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墨書 Inktalez
"Pockmarked Girl, why didn't you respond when I was talking to you?" She stood her ground, puffing out her meager chest, and pushed Song Jiu without hesitation.
"Listen, you all wait a moment. I need to take care of something and will come back to chat with you, okay?" Song Jiu genuinely had no time to waste on her antics. He was trying to brush her off, but Pockmarked Girl wasn’t letting him go that easily. She stepped in front of him again.
Song Jiu felt a bit annoyed. After years of struggling outside, he had only encountered people who spoke with knives when they blocked his path. He had never seen such petty provocations before. Looking at the group of young men and women before him, all around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, he thought they should have outgrown their rebellious phase by now. With zombies rampaging outside, how were they still able to act tough in the shelter? He couldn’t fathom how they had survived this long.
"In the cafeteria, I gave her face. Outside the cafeteria, she’s nothing. Got it?" Pockmarked Girl continued to press on, seemingly enjoying the feeling of bullying a newcomer. Her arrogant demeanor made Song Jiu briefly think she was the mastermind behind this fortress.
Song Jiu hesitated and blinked before asking, "The 'her' you’re talking about is Sister Jia, right?"
"Exactly. You can go tell on me," Pockmarked Girl replied with a disdainful look at Song Jiu. She scoffed, "A big man bringing a woman to pressure me—how embarrassing."
"Little girl," Song Jiu took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't brush this off any longer. He decided to ask directly, "What do you really want?"
"I want to talk to you," Pockmarked Girl tossed her messy hair and said something that made Song Jiu's heart race: "Don’t think I don’t know why you’re here. I’ll take your things first. When you’ve figured things out, come find me in that house." She pointed towards a row of houses on the west side of the courtyard and continued, "The one with clothes hanging at the door."
Song Jiu's expression changed rapidly as he struggled to grasp Pockmarked Girl's intentions. It seemed she had lost interest in making things difficult for him; she huffed and turned away, swaying her not-so-slim waist as she left. The surrounding onlookers saw there was no more entertainment and returned to their usual activities—chatting or strolling—leaving Song Jiu alone in the square, bewildered.
Just as Song Jiu was caught in his dilemma, several sharp sounds suddenly shattered the peace like thunder from a clear sky, instantly drowning out the chatter in the square.
The entire square erupted into chaos; just moments ago relaxed people transformed into a panicked crowd scattering like birds and beasts in every direction, rushing back into their homes. The guards atop the wooden walls also took on an alert demeanor as if facing a great enemy; their previous laziness vanished as they hurriedly moved about.
The alarm came quickly and left just as fast. Within three to five minutes, the square was filled with survivors wielding knives and clubs. Without needing to ask, Song Jiu could guess what had happened. He temporarily set aside his chaotic thoughts, discarded half a jar of plum wine he had been holding, and sprinted back towards the shed behind the pigpen.
A Hai and his companion were also quick to react. On his way back, Song Jiu ran into them before A Hai could even ask what was going on; he shouted anxiously, "Where’s the signal flare? Where is it?"
"It’s... it’s in the pigpen," A Hai replied, startled.
"Go find it! Dig it out!" Song Jiu didn’t bother explaining further and urged them to return.
A Hai was puzzled but led Song Jiu back to the pigpen. Seeing that no one was around, he and another young man worked together to move the pig trough aside and began digging through the muck below with their hands. After just a few attempts, A Hai's face went pale.
Song Jiu could tell from his expression that something was wrong. A surge of resentment welled up inside him as he hurried back to the shed, digging out a few DIY short daggers hidden in the corner by A Hai. He rushed out with determination. A Hai and the other person were filled with dread; they had just buried those items here last night, and now they were suddenly gone. This was their only means of contacting the outside world. Remembering Brother Jiu's earlier fury, they vaguely guessed what had happened. Without wasting any words, they quickly grabbed their weapons and followed.
By the time the three of them returned to the square, drenched in sweat, a throng of people had already formed a line, being escorted in batches by armed guards toward the Brick Wall. At this moment, Song Jiu couldn't care less about observing their battle formation. Noticing that no one was paying attention to him, he hurriedly slipped through from the direction of the Green Belt, heading straight for the house indicated by Pockmarked Girl.
Chef Jia stood at the cafeteria window, watching the frantic backs of Song Jiu and his companions, his expression thoughtful.
Standing in front of a row of identical houses, Song Jiu looked at the clotheslines in front of each yard, and his blazing anger instantly cooled by half.
"I figured it out; go to that house where the clothes are hanging at my door."
The arrogant words of Pockmarked Girl still echoed in his ears, but the sight of clothes hanging in front of the row of buildings dazzled Song Jiu. Was this person really so foolish? How could such an idiot steal the hidden signal flares right under their noses? Words could hardly describe Song Jiu's feelings at that moment; for a brief instant, he even regretted coming here to start a revolution.
This was utterly unpredictable.
“ Brother Jiu Us,” A Hai cautiously approached the trembling Song Jiu, stammering a question. They were responsible for strategic equipment that had mysteriously vanished, and they naturally bore undeniable responsibility. If this led to a failure in their plans, it wouldn't just be a matter of receiving a few scoldings.
