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墨書 Inktalez
At noon, with the assistance of several Assault Boats, the yacht towed the powerless fishing vessel back to the Coast. A crowd had gathered on the shore, including Song Jiu and Wu Wentao, armed and watching the approaching boats with expressionless faces, though their palms were sweating.
"Perhaps we've been unlucky for too long; even heaven can't stand it anymore," Song Jiu commented on the events of the past two days.
"You're so confident this is good luck," Wu Wentao replied, his gaze fixed ahead, a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"It couldn't get worse," Song Jiu said, pouting, firmly believing in his judgment.
Fang Fei listened to their whispered conversation with a helpless expression. The personalities of these two were not particularly likable, making interactions quite exhausting. Unlike Jin Bo, who spoke his mind without any tricks or hidden agendas, Song Jiu and Wu Wentao were much more complicated.
A few minutes later, the Assault Boats reached the shore first. The crew disembarked one by one, using ropes to pull the Assault Boats in and clear a docking area for the yacht and fishing vessel.
Cao Zheng and Dai Wei waved from the yacht, signaling that everything was normal.
Song Jiu turned back to give a few instructions. Chef Jia nodded and led Guli and Huihui back to the cabin, leaving the area for them.
Dai Wei jumped down from the boat, looking relaxed. There were no unexpected situations; everything was calm as they came and went. The fishing vessel was stable as well, with a few survivors sunbathing on deck, positioning themselves within sight of the approaching boats to show they meant no harm.
This behavior was somewhat unnecessary since Fang Fei already knew the identities of those on board. Xiao Zhuang's reappearance filled her with both joy and disbelief; she still felt a bit dazed.
The fishing team set out again at Fang Fei's suggestion to board and check for survivors while also considering fuel. As luck would have it, as soon as they stepped onto the deck, they found a survivor who immediately dispelled any hostility.
"I am Jin Bo's friend; I am Xiao Zhuang," he said.
Song Jiu recalled that night in the basement when Jin Bo had mentioned this person. It was said that he was one of Jin Bo's companions who had come to the island together. He was also a key soldier under The Establishment. After being attacked at sea years ago, it was this person who had skillfully navigated their escape, saving their lives in the deep midnight ocean. The circumstances after arriving on the island need not be elaborated further; Jin Bo himself had said that when leaving the island, either he stayed behind or Xiao Zhuang did—calling them life-and-death friends was no exaggeration.
However, six months ago, Xiao Zhuang had left the island by boat and had since vanished without a trace. Jin Bo and the others thought he had perished at sea; no one expected he would return one day.
When Fang Fei heard this name, she was momentarily stunned and felt disoriented. She thought those who should not have died were gone and those presumed dead had returned—was heaven playing a cruel joke?
Song Jiu and Wu Wentao understood Fang Fei's feelings but recognized that things were still unclear. They had little connection with Xiao Zhuang; prioritizing their responsibility to their own people, they decided to let Cao Zheng and Dai Wei take the yacht out to help bring people back from the Assault Boat while also trying to secure as much fuel as possible if conditions allowed.
Lao Cao and Old Dai did not disappoint; perhaps finding it too troublesome to work separately, they decided to tow back the fishing vessel as well. How they managed to pull it from between the rocks remained unknown; they exceeded their expected return time due to this endeavor.
As the fishing vessel docked and lowered its gangway, several men seated on deck stood up. They scanned the crowd along the Coast before steadying themselves and stepped onto solid Land after such a long absence.
Fang Fei trembled slightly, her eyes reddening.
Song Jiu leaned in a bit and whispered, "Which one is Xiao Zhuang?"
"The one at the front," Fang Fei replied, her voice choked with emotion. She spotted Xiao Zhuang, who was waving at her from a distance. His face, slightly flushed from the sun, radiated joy from their long-awaited reunion, mixed with an indescribable sense of melancholy.
Song Jiu counted the heads and noted that besides Xiao Zhuang, there were four others. Xiao Zhuang stood next to a tall, slender figure wearing baggy camouflage pants. Behind them was a middle-aged man in white uniform, looking like an officer. The other two were in casual clothes, one of whom wore glasses and appeared somewhat dazed.
Song Jiu squinted and asked again, "Are those people the ones who left with him six months ago?"
Fang Fei paused, unsure why Song Jiu asked that. After a moment's thought, she shook her head. "No, those should be members of The Establishment." As she spoke, a flicker of realization crossed her eyes as she began to understand Song Jiu's implication.
Before they could continue their conversation, the soldier named Xiao Zhuang had already opened his arms and rushed toward Fang Fei. The other four stood back, observing the scene with a mix of respect and curiosity, occasionally locking eyes with Wu Wentao. Despite being quiet, Wu Wentao stood out among them; perhaps it was his mature appearance or the aura of strength he exuded.
Song Jiu stepped back slightly; he wasn't used to such scenes. Fang Fei had been prompted by him to think of something else, but emotions overwhelmed reason at that moment. The two embraced tightly, tears streaming down their faces without a word spoken, simply patting each other's backs in a silent display of deep affection.
Fortunately, nothing more dramatic unfolded behind them. They managed to maintain some composure and after a brief hug released each other, gazing mistily at Song Jiu and Wu Wentao.
The two stood at the center of attention; it was hard not to be noticed.
Xiao Zhuang's voice was hoarse as he wiped away his tears and extended his hand toward Song Jiu while asking Fang Fei beside him, "Who is this?"
"Song Jiu and Wu Wentao," Fang Fei introduced simply as they shook hands with Qianqian.
"It seems I've missed a lot in the past six months," Xiao Zhuang said with a hint of a smile breaking through his tears. He turned around and waved to summon his four companions who were striking poses nearby. Looking around curiously, he asked, "Where are Jin Bo and Little Leaf? Did they go out to sea again?"
