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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 203: Rest and Memories
The group moved to a large food stall, using the charcoal left in the backyard to light a fire, gathering around to dry their clothes. The store's refrigerator was stocked with a large amount of meat and vegetables, but unfortunately, it had been without power for a long time, and everything had spoiled. When they opened the freezer, a wave of putrid odor hit them. The storefront faced the sidewalk, and like most food stalls, this one specializing in roasted lamb legs occupied half of the walkway, with the outermost table already blocking the blind path. Sun umbrellas were set up around them, and the round tables beneath them had not been wet by rain but were covered in a thick layer of dust, with many plates, metal skewers, and leftover food still scattered across the surfaces.
A few months ago, this place must have been a bustling street, lined with various restaurants on both sides. Many private vehicles were parked illegally on the sidewalk, and the ground was littered with fallen leaves and trash blown about by the wind. Military green transport vehicles were parked on the road, with some soldiers continuing to search for food nearby while others remained at the food stall, sitting or standing idly lost in thought as they watched the rain.
Shaoshan had previously taken a look around but found nothing. Whether it was luck or misfortune, this originally populous county with a population of 160,000 had now become a ghost town. What shocked Shaoshan the most was that there were no zombies here at all. Many shops along the streets contained only half-dried corpses; the city was eerily silent except for the sound of rain washing over everything. Apart from them, there were no living beings.
It wasn't hard to imagine that this county was about 1,500 kilometers away from the Experimental Base. To the northeast lay Inner Mongolia, while to the west it bordered Jiayuguan and Yumen. To the south were Jiuquan and Zhangye. After the virus outbreak, most survivors would choose to flee to nearby cities. Although the Gobi Desert was flat and open, few would venture into such desolation during a crisis; human survival instincts favored crowded places. Zombies followed suit; tireless and relentless, they spread outward following the panicked footsteps of survivors, gradually consuming more towns.
Perhaps a small number of survivors did enter the Gobi Desert along with zombies, but they would never have another chance to come back out. The Experimental Base located in the heart of the Gobi Desert captured survivors indiscriminately. Shaoshan had initially been part of the third batch of guards stationed at the base; Cheng Long and Chen Zhao Zhou were part of the second batch while it was likely that none from the first batch survived. When Shaoshan's group arrived at their post, supplies primarily came from outside; nearby Jinta County served as a strategic buffer zone that spared them from brutal extermination. At that time, the epidemic had not yet spread here; although alarms had been sounded early on in the county, few chose to leave their homes. The remaining residents believed they were far removed from danger and lacked an intuitive understanding of zombies, so they held on until the very last moment.
Shaoshan had once led a trek here to replenish supplies for the base when there were still many residents in town; how quickly things changed—just months later it became a desolate graveyard.
Jiang He and Song Yao snuggled together by the window while Wang Zhongyu stood outside under an umbrella smoking. He poked Shaoshan playfully and asked with a smirk, "What's on your mind?"
"What do you mean what's on my mind?" Shaoshan exhaled three puffs of smoke through his mouth and nose while rolling his eyes.
"Are you feeling jealous?" Wang Zhongyu continued teasingly.
"Get lost." Shaoshan flicked his cigarette butt away and muttered, "My little brother and sister are a perfect match."
"Stop talking nonsense." Wang Zhongyu chuckled for a moment before noticing Shaoshan's calm demeanor and shifted to a serious tone. "What’s next? Are we taking them back?"
"Of course," Shaoshan replied matter-of-factly. "Even if we disregard our friendship, that girl is an Experiment Subject just waiting for us to bring her back—do you think old man will blow his top if we come back empty-handed?"
Luci had previously revealed her situation openly; after all, there were so many people present that her horrifying injuries could not be concealed. However, everyone remained cautious—Jiang He, Song Yao, and Summer Rain kept silent about their own status as injected subjects. Shaoshan's group consisted of combat personnel who didn't understand research experiments; they assumed drawing blood for testing would suffice and thus included Luci as part of their haul.
"And what about that girl?" Wang Zhongyu quietly pointed at Summer Rain and whispered, "I heard she used to work under Establishment; she probably knows quite a bit."
"Yeah." Shaoshan seemed somewhat distracted as he murmured, "We'll talk about it when we get back; I'm still pondering what that guy meant by his last words... What do you think he meant? He didn’t seem worried at all about letting tigers return to their mountain."
