Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"About seasickness, relying on medication doesn't help much," Dr. Zhong said with a helpless expression. As a medical professional, he felt his combat abilities were lacking. Although he wanted to join everyone in their struggles, he was more worried about being a burden. This time, while searching for medicine, Dr. Zhong felt uncertain, especially with a few girls accompanying him. What if something went wrong?
"Don't worry, we'll protect you," Yuan An reassured him. Having spent more time together, they were relatively closer.
Dr. Zhong shook his head helplessly and followed closely behind them. "The pharmacy should have plenty of seasickness patches. Take as many as you can, but they aren't very effective. It's best to see if they have Huoxiang Zhengqi Water; that stuff works."
Upon hearing this, the Pockmarked Girl's face changed, and she made a gagging expression, saying painfully, "You can't be serious about making me drink that stuff; I'd rather throw up."
"Stop being stubborn; when the time comes, you'll be the first to grab it," Dr. Zhong patted her shoulder and joked, "Considering how well you drink, just treat the Zhengqi Water like alcohol."
"No way," the Pockmarked Girl replied, her face pale. It seemed she had been traumatized by that medicine before. She pouted and said, "Making traditional Chinese medicine and Zhengqi Water is a hurdle I can never overcome."
"I second that," Yuan An chimed in, shrugging and exclaiming, "I'm already prepared to throw up uncontrollably."
Luo Yu and Luci exchanged smiles; both had tasted that concoction before. Just hearing its name made them recall its flavor. Only Yang Xiaomeng showed little reaction; after all, as a man, unpleasant medicine only warranted a frown without leaving any lasting impression. Compared to the medicine, he was more focused on searching for shops along the street. He enjoyed the task assigned by Song Jiu; in fact, he liked any mission that wasn't about finding food or drink.
"By the way, besides medicine, what else are we looking for?" Yuan An suddenly remembered their main purpose for this trip. Luo Yu and Yang Xiaomeng seemed to have other tasks in mind.
"That!" Yang Xiaomeng exclaimed excitedly. Everyone turned to follow her gaze toward the T-Junction where a two-story Mona Lisa Wedding Photography stood at the corner. The colorful wedding dresses displayed in the window captivated every woman's heart—and even a man’s.
Wedding dresses and weddings always carried an air of beautiful dreams—before the disaster and even after.
"I can't remember the last time I attended a wedding," the Pockmarked Girl said with sparkling eyes, excitedly declaring, "I want to be a bridesmaid!"
"Ambitious," Luci chuckled as she wrapped an arm around the Pockmarked Girl's shoulders and winked at her. "What's so exciting about being a bridesmaid? You should aim to be the bride!"
"What benefits does being a bride have? Do you all give gifts?" The Pockmarked Girl teased playfully while glancing back at Dr. Zhong trailing behind them. She deliberately moved closer to him and linked her arm with his, playfully saying in a sweet voice, "Brother Zhong, how about we pair up?"
"The girl is blessed with deep fortune, an old monk like me cannot bear it." Dr. Zhong knew she was teasing him, and with a bitter smile, he pushed her hand away. He gazed at the wedding dress behind the display window, and his mind involuntarily recalled the handsome young man from the train compartment, letting out a long sigh.
The squad crossed the street and stood behind a billboard at the corner, waiting for a moment. Yuan An and Luo Yu approached the store entrance, swiftly dispatching three wandering work-clad zombies with decisive moves. They pushed open the glass door, and a wave of decay hit them.
Luo Yu went upstairs to check while Yuan An searched the first floor. A few minutes later, confirming it was safe, he waved over the others waiting at the corner.
"Just take the wedding dresses," they had been out of touch with normal society for too long, and the ladies were somewhat dazed. Although they all envisioned grand wedding scenes in their minds, they couldn't figure out what they should prepare.
"Take whatever you can find." Yang Xiaomeng was straightforward; she rushed to the makeup room and rummaged through two large suitcases, dumping out the miscellaneous items inside. She first packed up the dazzling array of cosmetics and skincare products on the vanity. The others followed suit, finding large black garbage bags to collect all the exquisite dresses without missing a single one.
Luci and Luo Yu stood guard at the door, watching the desolate street, not daring to let their guard down.
"Engagement ring." Luci blinked, her gaze drifting to Chow Tai Fook across the street. She smiled slightly and said, "We need to get that too."
"I'll go look for it." Luo Yu chuckled at her words and pushed open the door, running across the street.
As the glass door opened and closed, its transparent surface reflected the street scene, capturing fleeting shadows at the intersection.
" Brother Jiu, come here."
Jiao Ziqian's voice came from the deck. Song Jiu turned his head towards the porthole; Jiao Ziqian and Oil Paint Youth were supporting a stranger who stood silently on deck, locking eyes with him.
Song Jiu felt a chill run down his spine and hurried out of the cockpit. Before he could speak, Dai Wei climbed up as well.