Fang Fei's expression darkened momentarily but quickly returned to normal as she forced a smile. "We'll talk about it later; let's take a break first. By the way, is anyone hurt? That commotion yesterday was quite something."
Xiao Zhuang didn't notice Fang Fei's unusual demeanor. He had grown accustomed to taking turns leaving the island with Jin Bo in the past and brushed it off lightly. With a smile, he replied, "We're fine; just some superficial wounds that have already been treated."
"Let me introduce you," Xiao Zhuang said as he wiped away the remnants of tears from his eyes and summoned the tall young man beside him. "This is my comrade, Sun Houqi. We were both soldiers under Shaolian."
The young man named Sun smiled modestly and exchanged handshakes with Fang Fei and the others. When his gaze briefly lingered on Wu Wentao, it seemed to pause for just a moment.
Wu Wentao wore a face that seemed indifferent, lacking any warmth, yet not entirely dismissive. Overall, he managed to maintain an air of composure.
Song Jiu was quietly pondering when he suddenly heard someone in the crowd behind him exclaim softly. Turning his head, he noticed his sister looking somewhat surprised, her brows furrowed as if she were deep in thought.
The others introduced themselves in turn. The one in regular clothes was the Captain, the bespectacled man was the Surveyor, and another man in casual attire was referred to as Xiao Xu, though it was unclear what his role was.
Once introductions were complete and a few pleasantries exchanged, Song Jiu instructed several Islanders to secure the boat and called for everyone to head back. The shore was not a place for idle chatter; despite having a lot of questions for Wu Wentao, the focus at that moment was on Fang Fei, and it would be inappropriate to overshadow her.
On the way back to the Stilt House, Xiao Zhuang kept whispering something to Fang Fei up ahead while the other four remained silent behind them. The man with the surname Sun occasionally stole glances at Wu Wentao, wearing an expression that was hard to read.
Song Jiu felt uncomfortable all over. Those who knew about the rescue of several shipwreck survivors might understand the situation, but those who didn’t could easily mistake it for some leaders coming to inspect operations.
Retreating into the crowd, Song Jiu quietly asked his sister, “What’s wrong?”
“That person looks somewhat familiar,” Song Yao replied, still frowning and talking to herself. “I feel like I’ve seen him before, but I can’t quite place it.”
“Didn’t he just say his name? Don’t you remember?” Song Jiu asked curiously. His sister had interacted with many people from The Establishment over the years; it wasn’t uncommon for her to recognize one or two faces.
“No, it’s just that his face seems a bit familiar,” Song Yao pouted. After thinking for a while without any leads, she decided to drop it and asked, “Have you discussed things with Old Wu? What are you planning to do?”
“Let’s just listen for now. It’s been over half a year since I returned unexpectedly; there must be something going on here,” Song Jiu replied nonchalantly. He had heard plenty about The Establishment from Song Yao and Ming Junwei; seeing a living person from there today felt rather ordinary. In comparison, he thought RCA was far more impressive.
Old Wu made quite an entrance himself—leading a rebellion with a steam train full of armed bandits racing along the railway tracks. As for that ruthless blonde woman, there was no need to elaborate further. Now looking at these members of The Establishment who nearly sank their little fishing boat, he couldn’t help but think their level of competence was lacking by a significant margin. Could they really be relied upon for Antibody Vaccine?
Lost in such thoughts, the core group entered the Stilt House one after another while the bystanders finished their roles and dispersed to attend to their own matters.
The meeting location remained Jin Bo's Stilt House. Fang Fei and Xiao Zhuang navigated it with familiarity while the other four members of The Establishment followed silently behind. Song Jiu and Wu Wentao brought up the rear when he turned around and saw Song Yao following them as well.
“You all talk; I won’t say anything,” Song Yao blinked and whispered. “I’m sure I’ve seen that person before.”
Song Jiu nodded silently and whispered a few words to Wu Wentao. Old Wu raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
The Stilt House looked just as it always had; almost all of its furnishings remained unchanged. Xiao Zhuang’s eyes sparkled with memories as he wandered around the room before stopping in front of a long knife hanging on the wall. He sighed, “Nothing has changed; it’s just like it used to be.”
"Things have changed, you just haven't noticed." Fang Fei suppressed the emotions bubbling inside her as she poured water for everyone present. Nine people took their seats one by one, exchanging glances as if waiting for someone to speak first.
The atmosphere was quite strange. Xiao Zhuang and the others had just escaped from a storm, and logically, they should have been given time to rest and catch up. There was no need to rush things. However, Fang Fei did not arrange it that way; instead, she set the stage for a conversation. It seemed that Xiao Zhuang and his companions had no intention of resting either, as if they were all bursting with words, just waiting for someone to break the ice.
After a moment of silence, Fang Fei took the initiative to dispel the awkwardness. She sighed softly and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Zhuang, where have you been these past six months? We were all very worried about you; we thought you were gone."
Xiao Zhuang looked at Fang Fei with deep affection, his lips trembling as he replied hoarsely, "It's a long story; I don't even know where to begin."
"Anyway, it's good that you're alive," Fang Fei said with a faint smile. Deep down, she felt something unusual; perhaps it was Song Jiu's earlier remark that stirred something within her. She couldn't shake the feeling that this Xiao Zhuang before her seemed somewhat unfamiliar.
"Yes, especially seeing you again feels like a dream."
Song Jiu listened with growing impatience; at this rate, when would they get to the main topic?
Fang Fei noticed Song Jiu's expression and shot him a reproachful glance. After a pause, she redirected the conversation back on track: "So this time, are you just passing through or did you come back on purpose?"
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