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墨書 Inktalez
"Come with me."
Zeng Yadong's face was pale, his glasses reflecting an inscrutable meaning as he opened the car door and extended his hand toward Song Yao.
"What is going on?" Song Yao was completely confused.
Song Jiu hurried over to the body of the guard, disarming him, and glanced at Zeng Yadong's back, where the hem of his shirt was soaked in blood, dripping down his pants.
Wu Wentao and Natalia had left messages instructing them to stay away from Yao Jinsong. Song Jiu and the others had yet to understand the reason behind this warning when a capable assistant of Yao Jinsong suddenly appeared, killing Garrison's guard and urging them to follow her.
"This is a trap, Yao Yao. I won't harm you." Zeng Yadong's lips trembled as he turned to look at Song Jiu, forcing a weak smile. "You're clever; it saves me another trip."
"Where are you taking us?" Song Jiu tossed the gun to Cao Zheng and the others who had come out upon hearing the commotion. He turned back toward the end of the Tree-Lined Path and asked suspiciously, "Did your boss send you?"
"Talk on the way." Zeng Yadong's words were brief. Seeing that everyone was still uncertain, he sighed heavily and said somberly, "Old Yao is dead."
"What?" The crowd erupted in chaos.
Song Jiu's expression changed as he vaguely grasped something. He quickly interrupted everyone's questions. "Pack up your things; we need to leave."
"It's too late. Leave behind anything useless; I've already prepared everything." Zeng Yadong saw Song Jiu nodding and stopped speaking. He jumped into the car and grabbed the walkie-talkie, calling out, "Are you here?"
The walkie-talkie crackled with static before a response came through: "We're here. Hurry up; they're coming after us."
"Get in the car." Zeng Yadong's expression hardened as he quickly started the vehicle, shouting, "Hurry, get more people in; there are more cars behind!"
Everyone looked at Song Jiu, who nodded and counted heads before assigning roles. "Sister, you and Sister Qian take Huihui into the car."
"Okay." Song Yao replied and, along with Luci, secured their weapons before climbing into the vehicle one after another.
"Two more, and we can sit down." Zeng Yadong leaned out of the car window and waved to Chef Jia and Pockmarked Girl. "Come on, hurry up."
"What are we doing? I can wait for the next wave," Pockmarked Girl said, a bit flustered, shaking her hands.
"Let's go." Chef Jia ignored her and pulled her along by the arm.
Six women packed into the car, and Song Jiu noticed the vehicle sagging a few inches under their weight.
"The rest of you, get out! If there's a car, get in. If there are any problems, ask once you're inside," Zeng Yadong seemed genuinely anxious as he tossed out the command, turned the cabin around, and drove off, leaving Song Jiu and the others in disarray in the wind.
" Jiu Jiu," Yang Xiaomeng coughed lightly and murmured, "Us."
"Grab your gear, let's go." Song Jiu was equally puzzled, but now was not the time to dig for answers. The remaining few said nothing more; their belongings were not particularly valuable. They each grabbed a weapon and followed Song Jiu out of the quiet courtyard where they had stayed for several days.
The Tree-Lined Avenue remained tranquil, with the sea breeze still blowing, as if nothing had changed.
After running for over a hundred meters, Luo Yu slowed down. "There's a car coming up ahead."
"Be on guard," Song Jiu called out. Everyone readied their weapons, aiming at the approaching vehicle.
Two cars arrived one after another. The first car rolled down its window, revealing a young man with an anxious expression who shouted, "Get in! We're from Sister Dong!"
"Get in." Song Jiu signaled with his eyes. Luo Yu and Dai Wei moved to enter the car first while the others climbed into the back of the second vehicle.
The young man driving didn't offer any explanations; he immediately turned the cabin around and sped off. The two cars raced down the road like they were chasing stars and moonlight, plunging into the woods and bouncing through the trees before taking a shortcut onto Palm Avenue.
Song Jiu and his companions were completely bewildered; it felt like they were fleeing for their lives.
"What is going on?" Song Jiu couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. The rearview mirror showed Palm Avenue empty; this reckless driving—who were they trying to avoid?
