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墨書 Inktalez
Two hours later, the personnel of Roundabout gathered and prepared to set off.
Ming Junwei and Old Tian briefly discussed the situation and decided to temporarily halt the construction of the laboratory. All tasks requiring manpower were put on hold as they rallied all combat units for a rescue mission. Old Tian's side was easy to manage; the Field Duty Foreigners were all loyal to Wu Wentao, and upon hearing that their leader was in trouble, they naturally felt compelled to help. However, there were some issues within Roundabout.
It wasn't a major problem, but it was quite awkward: there was a shortage of manpower.
As everyone knew, Roundabout had suffered significant losses during the Acid Rain incident, and while the population base was considerable, more than half of them were non-combatant women. The addition of Wu Wentao's crew brought in a group of tough fighters but also increased the number of non-combat units. As a result, if Roundabout mobilized everyone, their headquarters would face the dilemma of having no soldiers left to defend it.
The women responsible for internal affairs were not without merit; quantity could lead to quality changes. Ming Junwei believed they could handle the Zombies in the city. However, potential threats weren't limited to Zombies; there were also Wu Wentao's old colleagues. Since their last encounter, the Blonde Woman had not shown her face again. Ming Junwei and his team had cleared out Strawberry Farm, removing a nearby threat while also making an enemy of the Blonde Woman. Initially, with the support of Wu Wentao's many fighters, everyone felt more confident about dealing with her. However, the situation with the coal transport team forced Roundabout to mobilize personnel.
Dream Fan couldn't provide more information; she seemed somewhat dazed. Song Yao and Luo Yu took turns trying to get answers from her but were unsuccessful. The two women didn't want to pressure Dream Fan; being women themselves, they understood her plight. They initially intended for her to rest at Roundabout, but Dream Fan insisted on accompanying them. Considering she might have valuable information, Ming Junwei did not stop her.
Lin Daozhang, as the only one who had escaped and returned, naturally needed to join the main force as well. This time Old Lin did not hesitate and repeatedly reminded everyone of that day's events, urging them to take it seriously and avoid another disaster like before. The faces of Roundabout's personnel turned serious while Wu Wentao's group remained unfazed. The Foreigners generally shrugged off Old Lin's warnings, stubbornly believing that it was Song Jiu and his team who had hindered their captain. They thought that no number of Zombies could pose a threat to them; what were a few wild men compared to that?
Ming Junwei felt helpless about this; both sides operated independently and had no authority over each other. Since they were so confident, he didn't want to dampen their spirits.
"Roundabout is in your hands," Ming Junwei said as he glanced at the clear sky, silently praying for a smooth journey.
"Don't worry; you all be careful too," Xiao Wei nodded. He wasn't going along with them; Chef Jia, Yinuo, and others stayed behind to guard Roundabout.
"Alright, it's not far; it shouldn't take too long," Ming Junwei replied and noticed that Song Yao and the others were ready. He reminded them, "If anything happens, remember not to fight recklessly."
"I understand." Xiao Wei knew his concerns well. He initially thought about asking if they should leave some reserve troops but realized that if Ming Junwei's team also fell into trouble, Roundabout wouldn't have enough people left to make a difference.
The gasoline stored at Roundabout had been given to the coal transport team earlier, and the search teams in the city hadn't yet found new resources. Fortunately, Ming Junwei's two vehicles left at the fire station still had supplies left over, preventing the rescue team from having to travel on foot. With nearly everyone mobilized this time, both groups combined numbered around forty—armed with excellent weapons and full of spirit—as they sped towards the highway under Old Lin's leadership.
In the vehicle, Ming Junwei suddenly smiled despite his serious expression, leaving those around him puzzled.
"Yao Yao, your brother really resembles Ginger River," Ming Junwei said, taking a drag from his cigarette and gesturing for the graduate student to roll down the car window, enjoying the moment as he lit it.
"Uh-huh," Song Yao replied, momentarily taken aback, unsure of what he meant by that.
"Wherever he goes, nothing grows," Ming Junwei scoffed, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"Not a family, not entering the same door," Song Yao said with a faint smile, turning to look out the window.
The cave, Dark River.
The rushing water crashed against the dark rock walls, with slippery moss covering both sides of the riverbank. Jagged stones jutted out in the middle of the river, blocking the flow and sending up large splashes. Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed in the darkness, as if something hard had struck the rocks heavily. In the thick darkness, a naked figure clung to a boulder in the center of the river, using hands and feet to climb up.
Song Jiu was soaked through, his hair plastered to his face, water droplets sliding down his cheeks. His lips were pale, and his teeth chattered violently. The sound of rushing water filled his ears, echoing in the confined space. All around him was pitch black; he had no sense of direction. Without the sound of water, he wouldn't even know from which side he had been swept away.
