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"Of course." Su Lan's expression was resolute as she slightly softened her tone and said earnestly, "Those things that have already happened cannot be changed by either of us. I won't force you to forget the grievances of life and death, but you still have the opportunity to choose. You don't need to guard against Zombie invasions anymore, nor worry about food and clothing. The three years of suffering end here; everything starts anew. Why not embrace it?"
Ming Junwei listened quietly until she finished speaking. He picked up his teacup to moisten his throat and said thoughtfully, "Aso, what do you mean by 'starting anew'?"
"What do you mean?" Su Lan narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing something unusual.
"Do you understand the past and present of this city?" Ming Junwei gently blew on the rim of his cup, chewing on the tea leaves as he continued, "In other words, do you know the price paid to build this city?"
"I—"
Su Lan was about to speak when Ming Junwei waved his hand, exhaling a puff of smoke with a half-smile. He continued, "I believe you know, otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here."
"So?" Su Lan raised an eyebrow, vaguely guessing what Ming Junwei was getting at.
Ming Junwei let out a bitter laugh and said, "If it weren't for your so-called fresh start, I should be drinking at Island Bar with Song Jiu and Xiao Wei right now. By the way, Song Jiu is Yao Yao's younger brother—her real brother."
Su Lan remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate.
"Do you remember Island Bar? Yifan's bar? We've lived there for years, taking care of ourselves and living well." Ming Junwei sighed, feeling a string in his heart being plucked. His thoughts became a bit chaotic as he spoke more freely. "Oh, and you must be familiar with Zombie too."
Su Lan exhaled slowly. Ming Junwei's scattered remarks left her somewhat bewildered. When he asked her a question, she could only nod in acknowledgment of that unpleasant term.
"Because of your fresh start, our fresh start was ruined." Ming Junwei lifted his eye mask and casually fanned himself with an envelope. Noticing Su Lan's displeased expression, he smiled. "Don't be angry; I'm not here to accuse you. You wanted to know why I resist being here so much—I'm just trying to accurately express my feelings."
"Still hatred," Su Lan lightly touched her forehead and sighed softly.
"Hatred is an understatement; those two light words can't carry our blood and tears. Do you understand, Aso?" Ming Junwei held back for so long but ultimately couldn't control his emotions any longer. Long-standing resentment surged forth, difficult to suppress.
"You can't escape it; you can't run away; you can't fight against it." Ming Junwei smiled bitterly and spread his hands. "You say we have choices? The choice lies in whether to thrive or perish—that is the choice."
Su Lan avoided Ming Junwei's gaze as her emotions fluctuated. In truth, she could guess these things even without him saying them. Moreover, she wasn't at a loss for words; honestly speaking, such sacrifices are inevitable—the rise and fall of dynasties leave countless bones beneath the throne. The disaster caused by Zombies differs slightly from historical calamities, but the results are not too different; those who live must do something and retrace certain paths.
However, Su Lan couldn't voice these thoughts; they were easier to express to others but not to Ming Junwei. While she remained silent, Ming Junwei didn't stop talking as if he had finally found an outlet for his pent-up feelings.
"Actually, from the beginning, Us has never been on the same path. Seeing that you're doing well brings me some comfort as an old friend—truly. Surviving alone is better than total annihilation, isn't it? Although I find it hard to understand your relationship with that guy, I'm still glad to see you safe because Us once shared life and death together." Ming Junwei's eyes reddened slightly as he reminisced for a moment before sighing. "You wouldn't have had another chance to see me; during the last attack on Roundabout, I nearly lost my life too—Yao Yao pulled me back from the brink."
"Now I am just like those people in the city." Ming Junwei slowed his speech, noticing a slight twitch at the corner of Su Lan's eye. He smiled and said, "That's right, Zombie. I have also joined the ranks of the Zombies."
It was not difficult to guess Ming Junwei's situation, so Su Lan did not show any surprise. She simply did not expect that Ming Junwei had already seen through the truth of this city.
"He used the Infected Virus to destroy everything, and now he wants to use a new virus to complete the reconstruction by exterminating and capturing Survivors on one hand, while creating more inhuman Zombies on the other. What kind of fresh start is this?" Ming Junwei laughed, filled with mockery and sarcasm. He coldly snorted, "Who does he think he is? A creator trying to change the world by himself? He is a madman, a murderer, Aso. Wake up! Look around you; this is not a place for revival. It is merely a self-deceiving cage. Outside the city are untamed Zombies, and inside are tamed Zombies—that's all there is."
"Enough." Su Lan could no longer listen. The initial concern she felt was completely wiped away by his words. Despite their past friendship, she could not accept Ming Junwei's accusations and frowned, saying, "You are blinded by hatred."
