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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 111: Reasons for Leaving
In the Underground Bunker, in the Injured Area, Ming Junwei and the others sat together, their faces somber and silent. Jin Zhong and a few young men stood to the side, quietly listening to Luci's account.
Song Yao sat on the bed, her expression vacant and her gaze distant.
"... We didn't run far before their people were hit. I couldn't carry him. The Zombies on the highway were drawn out, and many entered the wild. I wanted to drive in to pick up Jiang He, but then I heard an explosion, a particularly loud one. Soon after, their vehicle came up to chase Sister An and the others. I waited a bit and then secretly ran back, only to see them dragging two people and throwing them into a pit. Then... then they set it on fire..." Luci took the towel that Wheat handed her, wiped her tears, and choked out, "I didn't dare go over."
Luci couldn't continue; the others could guess what happened next. She must have escaped back to the vehicle, suppressing her fear and sorrow as she sped back to Daliugou. However, Toothless Kid and Jiang He were not with her; she didn't know how to find everyone and could only circle around here. It was only when she ran out of gas that she despairingly got out of the car. If Chao Yifan hadn't insisted on going up, Luci might not have been able to bear the blow and could have done something foolish.
Everyone furrowed their brows, sighing and lamenting.
Chao Yifan, Song Yao, Ming Junwei, and An Zheng had been in contact with Jiang He the longest. Although Jiang He had always been more of a scholar than a fighter, it seemed no one had considered he would die. If anyone had a higher risk of death, it should have been the consistently reckless Ming Junwei or Chao Yifan!
Song Yao remained lost in thought; Chao Yifan was silent; Ming Junwei and Cao Liang couldn't stop sighing. Su Lan and Zeng Yadong weren't very familiar with Jiang He, and their friend Gu Yan had just died not long ago. A pervasive sadness hung over the entire Air Raid Shelter.
After a few days of chaos, everyone returned to their resting places, and the Air Raid Shelter finally settled down.
An Zheng, Ming Junwei, and Su Lan were in adjacent chambers next to Jin Bo's lair. Jin Bo had been sleeping in the room where he underwent surgery while Jin Zhong cleared out a few chambers for them. The two groups occupied their respective sides without disturbance.
"What are your plans?" After hesitating for a moment, An Zheng asked, "Although it's not quite the right time to bring this up, it needs to be said. I need to hear your opinions."
"What do you mean?" Ming Junwei looked up at the two women and asked, "What do you both think?"
An Zheng exchanged glances with Su Lan; after a moment's hesitation, he slowly spoke: "I exchanged information with Aso. The conclusion is that we cannot stay here for long; if we remain any longer, more trouble will arise."
"Oh?" Ming Junwei raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "So what?"
"So, are you planning to leave?" An Zheng took a deep breath and said, "I'm tired. I don't want to deal with the data or the experiments anymore. After everything that's happened, my companions have been dwindling, and I almost lost my life twice. I've lost the child twice; I've had enough. I want to leave."
"Where to?"
"Launch Base." An Zheng fixed his intense gaze on Ming Junwei and said, "Do you remember what I told you at the Farmhouse? It's still not 90 days; we have time. The cities between here and Launch Base aren't densely populated. If we don't stop, we can reach it in two days."
Ming Junwei's expression remained impassive as he pondered, "And then what? If—I'm just saying if—that place has also fallen, or if the person you're looking for isn't there?"
"That would still be better than here. There's the Gobi Desert over there, with a sparse population; the number of zombies shouldn't be too high. It wouldn't be impossible to make a living there." Su Lan's mood was also somewhat bleak as she said lightly, "You all discuss it; it's best to decide before sunset tomorrow." With that, she got up and left the archway, leaving An Zheng and Ming Junwei staring at each other.
An Zheng sighed and continued from where Su Lan left off, "If it's like we discussed before, we can go abroad together."
"Abroad?"
"Yes, any country as long as there are no zombies, as long as we can survive."
Ming Junwei smiled knowingly and said, "You're a classified researcher; Su Lan is your colleague. What about us? We're civilians who have come across information we shouldn't have. Do you think... those people will let us leave together, or will they just bury us in the vast Gobi?"
Seeing An Zheng's expression darken, Ming Junwei chuckled and continued, "When Jiang He first told me about this, I thought it was ridiculous and unrealistic."
"Then what if I can confirm the situation there first? Would you be willing to go?" An Zheng asked.
"Maybe," Ming Junwei shrugged indifferently. "Honestly, I don't care. If you all want to take a chance, then I'll accompany you for another round; it doesn't matter where we go."
An Zheng stared at the man before her in silence for a long time. She suddenly felt that this man, who appeared indifferent to everything on the surface, might not truly be so unconcerned.
