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墨書 Inktalez
May Snow on the Fifth Month Mountain, with no flowers, only cold.
The weathered city walls, heavy with frost and wind, faded into the horizon. The stark outlines of the desolate mountains gradually came into view as the battered business vehicle swerved onto the ring road, stopping and starting intermittently, changing lanes and turning around until it finally left the ancient city limits just around noon.
The driver for the first half of the journey was Chu Guangxu, the rumored lover of Dr. Zhong, who worked for Wu Wentao. Upon learning that Song Jiu was the mastermind behind Dr. Zhong's abduction, he became somewhat agitated. Song Jiu couldn't be bothered to argue with him; after all, his boss was in the car too, and he wasn't worried about any mischief. He sat leisurely in the passenger seat, legs crossed, looking as if he were out for a pleasant outing.
The coal transport team consisted of ten people: Wu Wentao, Chu Guangxu, and three foreign mercenaries. On Song Jiu's side were Lin Daozhang, Jiao Ziqian, and two young direct descendants. Initially, they planned to find a large truck in the city first, but after some discussion, they deemed it inconvenient. With zombies roaming everywhere in the city, their commotion would surely attract attention. To avoid causing trouble for the team searching for building materials, the coal transport team decisively changed their plan and decided to head to the Coal-Fired Power Plant first to confirm there was coal available before figuring out how to get a vehicle.
Moreover, trucks had a limited passenger capacity and consumed too much fuel; their gasoline reserves were low, so they aimed to save wherever possible. The journey ahead was long, and whether they would encounter trouble remained uncertain. However, having everyone together had its advantages; there were many abandoned vehicles along the way that they could potentially utilize later.
The ten people settled into their respective spots, some pretending to nap while others chatted. Wu Wentao sat behind the driver’s seat with a window slightly cracked open; the strong wind whipped through, giving him an effortless slicked-back hairstyle. His chiseled profile was accentuated by large sunglasses; his combat uniform was neat and clean, exuding an aura of a tough man.
Song Jiu observed this man with a face reminiscent of Lu Xun through the rearview mirror. He had been mostly silent throughout the journey, only offering directions to Chu Guangxu at intersections without smoking or engaging in idle chatter—just staring out through the narrow gap in the window as if lost in thought. Song Jiu was quite curious about him; Liu Yan had mentioned that he was once his superior, while Song Yao had said he was their former enemy. One would expect there to be plenty to discuss when allying with such a person; unfortunately, both Wu Wentao and Song Jiu were not particularly good at small talk and could only exchange glances occasionally.
The most animated on the vehicle were Jiao Ziqian and Lin Daozhang; two chatterboxes together were a disaster for those who preferred silence. From leaving the roundabout to exiting the city limits, these two hardly paused their conversation—discussing everything from astronomy and geography to local customs; from the rise of zombies to curvaceous figures—their topics were vast and varied. They quoted classics as they spoke lightly, resembling great figures who could sweep across landscapes with their words. Their discussions never repeated themselves; there was hardly a dull moment as they exchanged insights and arguments that left onlookers exchanging glances—initial impatience gradually replaced by astonishment as their eyes widened at the relentless chatter.
Even Wu Wentao eventually couldn’t hold back; he took off his sunglasses and turned his neck back into the cabin, watching them banter with interest. A hint of a smile began to form on his usually cold face as if he were ready to roll up his sleeves for a verbal duel with them. Song Jiu found it amusing; he had previously underestimated the power of chatter—this was definitely more effective than an army of a million.
The tense atmosphere in the cabin began to ease up as foreigners and young men also got caught up in the excitement; they transitioned from mere onlookers to active participants during pauses in conversation—one speaking comically accented Chinese while another flaunted broken English—by the time they reached their first service station on this journey, several of them had already started calling each other brothers.
“Those who need to relieve themselves should hurry up; those who don’t can check out the oil storage tank,” Chu Guangxu said as he drove into the service area and slowed down while scanning around.
The once-gilded letters of the service area were now faded beyond recognition; what used to be shiny tiled stairs were now covered in dirt and water stains. The glass doors and windows lay shattered everywhere like remnants of a past life; weeds grew where concrete hadn’t covered. Many vehicles sat parked with deflated tires covered in dust while a low-lying area near the gas station collected stagnant water where rusted fuel pipes lay submerged. There were no signs of zombies around; decaying leaves and branches littered the ground along with overturned trash bins scattered about—the remnants of daily life long since transformed by wind and rain into indistinguishable colors blending with the earth.
