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墨書 Inktalez
Two hours passed, and both sides remained at peace. However, the kids under the Leather Jacket Man couldn't stand the boredom any longer. Two boys pulled a girl into a car, giving them a live show of a car shake. Song Jiu and the others watched in shock, while the group outside laughed and chatted, seemingly accustomed to the spectacle.
Wu Wentao had already grasped the situation. Surprisingly, he did not oppose Song Jiu this time; he merely nodded lightly, appearing indifferent.
The Leather Jacket Man was showing off in front of Song Jiu and Jiao Ziqian, but when faced with Wu Wentao, he inexplicably shrank back. It was true that one could be subdued by another; although he acted tough, everyone around could see that the Leather Jacket Man didn't even dare to meet Wu Wentao's gaze. Fortunately for him, Wu Wentao had no intention of engaging with him, which secretly relieved the Leather Jacket Man.
"Strange, Old Wu, why have you changed your ways?" Jiao Ziqian asked in confusion, pressing Wu Wentao for answers. "This isn't like you. Why not just take care of those little brats?"
Wu Wentao chuckled softly, running his fingers through his hair and teasingly replied, "Why don't you go ahead then?"
"I'm listening to Brother Jiu."
"Then listen to him and stop talking nonsense." Wu Wentao slapped him on the back and called everyone to get in the car, planning to head directly to Water Surface for a test run.
"Hey, what about the food and drinks we agreed on?" The Leather Jacket Man avoided Wu Wentao and found Song Jiu. Confused by Song Jiu's persuasion, he still remembered the supplies promised to him and complained, "You're not being reasonable here; we had an agreement."
"No problem, I keep my word," Song Jiu replied with a grin. He went over to Wu Wentao to give a few instructions and asked them to practice by the water first. For this purpose, he even borrowed two guides from the Leather Jacket Man. The Leather Jacket Man wasn't foolish; he readily agreed to Song Jiu's request. Before he could point out who should go, two girls rushed out and scrambled into Dai Wei's car.
Song Jiu cleared his throat twice and said awkwardly, "Just help with directions; nothing else. Don't waste time."
Dai Wei looked speechless. Not to mention that the two girls looked disheveled; they seemed too young for such thoughts. However, just because he didn't have those intentions didn't mean they didn't. He couldn't understand where they got their courage from as they climbed into the car and began to fawn over Dai Wei without realizing their behavior was inappropriate.
Wu Wentao drove away with three others in the boat while Song Jiu casually climbed into the Cherokee and called for the Leather Jacket Man to get in.
"Should I have my people wait here or come along?" Song Jiu asked.
The Leather Jacket Man was momentarily stunned, then a feeling of being trapped washed over him as he raised an eyebrow and asked, "You’re not planning to trick me into something shady, are you?"
"Of course not!" Song Jiu laughed heartily, enthusiastically pulling the Leather Jacket Man into the passenger seat. Before the Leather Jacket Man could settle in, a flash caught his eye, followed by a chill at his neck. A gleaming Steel Saw Blade was pressed against his carotid artery, its sharp edge lined with the jagged marks left by slashing through Zombies, grazing the soft flesh of his neck and sending shivers down his spine.
The Leather Jacket Man's scalp tingled with shock and anger as he looked at Song Jiu, who appeared unfazed, already grinning as he tucked away the blade as if it were just a joke.
"Killing you would be as easy as pie," Song Jiu maintained his friendly smile, but to the Leather Jacket Man's ears, that laughter had taken on a sinister tone.
"Everyone get in quickly; it’ll be dark soon," Song Jiu shouted like a small-town bus driver, urging everyone to pile into the vehicle. Those who could squeezed in while others sprinted to keep up.
The Leather Jacket Man swallowed hard, still reeling from the earlier encounter. He instinctively touched his neck, sensing something was off but unable to piece together what it was. The balance of power had quietly shifted; it seemed he hadn’t yet realized that Song Jiu’s confidence and determination were not merely for show.
"Stop overthinking it," Song Jiu said slowly as he started the car. "I keep my word; there will be food and drink, but there’s not much water—just wanted to give you a heads-up."
"Oh," the Leather Jacket Man replied, feeling his throat dry at the mention of water. The men and women crammed into the back seat didn’t notice their leader's unease and continued chatting excitedly. To them, everything still seemed under the Leather Jacket Man's control, so they felt no concern and remained blissfully unaware of the growing anxiety in their leader's heart.
As Song Jiu drove off, he glanced at the Leather Jacket Man’s expression in the rearview mirror and nodded in satisfaction. Being the leader of a ragtag group suggested he was no fool; aside from his age advantage, he must have other strengths. At least the Leather Jacket Man wasn't slow-witted—he should have started to realize something by now. However, he was keeping it together and didn’t show any overt signs of distress.
