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墨書 Inktalez
At ten in the morning, the port sounded its horn, the dull echo drifting into the sky, carried away by the sea breeze into the island. It passed through the lush Banyan Forest, circled around the stilt houses a few times, and finally wafted into the entrance of a residential unit.
This was the first residential building completed years ago, which had once served as an airport. With an open view and flat terrain near the Coast, and benefiting from the climate of the South China Sea, residents here enjoyed a comfortable life, relishing their seaside homes at any time. The building originally had only four floors, with simple layouts aimed at providing housing for everyone in the shortest time possible. Later, as land reclamation projects resumed and the island's area expanded again, the old building could no longer accommodate the growing population. Thus, it underwent renovations, and surrounding small infrastructures were leveled to make way for several new high-rises, connecting individual units into a cohesive residential area, marking a significant achievement for the island's first housing complex.
In a west-facing unit on the third floor, sunlight poured through wide-open windows, illuminating a bonsai on the windowsill. A beam of fragmented light slipped into the living room, casting a faint golden glow on a full-length mirror. The living room was small but tidy and warm; a beautiful young woman was adjusting her outfit in front of the mirror. Her fresh and sweet dress highlighted her youthful charm. With her fair face free of makeup and her long hair cascading over her shoulders, she looked like a delicate girl—quite different from the woman in wedding attire smiling brightly on the photo wall.
The sound of the horn drifted into the living room, causing the girl in front of the mirror to feel anxious. Unsatisfied after looking at herself from various angles, she decided to take off her favorite dress. Grabbing a T-shirt and shorts from the sofa, she wiped away some sweat from her forehead and slipped on some sandals before rushing toward the door.
The kitchen door was closed, but delicious aromas wafted through the crack. A young man inside saw her flustered demeanor as she entered the hallway and opened the sliding door with a smile. "Don't rush; it'll be a while before they dock. Do you want me to take you?"
"Take me where? Hurry up and cook!" The girl smiled sweetly and playfully waved her fist at him. Just before stepping out, she reminded him, "Make sure to cook more dishes; if there's not enough alcohol, go buy some—those guys can drink!"
"Don't worry; everything's ready." The young man looked quite handsome with his youthful face that seemed almost too young for his age. He appeared clean and spirited in casual attire with an apron tied around his waist and spatula in hand. He smiled as he sent her off at the door but then suddenly remembered something and called out into the hallway, "Tan, remember to buy electricity!"
The residential area was far from the Administrative Building, separated by two wide and straight Tree-Lined Avenues. Hidden among tall deciduous trees were a library loved by residents during their leisure time and a stilt house for relaxation. Over these years, conditions had gradually improved; besides basic infrastructure built earlier, many new projects had been added—small yet sufficient for residents to spend their free time.
Today, the residential area was relatively quiet. In fact, very few civilians still lived here; three years ago when New Pu Yang docked, there were fewer than two thousand people—from leaders of The Establishment to exiled Survivors. Over these years, there had been little increase in population on the island due to The Establishment's lack of interest in searching for Land Survivors. Consequently, there had been no significant change in Garrison numbers. Later on, The Establishment decided to expand its reach centered around Yongshu Reef towards nearby Spratly Islands; construction required manpower but without new blood available, they could only rely on previous personnel.
Civilians and armed forces were gradually dispersed under various leaders from The Establishment who took them away from Yongshu Reef according to discussions made about spreading them across different reefs. Utilizing resources accumulated by Garrison forces allowed for a new round of development projects to commence. Once rulers of Land found themselves far from their homeland struggling overseas—this hardship need not be elaborated upon—today marked three years since then; apart from Yongshu Reef as Garrison headquarters, nearby new Garrisons had largely achieved necessary expansions and constructions with Taiping Island standing out notably without falling short of Yongshu Reef.
News about old acquaintances arriving on the island reached Tan late and vaguely without much detail; even those delivering messages were doing so out of respect for Zeng Yadong. As factions within The Establishment prepared to split up soon—while appearing harmonious on Surface—they were actually quite distant from one another. Tan no longer belonged to any power class; naturally no one paid her much mind.
Among those who landed on the island together back then was Zeng Yadong who now held an important position as a capable assistant under Yao Jinsong at Taiping Island; Tan remained plain and unremarkable despite having gone through many tribulations yet fortunate enough not to lose her innocence. After settling down she began living normally again; having found love with a young man who also arrived on that same journey—transforming their relationship from lovers to spouses was indeed fulfilling.
Zeng Yadong left Yongshu Reef along with Yao Jinsong’s faction while Tan had already become a wife by then; both were ordinary people with no extravagant desires for power—only wishing to live normal lives peacefully. Thus they parted ways; although they cared for each other deep down amidst changing circumstances over these past two years they had little interaction. Upon suddenly learning that Zeng Yadong would return to Yongshu Reef—and that an old friend would also arrive—the excitement and joy felt were truly indescribable.
The Tree-Lined Avenue saw few Passersby as noon approached—the sun was particularly scorching during this season—most preferred staying indoors or heading to Stilt House Club for drinks instead; thus hardly anyone ventured onto that hot asphalt road. Moreover, notifications had come from administrative areas days prior indicating that various authorities would soon meet—including overseas members of The Establishment rumored to be involved in significant matters unfolding soon. During this period of discussions across multiple fronts, life on the island entered semi-curfew mode: personnel from Living Area were barred entry into administrative zones while armed forces began implementing night watch duties ensuring maximum security during these days of calm.