Song Jiu yawned as he jumped out of the car and stretched lazily while gazing far into the distance where mountains rolled endlessly under clouds shrouded in mist—a stark contrast to their current dismal surroundings.
Lin Daozhang, Jiao Ziqian, and their foreign companions lined up by the roadside unbuckling their belts together to relieve themselves as if competing over distance. Song Jiu couldn’t help but chuckle at this absurdity; shaking his head helplessly, he leaned closer to whisper into Jiao Ziqian’s ear: “You two have thick skin enough not to feel embarrassed.”
Jiao Ziqian paused momentarily before following Song Jiu’s teasing gaze; two patches of red appeared on his handsome face as he cursed under his breath while hastily putting himself away and running off muttering some unspeakable words. He may have won in distance but felt humiliated by size—a blow to his pride.
Chu Guangxu and Wu Wentao stood outside discussing something unknown while driver Xiao Chu undoubtedly felt like the loneliest person on this trip. The passenger seat’s Song Jiu exchanged glances filled with mutual disdain with him while ignoring each other completely; meanwhile Wu Wentao listened intently to comedic performances behind him while everyone else engaged enthusiastically in conversation—he felt utterly bored by comparison. When he saw Song Jiu approaching, he stopped talking and called over several foreigners carrying empty gasoline cans toward the gas station.
“Your subordinates are quite entertaining,” Wu Wentao remarked unexpectedly with a hint of amusement lingering at the corners of his eyes.
"Looks like two talkative people have come together," Song Jiu chuckled, offering him a cigarette. Although they were allies, there was no need to be overly formal; both had fought their way through life and understood what attitude was appropriate at any given moment.
Wu Wentao took the cigarette, glanced at it, pulled out a windproof lighter from his pocket, lit it, and casually tossed it back to Song Jiu. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Is that girl your real sister?"
"Yeah," Song Jiu paused for a moment before nodding. "Same mother, same father."
Wu Wentao let out an "oh," as if realizing something, and smiled slightly without asking further questions.
"I heard you used to be enemies with my sister and her group," Song Jiu said, taking a drag and exhaling a series of smoke rings as if making small talk.
"Pretty much," Wu Wentao replied with a self-deprecating smile. "It wasn't really about them; we were looking for someone at the time, and that person happened to be with your sister's group."
"Have you met my brother-in-law?" Song Jiu raised an eyebrow, almost to himself. "I don't even know what he looks like."
"Brother-in-law?" Wu Wentao was taken aback for a moment, then grinned. "I don't remember; I should have met him. I recall they had quite a few people back then."
"They're all gone now."
"Yeah, all gone."
The two men, about ten years apart in age, shared a similar weariness in their eyes as they leaned against the car, cigarettes in hand, gazing at the dilapidated service station while their thoughts drifted away with the smoke.
"Why didn't you stick with your old boss?" Song Jiu asked, glancing sideways at him.
Wu Wentao pinched the end of his cigarette thoughtfully before responding with something unrelated: "How much do you know about Kenny?"
"Zero," Song Jiu shrugged. "I've heard people mention him these days but don't know what he does."
"Not knowing is a good thing," Wu Wentao flicked the ash off his cigarette and let out a long breath. "I spent half of my first thirty years living for him; now I want to live for myself."
Song Jiu smiled at this remark but chose not to press further.
Several people returned, and the gasoline barrel was still empty.
"The fuel tank has been drained," Chu Guangxu said with some annoyance as he shoved the tank back into the vehicle, muttering, "Not a drop left."
"Drained?" Wu Wentao raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Yeah, the fuel line is still connected, and there are tire tracks. It must have been a while," Chu Guangxu replied, spreading his hands. He climbed into the driver's seat and glanced at the fuel gauge. "We can make it there, but I'm worried about the return trip."
"Let's keep an eye out along the way. If necessary, we can siphon from other vehicles; we'll take whatever we can get," Wu Wentao said nonchalantly, as if he had anticipated this outcome, his expression remaining largely unchanged.
Old Lin and Jiao Ziqian, two sly ones, had already returned to the cabin early on, showing no awareness of what "Field Duty" should entail. Their lazy demeanor made Chu Guangxu's teeth itch with irritation. He feigned fatigue from driving too long and handed over the driving duties to Jiao Ziqian. Not one to be picky, Jiao Ziqian happily took the wheel, sporting a harmless grin while bouncing into the driver's seat.
