two young women with radiant smiles.
It was noon, and the closed community was sparsely populated. Only a few sturdy men were busy in the Greenhouse, occasionally carrying out empty barrels from behind the fence, only to return shortly after with them filled to the brim with waste. A few cars were parked haphazardly at the bar's entrance, their doors wide open. Several young men were unloading a Surgical Bed while assisting a few limping individuals, led by Luci, as they made their way into the private hospital across from the KTV. The group of young men were unfamiliar faces, followed by a handful of women and children, totaling nearly twenty. They looked weary and disheveled as they gazed at this oasis in the city, their expressions dazed. Yinuo guided the remaining group into the KTV, instructing the kitchen to start preparing meals and ensuring everyone was settled comfortably.
Cyclops Dragon silently observed the comings and goings of people engrossed in their tasks. He finished off the last sip from his bottle, tucked the picture frame into his pocket, and strode back down to the first-floor hall.
In the hall, a man and a woman were waiting. Upon seeing him descend, they quickly stood up.
“Sit down; let’s talk,” Cyclops Dragon waved his hand, signaling them to relax. The enthusiastic Foreigner brought over a pot of strong tea and poured each of them a cup before respectfully retreating.
“The injured have been taken care of,” Cyclops Dragon said casually as he sat across from them.
“Yes, Doctor Yu has already gone over,” replied the slightly older woman with a nod. “Thank you very much for your generosity.”
“No need to mention it; it’s just a small matter,” Cyclops Dragon smiled modestly, pulling out a cigarette case and tossing it onto the table. “I’m Ming Junwei, the director of this community committee. May I ask your names?”
“This is Liu Yan; he’s in charge of team safety,” she introduced the bespectacled young man beside her. “You can call me Jia Jia; I’m the cook who prepares meals for everyone.”
“Oh, what about your young team leader?” Ming Junwei asked as he picked up his teacup to clear his throat.
“We still have some matters to attend to; Brother Jiu and Lin Daozhang might be a bit late,” Liu Yan adjusted his glasses, a flicker of recognition passing through his eyes at Cyclops Dragon's appearance and name.
“Travel Fatigue; you all look quite tired. You should rest first; surgery may take some time. We can chat later,” Ming Junwei said without lingering too long, sensing that they had only come to express their gratitude and there wasn’t much more to discuss. As they reached the door, Ming Junwei couldn’t help but call out to them, asking, “May I ask what Brother Jiu ’s full name is?”
“Hmm?” Chef Jia and Liu Yan paused for a moment before replying, “Song Jiu.”
"Where is he from?" Ming Junwei asked again.
Liu Yan, not understanding the context, had only known Song Jiu for a short time, so he directed the question to Chef Jia. However, Chef Jia was equally clueless about Song Jiu and could only show a look of helplessness.
"Is there a problem?" Chef Jia kept a cautious eye and probed, "Do you know each other?"
"Oh, just asking casually," Ming Junwei replied dismissively. After sending the two away, he found Luci.
Luci had just finished arranging the injured. Aside from Ziqian, who had been shot, there were three others with fractures that were more troublesome. The rest mostly had minor injuries that weren't too serious. Even so, Doctor Yu's workload was definitely substantial. Luci estimated that it would take at least a couple of days to handle everything, and since it takes a hundred days to recover from injuries to muscles and bones, simply finishing treatment wouldn't allow them to bounce back immediately.
"Thank you for your hard work." Ming Junwei handed her a damp towel to wipe the sweat off her face and asked, "How's it going?"
"Not great; there are quite a few injured. The supplies in our pharmacy might not be enough," Luci said as she wiped her face and took off her hair tie, letting her long hair fall down. "Have you considered keeping them? They seem pretty good; they talk and act reliably, not like lazy people."
"I was just about to discuss this with you." Ming Junwei seemed thoughtful as he led Luci back to the bar's main hall and pulled out a photo frame to hand to her.
"What’s this?" Luci looked puzzled but glanced at the frame and paused for a moment. "Hmm, who is this girl next to Yao Yao?"
