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墨書 Inktalez
In the dead of night, at the Roundabout, the rain poured down relentlessly.
The circular water system had collapsed, and the city’s drainage pipes were blocked by some unknown object. The torrential rain could not drain away smoothly, flooding into the storefronts. The entire Roundabout had turned into Swamp Country. The Vegetable Greenhouse also succumbed to the continuous assault of rainwater; the plastic film was damaged, and the accumulated rainwater poured in, turning the farmland into a muddy mess. Spring's efforts were completely wasted, and the seeds sown in the ground were ruined. Unless the heavy rain ceased, agriculture in Roundabout would come to a standstill.
The trees enclosing Roundabout were severely damaged as well. Their lush canopies were battered by the swift raindrops, leaving them bald. Abundant green leaves fell to the ground, forming a damp layer of grass. The tree trunks were darkened, their branches and leaves yellowing and withering. The underbrush was barely alive, and the once proud blades of grass drooped their heads, succumbing to the harsh weather, reduced to strands of dry yellow debris. Buildings inside and outside Roundabout were shrouded in darkness; many concrete floors showed hollow cracks, and the redwood columns of restaurants were mottled and decayed. The top floors had collapsed, forcing kitchens to close down. A large number of Militia members worked tirelessly in the rain to make repairs, managing to save the kitchens but leaving seven or eight people ill.
Song Jiu and Ming Junwei were at the hospital. This private hospital had likely never received so many patients at once; the first floor's inpatient department could no longer accommodate everyone. Beds were added to the Waiting Room, and all non-medical personnel were evacuated. Doctor Yu was busy with six students who could lend a hand, moving back and forth while retrieving all medications from storage—yet it still wasn’t enough for the numerous patients.
The sky was overcast, mirroring the somber mood of the people in Roundabout.
With a cold expression, Song Jiu turned away from the hospital and hurried down the stairs. Noticing no one around him, he quickly covered his mouth and coughed for a moment. Mid-cough, he caught sight of a figure approaching; looking up, he saw Song Yao frowning as she rushed in from outside.
"You’re showing symptoms too," Song Yao said sternly as she reached out to feel Song Jiu's forehead.
Song Jiu brushed his sister's hand away and managed a smile. "No, I just smoked too much."
"This is serious; you need to tell me honestly how long you've been coughing," Song Yao said as she grabbed him and started leading him upstairs, her brow furrowed. "Do you have any other symptoms?"
"Sis, I'm really fine." Song Jiu was sweating profusely now and stopped in his tracks. "Doctor Yu is busy enough already; don’t add to the chaos. I’m not lying; it’s just from smoking."
"Cut that out."
"Okay, okay! How about this: if I’m still coughing tomorrow, I’ll come by myself?" Song Jiu clung tightly to the railing.
As they argued back and forth, several people rushed in through the door. Song Jiu turned his head to see a graduate student named Xiao Xiong.
"Where’s Ming Ge?" The graduate student asked with a serious expression as he greeted them both.
"Upstairs." Song Yao noticed the change in his expression and frowned, saying, "Someone else has fallen ill."
"Not that." The graduate student pulled out a towel from his pocket to wipe his face and warned, "We need to inform everyone. If you can avoid going out, do so. If you must go out, wear a mask and carry an umbrella."
"I've found the cause." Ming Junwei appeared at the corner of the stairs, followed by Chef Jia and a few others, all looking quite serious.
"Not far from ten." The graduate student took a breath and glanced around, seeing that all the small leaders were present. He got straight to the point: "It's not an infectious disease or poisoning; the rain is the problem."
Everyone was stunned, exchanging glances.
"The rain?" Liu Yan adjusted his glasses, deep in thought.
"Acid rain." The graduate student sighed, observing the puzzled expressions on everyone's faces. He frowned and said, "We're in big trouble."
Fan Bar was brightly lit.
Except for the patients and nurses in the hospital, everyone had gathered in the lobby, including a dog and a litter of kittens. Two-thirds of those present had not yet shown symptoms. In just four days, dozens had fallen ill, with three developing complications and being declared dead after ineffective treatment; their bodies were still in the hospital's morgue.