"I’ve never seen you so good at bluffing," Song Jiu said as he fastened his seatbelt and leaned back in his seat, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him. He mumbled as he lowered himself down, "Drive carefully; I’m going to take a nap."
"When you meet a kindred spirit over drinks, a thousand cups are too few. I need to have a drink with Old Lin when we get back," Jiao Ziqian said. Having rested for more than half a month, he was full of energy with nowhere to expend it; in the vehicle, he was clearly the most spirited one.
The others were also tired. Seeing that there was little activity on the road, they stopped talking and closed their eyes to gather their strength. Before long, soft snores filled the cabin. Wu Wentao resumed his impassive expression, staring blankly out the window while fiddling with his sturdy handgun. His brows occasionally furrowed and then relaxed as he contemplated the long journey ahead and his tangled thoughts.
The highway conditions were quite complex; on smooth stretches, one could close their eyes and press down on the gas pedal, but in congested areas, it was impossible to squeeze through. The business vehicle was not small and had been forced to stop several times along the way. In places where traffic jams weren't too severe, foreigners could use brute force to clear a path. However, at intersections where traffic was completely backed up, it was hopeless; the lanes resembled a graveyard for cars—various sizes and types scattered about with doors ajar and dust covering them.
The earlier ease and comfort came to an end as troubles began to pile up. Besides heavy traffic, zombies were also making their presence known; what started as a few scattered ones quickly turned into a horde. It took them two full hours to traverse fifty kilometers of highway without even catching sight of the Coal-Fired Power Plant while ammunition was already running low.
Song Jiu gradually reined in his earlier carefree mood as he glanced at the now serious faces of those in the cabin. He regretted not bringing more people along. They could skip stops on their way there, but if they encountered a horde during unloading at the power station, relying on just ten people would be precarious.
The weather in May was unpredictable; the sky alternated between bright and dark, which weighed heavily on those driving. Wu Wentao only mentioned that the power station wasn't far away without specifying its exact location. Song Jiu estimated that they might have to camp out in the wilderness that night. He instructed Old Lin and others to keep an eye out for suitable camping spots since being too exposed on the road could lead to trouble if zombies attacked at night. With little camaraderie among their group, relying on themselves seemed wiser.
"We need to reach the foot of the mountain before dark; we can camp inside tonight since there's still some distance to climb," Wu Wentao noticed Song Jiu's intentions and spoke reassuringly. "No need to be too anxious."
Song Jiu glanced at him without responding but nodded lightly before turning his gaze back outside to watch the swaying wild grass in the distance as he drifted into thought. Lately, he often found himself distracted for reasons unknown even to him.
" Jiu Jiu, am I seeing things? What do you think that is?" Lin Daozhang inquired from behind as he reached out to tap Song Jiu's shoulder and rolled down the window.
The Chat Friends in the carriage gathered around, following Lin Daozhang's direction, forgetting their previous conversations.
"What’s wrong?" Song Jiu furrowed his brow, pushing aside the chaotic thoughts in his mind as he sat up to inquire.
"Is that a horse?" Old Lin’s beard was blown all over his face by the wind, and he ended up with a mouthful of hair.
"A horse?" The group exchanged puzzled glances. Lin Daozhang's indication was too vague, and with the vehicle moving at a decent speed, it was impossible to pinpoint accurately.
"Ziqian, slow down a bit," Song Jiu instructed as he turned back, glancing at Wu Wentao, who retrieved a small monocular from his waist pouch and handed it to him.
Song Jiu half-knelt on his seat, extended the scope, and looked out. The roadside was filled with tall weeds, and when he glanced over quickly, all he saw was a vast expanse of yellowing grass, occasionally passing by a few moving signal towers, but there was no "horse" as Lin Daozhang had mentioned.
"Talking too much has made your eyesight worse," Chu Guangxu leaned back in his seat and scoffed. "A horse? You must be joking." It was clear he thought Lin Daozhang was spouting nonsense.
Ignoring him, Lin Daozhang grasped his beard and leaned his head out of the window, muttering to himself, "I must have seen it wrong."
At that moment, the vehicle suddenly slowed down. The driver, Jiao Ziqian, cleared his throat and raised his voice, saying, " Brother Jiu, we have a situation."
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