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墨書 Inktalez
Act 241: Inside and Outside the High Walls
Launch Base, Central Area.
The former control center has been completely transformed. The once dull and mottled Brick Wall, the musty experimental workshops, and the rust-covered launch pads have all been leveled to the ground. In their place, Baroque style pavilions rise majestically, entirely replacing the monotonous dark tones of the past.
The only structures that retain their original appearance are the Launch Tower and the vertical testing facility. These two core infrastructures have only undergone simple renovations and reinforcements on their original foundations. Within a five-hundred-meter radius, sentry posts are scattered everywhere, and high-voltage electric fences guard the soul of the Launch Base. Groups of Armed Thugs patrol day and night, eliminating any potential threats to this place.
At the heart of the base stands the most magnificent Baroque palace, brightly lit as if it were daytime. The artistic walls are flanked by two fierce stone beasts at the main entrance, their heads raised to the sky, each holding a lotus lamp in their mouths. Flickering flames dance continuously, reflecting off the lights within the estate—out of place yet perfectly fitting.
The main gate is closed. Inside lies a sculptural fountain, where an artificial spring bubbles cheerfully. Surrounding it are small fountains that spray crystalline droplets, creating a misty atmosphere. On either side, lush greenery adds vitality; sturdy poplars lean against the walls while red willows flourish abundantly, creating a breathtaking scene under the morning breeze and waning moon.
A meticulously paved path of Azure Stone Slab winds through artificially cultivated seasonal gardens. Two low yet exquisite buildings stand guard ahead, with clear warning lines in place. Outsiders must stop here for inspection; only after confirming safety will dedicated personnel from the estate escort them to the palace.
The main body of the palace closely resembles Helen Kim Lake Palace. The overall structure is not significantly different, but it has been scaled down considerably, retaining only the most luxurious main building. The marble floor shines brilliantly, illuminated by flickering torches that reflect off every corner of the palace's interior. Although the decor does not achieve a perfect restoration, it maintains an elegant quality thanks to its external surroundings. Ascending the spiral staircase to the third floor, light-colored drapes complement each other beautifully, adorning a somewhat empty hall. Cashmere carpets outline various patterns while intricately carved stone pillars support the upper levels, creating a warm atmosphere mixed with a hint of coolness.
Layers of Silk Canopy partially obscure the inner bedroom. The intoxicating scent of incense silently wafts through, drifting into the dimly lit chamber behind sheer curtains. A soft warm glow peeks through, mingling with the fragrance of incense, while shadows entwined on the walls create an elusive ambiance.
The night is thick as ink with clouds obscuring the moon.
On the Damp Round Bed, a man and woman lie entwined, whispering softly and savoring their warmth together.
After a long while, lingering sensations fade away as their breathing stabilizes.
The man leans back against the headboard; his fervor has calmed into tranquility. His clean hand gently caresses the woman's shoulder while a faint smile plays at his lips.
With her face pressed against his chest and fingers entwined in his hair, she murmurs softly, "What has made you so happy?"
"Um," the man said, momentarily taken aback as he looked down at the woman leaning against him. He smiled and asked, "Why do you say that?"
"Just a feeling," the woman replied, a captivating smile playing on her lips as she closed her eyes and softly said, "You wouldn't usually act like this."
"Act like what?" the man asked, lightly inhaling her fragrance with a teasing tone.
The woman opened her eyes and gazed up at him, a hint of reproach in her expression. She pronounced each word carefully, "Wang Chengyu."
"Alright, I was actually planning to tell you tomorrow," Kenny chuckled at her words, straightening his posture and playfully pinching her curvy hip. "She'll be back tomorrow."
Su Lan paused for a moment, not quite understanding his meaning, and teased, "So you're going to sleep with her?"
Kenny's serious demeanor was instantly shattered by her remark, and he burst into laughter again. With a wry smile, he said, "She brought back Antibody."
This time it was Su Lan's turn to be stunned. Blinking in disbelief, she murmured, "Antibody really has Antibody?"