Jiao Ziqian was also momentarily stunned; in these past ten days, apart from zombies, he hadn't encountered any living person. It felt as if they had left the ancient city limits entirely; all zombie strongholds seemed to have vanished. Suddenly encountering a stranger was indeed disorienting.
"In the cabin, it seems there is more than one person," Jiao Ziqian handed the unfamiliar face over to Oil Paint Youth and said seriously, "You scared me; I thought it was a Zombie."
Song Jiu remained silent, frowning as he observed the timid stranger, who turned out to be a woman. Just as Jiao Ziqian had said, if it weren't for the two of them holding her up, Song Jiu would have thought she was a Zombie.
She was gaunt and disheveled, her face smeared with grime and dirt, making it impossible to discern her features. The only thing that stood out were her eyes, which darted around in fear. She wore a filthy nightgown, and her arms and legs bore scabbed scratches. Barefoot, she looked utterly miserable.
Song Jiu waved his hand, signaling the two to ease their grip, and cautiously asked, "Do you live here?"
The woman paused for a moment before nodding.
"You didn't notice anything when you came with Lao Cao?" Song Jiu was quite surprised; ordinarily, the two wouldn't make such a rookie mistake.
Dai Wei's expression was awkward as he stammered, "We overlooked it; we didn't expect..."
"Can you speak? Do you have any companions?" Song Jiu felt a bit at a loss. If they had encountered a Zombie or an enemy, there would be no need for words—knives and guns would not be idle. But in this situation, it was clear they were intruders. Faced with this defenseless and trembling Living Person, Song Jiu couldn't just stab her without a second thought.
The woman steadied herself, nervously glancing around before nodding and then suddenly shaking her head.
"Yes or no?" Song Jiu frowned again and gestured for Oil Paint Youth to let her go. He asked, "What is your name?"
The Zombie-like girl did not respond; she hugged her arms tightly and shrank back against one side of the deck, constantly glancing toward the workshop's entrance.
Jiao Ziqian looked at Song Jiu with an uneasy feeling. Judging by her reaction, she likely had companions who were just not present at the moment. Their target was the yacht; if it was indeed a stronghold for these people, trouble was inevitable.
Song Jiu remained silent, signaling for several others to keep an eye on her while also watching outside the workshop. He illuminated his flashlight and walked toward the wooden spiral staircase leading down to the Sleeper Cabin to take a look around.
There were many Sleeper Cabins on the lower level, most of which had their doors closed. The cabins were beautifully decorated and luxurious inside, equipped with good living conditions. As he approached the end of the corridor, an unpleasant odor wafted out. Song Jiu sidled over and shone his flashlight into the cabin, revealing a pile of trash that clashed with the cabin's decor—mostly food wrappers, empty drink bottles, wine bottles, and some items that were unidentifiable.
The warm and spacious Round Bed was in disarray. In his memory, even the homeless who slept under bridges would not leave their resting places in such a filthy state. Beside the bed stood a large metal bucket, and when the flashlight illuminated it, a thin layer of water glimmered on the surface, accompanied by a strong stench of urine.
After taking a look at several adjacent Sleeper Cabins with their doors open, Song Jiu was left speechless, his hopes for the yacht shattered.
Returning to the deck, Jiao Ziqian and Dai Wei were taking turns trying to communicate normally with the disheveled girl.
"What’s going on?" Dai Wei said, feeling embarrassed about his earlier oversight. "I was careless just now; I didn’t—"
"It’s fine." Song Jiu interrupted his apology with a wave of his hand. It was indeed hard to imagine someone hiding in the bottom level of a yacht in the Repair Shop; this wasn’t Dai Wei’s fault, and besides, it hadn’t led to any serious consequences.
Looking at the dirty girl, Song Jiu felt an unusual sensation in his heart. He took off his water bottle and tossed it to Jiao Ziqian. "Wash her face."
Jiao Ziqian was taken aback. Before he could react, the girl who had been huddled in the corner suddenly sprang up and snatched the water bottle, tilting her head back and gulping down water as if someone were trying to take it from her. She choked but didn’t stop until she had drained the entire bottle. Dai Wei and several other young men were at a loss for what to do; they were used to dealing with various enemies but had never encountered someone in such a dire state without a plan for handling it.
Song Jiu frowned and thought for a moment before instructing two of the young men to stand guard at the door and bring in some dry rations and water from the vehicle. He could see that this girl posed no threat; she barely had the strength to protect herself. The yacht couldn’t be moved either, so it was better to clarify her identity first. After all, they had weapons on hand, and judging by her condition, her companions likely weren’t much better off.
Most of the dry rations at Cao Zheng's camp were military leftovers; these could provide energy but tasted rather bland. Jiao Ziqian mixed some water with a bowl of something resembling sesame paste and handed it to the girl. She hesitated for a moment but ultimately couldn’t resist her gnawing hunger and began to gulp it down.
Song Jiu and the others exchanged glances but chose not to interrupt, patiently waiting for her to finish eating.
