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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Six: Rainy Night (Part One)
The sky was overcast with thick clouds, and distant rumbles of thunder echoed intermittently. The heavy rain continued to pour, transforming the rugged foothills into a marshy expanse.
Station 2 was less than 100 kilometers from the camp where Bai Yudong's unit was stationed. An Zheng and his group were fortunate to arrive at the station before the downpour began. The layout of Station 2 was similar to that of the camp, both situated in low-lying areas at the foot of the mountain. Two rows of coffin-like concrete buildings stood desolately among the hills. The absence of light within the concrete structures, coupled with the gloomy sky, gave them an eerie appearance.
The camp was deserted, with doors flung wide open. The equipment in the maintenance room remained intact, but none of it was operational. The soldiers conducted a thorough inspection of the entire camp and found no signs of a zombie invasion; it seemed as though the personnel had left voluntarily. Aside from missing weapons, all other supplies were left behind.
The Communications Soldier had been fiddling with the equipment for quite some time before finally emerging with a dejected expression.
"Is it not working?" An Zheng asked, sensing that something was amiss.
The Communications Soldier shook his head, his brow furrowed. "It seems to be a wiring issue, but the internal cables are buried deep underground; they shouldn't have malfunctioned."
"Can it be fixed?" An Zheng still held onto a glimmer of hope.
"I'll give it a try, but I don't have high hopes. There are no wiring diagrams here, nor any testing equipment," the Communications Soldier replied, lacking confidence but willing to attempt a repair.
The other soldiers remained on high alert outside, each keeping watch while An Zheng accompanied the Communications Soldier inside to tinker with the equipment.
This repair effort stretched into the night without success; the communication devices remained broken as the rain began to fall heavily.
An Zheng's group hadn't brought much food with them; their plan was to make a quick trip. Ideally, they hoped to use Station 2's equipment, but if that failed, they would return immediately. At first, when the rain started, no one paid much attention; they all planned to wait until it stopped before leaving. However, as time passed, the rain only intensified. The Communications Soldier had intended to contact the camp for assistance, but unfortunately, their handheld radios also ceased to function. No matter how he called out, there was no response from the other side.
After waiting for an entire day, with no sign of the rain letting up and food supplies dwindling, they ultimately decided to brave the storm and return.
Station 2 was situated in a low area where water had gradually begun to rise. The ground was already soft and now became muddy and difficult to traverse, littered with piles of dead leaves and branches submerged beneath the water.
The soldier in charge of this team was named He Yong. He had a square face and a buzz cut, sharp eyebrows framing bright eyes, broad shoulders and a sturdy build.
He Yong was a year younger than An Zheng, but he looked quite mature. He was worried about the dangers of moving through the water, especially since they had encountered several Zombies on their way here. If they faced them again on the return journey, it would be perilous. Therefore, He Yong decisively ordered everyone to leave the water route and head towards a raised area on the mountainside.
The group of warriors had no significant issues, but An Zheng found it somewhat challenging. They had not anticipated being blocked by heavy rain before coming, and none of them had rain gear. After trudging through the rain for an hour, everyone was drenched to the bone.
In this desolate wilderness, with no backup and only lurking dangers in the shadows, the journey was incredibly arduous. They walked intermittently from day into night, and An Zheng finally could not hold on any longer; she declared that she could not move another step. A Little Warrior offered to carry her, but the path on the mountainside was too slippery, and one misstep could lead to a fall. Seeing that it was getting late, He Yong did not insist any longer and immediately began searching for a place to take shelter from the rain with a few warriors using flashlights.
The situation was indeed dire; at least An Zheng thought so as she squatted on the ground, hugging her knees and shivering.
Two Little Warriors held their clothes open to shield her from the rain. Although it didn’t provide much protection, they persisted in doing so. In their eyes, it would be a disgrace for a group of men to fail to protect a female doctor.
An Zheng rubbed her hands together vigorously, thinking that she must not catch a cold at this critical moment.
A Communications Soldier approached and pulled out a handkerchief, offering it to An Zheng. "Dr. An, wipe your hair with this; you don’t want to get sick."
An Zheng gratefully accepted the small handkerchief to wipe her face and said, "Thank you! This little square is hardly enough... It’s rare to see a man carrying a handkerchief these days; did your girlfriend give it to you?"
The Communications Soldier chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, my girlfriend likes these outdated items."
It was too dark for An Zheng to see the expression on the Communications Soldier's face, but she could sense a hint of happiness in his tone.
"At critical moments like this, these things are quite useful," An Zheng remarked as she wrung out the water from the handkerchief and divided her hair into strands to dry one by one. Although small, it was better than nothing.
"Indeed." The Communications Soldier rummaged through his pants pocket and pulled out a small flask, shaking it with a smile. "And there’s this."
An Zheng shivered as she took it from him and laughed. "You soldiers can even carry alcohol?"
"Special circumstances call for special treatment." The Communications Soldier opened the metal flask and wiped its mouth with his damp sleeve. "Have a sip; it’ll warm you up. After being drenched all day, even us tough guys are feeling it—please don’t get sick."
An Zheng did not hold back, tilting her head back to take a swig. The strong liquor felt like a line of fire as it slid down her throat, igniting a warmth that burst forth within her. It was indeed cold enough to make her shiver, and noticing that the Communications Soldier was not looking, she discreetly took another sip.
"Good wine!" An Zheng smacked her lips and shivered as she handed the flask back to him.
The Communications Soldier laughed heartily and passed the flask to the two Little Warriors who were shielding An Zheng from the rain. "You're an expert at treating ailments, but when it comes to tasting wine, you're just a novice. This is just six yuan a bottle Erguotou; what good wine could it be?"
An Zheng couldn't help but chuckle along, but before long, a series of sneezes escaped her.
The heavy rain poured down, and the sound of it echoed through the forest, accompanied by distant rumblings of thunder that drowned out their laughter.
A soldier blew a whistle, and the Communications Soldier along with the two Little Warriors immediately fell into a defensive stance, guns at the ready.
An Zheng was shielded behind the two Little Warriors, with only the faint glow of a flashlight from a sentry ahead. The sound of rain made it difficult to hear what they were saying.
The Communications Soldier drew his pistol from his waist and handed it to An Zheng with a serious expression. "Do you know how to use this? If anything happens, be careful."
"Is it zombies?" An Zheng asked as she took the pistol, feeling a sense of worry.
"Not sure. Just stay close to us three," the Communications Soldier replied as he raised his Type 81 rifle, positioning himself and the two Little Warriors to protect An Zheng in the center.
The flashlight from the sentry flickered continuously, suggesting that he was moving quickly.
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