"That's Yifan's Little Golden Flower," Ming Junwei said, licking his lips with a slightly bitter smile at the corners of his mouth.
Luci appeared somewhat surprised as she held the frame and examined it for a while before chuckling lightly. "Yifan has good taste. Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Yeah." Ming Junwei tapped on the frame and asked, "Can you guess where this came from?"
"How would I know?" Luci shot him a confused glance and wondered aloud, "Did Xiao Wei find it?"
"No, Xiao Wei hasn't returned yet." Ming Junwei leaned back on his arm with a strange expression on his face and slowly said, "The kid you brought back is his."
"Ah."
"I asked the guards, and this thing was found on that kid."
Looking at Ming Junwei's meaningful gaze, Luci seemed to recall something.
"I just asked his subordinates, that kid is called Song Jiu," Ming Junwei continued to reveal the information piece by piece.
"Yes, it's Song Jiu, no doubt about it." Luci nodded in a daze and hesitated, "Does Yao Yao have any relatives?"
"I don't know; she's never mentioned any. But it shouldn't be a coincidence," Ming Junwei chuckled wryly, stretching lazily and sighing, "Don't tell anyone else for now. I'll go call Yao Yao back. If there really is a connection, some things will need to be reconsidered."
"Is the situation serious?" Luci understood what Ming Junwei meant and thought for a moment before saying, "When I went over today, it seemed like there was some trouble in their team."
"It's not just their problem; Gaoyang's group has gone missing." Ming Junwei lit a cigarette and took several puffs, finishing off more than half of it. "It's currently the season for zombies to revive. I'm worried that if things get mixed up, it could lead to trouble. Us being in the city makes it unsuitable for any major actions. If Gaoyang and those people have made contact, this place will no longer be safe."
Luci frowned slightly, angrily slapping the table and saying, "I told you we should have wiped them out; I've seen for a long time that he wasn't anything good."
"It's useless to say that now. When Xiao Wei and Little Bear come back, you should have a word with them. Prepare whatever needs to be prepared. As for the newcomers, let them stay put for now; don't let them run around." After saying this, Ming Junwei stood up and walked over to the bar to grab a bottle of aged liquor and put it into his backpack.
"Drinking again? While on watch?" Luci frowned.
"I'm not drinking today." Ming Junwei grinned, a hint of mixed emotions showing in his eyes as he said, "It's for Ginger River."
Outside the city, at a strawberry picking farm.
The fertile fields stretched endlessly, dense forests obscured the view. A red brick courtyard wall formed a solid barrier around the area, with rows of old brick houses standing between patches of strawberry greenhouses. In front of one house were neatly parked more than ten bicycles of various designs. One brick house with sealed windows had its door slightly ajar, and a faint wisp of smoke drifted out through the crack, curling up into the clear sky before eventually dissipating into nothingness.
The wind and rain had battered the greenhouse, most of it collapsed and shattered, leaving only the rusted steel framework standing tall. The once fertile farmland was long gone, replaced by half-buried plastic sheeting and debris scattered across the ground. As the wind blew, sand and gravel rolled along the tarp, creating a desolate rustling sound.
A figure climbed over the high wall and jumped inside, then hurried to the closed iron gate to look outside for a moment. After confirming that there was no one behind him, he rushed through the planting area and pushed open the door to the brick house.
"They're here, they've come."
The figure entered, nearly choking on the thick smoke that filled the room. He coughed a few times, waving his arms to disperse the haze, muttering, "Smoking in a group like this? Don't they mind the smell?"
"It keeps us warm," replied a thin man who stood up from beside a low bed. His hair was long and greasy, unwashed for quite some time. He was an old acquaintance. I glanced over; that scrawny guy had brought a few others with him, hoping I'd let them into the city.
"Oh, and then what?"
"Then I left that kid behind," Old Five said with a hearty smile, as if he had merely discarded a piece of trash.
"What does he want to come back for?" Gaoyang scoffed a few times, pulling out a cigarette to light it. His expression turned serious as he watched several vehicles approaching outside the iron gate. "Open the door."
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