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墨書 Inktalez
As the Blood Sunset was completely swallowed by the night, the Raptor, carrying hope, finally returned. The bright headlights swept across the courtyard, illuminating faces filled with anticipation. The bonfire flickered, casting shadows, and as the engine fell silent, a hush enveloped the scene.
Dai Wei took a deep breath, opened the car door, and jumped out, striding confidently toward the crowd. His eyes sparkled with a smile as he met the eager gazes that shone like spotlights. Clearing his throat, he prepared to speak.
“Ahem.”
Song Jiu and the others stared at him in a daze, their eyes nearly watering from staring too long. They swallowed hard, waiting for their idol to say something.
Dai Wei, being somewhat reserved yet playful, feigned modesty to heighten everyone's anticipation. Just as Jin Bo was about to roll up his sleeves, Dai Wei finally spoke at a leisurely pace: “Are you ready?”
The courtyard seemed to freeze under the night sky. Dai Wei's magnetic voice drifted with the wind, weaving into everyone's ears. The crowd exchanged glances, their pupils dilating and contracting in unison. Their stiff expressions melted away like ice under the scorching sun, gradually transforming into a boiling pool of excitement.
“Ahhh!”
Cheers and whistles erupted in joyful frenzy. The crowd was ecstatic, as if they had just launched a satellite into space. Men and women embraced passionately, nearly moved to tears. Setting sail meant they would leave this blood-soaked land behind; it signified a significant step toward the final dawn. What could be more exhilarating than surviving against all odds? The endless dark road ahead now held distant sparks of light—this was already an incredible feat.
Leather Jacket Man also had tears in his eyes as he hugged Baldy, nodding repeatedly. Finally, they were getting out of here! So happy!
As the team leader, Song Jiu managed to regain a sliver of composure amidst the excitement. He raised his hands to signal for quiet but found his voice cracking with emotion instead.
“Stop shouting! Pack your things and let’s go!”
With a wave of his arm, the crowd dispersed instantly, fueled by adrenaline. In just a few minutes, they organized their gear—loading what needed to be loaded and taking what they could carry without needing further instruction from Song Jiu. The two vehicles assigned to Leather Jacket Man changed hands once more. Jin Bo and his group disregarded whatever promises Song Jiu had made; their immediate priority was boarding the ship. Once on board, they could leave behind all this junk without a second thought.
Leather Jacket Man, quick-witted enough, held back a few companions who wanted to argue with them. With tears of excitement glistening in his eyes, he murmured, “Let them go; damn it! Once they're gone, all this will belong to Us!”
The Buddies were momentarily stunned, filled with admiration: "Nan Ge is brilliant."
As night fell, the atmosphere grew lively. The convoy turned on its bright headlights, one vehicle after another, streaming out of their temporary resting place. Dai Wei drove the Raptor at the front, while the Leather Jacket Man and his crew followed at the rear, marching boldly through the summer night towards the Coast.
Objectively speaking, the two girls under the Leather Jacket Man's command played a crucial role. The guides always proved invaluable in special circumstances. This time, Wu Wentao and his team’s fierceness was of no use; the port was overrun by Zombies. Unless they brought in tanks, it was impossible for them to breach the Horde and step onto the Water Surface with their current strength. The two girls were locals, and upon hearing that their idol Dai Wei was looking for a safe place to enter the water, they wasted no time and pointed out a location on the map.
Olympic Water Sports Park.
Just as Wu Wentao had envisioned, this was one of the perks of being in a coastal city—finding a place to enter the water was never a problem. The water park was adjacent to Wanpingkou and had become a popular tourist destination along this city’s golden Coastline. It boasted convenient transportation and an excellent geographical location, with a scenic coastline stretching five thousand meters, offering expansive views. The once-popular lighthouse scenic area had faded into obscurity, but the Coast remained unchanged—tides rose and fell, waves crashed against the shore, and the salty sea breeze continuously pushed against the waves, washing over the deserted soft sands.
The convoy navigated through city streets, heading straight towards the water park submerged in darkness under Dai Wei's lead. They made no stops along the way, remaining vigilant of their surroundings as they gradually slowed down, following faint tire tracks into the city’s most renowned golden Coast. Without needing further guidance from Dai Wei, yachts returning to the Sea Surface illuminated by searchlights cast their bright beams onto the beach, standing in stark contrast to them from afar.
Song Jiu jumped out of the car, feeling the soft sand beneath her feet. The trailer had left deep tire tracks in its wake, clearly imprinting its tread marks on the ground as it extended towards the sea before eventually disappearing from sight.
The flag at the bow fluttered in the wind as the engine hummed. The waves surged and fell, rocking the boat gently yet steadily. Everyone in the group got out of their vehicles, stepping onto the sandy ground and welcoming the sea breeze. They felt an unexpected sense of tranquility as they gazed into the boundless darkness ahead; it seemed as if the sea level connected to the edge of the world—a deep void that could give one an unsettling feeling of being watched if stared at for too long.
"This is my first time seeing the ocean," Pockmarked Girl exclaimed with barely contained excitement as she slowly crouched down to dip her hand into the icy seawater.
"Me too," Song Jiu replied with a grin. She pulled out a homemade cigarette that matched Leather Jacket Man's style from her pocket, turned her back to shield herself from the wind, lit it with her lighter, took a deep drag, and exhaled a cloud of murky smoke that dissipated into the night air.
The engine roared as searchlights slowly rotated to illuminate Song Jiu and her companions. The yacht needed to ensure it wouldn’t run aground since there were no docks along this stretch of beach; thus, they hadn’t approached too closely.