"It's a trap! We've been set up!" The young man was frantic, sweat glistening on his face. As he spoke, he grabbed the walkie-talkie beside him and shouted, "Sister Dong, I've picked them up! Where are you?"
"Port, hurry up." Zeng Yadong replied with just three words, followed by a loud bang, and then silence.
Song Jiu and the others were startled; the sound was close by, and sitting in the car, they could feel the vehicle shake slightly.
"Damn it, be clear! What’s going on?" Song Jiu pulled out his gun and chambered a round, urging, "Speak up!"
The young man looked anxious, pressing the accelerator to the limit, gritting his teeth as he said, "We’ve been betrayed. Boss Yao has been killed."
"Who killed him?"
"The people from the Minister's side," the young man spat bitterly.
What the hell is this Minister?
Fang Fei patted the agitated Song Jiu, signaling him to calm down. She whispered, "The people from Yongshu Reef and Garrison are on the same level as Yao Jinsong."
Song Jiu froze for a moment before recalling something—Nata and Old Wu's warnings about Yao Jinsong being suddenly killed.
As they spoke, two cars turned down the street. Not far ahead, thick smoke began to rise. The car driven by Zeng Yadong was blocking the road in the middle, its door wide open. Song Yao and a few others were hiding behind it. Seeing their car approach, they hurriedly ran over.
"Squeeze in." Song Jiu moved closer and opened the door to let Huihui in. Just as he was about to ask a question, a sudden burst of gunfire erupted. The young man slammed the steering wheel, causing the car to spin violently before crashing hard into the rear of the vehicle in front. It jolted violently and then stalled.
"Damn it, get out!" The young man cursed loudly as he grabbed his rifle and rolled out of the car, firing a volley of bullets towards the front.
Song Jiu and the others were completely caught off guard. They jumped out of the car amidst the chaotic gunfire and turned back to see a group of soldiers charging towards them from across the street, their guns aimed directly at them.
" Jiu Jiu this way!"
A shout came from behind; looking back, they saw Luo Yu and her group already darting into an alleyway, anxiously urging them to follow.
“Lao Cao, protect Huihui and Fang Fei.” Song Jiu pushed the two girls towards Cao Zheng and hurried to pull back the young man who was firing back. Yang Xiaomeng set up her crossbow and aimed for a long time, but unfortunately found her range insufficient, so she had to reluctantly give up the counterattack.
“You all go first.” The young man’s eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and cursed, “I won’t let this pack of bastards off easily.” With that, he roared and charged out from behind the vehicle, standing boldly in the middle of the street with his Rifle, letting out a powerful roar. Then, he was swept by the opposing fire, blood bursting from his body as he fell to the ground, silent.
Song Jiu was still in the act of pulling him back when she turned around to see the young man already lying dead on the ground, her expression momentarily blank.
Yang Xiaomeng sensed something was wrong and thought to herself that it wouldn’t be good if he had a breakdown at this moment. Without hesitation, she grabbed Song Jiu by the collar and pulled her away.
Fortunately, Song Jiu's momentary daze passed quickly; once she regained her senses, she immediately took off running, her speed matching Yang Xiaomeng’s.
Luo Yu and Song Yao were still at the alley entrance providing support. The pursuers from that direction had already entered range, and both sides exchanged fire. What had been a peaceful Living Area just moments ago instantly transformed into a battlefield. After days of tranquility, Song Jiu and her companions finally returned to their harsh reality.
The streets were deserted, with only the chaotic sounds of gunfire echoing around them. Compared to before, there were noticeably fewer Zombies eager for a commotion; everything had returned to its original state.
Song Jiu and Yang Xiaomeng caught up with the main group. Two soldiers from Zeng Yadong’s side scouted ahead and loudly called for everyone to move. The situation was urgent; Song Jiu couldn’t afford to ask questions and could only continue sprinting. While running, she glanced back at the alleyway’s exit and noticed that the pursuers had not followed them.
“Sister, are you all right?” Song Jiu asked.
Song Yao shook her head, her face ashen as she whispered, “Something went wrong; Yao Jinsong is really dead.”
“What happened?” Song Jiu frowned and asked.