A group of people sat or stood around the circular dance floor. The graduate student stood on stage, where a whiteboard hung with numerous chemical symbols and jumbled terms. He spoke passionately to the crowd, urgently explaining this sudden "epidemic" with accurate assessments.
"Skin diseases and respiratory illnesses have been the primary symptoms for those admitted in recent days. I checked the list of affected individuals; the first few who fell ill were responsible for repairing the greenhouse. They were exposed to the rain without any protection." The graduate student paused, his lips feeling dry. He took a swig from a bottle and continued, "Most of you have been caught in the rain as well. No symptoms have appeared yet, but we cannot be complacent. I urge you all to take hot showers when you get home. If you experience itching, pain, burning sensations, or any other skin abnormalities—coughing or difficulty breathing—go to the hospital immediately."
"How do we treat it?" Ming Junwei extinguished his cigarette butt, his eye bloodshot.
The graduate student shook his head in frustration. "That depends on the specific symptoms caused and individual medical history. I'm not a medical professional; Doctor Yu provided me with a form that I'll distribute shortly. Please fill it out according to your situation. Those with heart disease, respiratory issues, or skin conditions need to be extra cautious."
"What’s up with this acid rain? Is it toxic?" Lin Daozhang had been contemplating performing rituals these past few days. Upon hearing there was an issue with the rain, he immediately tossed his prepared talismans into the trash can.
"Simply put, it's the sulfur oxides or nitrogen oxides produced by the burning of fossil fuels. This isn't something that forms overnight. The northwest wind has been quite strong lately, and the ancient city has been abandoned for a long time, so there can't be any industrial emissions. The only explanation is that the cumulonimbus clouds were blown over here, and we have really drawn the short straw," the graduate student said, his face pale. He hadn't yet mentioned the truly deadly issue.
"Does that mean it will be fine once the rain stops?" someone in the crowd asked.
"That's exactly the problem I want to address," the graduate student steadied himself and continued. "Acid rain is more harmful than you might think. It affects not only human health but also crop growth, soil, water quality, buildings, and so on. In other words, our greenhouse vegetable fields are temporarily ruined, and I don't know if our water reservoir has been contaminated. Right now, this is a significant issue."
"What do you mean the vegetable fields can't be used?" someone exclaimed in shock.
"At least not in the short term. After the rain stops, we will need to take remedial action. I can't guarantee how effective it will be; after all, I'm not a specialist."
"What about drinking water? Can we boil it and drink it?"
The graduate student felt overwhelmed; everyone’s questions mirrored his own concerns. He was an electrical engineering graduate student, not a natural sciences expert. He scratched his head for a moment and hesitated before saying, "Let's first check if the water source has been contaminated. If it hasn't, that's great; if it has been contaminated, then boiling it is still our best option."
The crowd murmured among themselves, feeling disheartened by the graduate student's uncertain response. It felt like he hadn't said much at all.
"Everyone stay calm," Ming Junwei coughed lightly to regain control of the restless crowd. "I asked Xiao Xiong to inform everyone about this situation just so you all have some understanding. Xiao Xiong is not a doctor, and we don't have experimental conditions here; it's already impressive that we can draw these conclusions. As for this rain, there's no need to panic too much. Just avoid contact with rainwater for the next few days. If you feel unwell, go to the hospital; if nothing's wrong, stay indoors until the rain stops."
"Right, there are still some grains in storage that haven't come into contact with rainwater, so there's no need to worry," Chef Jia chimed in to help stabilize everyone's spirits as Song Jiu had suggested. His voice was soft but clear enough for everyone to hear: "If you're concerned about drinking water, you can go to the storeroom and get bottled water."
"And one more thing," Song Jiu took over smoothly and raised his voice: "Those living on higher floors should report to me later. There hasn't been any patrol on the outskirts recently, and we don't know what the zombies are up to right now. We must remain vigilant both inside and outside; combat personnel should keep their weapons on them at all times. I'll rearrange night watch duties shortly."
"Hey, could it be that the zombies will get washed away by the rain?" someone suddenly wondered aloud.
