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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Seventy-Five: Coal Mine Radio
The afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a warm glow as two cars, one black and one gray, sped down the highway, kicking up clouds of dust behind them.
After a brief stop outside the county town, Ming Junwei and Pan Luo found it quite inconvenient to squeeze into the back seat with three people. So, Zhuzi and Chao Yifan moved to the minibus at the rear. Xiaomi was driving the minibus, which was kept surprisingly clean. The supplies collected by Jiang He and others were neatly stacked in the cargo area, while Cao Liang, nursing his injuries, lay in the back seat, serving as a part-time caretaker.
Xiaomi and Xiao Wei worked efficiently, nearly draining all the remaining gasoline from the street and filling up both vehicles. They even managed to store some in the cargo area. Initially, they considered getting a larger coach for convenience due to their numbers. However, An Zheng rejected this idea; they had previously driven one and found that if they encountered mountains or abandoned vehicles blocking the road, they would have no choice but to abandon the vehicle and walk.
Each group was responsible for food, medicine, and vehicles. Chao Yifan's team faced obstacles along the way and found nothing. Fortunately, Pan Luo was clever enough to gather half a bag of Cordyceps and saffron, which was better than nothing.
Most of them had never been to Shanxi before; at most, they had passed through a few times during travels. Now that they had stopped midway, they were unsure how to proceed.
They took a moment to rest on the spot and split into groups to search through parked vehicles for travel maps or similar items. Aside from the children and a few lookouts, everyone else gathered together to discuss their next steps.
Zhuzi knew roughly where the observation station was located but had never been there specifically. Such information had always been classified; only Zhao Squad Leader and White Company Commander were privy to it. After Zhao Squad Leader went missing, Bai Yudong shared these details with a few close associates.
Ming Junwei measured the distance; the toll station where they currently were was still over a hundred kilometers away from the nearest city in Shanxi. They had enough gasoline and food, but figuring out how to locate the observation station once they arrived posed a problem.
"Didn't we say we should find a safe place to settle down first?" Luci squatted nearby, doodling several place names with a ballpoint pen. "With so many people in the city, there must be plenty of zombies too. We might as well try our luck in some nearby small villages."
"That makes sense; the observation station probably wouldn't be built in a city," Ming Junwei replied, biting down on his cigarette butt as he patted Zhuzi on the shoulder. "Isn't your camp located in the mountains?"
"Not necessarily," Zhuzi said thoughtfully as he stroked his chin. "We chose to set up our camp in the mountains because it was close to the source of infection. I remember there are four stations in Shanxi; two are located in cities. I heard one station had a regiment stationed there initially meant to defend the city but ultimately couldn't withstand the relentless zombies."
"I just can't understand how zombies could be so fierce that even a regiment couldn't hold them off," Jiang He remarked incredulously. He often watched war films where soldiers could tear through enemies with ease; how could zombies be any different?
"You don't get it," Zhuzi explained while scratching lines on the road with a stone. "When zombies rampage through a city mixed with living civilians, even if troops are stationed there, they can't use heavy firepower like in traditional warfare. The soldiers would be restricted in their movements and could easily be thrown into chaos by fearless zombies." He continued, "The main issue is actually orders from above; initially, their primary mission was containment. If they were ordered to clear out instead, it would have been much easier."
"Cleaning up?" Song Yao blinked her big eyes, puzzled. "What's the difference from a lockdown?"
"If it's cleaning up, the soldiers can use heavy firepower," Zhuzi said, puffing out two smoke rings. "If the situation becomes too severe and conventional firepower can't suppress it... indiscriminate attacks aren't out of the question."
Seeing that Song Yao still had questions, Zhuzi took the initiative to explain, "That means killing everything, whether it's a living person or a zombie."
The group swallowed hard, involuntarily picturing scenes of devastation and despair.
"What about now? It's been half a year since the Cataclysm; why haven't we seen any major actions? For example, the source of the infection—I'd estimate the entire city has turned into a ghost town by now. They shouldn't care about living people anymore, right?" Jiang He still didn't quite understand. The consequences of the Cataclysm were no less severe than those of war, yet there had been no visible response from those in power. Just before the Cataclysm, there had been televised speeches, but since the widespread power outages, people had almost forgotten that there were authorities at all.
"That's not something for us foot soldiers to worry about," Zhuzi chuckled. "The White Company Commander used to say, 'If you're not in that position, don't meddle in their affairs.' No one can guess what they're thinking up there."