Whether he was contemplating strategies or shocked by the role reversal didn’t pose any threat to Song Jiu. As long as everyone obeyed him, all would be well. If they didn’t calm down soon, those left behind would surely have regained their strength and would have plenty of energy to spare. Ten Leather Jacket Men wouldn’t stand a chance against Jin Bo.
Wu Wentao remained silent because he understood Song Jiu’s intentions, while Jiao Ziqian’s focus was somewhat misplaced; he only saw Song Jiu’s generosity, which set him apart from Luo Yu.
The return journey was uneventful. The early speculations of the group aligned with information brought back by the Leather Jacket Man: most Zombies in the city had been drawn to the harbor by the sound of waves. The streets were deserted and desolate yet eerily safe. By dusk, Song Jiu led the Leather Jacket Man and others to their destination. The sight of men and women rushing toward them from behind startled those left behind.
"What are they up to?" Jin Bo exclaimed, eyes wide as he took in the transformation of the Mud Monkey they had brought back at noon into what now resembled a Barbie Doll. What lay beneath their disheveled exteriors?
"The locals are warm-hearted," Song Jiu joked casually as he patted Jin Bo on the back and whispered a few words in his ear before heading toward the kitchen with a chuckle. Upon entering, he spotted the Blonde Woman they had brought back earlier looking revitalized as she sat with Song Yao and others.
Luo Yu and Luci's group had already returned. They hadn't managed to find the seasickness medicine, but they had gathered a large assortment of wedding supplies that couldn't be exposed, all stuffed in the trunk. Upon seeing Song Jiu return, Luo Yu shot her a knowing look.
"Where's Ziqian?" Ying Dou Dou was most concerned about Jiao Da Guanren. Song Jiu had made two separate trips back, each time bringing back unfamiliar faces, which made her worry.
"Test flight," Song Jiu said mysteriously, winking as she walked straight over to Chef Jia and asked, "Do we have enough food left?"
"Yes," Chef Jia replied, busy preparing the evening snacks. After a moment of thought, he added, "Most of what's left are rations and compressed biscuits; if we save some, it should be enough."
"Can you spare some?" Song Jiu thought it was unfortunate; being the head of logistics meant she wasn't very familiar with their supplies. She had boasted to Leather Jacket Man earlier, and it seemed she would have to go back on her word.
Chef Jia glanced at Leather Jacket Man and his group standing dumbly at the door. Suddenly realizing something, he exclaimed, " Jiu Jiu, are you going to open the Granary to help the victims?"
"Trade, trade," Song Jiu said awkwardly, quietly recounting what had happened at the Repair Shop.
Chef Jia was taken aback and pointed at Luo Yu, muttering, "What a coincidence! Luo Yu and her group also ran into a few young ones outside and even got into a scuffle."
"There's more," Song Jiu said in surprise and hurried over to ask Luo Yu about what had happened that afternoon.
Luo Yu didn’t hold back and recounted the events with a strange expression. She whispered, "The kids we encountered said their family has hundreds of people."
"Hundreds in their family?" Song Jiu chuckled in disbelief, shaking her head repeatedly. She stood up and waved at Leather Jacket Man. "Nan Ge, come here for a moment."
Leather Jacket Man was currently engrossed in the unfolding drama of the situation around him. His eyes were fixated on the Rifle held by Lookout Youth. He regretted ever trusting someone he had known for less than three hours. How could this be? There were so many of them, and they had so many guns! His two makeshift shotguns were completely outclassed. Since entering the room, he had received more than one hostile or mocking glance from the group of over ten people present. They chose to ignore him entirely; some were resting while others chatted casually. As a local, his presence felt almost nonexistent.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! What are you spacing out for?" Lookout Youth coldly reminded him.
"Ah," the Leather Jacket Man shivered, suddenly coming to his senses. He turned to see Song Jiu standing in the middle of the group, waving at him.
The other Scouts also sensed something was off. A few easily agitated Young Men pulled out their machetes from the car. Before they could feel the sense of security that came with holding a weapon, they caught sight of several Black Muzzles aiming at them from all directions.
"Don't panic, come here," Song Jiu said warmly as he put an arm around the Leather Jacket Man's shoulders. "He and his people have been living in the city for a while. I promised him that we would share some food and drink." He paused, glancing at the tense Leather Jacket Man, and added, "I’m sorry, due to a budget miscalculation, I might not be able to fulfill our agreement perfectly. But don’t worry, there will be bread; just not as much as we imagined."
The Leather Jacket Man cursed inwardly: This is just a cat crying for a mouse—fake compassion! One careless moment and I’m invited into a trap; it’s all too easy for you to crush me.
Song Jiu didn’t say much more, allowing various emotions to fester in the Leather Jacket Man's mind. He instructed the women to call over the trembling Scouts at the door.
"Wait here for a moment. If you're hungry, go grab something to eat; we can discuss everything else later."
"Alright," the Leather Jacket Man replied, forcing himself to stay calm as thoughts of a banquet filled with treachery began to swirl in his mind. Wait—what am I waiting for?
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