They felt little about it; those in power always had endless concerns, as if they feared that the commoners living leisurely lives would covet their trivial matters. Joking aside, there were still lines that could not be crossed. Tan was merely curious about how those old friends had reconnected with the authorities. According to the news from Zeng Yadong, the old acquaintances had come to the island to participate in a mysterious meeting. If they missed the port, it would be uncertain whether they would meet again.
Passing by the hospital, Tan noticed that a guard post had been set up in front of the Yard Gate, inexplicably adding a touch of tension to the otherwise peaceful island. Tan couldn't help but smile wryly; such scenes were not uncommon years ago. Near the heart of the island, there were always countless people providing protection, and even a simple yawn could seem catastrophic to outsiders.
The port had also been expanded. The previous harbor could not accommodate many vessels, and New Pu Yang served as Noah's Ark, docked beside the symbolic Yongshu Reef. The warships that had escorted ships back then were now dispatched to various islands, while Engineering Ships were quietly moored in the docks according to their functions. Civilian fishing boats lined the harbor, creating a bustling coastal city atmosphere.
When Tan arrived at the port, panting for breath, a yacht was just docking. The area around the landing pier was crowded with soldiers in uniform standing at attention. On the other side of the Sovereignty Monument, a signal tower waved flags; the harbor was silent except for the crashing waves and the sound of heavy breathing.
Tan felt a bit nervous; she hadn't seen such a scene in a long time. As an ordinary citizen, she feared that barging in would not be wise. Before she could devise a plan, the handover procedures at the dock were already completed. She could vaguely hear soldiers whispering in low tones behind her, their voices unfriendly.
The soldiers flanking both sides parted to clear a path for entry onto the island. The full view of the yacht came into sight; at the dock, several young women were embracing each other while others descended from the gangway silently, surveying this strangely atmospheric island.
Tan felt excited; not far away, she saw several people at the dock embracing each other. With their backs to her stood Sister Dongdong from Taiping Island, and two others—Sister Qianqian and Sister Yao—emotions surged within her as joy from their long-awaited reunion bubbled forth. Who cared about security?
The three girls embracing at the dock turned around at the sound of her voice; this clear and melodious call was quite unexpected, drawing not only their attention but also that of the soldiers and those on board.
Luci's eyes were still misty as she gazed at Tan standing under the banyan tree; tears finally streamed down her face.
“Tan!” Luci called out loudly, opening her arms and running toward her.
Song Yao and Zeng Yadong exchanged silent glances, their eyes reflecting deep-seated emotions that flowed freely between them.
“Your social circle is really wide,” Yang Xiaomeng said in astonishment. Just moments ago, her gaze lingered on Zeng Yadong's well-defined chest; now it had shifted far away to two pale legs in the distance.
Song Jiu was speechless and agreed with Yang Xiaomeng's assessment. From Land to the mountains and then from there to the sea, they seemed to encounter familiar faces wherever they went; indeed, this group of sisters was quite impressive.
Wu Wentao and Luo Yu stood behind Song Jiu, both focused on her. The joy of Song Yao and her friends did not alleviate their concern for Song Jiu. Surrounded by armed guards now, those stern-faced soldiers were worlds apart from Jin Bo's Islanders; there was no sense of friendliness or warmth—only indifference and coldness remained.
Cao Zheng and Chef Jia remained detached, quietly serving as the backdrop of the group. The situation was unclear, and it was their first direct encounter with what was referred to as The Establishment, so it would be a lie to say they weren't nervous. Pockmarked Girl and Huihui were quite intrigued by everything; after traveling thousands of miles, this place seemed to be the focal point of their journey. Regardless of what happened next, at least for now, things looked good—there were no Zombies here, and theoretically, getting a good night's sleep shouldn't be a problem. Only Fang Fei had a strange expression; her gaze lingered on Zeng Yadong, her scrutiny almost bare. It felt odd for strangers to observe each other in such a manner.
Meanwhile, Song Jiu and the others had their own thoughts. The Establishment's troops remained still as statues, both groups gazing at the Ladies under the Banyan Forest, completely ignoring the other pair of men and women who had arrived with Zeng Yadong.
After a long while, the man wearing the Big Hat couldn't hold back any longer. He cleared his throat twice to draw everyone's attention to himself, taking a couple of steps forward. His eyes scanned Song Jiu's group, feeling a mix of uncertainty as his hand hovered awkwardly in the air—how embarrassing it was.
Song Jiu and the others were puzzled, exchanging glances without understanding what this Big Hat meant.
Cold sweat trickled down Big Hat's brow as he cursed inwardly. Zeng Yadong had gone off to reunite with someone, but he didn't know who the leader was among them. The young man standing in the middle seemed too inexperienced, while the two who looked more like leaders—a man and a woman—were standing behind him. With his hand still raised halfway, he had no idea whom to offer it to.
The returning Xiao Zhuang and his companions noticed Big Hat's awkwardness and lightly coughed, directing their gaze toward Song Jiu.
Big Hat hesitated slightly before finally extending his hand toward Song Jiu, stating seriously, "I am Chang Xiangrong from Yongshu Reef Garrison's diplomatic reception."
Song Jiu raised an eyebrow, a quirky smile appearing as he shook hands with him. "Song Jiu."
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