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墨書 Inktalez
It felt as if they had sailed from a raging torrent into a tranquil lake, and suddenly, the rhythm slowed down.
E seemed to have finished a busy day of chasing stars and racing against time, entering a leisurely holiday with the Armed Thugs under his command. Even his walking posture and pace exuded an unusual laziness.
Yuan An had speculated about what awaited her. She thought of the laboratories in the Industrial Park, where white coats moved about, and she also imagined the cold, dim interrogation rooms. In any case, whatever it was, it was entirely different from her current situation.
The group wandered through the bustling streets for quite some time. During this period, two Foreigner Thug members left the group first, linking arms as they slipped into a two-story establishment. From the crowd, Yuan An caught sight of the sign; it was a massage parlor. The name was unadorned, and the decor was plain. Flower baskets used for the grand opening flanked the glass doors, and two young receptionists greeted the Foreigner with bright smiles as they led him into the lobby.
"Where does a bathhouse get its water supply?" Yuan An murmured to herself.
E heard her confusion and slowed his pace to walk beside her, smiling, "Do you want to go?"
"I..." Yuan An hesitated for a moment and tentatively asked, "Can I?"
"Of course," E replied with an air of certainty. He looked around and added, "But I think we should eat first."
The Blonde Woman wasn't joking; she genuinely led the remaining group to find a Western restaurant. Like the previous bathhouse, it was also a two-story establishment. The first-floor lobby wasn't crowded; soft, relaxing music floated through the air. The tables and chairs were neatly arranged with plain white tablecloths, and floral decorations were orderly placed around. A faint fragrance lingered in the atmosphere.
To their left were three or four tables occupied by diners engaged in casual conversation and eating, seemingly oblivious to the armed figures entering.
The Foreigners grouped together at their seats. E sat down in a booth with Sister Jiu and Yuan An, waving over a well-dressed waiter who approached with menus.
Yuan An felt somewhat like a country bumpkin in the city; within this hour, so many of her impressions had been overturned that she felt inexplicably anxious. On one hand was E's dual persona displayed before her; on the other hand was the immense shock brought by this civilized society behind high walls.
Why could these people be so at ease as if they had never endured suffering? Why did a city arise in this wasteland? Why did this place possess everything from the civilized world?
Too many questions flooded Yuan An's mind. Looking at the menu filled with familiar names brought tears to her eyes. Suddenly, waiting for her own fate no longer seemed important. After all, death was merely the worst outcome; before life ended, she could still be fortunate enough to return to civilization. Yuan An felt it was worth it.
"I'll treat for this meal," E said as he fully embraced relaxation mode, taking off his outdoor training gear and hanging it aside. His fitted tank top accentuated his impressive physique as he leaned forward on the table, resting his elbows on its surface; his cleavage drew lingering glances from the waiter.
The waiter brought over pre-dinner drinks in exquisite glasses filled with bright liquid. E raised his glass and winked, "Cheers."
Sister Jiu could no longer afford to continue her hostility towards Yuan An. Ever since she met e, Sister Jiu had experienced the joy of transformation from a wild chicken to a phoenix. Watching the array of delicacies being served on the table, her eyes sparkled with delight.
e had a small appetite, perhaps related to her being a Zombie. There were plenty of dishes, but she seemed more interested in the aroma of red wine than the food itself. Yuan An had a basic understanding of Zombies and had seen Song Yao and others eat before; it was clear that Zombies preferred drinking water and had little need for solid food.
Sirloin Steak, Bacon Asparagus Roll, Honey Glazed Salmon, Broccoli Soup, Tuna Potato Salad, and Apple Potato Baked Macaroni were all quite ordinary dishes. In the past, this would have been just a simple meal.
Three years ago, Yuan An had little interest in Western cuisine. She maintained an excellent figure, which required careful control over her diet.
Three years later, Yuan An felt saliva building up in her mouth. The combination of color, aroma, and flavor was no longer just a literary expression; despite her small appetite, at that moment, she felt she could devour the entire spread.
"Dig in," e said as she handed them forks and knives, her eyes forming crescent moons.
Yuan An cast aside all burdens and let the fragrance of the food invade her mind. With forks and knives at the ready, she attacked her meal like a whirlwind.
e simply watched with a smile, occasionally asking Yuan An if she had enough. Yuan An's mouth was stuffed full; she couldn't spare any breath for conversation. Meanwhile, Sister Jiu, petite in stature but with an appetite that seemed boundless as the ocean, was eating at a pace that left Yuan An far behind.
Twenty minutes later, the two girls leaned back contentedly in their chairs, leaving behind several empty plates on the table—there wasn't even a drop of sauce left.
"I'm so full," Sister Jiu said as she wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth and cradled her stomach while letting out a satisfied burp.