“There wasn’t time to explain; it seems like a trap.” Song Yao took a breath and supported Zeng Yadong, who was slightly fatigued. Her tone was grave: “Yao Jinsong’s armed forces were on the island when Yongshu Reef suddenly attacked him.”
“Then what about Old Wu?” Song Jiu was stunned.
“Old Wu is our only hope,” Zeng Yadong gritted his teeth and said with resentment, “He has the armed forces from Taiping Island. If we set sail now, we might catch up.”
“Your circle is really chaotic,” Yang Xiaomeng said, looking exasperated. He was almost numb; ever since encountering Song Jiu and her group, a peaceful life had become a distant memory.
“The boat is ready, but there might be blockades at the port,” Zeng Yadong glanced at the weapons in Song Jiu's group and said seriously, “Remember, do not run back. We must charge forward and get on the boat.”
“Allow me to ask an inappropriate question,” Pockmarked Girl slowed down to match their pace and frowned as she asked, “Why should we run with you when your families are fighting?”
Zeng Yadong looked at Pockmarked Girl, his expression darkening. “You have also been included in Old Yao’s list. Everyone associated with Taiping Island will be purged. I’m sorry; it’s my fault.”
“Stop talking and let’s go,” Song Yao interrupted Zeng Yadong's self-reproach. Luo Yu's group had already crossed through the alleys; they needed to keep up.
The group made their way through the alley back to the main road, still within the Living Area. The streets were quiet and desolate, just like the day they landed on the island. The port was just over a hundred meters ahead, but soldiers were already appearing along both sides of the street. Luo Yu’s group had been pushed back by a wave of gunfire and was hiding behind a massive Sovereignty Monument, waiting for everyone.
“Damn, there are so many of them,” Yang Xiaomeng cursed under his breath, sensing that things were going south. These were armed soldiers, not those helpless zombies; how could they cross this firepower net in broad daylight?
“What about the others?” Song Jiu felt sweat bead on his forehead as he noticed that the soldiers on both sides of the port had spotted them and were gathering closer. There was little cover on the road; with just a few of them, they would definitely suffer heavy losses if a fight broke out.
“I don’t know; the purge was too sudden,” Zeng Yadong pressed his hand against his wound as cold sweat trickled down his cheek. With blockades ahead and pursuers behind, their hope of breaking through to reach the dock seemed bleak.
The sporadic gunfire around them gradually ceased. There likely weren’t many of Yao Jinsong’s men left who could escape; most had been exhausted during their attempts to break free. The dock was just a hundred meters away—beyond it lay victory.
The Yongshu Reef troops converged on both sides of the street, firmly sealing off access to the dock. Song Jiu and her group were trapped behind the Sovereignty Monument; the street behind them was still empty for now, but it wouldn’t be long before soldiers finished eliminating fleeing personnel and closed in on them completely.
Dai Wei cautiously fired a few shots; there was no return fire from beyond the blockade. The machine gun bunkers on either side remained hidden, neither advancing nor dispersing, as if waiting for something.
“Speaking of which, it seems like there aren’t many troops here,” Cao Zheng scratched his head and blurted out an unrelated comment. After reaching a certain level of severity in their situation, those involved seemed less tense.
“Yongshu Reef isn’t the only garrison,” Zeng Yadong hissed as he drew in a breath sharply, feeling despair wash over him. Despite taking action immediately upon realizing something was wrong, they couldn’t avoid being at a disadvantage in this unfamiliar territory; Yongshu Reef had already firmly gained the upper hand.
"Is there no other Coast on the island?" Song Jiu asked, trying to sound brave, but the disparity in strength between the two sides made victory seem almost impossible. Gritting his teeth, he pressed, "Is there?"
Zeng Yadong looked dejected and replied weakly, "There is a Coast, but there are no boats. And it's too late now."
"Dongdong." Luci, who had been silent, suddenly lifted her face and murmured, "Tan... Tan..."
"Don't worry." Zeng Yadong forced a grim smile and said, "The girl doesn't belong to any faction; no one will make things difficult for her."