"Aso, my greatest irrationality is that I am rational enough to discuss these things with you." Ming Junwei's smile was filled with bitterness. Their conversation had become unproductive; he felt it was best to stop before their remaining friendship was entirely consumed.
However, situations were always changing. Initially, Su Lan regretted asking too much, which opened up Ming Junwei's floodgates of words. Now it was Ming Junwei who wanted to stop, but Su Lan had more to say.
"Putting personal grievances aside," Su Lan cleared her throat and said seriously, "Everything happening now is indeed caused by Cheng Yu, but we have been making amends over the years. Just as you said, what has been destroyed can be rebuilt; aren't we doing that? Compared to struggling for survival, this place has already taken shape. Our efforts have yielded results—can't you see that?"
"I am powerless against bloodshed and sacrifice; all I can do is try my best to restore this place to what it once was. You must have seen it on your way here—people living here do not have to worry about tomorrow. They can live and work normally as they did before: getting married and having children. Isn't that a change? Why can't this place become a revival? Must it be like in the past where survival was uncertain? A chaotic world needs a Leader; what has crumbled can be pieced together again. Even if Cheng Yu is utterly wicked, those two things are not mutually exclusive! This place is not a cage, nor a wasteland; it is not hell filled with Zombies."
"Perhaps you are right, but I still cannot accept it. I want to live as a normal person, not as an experiment." Ming Junwei scoffed repeatedly. At this point in their conversation, it was no longer about right or wrong; he did not want to persuade Su Lan nor force himself to change his views.
"Merit is merit; faults are faults. If you cannot view them separately, then I have nothing more to say." Su Lan sighed deeply, weariness etched on her brow as she coldly remarked, "I thought you would understand my point; it seems I was mistaken."
"Then tell me, where is the end of this catastrophe?" Ming Junwei's temper flared slightly as he leaned on the table and pressed on: "If you truly want to rebuild, why are there Zombies everywhere? Why establish Zombie Camps across various locations to capture Survivors? Why continue developing and spreading the Infected Virus?"
"You are twisting my words! Reconstruction requires a process and also comes at a cost!" Su Lan retorted angrily, refusing to back down. "What we are building is an orderly new society—not just throwing together a makeshift group of people and calling it reconstruction! Have you only brought people into camps these years without considering anything else besides eating and sleeping?"
"Enough already, Aso; there's no need for us to argue about this." Ming Junwei sighed heavily and waved his hand dismissively. "Let's leave it at that."
"Because you know I am right," Su Lan pressed on relentlessly without any intention of stopping.
"What can I say about flowers blooming in a pool of blood?" Ming Junwei forced a bitter smile and raised a white flag of truce. "Let's not talk about it anymore; it's meaningless."
"Meaningless?" Su Lan's expression suddenly changed as she smirked coldly. "Then what are you doing all this for?"
"Huh?" Ming Junwei paused, confused by Su Lan's meaning.
"No one is innocent; merits do not cancel out faults. If you completely deny everything because of Cheng Yu, how much cleaner are you than anyone else?"
Ming Junwei was taken aback. Su Lan's words had taken a sharp turn; what had started as an excited debate suddenly escalated into a personal attack.
Seeing Ming Junwei's expression, Su Lan smiled, her smile laced with a hint of mockery. She said coldly, "To be honest, I didn't expect to have the chance to ask you directly. Since you've asked so many questions, why don't you answer some of mine?"
"I don't understand," Ming Junwei replied, furrowing his brow, unable to grasp the meaning behind her words.
"That's alright; I'll give you a hint." Su Lan exhaled slowly, lowered her head to open a drawer, and pulled out an old file folder. She waved it in her hand with a smirk and said, "You wouldn't be unfamiliar with the name Summer Rain, would you?"
Ming Junwei's eyes widened as he looked up, the confusion in his gaze replaced by clarity. His hands clenched tightly on the table before he relaxed them again, averting his gaze and clearing his throat twice in an attempt to mask his earlier discomfort. "She's gone too. It wasn't long after she left here that she died from the drug injected during the trials."
Seeing this reaction, Su Lan understood she had struck a chord. She smiled and said, "Us having spent so much time together, do you really think such a cover-up is effective? The Summer Rain I'm referring to isn't the one who left with you all from The Establishment's Internal Staff."
Ming Junwei remained silent, adjusting his posture and slowly exhaling. There was an indescribable meaning in his Cyclops-like gaze.
"Interestingly enough, both Summer Rains are women," Su Lan said with a confident smile. She pressed the file folder down under her hand and leisurely poured herself some tea as if engaging in casual conversation. "Surprised? I was surprised too at first. I only knew you as everyone's pillar of support, the omnipotent Brother Ming. I never expected that the one hiding the deepest secrets would be you."
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