She suddenly recalled that day when she treated his injuries; Ming Junwei had been delirious with fever and had unconsciously murmured a word.
"Who is Summer Rain?" An Zheng asked abruptly.
Ming Junwei lifted his head abruptly, a look of surprise appearing on his otherwise calm face for the first time.
"Think it over. I'm going to check on Song Yao," An Zheng said with an understanding smile as he stood up and left the archway.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Is it you?" Principal Huang's face twitched, disbelief filling his eyes. "How could it be you?"
"I don't know why it's me either; perhaps it's fate," Jiang He replied, pointing to Shaoshan beside him. "Respond to this gentleman; he’s looking for you."
Shaoshan glanced at Old Ma with mild surprise, and the latter nodded slightly.
"Jiang He, you should step aside for a moment; we need to handle some matters," Shaoshan said, his expression turning serious for once. He waved over two soldiers and, without waiting for Jiang He to respond, instructed, "Take him outside for some fresh air and ensure his safety."
"No need, big brother. I'm not going anywhere; aren't there soldiers in the courtyard?" Jiang He shrugged it off, asking Old Ma for a lighter before limping out of the office building.
"I'll go with him," Old Ma said, casting a glance at Principal Huang, who was kneeling on the ground. "We can't be sure if their people are watching us. Keep the courtyard secure; make it quick."
"Understood. Just stay alert," Shaoshan replied, unbuttoning a few buttons of his shirt. He positioned the two soldiers around the hall while he crouched in front of Principal Huang with a flashlight in hand.
Old Ma stepped outside and closed the door behind him. The crowd dispersed, and the large office hall fell into darkness, creating an atmosphere of emptiness.
Principal Huang felt anxious inside but maintained an outward appearance of calmness. At that moment, he still hadn’t grasped who he had offended. The group looked like soldiers but didn’t resemble those from Nantang Township. Jiang He’s unexpected appearance left him puzzled. The last time he saw them, there were men and women of all ages; how had they enlisted in just a week?
He remained silent while Shaoshan did not rush to speak either. The man with a long scar behind his ear wore an expressionless face as he fiddled with the flashlight, opening and closing it repeatedly, the light flickering incessantly.
After a long while, Principal Huang could no longer endure it. Not to mention anything else, he had been kneeling this whole time on the cold marble floor, which was painfully hard on his knees. Old Huang rolled his eyes around and noticed that Shaoshan wasn’t looking at him; he shifted his hefty body slightly to find a more comfortable position.
Just as he was about to push himself up from the floor, Shaoshan suddenly spoke: "Where is the equipment?"
"Huh?" Principal Huang was taken aback and replied blankly, "What?"
"You are not a soldier." Shaoshan did not respond to him but instead asked a completely unrelated question.
"Not really." Principal Huang was baffled by the question and said, "When I was young, I worked as an educated youth, but I never served in the military."
"I can tell." Shaoshan smirked slightly and poked at Old Huang's belly with his flashlight, saying, "Who provided you with the equipment? Was it someone named Cheng Long?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about." Principal Huang shifted his position and sat down on the cold ground. He vaguely felt that this big soldier had mistaken him for someone else. Seeing him glare over, Old Huang quickly clarified, "Friend, you must have the wrong person. I don't know anyone by that name, nor do I know anything about any equipment."
"Is that so?" Shaoshan nodded thoughtfully, recalling what Jiang He had said in the car. He asked, "I heard there are two other camps around here?"
"Yes!" Principal Huang perked up at the mention of something interesting and quickly replied, "I told you, I've never messed with any soldiers; it must be a misunderstanding!"
"Cut the nonsense. What are the names of the leaders of those two camps?" Shaoshan interrupted Old Huang and sat cross-legged in front of him.
"There’s a camp over at Daliugou, and their leader is Zheng Er; there's another one near Nantang Expressway. I'm not sure about their leader's name; I think it's their town mayor," Old Huang said with a smile, eager to share what he knew.
"The town mayor?" Shaoshan squinted and asked, "I heard there are soldiers stationed there?"
"Oh, yes, there are. It seems like there are," Principal Huang calculated in his mind and began to piece things together. He remembered that not long ago, some folks from Nantang had stolen a military vehicle, and the people from Daliugou were aware of it. The two groups had once crossed paths while scavenging for supplies in the outskirts of town and had casually mentioned this incident during their conversation. With this realization, Principal Huang felt relieved; it seemed these soldiers were looking for Nantang Township and had nothing to do with him.
"May I ask you something? Are you looking for soldiers?" Principal Huang silently rejoiced that he had not gotten involved.
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