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墨書 Inktalez
On the way back to Roundabout, Lin Daozhang experienced a fleeting moment of retreat. Gazing out the car window at the city awakening from the cold night, he felt a sense of confusion. More than half a month ago, he had been immersed in his own world, a place of peace without bloodshed or disease, where he could eat and drink without worry, practice martial arts, or burn incense and chant. Although it was somewhat lonely, there was a unique sense of freedom in it.
However, one morning, he encountered a group of people, and his life was turned upside down.
Indeed, Lin Daozhang was happy to have made many friends and companions. He enjoyed mingling with the crowd, listening to their conversations and boasts, sharing meals from a communal pot, and drinking heartily. Yet gradually, these things he cherished became increasingly fleeting. In his mind, those moments should have been the main theme of life; however, in Roundabout, they were merely side notes. The real main course consisted of endless troubles, enemies, bloodshed, and violence.
While taking a break in the parking lot, Lin Daozhang counted on his fingers. Since meeting Song Jiu and the others just over twenty days ago, he had faced life-threatening situations with Zombies, clashed with a group of Foreigners, fought against factions within Song Jiu's group, crossed paths with the mysterious Wu Wentao and his gang, participated in a one-sided massacre, and was drenched by the sudden Acid Rain that turned him into a Zombie reserve.
He had thought that after the storm came calm and that he would soon welcome a stable new life. Little did he know that just as his undefeated squad left Roundabout, they stumbled into trouble again.
Recalling those tattooed and scarred bald savages who screeched incessantly sent chills down Lin Daozhang's spine. It was hard to tell whether it was fear or dread; it seemed more like disgust and resistance. He felt troubled. In that moment, he suddenly longed to return to his temple. He wondered if the potted plants in the Guest Hall courtyard had been drowned by the heavy rain and if he had forgotten to cover the Talin Well before leaving—had it already been contaminated by Acid Rain?
Lin Daozhang thought about many things as he forcibly pushed aside his worries about Song Jiu and the others. He tried to numb his mind with unrelated thoughts so that he could justify slipping away halfway.
Thus, the business vehicle rattled back toward Jinghui Temple under the rising sun and slowly came to a stop in front of the temple gate. Across from it, a small supermarket with a sign reading "Red Cross Donation Window" stood wide open; water still pooled in front of its low entrance. The red-painted temple doors were marred by black stains from Acid Rain—weathered and ugly—half-opened.
Lin Daozhang leaned on the steering wheel, staring blankly at the temple gate. He thought about how Song Jiu and the others might already be dead; returning to report would only cause chaos and lead another group to their demise. Why bother? He felt conflicted as memories of Song Jiu in the cockroach hole with Jiao Ziqian came flooding back—his recollections were jumbled at best. Not to mention how Song Yao and her companions were relying solely on their imaginations. Ultimately, it all stemmed from distorted descriptions of those savages; Lin Daozhang figured that if he simply stated he had been attacked, it might yield better results.
"By the way, where's Dream Fan?" Old Lin suddenly remembered this detail and quickly added, " Jiu Jiu asked me to pass on a message to Dream Fan."
"What happened?" Just then, Dream Fan rushed in alongside Chef Jia and Liu Yan. They had heard that something had gone wrong with the coal team and immediately dropped what they were doing to come over.
Old Lin turned to look at Xin Mengfan's anxious face and hesitated before saying, " Jiu Jiu told me to tell you she seems not to be dead."
"What?" Dream Fan furrowed her brows, unable to process the situation, while Song Yao and the others wore equally puzzled expressions.
Old Lin picked up a teacup to clear his throat and recounted the strange events he had encountered on the way. Noticing Dream Fan's increasingly grim expression, he realized that Song Jiu was not speaking without reason; he indeed knew something.
"In the end, Jiu Jiu asked me to come back and relay this message to you, insisting that I must tell you these words, though I have no idea what they mean," Lin Daozhang sighed in relief, glad that at least someone present could understand what he was saying.
"What is going on with Dream Fan?" Luo Yu began to feel anxious. Dream Fan's change in demeanor was too evident; her face was pale, and fear flickered in her eyes. Before long, tears began to stream down her cheeks.
Dream Fan's mind was blank, and she paid no attention to Luo Yu's questions. Chef Jia helped her sit down and gently said, "Dream Fan, Jiu Jiu and the others are in danger."
"Impossible! How could they encounter danger?" Dream Fan murmured incomprehensible words. While everyone was worried, they dared not rush her, fearing it might provoke her further.
Liu Yan did not participate in the questioning; he had already contacted the Squad that was out. Xiao Wei had recovered and continued to act as Roundabout's eyes. With him serving as a mobile signal tower, it was easy for those scattered throughout the city to stay in touch.
"Ming Ge and the others are on their way back. I'll go prepare," Liu Yan said to Song Yao before gathering the busy Militia outside. He didn't explain much and directly opened the armory to distribute equipment.
The people in the hospital also learned that something was happening and hurried over, stopping whatever they were doing. Before long, the bar was once again packed with people, with Small Leader standing among them.
"Do you know nothing at all?" Song Yao felt a bit disoriented; the situation was clearly unexpected. Dream Fan's reaction cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.
"I don't know," Luo Yu replied with a grim expression, shaking his head lightly. "Dream Fan has been with Brother Jiu for a long time; she might have gone through some experiences."
Song Yao sighed as he and Luo Yu led Dream Fan into a small office; there were too many people outside for a proper conversation.
“Dream Fan, do you know that Jiu Jiu might be in danger? You need to tell us what you know.” Song Yao tried to soften her tone, speaking gently, “You know who attacked Jiu Jiu, right?”
Dream Fan nodded blankly, her beautiful eyes filled with sorrow, looking utterly heart-wrenching.
“Then tell me, what kind of enemies are we facing? How should we save them?” Song Yao continued patiently, guiding her.
“I don’t know.” Dream Fan lifted her head, her eyes filled with helplessness, her voice trembling as she said, “I really don’t know. She should be dead.”
“Who is he?” Luo Yu asked with a frown.
Dream Fan fell silent, shaking her head vigorously, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes as if enduring some kind of torment.
Song Yao exchanged a glance with Luo Yu and softly said, “What should we do? Is she your enemy? Was there a past grievance?”
Dream Fan took a deep breath, stopping the tears that threatened to spill over, and choked out, “Go save Brother Jiu. I’ll go with you.”
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