"We'll find out once the rain stops," Song Jiu replied with a faint smile as he exchanged glances with Ming Junwei to confirm there were no overlooked issues. He then called Liu Yan and Yinuo to bring over a box of medical masks along with forms to distribute to everyone. In truth, they were only partially aware of what acid rain entailed; although the graduate student had made an effort to explain in layman's terms, most people struggled to recall their high school chemistry knowledge since they weren't in related fields. Just a couple of days ago, Song Jiu had been pondering whether it was indeed an issue with the rainwater; now that it had been confirmed by the graduate student, he felt both alert and relieved—he had initially worried that it was some disturbance caused by that blonde woman.
The crowd each received their masks; those with umbrellas opened them while those without donned raincoats as they took turns heading to the storeroom for supplies of food and drinking water before returning to their rooms. The bustling bar grew quiet again, leaving only a handful of leaders behind.
Xiao Wei and Effie had both shown symptoms of coughing and were currently huddled in the sickroom. The others didn’t say anything, but in their hearts, they were also wondering if they would be affected. Song Yao, Liu Yan, Luci, and Chef Jia were all of Zombie constitution, but they weren’t sure if they would be impacted either. To be safe, they decided to stay in and avoid going out whenever possible.
Ming Junwei held a bottle of wine in silence, while the others remained quiet as well. After a while, Song Jiu furrowed his brow and asked the graduate student, “You mean this thing has to burn chemical fuel? Isn’t that similar to what used to happen in chemical factories?”
“Exactly, especially industrial combustion,” the graduate student nodded.
“Then it’s strange. What era are we in? Who still runs factories these days?” After saying this, Song Jiu fell silent, and the others looked up at him.
“No way,” Song Jiu frowned in surprise. “Those people from Blonde Woman…”
“I think there’s a higher chance of it being unexpected,” Luo Yu said, warming his hands around a cup of hot water. “Even if they still have the ability to engage in industry, it’s unlikely they could precisely calculate when to unleash Acid Rain and have it coincide with a northwesterly wind bringing over rain clouds.”
“That’s naturally impossible,” Song Yao said, pressing her lips together in suspicion. “But if they’ve restarted heavy industry, that’s something we need to be wary of.”
Lin Daozhang looked around and hadn’t spoken until now. Seeing everyone else was silent, he quickly chimed in, “Let me ask a question that might sound ignorant: what does all this have to do with us?”
“If the other side has started controlling coal and oil, what do you think they’ll do next?” Luci shook her head with a wry smile as she gently stroked Tabby Cat's soft fur. “At this rate, the gap between us and them won’t just be one of military power anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Old Lin asked in confusion.
“Have you seen Avatar?” Liu Yan took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “The Earth people flew spaceships and operated mechs, crushing the local natives’ bows and arrows with bullets. I still remember that scene vividly.”
“So what?” Old Lin retorted defiantly. “The natives won in the end.”
Hearing Lin Daozhang’s assertive shout, everyone in the bar laughed, the heavy atmosphere dissipating as their worries lifted considerably.
“What are you laughing at? Am I wrong?” Old Lin glared at them.
"You're right, absolutely right." Song Jiu laughed as he raised the Molotov Cocktail, shouting, "Come on, may Lin Daozhang's words come true!"
"Pfft, what a ridiculous saying." Song Yao punched him playfully and scolded, "Your parents sent you to Beijing for school, and this is what you’ve learned?"
Laughter erupted in the bar, and the dignified General Song the Official felt his face flush red. Faced with his sister, who had always kept him in check since childhood, he could only swallow his pride.
The sky darkened, heavy rain poured down, and occasional thunder rumbled, causing a sharp pain in people's eardrums.
After some light-hearted banter, Dream Fan, who had been silent until now, suddenly exclaimed, "Huh?"
"What’s wrong?" Song Jiu asked as he gently stroked her smooth long hair. "Why do you seem so down today?"
Dream Fan didn’t respond directly to Song Jiu. Instead, she nervously grasped his hand, her beautiful eyes squinting into slits as she peered through the rain curtain at the hospital building across the street. She murmured, "Has the hospital not turned on its lights at all?"
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