"At first they might not have wanted to act; now they probably can't," Ming Junwei suddenly spoke up with a cryptic remark. Then he changed his tone and said, "Let's get back on track. I agree with Luci's idea; once we leave the province, we should get off the highway and check out a small town first. It would be best if we could find a safe place."
"I think that's a good plan. The nearest station is in Xiangning County. If we go straight into the city, it might be inconvenient to search outward," Zhuzi grinned. "Have you all been to the Thousand Buddha Caves? We could visit them and light some incense at the temple while we're at it."
"This isn't a vacation; why so leisurely?" Pan Luo scoffed.
Song Yao and An Zheng were quite interested, with the female doctor smiling as she said, "It's nice to take a break amidst all this chaos. Hiding and running for your life is so dull. Even though I'm an atheist, given how chaotic things are right now, it's good to pay some respect to the divine."
"Exactly!" Song Yao chimed in. "Living means you should live like you're alive! I still remember what Su Lan said last time."
The group exchanged smiles, but An Zheng's expression darkened slightly upon hearing Su Lan's name.
"I wonder how she's doing now," An Zheng sighed softly. "Let's get going; if we delay any longer, we might end up having to spend the night on the road."
the car's speed as he focused on the static-filled radio.
“Maybe it’s a distress signal,” Jiang He suggested, his curiosity piqued despite his earlier annoyance.
“Or just some random noise,” Song Yao chimed in, still feeling uneasy about the eerie silence outside.
Ming Junwei continued to twist the dial, hoping to catch a clearer transmission. The static crackled and faded, but then a voice broke through, faint yet urgent.
“...if anyone can hear this... we are at... Daliu... please help...”
The words sent a chill down their spines.
“Did you hear that?” Ming Junwei asked, glancing back at Jiang He and Song Yao.
“Yeah, but it sounds like a trap,” Jiang He replied cautiously. “We should keep moving.”
“No,” Ming Junwei said firmly. “We can’t just ignore someone in need. We have to check it out.”
Pan Luo stirred awake, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?”
“There’s a possible distress call from Daliu,” Ming Junwei explained. “We’re going to investigate.”
Pan Luo frowned, looking out at the desolate landscape. “You really think it’s safe?”
“It’s worth the risk,” Ming Junwei insisted. “We can’t leave people behind if there’s a chance to help them.”
With a resigned sigh, Pan Luo nodded, and the group fell into a tense silence as they continued down the road, the weight of uncertainty hanging heavily in the air.
As they approached Daliu, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive. The once vibrant fields were now overrun with weeds and decay, remnants of life long abandoned. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows that danced ominously across the cracked pavement.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” Ming Junwei instructed as they entered the outskirts of Daliu. The buildings loomed ahead, dilapidated and silent, their windows like hollow eyes watching their approach.
Suddenly, a figure stumbled into view—a gaunt man with wild eyes and tattered clothes. He raised his arms in desperation as they slowed down.
“Help! Please!” he cried out, collapsing to his knees in front of them.
Ming Junwei quickly parked the car and jumped out, followed closely by Jiang He and Song Yao. Pan Luo hesitated but eventually joined them.
“What happened?” Ming Junwei asked urgently as he knelt beside the man.
“They’re everywhere... we thought we could hold them off... but...” The man gasped for breath, his voice trembling with fear. “They came at night... we lost everyone...”
“Who? What came?” Jiang He pressed for details.
“The zombies!” The man looked up with wide eyes filled with terror. “They’re not just in the fields anymore—they’ve taken over the town!”
A sense of dread washed over them as they exchanged glances. This was worse than they had anticipated.
“We need to get you out of here,” Ming Junwei said decisively. “Can you walk?”
“I can try...” The man struggled to his feet, leaning heavily against Ming Junwei for support.
As they began to move back toward the car, a distant groan echoed through the air—a sound that sent shivers down their spines.
“They’re coming!” The man shouted in panic.
“Get in! Hurry!” Ming Junwei urged as they rushed back to the vehicle, adrenaline surging through their veins.
The group piled into the car just as shadows began to emerge from the buildings—figures stumbling forward with an unsettling hunger in their eyes.
Ming Junwei slammed the door shut and started the engine, heart racing as he glanced in the rearview mirror at the approaching horde.
“Hold on!” he shouted as he pressed down on the accelerator, tires screeching against the pavement as they sped away from Daliu and into the unknown once more.
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