Song Jiu lay on the boulder for a long time, shivering in the cold as it threatened to consume his sanity. Thankfully, he still gripped that pickaxe tightly; otherwise, he had no idea where he would end up. He had been careless, focusing solely on evading Bald Monster's pursuit and forgetting that nature could be just as treacherous. Jumping into Dark River without knowing its depths was reckless—who knew how deep it was or if there were other eroded channels? Forcing himself to keep his eyes open, Song Jiu curled up on the icy stone and rubbed his body vigorously to keep his blood circulating. His fingers and toes were nearly numb; he could hardly feel them anymore.
Taking a deep breath, Song Jiu propped himself up. He didn't know where he was now or how to return to the cave. His eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness; all around him was an abyss of blackness with only the sound of flowing water—no other noises.
Initially, he had only intended to jump into Dark River to evade Bald Gang. He knew that the bald men seemed unbothered by the cold, so he held his breath and swam deeper for a while. To his surprise, the current in deeper waters was so swift; it was nothing like the shallow still waters he had expected. With visibility obstructed and unable to move freely, before Bald Gang could close in on Dark River, he lost focus and fell into the riverbed, instantly swept away by the rapid current.
His limited knowledge clearly couldn't handle the dangers lurking in underground Dark River. He thought it was merely a pool formed by surface water seeping down but never imagined it was flowing water. In panic, he focused solely on keeping his head above Water Surface while desperately flailing his arms and legs to avoid sinking. As everything spun around him, he suddenly felt himself drop with the current before seemingly falling into a wider body of water where the flow didn't seem as fierce.
To say he wasn't scared would be a lie; facing Zombies or Red Mother was one thing—confronting an endless cave was another. Song Jiu considered himself strong-willed but found himself inevitably feeling despair in this boundless darkness. He silently repeated Jiao Ziqian's name along with those of others in an attempt to stay alert. He had heard that some people suffered from claustrophobia and could easily hallucinate in monotonous sounds within dark spaces. Song Jiu believed he wasn't at his breaking point yet; he needed to keep his mind clear because losing it in such an environment would bring him closer to death.
Taking a breath, Song Jiu spread his legs apart and tightened the iron chain around his wrists. He raised his hammer to identify where screws were fixed and infused some strength into his arms before bringing it down forcefully.
Bang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed far into the darkness with buzzing reverberations; his ankles tingled from the impact. Fortunately, the shackles were old; one strike proved effective as they loosened. Pulling hard on them resulted in a crack as they broke into two pieces. Overjoyed, Song Jiu stepped on the chain between his wrists with twisted posture and continued exerting force until finally freeing his hands. The collar around his neck couldn't be removed yet; he'd have to leave it for now. After catching his breath cautiously, he climbed down from the boulder and carefully tested each step as he crawled toward the riverbank.
Song Jiu touched the ground, finding no sand, only the cold, sharp stones beneath. In such a place, only moss could survive, making it unlikely to find any vegetation for fire. He groped around until he found a relatively flat area, took a deep breath, and performed a few warm-up exercises. He sensed a breeze passing by and quickly focused, extending his hand to carefully discern the direction of the wind. After a moment, feeling some warmth returning to his body, Song Jiu decided not to wait any longer. He cautiously crawled along the path of the wind, moving toward what he hoped might be an exit.
In the darkness, time felt nonexistent. Song Jiu had no idea how long he had been walking. Several times he considered giving up but managed to push through after resting for a while. He estimated that he must be heading in the right direction; the sound of flowing water grew fainter, and his method of movement gradually shifted to climbing. The terrain was rising, with fewer loose stones and more jagged boulders. Though dangerous, it was much easier to navigate.
Gradually, the darkness before him began to fade, revealing a faint light in the distance that flickered unpredictably.
Song Jiu stopped in his tracks and leaned against a large rock, rubbing his face. Could it be an illusion? He bent down and cupped some water in his hands, splashing it on his face in an attempt to wake himself up. After staring intently for a while, he confirmed that the distant light remained, dancing erratically as the wind fluctuated.
A glimmer of hope sparked within him as he began to climb upward using both hands and feet. The sharp stones beneath his bare feet were painful, but they also helped him gauge whether his footing was secure. Gathering his strength, he climbed higher until he reached a platform where the stones became level. Looking down for a moment in silence, he finally said, "How about this: when dawn breaks, we head into the mountains to search."
The woman nodded, burying her face in her legs while her back continued to tremble.
Song Jiu wiped his mouth and reflected on how there was always a way out. Feeling grateful for his good memory, he couldn't help but let out a joyful exclamation that altered his tone: "Comrade, lend me a hand."
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