“Search, knock on every door.” Song Jiu gritted his teeth, ready to kick down a door when it suddenly swung open.
A Musclehead stood there holding a bundle of sharpened white wax rods, staring blankly at Song Jiu. He glanced around and stuttered, “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Looking for someone.” Song Jiu retracted his raised leg with annoyance, maintaining a calm demeanor as he asked, “Is there a girl with a face full of pimples living here?”
“Looking for Guli?” The Musclehead paused for a moment before pointing next door. “She lives in that one.” He then looked at them with confusion and asked, “Why are you new ones looking for her?”
“Thanks.” Song Jiu ignored his question and halfway turned back to point at the square. “What’s going on? Where is everyone going?”
“Zombie Alert.” The Musclehead pushed the white wax rods forward slightly. “Is there someone?”
“There is; thanks.” Without asking further questions, Song Jiu walked straight to that house and knocked on the door.
The Musclehead seemed to want to say something more, pacing back and forth while occasionally glancing over to check the situation.
The square was a bit noisy, and after a long wait, Song Jiu finally got the door opened. Sure enough, it was the Pockmarked Girl.
The Pockmarked Girl opened the door, looked around, and stepped aside to let the three in. Upon seeing Musclehead standing in the distance, she raised her hand and gave him the middle finger. Not wanting to be observed any longer, Musclehead let out a bitter laugh and hurried into the crowd in the square.
"Figured it out so quickly; you're not as dumb as I thought," said Pockmarked Girl, who had changed into a different outfit, her expression full of pride. She led the three into a small living room, taking the main seat herself. "Sit down; it's just me here, no need to be afraid."
Song Jiu couldn't help but feel amused by her arrogance. He instructed A Hai to pull down the curtains and checked the bedroom on one side of the living room to confirm there was no Ambush. Only then did he sit down across from Pockmarked Girl. However, Song Jiu didn't rush to speak; he simply sized her up without saying a word or making any moves. A Hai and the others stayed by the door, peering through the curtain's gap to observe what was happening outside.
No one responded to Pockmarked Girl, and an awkward atmosphere began to brew in the room.
"There's no one else here now; you don't have to hide anything," she said, picking up a kettle from the table and pouring two cups of water with an air of confidence.
Song Jiu shook his head with a smile. "We don't seem to know each other well enough for that."
"Suit yourself; I want to know who you are," Pockmarked Girl said bluntly, unfazed by Song Jiu's teasing. "That thing you have is a flare gun; I recognize it."
"I don't know what you're talking about. We're just survivors on the run. We heard this place could provide shelter, so we came," Song Jiu replied, deliberately avoiding certain keywords. He shrugged and added, "I don't think we've crossed paths before; I have no idea how I offended you."
"Oh, then I'll just give it to Sister Jia later. You can see if Sister Jia trusts me or you," she said with a smirk, reaching behind her chair. Both A Hai and his companion quickly pulled out their DIY daggers, watching her warily.
"Don't be nervous; I don't have a gun," Pockmarked Girl chuckled lightly, slowly raising her hands while shaking two flares wrapped in plastic bags. She winked mischievously. "It's surprising that the shelter guards didn't search you thoroughly and still thought they could fool me."
Taking a deep breath, Song Jiu contemplated what Pockmarked Girl meant by her words but chose not to respond, simply watching her quietly.
"Was that commotion outside caused by you?" she asked confidently. To her, Song Jiu's silence was merely an indication that she had caught him off guard. "There haven't been any Zombies around here for a long time; how is it that you just arrived last night and today there's an alarm?"
"Has nothing to do with me," Song Jiu continued deflecting blame with an innocent look on his face.
"I know that building trust takes time, but time is running out. They will be back soon." The Pockmarked Girl changed her approach, her eyes filled with sincerity. "I know you have a purpose for being here. Just tell me, I won't leak anything."
Song Jiu laughed, and not just him; A Hai joined in as well. They both found the girl amusing. Indeed, her thieving skills were impressive, but her negotiation tactics were lacking, stuck at the stage of making a pinky promise and hanging on for a hundred years.
Song Jiu figured it was about time to wrap things up. He picked up his cup and took a sip. "I don't understand what you mean by telling me this, someone who's new here."
"I hope you can help me; we can team up." The calmness in the Pockmarked Girl's voice gradually faded, replaced by noticeable emotional fluctuations.
At the same time, the noise outside grew louder, and amidst it all, a few gunshots could be faintly heard, suggesting that the situation might be serious.
"I can't help you because I have no idea what you're talking about. After all this trouble to find a safe place, I don't want to be chased away." Song Jiu pondered for a moment before shaking his head and pretending to get up to leave. "Don't bother me anymore. I won't tell anyone about today’s events; you should take care of yourself." With that, he walked toward the door.
As expected, a sudden sound of wood scraping against the floor came from behind him. The Pockmarked Girl quickly changed from her earlier confident demeanor and rushed to block the door with her body. "You think you're clever? Don't leave yet! Listen to me—if you don't help me, you'll all die!"
A Hai scoffed from the side and stepped forward to pull her away.
The Pockmarked Girl panicked, clinging desperately to the doorframe and refusing to budge. She shouted, "They're not human out there; they're all Zombies!"
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