"You don’t need to be nervous," Song Jiu said gently, trying to keep his tone calm and friendly. "We’re Survivors just like you. We came here looking for a boat to go out to sea."
After finishing her meal, the girl fell silent again, blinking as she stared back and forth at them without saying a word.
“Damn, what do we do now?” Jiao Ziqian felt a bit anxious. After a moment of thought, he said, “How about we just leave her be and focus on our own business?”
Song Jiu frowned, considering the situation before nodding. “I guess that’s all we can do. Let’s leave her some food and water.”
After discussing among themselves, the three of them packed the remaining two bottles of water and a few boxes of compressed biscuits into a plastic bag and handed it to the girl, trying to coax her to get up and leave the yacht. The girl accepted the food and water but refused to speak or move from her spot on the yacht. When Jiao Ziqian attempted to force her, the frail girl suddenly fought back, scratching and biting, forcing him to retreat. Cursing didn’t help, and he couldn’t bring himself to hit her; he estimated that one punch could easily break a rib or two, but he couldn’t bear to hurt someone so pitiful.
“We need this boat. How about we make a deal? I’ll give you more food and water if you go somewhere else to live,” Song Jiu maintained his patience. He recalled how not long ago, he and Dream Fan had been in a similar situation, understanding the girl’s fear and panic. Perhaps that cabin was her only source of security; being forcibly removed would surely cause her distress.
Jiao Ziqian released the girl. He had noticed Song Jiu’s recent changes; once decisive in battle, Brother Jiu now seemed more talkative. However, it didn’t seem like a bad thing—at least when facing Field Duty situations, Brother Jiu was still the same as before.
The girl stared blankly at Song Jiu, her dark face revealing no emotion. It was unclear whether she could understand his words.
Suddenly, Dai Wei had a thought and whispered, “Do you think she might have gone crazy?”
“It's possible,” Jiao Ziqian agreed. Many people had been driven mad or terrified in such situations; it was normal for someone who had hidden in a dark cabin for so long to experience a mental breakdown.
Song Jiu pondered this and tried asking her a few more questions, but she remained silent. It seemed increasingly likely that she had indeed lost her mind.
“Let’s go find a vehicle; we can’t waste any more time on her,” Song Jiu said as he leaned against the railing and jumped down from the mechanical arm. Jiao Ziqian and Dai Wei followed closely behind him. They had checked everything on the boat; aside from needing to secure the propeller at the stern, everything else seemed fine. There were no apparent issues before starting the engine, but their immediate priority was finding a vehicle capable of transporting the yacht.
As they exited the workshop one by one, the lookout youth hadn’t noticed anything unusual. Seeing them emerge, he promptly started his car.
“Let’s find a large trailer.” After one plan failed, Song Jiu devised another. He measured the height of the crane's arm from the ground and felt that a sixteen-wheeler might be low enough to back under the yacht's hull. With two powerful vehicles pulling it off its supports while ensuring protective measures were in place around the chassis, they could avoid friction damage.
Dai Wei frowned as he considered this for a moment before agreeing that it was indeed a viable plan. They could pull the yacht directly into the water with larger vehicles as long as they avoided any bumps or crashes; there shouldn’t be any major issues. There were plenty of large trailers available and they were easier to operate compared to cranes. Even if they managed to learn how to operate a crane proficiently, they would still need another vehicle to place it on afterward—adding an extra step to their process.
"Alright, let's do it your way. We can go directly to find the big guy. For the horsepower, the Cherokee and Raptor should work. Just pour some oil on the stand for lubrication, and it should be fine," Dai Wei gritted his teeth, deciding to follow Song Jiu's idea for a rough operation.
"Let's try to get it done by tonight."
With the plan set, the anxiety in his heart eased considerably. Song Jiu nodded, released the handbrake, and turned the car around. Habitually glancing at the rearview mirror, he noticed a disheveled and frail figure appearing at the workshop door.
Dai Wei and Jiao Ziqian had already moved ahead; both the Cherokee and Raptor had left the courtyard. Holding onto the SRT's steering wheel, Song Jiu felt a sudden impulse, rolled down the window, and looked toward that figure.
After a moment of silence, the figure moved, stumbling awkwardly toward the SRT. Song Jiu raised an eyebrow, feeling an odd sensation grow stronger within him. This person looked like a zombie; could it be another mutated type?
The ragged girl approached the car, her dirty face revealing no expression. After hesitating for a moment as if making a decision, she straightened her frail back and walked over to the passenger side, opening the door and sitting inside.
Song Jiu remained silent, watching her actions without a word. Once inside, he could sense her nervousness as she took deep breaths repeatedly to calm herself. Then she trembled slightly as she grabbed the seatbelt and fastened it tightly.
Watching her complete all of this, Song Jiu inexplicably nodded, released the handbrake, and slowly drove out of the Repair Shop.
Comment 0 Comment Count