“Tiger? Where's the tiger?” Wang Zhongyu said, half-laughing and half-crying, pointing at himself and then at Shaoshan. He sighed, “In their eyes, we’re no different from ants. If it weren't for An Zheng being in my hands, we would have been wiped out by now.”
“Anyway, I find it a bit strange. Plus, they have air support. Damn it, you haven't seen it—armed helicopters! We don't even have any aerial capabilities,” Shaoshan replied, pulling out a whisker from his chin and sticking it to the back of his hand, creating a dense layer that looked just like a bear's paw.
“Let’s talk about it later,” Wang Zhongyu said with a shiver, glancing at his hand and returning the sentiment.
After a while, the team of soldiers searching for supplies returned with bags full of goods. The remaining group looked pleased and hurried over to greet their comrades, quickly preparing to cook. Jiang He and his companion stopped their playful banter and stepped out the door, greeting Shaoshan and Wang Zhongyu.
Shaoshan grinned and said, “Don’t rush; let’s eat first before we leave.”
“Okay,” Jiang He nodded. He wanted to say something but found himself at a loss for words. They had already talked about everything on the way here, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Shaoshan seemed to read his mind and casually laughed, saying, “Why don’t you get ready to eat with your friend?”
“Sure.”
“By the way, Jiang He,” Shaoshan suddenly called out to the two as they turned to leave.
“Huh?”
“How about we hold a wedding for you and your sister-in-law back at the base?”
Wang Zhongyu, who was busy scrubbing pots, lifted his eyelids upon hearing this. He saw Jiang He beaming with joy while the girl beside him blushed deeply, her eyes filled with affection.
The cooking preparations took some effort. The soldiers brought back plenty of rice and flour but found little in terms of vegetables or meat—only some long-lasting pickles and seasonings. They cleaned the pots and bowls in the store thoroughly, filled them with water, and tossed in various types of rice and beans before starting a fire to cook porridge. The pickles and other seasonings were divided among them as they each took an empty bowl outside, eagerly watching the steam rise from beneath the pot lid.
Jiang He’s group sat at the same table as Shaoshan and Wang Zhongyu. The six of them held their bowls, slurping up hot porridge while their eyes darted around at one another without anyone speaking. As the warm porridge settled in their stomachs, it gradually chased away the chill from the cold rain outside. The other soldiers at different tables chatted happily while eating; only their table was filled with the sound of slurping porridge.
After downing two bowls in silence, they all felt something was off. They exchanged glances and burst into laughter, drawing curious looks from the other soldiers.
“Stop laughing! Be serious!” Wang Zhongyu chuckled as well, his face wrinkling with joy. Seeing that the awkward silence had finally broken, he seized the opportunity to ask Luci about her situation: “Miss, could you tell us what your current situation is? No offense meant; I’m just really curious.”
Shaoshan shot him a glare and quickly tried to smooth things over. "Forget him, let's eat."
"It's nothing," Luci replied nonchalantly, smiling lightly as she set down her utensils and tilted her head in thought. "I guess I should be considered a high-level Zombie now."
The nearby tables of Soldier paused in their conversations, turning to look at her in surprise.
"So, does that mean as long as you don't attack the head, you won't die?" Wang Zhongyu asked curiously, ignoring Shaoshan's glare.
"Maybe. I have a lot of fatal wounds on me," Luci shrugged indifferently. "But my wounds heal really fast. I don't understand why, and I still get hungry and tired. It seems like aside from being harder to kill, I'm not much different from a normal person."
"That's strange," Wang Zhongyu mused, clicking his tongue in disbelief. "Why does it only work on women?"
"What's wrong? You sound a bit regretful," Shaoshan rolled her eyes three times but noticed that Jiang He and the others weren't displeased, so she didn't stop Wang Zhongyu. An Zheng had shared some trivial insider information with them the other day and specifically mentioned the current effectiveness of the medication.
Suddenly, Song Yao furrowed her brow, looking serious. "I just remembered something."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Song Yao lowered her head in contemplation, as if recalling something painful. She whispered, "When Luo Luo died, something strange happened."
At that time, Jiang He and Jin Bo were out searching for An Zheng, unaware of the unusual events surrounding Pan Luo's death. After Luci returned, everyone began discussing their plans to leave, and no one mentioned this matter, leaving them all looking puzzled. Shaoshan, however, had gone with Jiang He to Daliugou, where she had seen the row of graves. Wang Zhongyu and Xia...
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