At that moment when the beam shifted, Song Jiu noticed something dark emerging from beneath the Sea Surface nearby and exclaimed, "What is that?"
"A trailer," Dai Wei squinted his eyes and chuckled. "The water level is too low near the Coast; Old Wu drove it straight into the sea."
The group carried their gear, the sound of crashing waves in their ears resembling the beat of war drums, urging these ragtag soldiers forward. They had to transport a variety of supplies on foot. Cao Zheng piloted the yacht, drifting over the dark sea surface, a single bright light flickering uncertainly.
"Get on board." Song Jiu exhaled slowly, standing on the beach and gazing into the distance. Behind him, the palm trees rustled softly as the Leather Jacket Man and his crew finally arrived, panting heavily.
Luo Yu and Song Yao joined the team moving supplies. Upon seeing them approach, they turned questioning looks toward Song Jiu.
Song Jiu nodded, tossing his car keys to the Leather Jacket Man. He asked Dai Wei beside him, "Is the water maker on the boat functional?"
"It works; there's enough fuel to run it," Dai Wei confirmed. Water was crucial, and he had checked everything was in order when the yacht was launched.
"Sis, leave them a barrel of water," Song Jiu said cheerfully as he walked over and put an arm around the Leather Jacket Man's shoulder. The young man was still catching his breath, gazing enviously at the luxurious fortress on the sea surface.
"The car is yours now; I'll give you some food and drink too." Song Jiu pulled out a box of homemade cigarettes from his pocket and unceremoniously stuffed it into his own coat pocket with a grin. "There are cigars in the car; let's trade."
The Leather Jacket Man was speechless. What kind of person demands a cut even before leaving? Who the hell wanted those broken cigars?
Dr. Zhong approached with a medical kit, pulling out some extra gauze and standard anti-inflammatory medications to hand to Song Jiu, who then passed them to the Leather Jacket Man.
Seeing the confusion on the Leather Jacket Man's face, Song Jiu explained, "A few of your subordinates clashed with our people at noon; they all got hurt a bit."
"What?" The Leather Jacket Man was unaware of what had happened at noon in the studio. He paused in surprise and muttered, "You guys..."
"It was your people who started it first," Song Jiu interjected quickly, shifting blame. After thinking for a moment, he called over a young man, pulled out a gun from his waist, and rummaged through a backpack to produce a box of bullets, handing everything over to the Leather Jacket Man.
This time, the Leather Jacket Man was truly stunned. Holding the medical supplies and firearms in his hands, he opened his mouth but couldn't find words for a long while.
"Don't you think I'm not such a bad guy now? Do you like me even more?" Song Jiu teased.
"Leather Jacket Man" was left speechless, the gratitude that had just begun to rise within him dissipating like smoke.
"Survival is tough, and life is even harder. All I can do is this much. The days ahead are long, and if possible, I want to take them away from here," "Song Jiu" said as he patted "Leather Jacket Man" on the shoulder. His gaze swept over the young "Boys and Girls," and the turmoil in his heart gradually calmed like waves settling down, prompting a sense of reflection.
"This is our home. Where else can we go?" "Leather Jacket Man" looked somewhat dazed, confusion and bewilderment flashing in his eyes, emotions typical for someone of his age.
"I don't know," "Song Jiu" shrugged. His own future was uncertain, so he couldn't offer guidance to others. He had merely spoken offhandedly without any concrete thoughts.
"Leather Jacket Man" remained silent for a long time, staring blankly at "Song Jiu" and the others as they carried their bags into the sea, moving slowly yet resolutely toward the yacht amidst the flow of people, silent and orderly.
"Thanks," "Leather Jacket Man" muttered reluctantly.
"You're welcome," "Song Jiu" replied cheerfully with a chuckle.
"Where are you all going?" "Leather Jacket Man" couldn't help but ask out of curiosity; he felt these people were not aimless travelers.
"To a place," "Song Jiu" squinted at the horizon. Suddenly an idea flashed through his mind. He turned to "Leather Jacket Man" and asked, "Do you want to come with us?"
"Huh?" "Leather Jacket Man" was taken aback.
"Bring your people and join our group. Leave this place," "Song Jiu" said, his gaze flickering as he murmured, "Is that something you would consider?"
"Leather Jacket Man" fell silent. There was a moment of impulse in his eyes, but it quickly faded as clarity returned. He gently shook his head and said, "No, they all can't bear to leave home."
"And what about you? Will you continue being the 'King of Kids'?"
"Yeah." "Leather Jacket Man" grinned, his smile devoid of the bravado he had earlier in the day. His messy long hair was blown about by the sea breeze, and a determined yet resilient expression appeared on his dirty face as he said, "They all call me 'Brother.' How can a brother run away? Right?"
Song Jiu remained silent, staring at him for a moment before smiling and nodding in agreement. "Right."
" Jiu Jiu, let's go."
Luo Yu turned back. The yacht was quite far away, and he waded through the water, getting his lower half soaked. All the supplies had been transferred, and the personnel had boarded one after another, leaving only Song Jiu.
"Mm." Song Jiu replied, taking the car keys that Luo Yu handed him and stuffing them into the pocket of the Leather Jacket Man's pants. He took a couple of steps forward, then turned back and said, "Maybe one day we'll come back. Next time we meet, don't greet me with a brick."
The Leather Jacket Man chuckled, and the Young Boys and Girls around him laughed along, their laughter carried away by the wind.
The Leather Jacket Man laughed heartily and nodded, stepping forward to extend his hand. "What's your name?"
"Song Jiu."
"Wishing you smooth sailing."
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