As he spoke, a rumble echoed from both ends of the long street. Song Jiu and the others turned to look, seeing several vehicles approaching the dock. They stopped after maneuvering around a machine gun bunker, and they could vaguely see many people getting out of the vehicles, though their details were obscured by the bunker.
"We're saved!" Cao Zheng suddenly exclaimed with joy. " Jiu Jiu, your boyfriend has arrived."
Song Yao and the others perked up at this. Noticing that the opposing side showed no intention of firing, they felt less apprehensive and leaned out to take a look. To their surprise, it seemed like there was an argument happening.
After a while, a buzzing sound came from the dock as someone brought over a loudspeaker. After some static, a voice rang out.
"Song Jiu, Song Jiu, are you there? I want to talk to you."
Everyone was taken aback and turned their gazes toward Song Jiu.
Zeng Yadong sighed heavily and said softly, "It's Chang Xiangrong."
Song Jiu's expression turned strange; he never expected that this person would show up at such a time. After thinking for a moment, he stood up with the intention of going out.
" Jiu Jiu." Luo Yu called out to him hesitantly. "Be careful."
Song Jiu acknowledged her with a nod, cleared his throat, and shouted back, "I'm here." With that, he stepped out from behind the Sovereignty Monument and stood alone in the middle of the road. The sea breeze blew gently, causing his hospital gown to flutter in the wind.
Pockmarked Girl smacked her lips and sighed, "Tsk, I find that Song Jiu looks quite handsome in this outfit."
Chef Jia and the others shot her a glare.
Song Jiu couldn't hear their whispers. Facing the overwhelming situation felt daunting, but the reality was far from heroic; he felt somewhat cowardly. Just moments ago, he had witnessed a brave young man being beaten to a pulp.
On the dock, the Red Flag fluttered, and soldiers stood solemnly behind the bunker. A group of scruffy-looking individuals stepped out of several vehicles. Chang Xiangrong, who was there to welcome them to the island, held a megaphone and was accompanied by a translator. Natalia, dressed in professional attire, walked in the center, slowly approaching him before stopping.
Song Jiu saw Natalia turn back to say a few words. Chang Xiangrong's expression was hesitant; after a moment of thought, he nodded.
Natalia slightly inclined her head and walked toward Song Jiu with the translator, raising both hands to indicate she was unarmed.
Song Jiu found it amusing; he had seen Natalia's marksmanship before, and given her background as an agent, if she truly wanted him dead, she wouldn't need any weapons at all.
Luo Yu and the others stared intently at the center of the road. Even though they couldn't hear anything, they instinctively held their breath.
"You didn't see my message," Natalia murmured a string of words. The translator looked puzzled and repeated what she said.
"I saw it," Song Jiu shrugged helplessly. "I just saw it."
"I didn't know you were involved; I didn't expect it to turn out like this," Natalia said with an apologetic look in her eyes, her voice sincere.
Song Jiu didn't know what to say. He didn't feel like he or his friends were involved at all; they were clearly on the periphery. The affairs of The Establishment had nothing to do with them.
"I can help you and your friends," Natalia said quickly, winking at him as she spoke. The translator's expression grew even more bewildered; he had no idea what Natalia was discussing with this passerby.
Song Jiu was equally confused. The language barrier itself was a problem. To avoid any distortion in translation, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you have the authority to ensure our safe departure from here?"
Upon hearing the translation, Natalia's face fell slightly as she murmured, "You want to leave?"
"Come on, you see the situation here; are we supposed to stick around and wait to die?" Song Jiu spread his hands and stepped closer to the translator, who was tall and sturdy—more suited for taking bullets than anything else.
The translator shot him a strange glance before continuing to mumble the translation.
Natalia's expression suddenly brightened, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she took a couple of steps forward and embraced Song Jiu.
Song Jiu was taken aback. What did this mean? Was it a final farewell? He couldn't believe it. In fact, Song Jiu had misunderstood; the translator's use of the term "good boy" had been interpreted as an affectionate term in his native language. Given Natalia's ambiguous relationship with him, hearing such a term in this context caught him off guard.
A chill ran through Song Jiu's palm, and he froze for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise.
Natalia pressed a gun into his hand.
"Go."
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