Yuan An felt similarly satisfied. Although she hadn't gone hungry on the way here, military rations could not compare to exquisite dishes. Only by eating could one truly appreciate the power of food.
"Let's take a break. What do you want to do next? A bath?" e asked enthusiastically like a hospitable tour guide as she waved over a waiter to settle the bill and excitedly introduced their next activities.
Yuan An perked up at this suggestion and stared intently at e. She had been curious about how the locals conducted transactions here.
The waiter handed e a bill; Yuan An couldn't see the specific amount. e glanced at it briefly before reaching into her combat suit to rummage around. Suddenly her expression changed; the usually unflappable Blonde Woman showed a hint of embarrassment.
"Wait a moment," e said as her lips twitched. She stood up and went to the cashier with the waiter, saying something before pointing at several other tables where Field Duty Foreigners were enjoying their meals. The cashier was a middle-aged woman who smiled understandingly as she retrieved a notebook from under the bar and handed it to the Blonde Woman, who began writing something down quickly.
Yuan An was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" After a hearty meal, hostility once again took hold as Sister Jiu shot her a fierce glare. With no elder tiger in the mountain, the monkeys were ready to raise their flags.
Leaving the Western restaurant, Yuan An couldn't help but be curious and asked, "How do you trade?"
"With currency." E shrugged and pouted, "I forgot I didn't bring any money with me; it's quite embarrassing."
"Using money?" Yuan An didn't quite understand. Had the old currency been revalued and new trading methods established?
E noticed her confusion and explained, "We don't have coins yet. Our mint introduced new banknotes a year ago, and what’s currently in circulation is all new currency."
"Your mint?"
"Yes, ours."
"So, you have to spend money on food and clothing? Those waiters get paid too?" Yuan An asked tentatively.
"Of course. We also receive allowances, though they are quite small." E tied her outer garment around her waist, her hands tucked into her pockets, looking very capable as she added, "My salary is even less than that of the waiter we just saw."
"But I would never work as a waiter just for the salary," E said to herself.
"How do you manage all this?"
"Hmm?"
"Everything."
"You will know."
As e strolled through the streets with Yuan An, Ming Junwei and Hou Xiong arrived once again at the city gate.
The two of them used binoculars to witness everything happening at the gate. Aside from their old acquaintance e and a group of individuals resembling slaves known as Living Persons, Ming Junwei also spotted Yuan An. The shock was evident; it was easy to guess that the departing Song Jiu and his group had encountered e once more, and Yuan An had been captured. This indicated that their second encounter had not gained any advantage, but the specifics remained unknown.
With no news from Yinuo and Yuan An captured again, Ming Junwei felt that they could no longer waste time; something had to be done.
"The city gate is open during the day, but there are guards. We can't climb over the high walls, and there are Zombie barriers at both ends. How do we get in?" Hou Xiong pondered various methods, even considering digging a tunnel, but that idea was completely shattered upon seeing the asphalt road inside the city.
Ming Junwei frowned in silence, finishing half a pack of cigarettes before suddenly standing up.
"Hmm?" Hou Xiong extinguished his cigarette butt and asked, "What should we do?"
"Walk in," Ming Junwei replied.
"What?"
"Walk in openly," Ming Junwei gritted his teeth; he couldn't think of any other way.
Thus, the two drove to the Black Iron Fence.
Ming Junwei and Hou Xiong got out of the car and raised their hands in front of the fence. The guards on the other side of the gate had already seen the vehicle approaching along the road. By the time Wrangler arrived, four guards were already waiting behind the fence.
"Survivor," one Guard Man scrutinized them from across the fence, his gaze landing on Hou Xiong. "Could you take off your hat?"
"Oh, sure." Hou Xiong nodded and removed his hood, revealing a face that was hard to look at.
Guard B raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is it just you two?"
"That's right," Ming Junwei replied.
"Where were you two before? What happened to your injuries?" Guard A began the routine questioning.
Unfamiliar with the situation here, the two didn't have time to coordinate their stories. Hou Xiong chose to remain silent, leaving the talking to Ming Junwei.
Without overthinking, Ming Junwei launched into his tale: "He's my brother-in-law. We were over at the Alashan League. Recently, we were attacked by zombies at our camp, and we got separated from the main group. We hid along the way and ended up here. We were hiding in the mountains over there, but a few days ago, we noticed it was really bright here at night, so we decided to muster up our courage and come take a look."
"A few days ago," Guard A said with a knowing expression.
Ming Junwei realized he had made a mistake; in his rush to fabricate a story, he forgot that they had been seen on the surveillance cameras just last night.
However, the guard didn't bring this up. After scrutinizing the two for a moment, he asked, "Why didn't you come a few days ago? Why decide to check it out today?"
Ming Junwei's eyes darted around as he feigned a look of panic and stammered, "Actually, we saw a convoy come in this morning, so..."
"So you thought you could come in too," Guard B teased.
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