"It should be real. The information sent by Professor Tu is very clear. After reviewing it, the teacher also believes it to be genuine," Kenny's smile faded as he slowly returned to his usual indifference. He gazed at the dim firelight outside the gauzy curtain and said, "We'll know the truth tomorrow."
Su Lan quickly sat up, hastily throwing on her pajamas with excitement. "If it's really Antibody, what are you planning to do? Are we going to start developing Vaccine now?"
"Um," Kenny turned to look at her and asked, "Why do we need to develop Vaccine?"
Su Lan was at a loss for words; she opened her mouth but couldn't find an answer. Finally, she asked, "Then why did you bring Antibody back?"
"To destroy it," Kenny replied matter-of-factly.
Su Lan was taken aback; the joy she felt just moments ago suddenly turned dull. After a brief silence, she asked, "Does the teacher know?"
“Of course I know about Antibody.”
“I mean, does the teacher know you plan to destroy Antibody?”
“I will tell him,” Kenny said with a slight smirk, gently stroking Su Lan's long hair. “After it's destroyed.”
The next morning.
Ming Junwei opened his eyes along with the city. The clouds rolled in the sky, and warm sunlight gradually spread, heralding another beautiful day with clear skies and gentle breezes.
In the passenger seat, Hou Xiong was still asleep, wrapped in his clothes and leaning against the window, snoring loudly.
Ming Junwei rubbed Cyclops and gazed at Lonely City in the morning light. He couldn't help but yawn again. As his senses awakened, the myriad doubts that had lingered in his mind last night surged back.
Last night, they had crossed the Black Iron Fence and made their way across the suspension bridge to reach the city gate. In his view, regardless of intent, this act constituted an intrusion. Lonely City had set up several defensive structures, which meant that besides blocking Zombies, they also needed to guard against uninvited guests. Moreover, the surveillance cameras beneath the city gate indicated something as well; although no guards were visible on the battlements, it didn’t mean that Lonely City was entirely defenseless. They were still watching every move outside the walls.
So, a question arose.
What should the city's security personnel do when they see two people sneaking toward the city gate in the dead of night?
Logically, there should have been a swift response from specialized personnel. And since this was Kenny's territory, Ming Junwei felt he understood those people well enough. If they discovered traces of intruders, even if they didn’t kill them on the spot, at the very least they would be taken back for questioning—that would be the standard procedure.
Ming Junwei would have done the same; he wouldn’t ignore unidentified individuals near the Roundabout.
However, this city did not exhibit the expected response.
Even after realizing their presence had been exposed, Ming Junwei and Hou Xiong did not immediately flee. They both had some understanding of those Foreigners and feared that a hasty escape might lead to being shot at. Despite their concerns about being captured, they reasoned that surrendering was more rational. So they abandoned their escape plans and even disarmed themselves in front of the cameras, trying to show that they meant no harm as they stood there waiting to be apprehended by the arriving security personnel.
They waited for a full half hour.
Ming Junwei felt puzzled. Suddenly, a thought struck him: perhaps the surveillance camera was broken, merely a decoy. So, he decided to test it. The spherical camera had a rotating lens, and if someone was behind it and wanted to observe an outside target, they would adjust the angle of the camera.
Ming Junwei informed Hou Xiong, and the two of them sheathed their weapons and stepped back a few paces, moving out of the camera's range. After a few breaths, Ming Junwei heard a low mechanical whirring sound coming from the edge of the archway.
Ming Daxia, who was well-informed, was taken aback; the camera was not defective—they had indeed been discovered.
However, no one came to investigate.
Ming Junwei and Hou Xiong were baffled by the other party's intentions. They toyed with the camera for a while and lingered under the city gate for nearly an hour. If there were people behind the camera intending to capture them, they should have made their move by now.
"What does this mean?" Hou Xiong was completely at a loss; he had never encountered such a situation before.
"Maybe they simply don't want to deal with us," Ming Junwei sighed gloomily. What kind of situation was this? The people behind the camera were likely watching them like a circus act, possibly pointing at them and saying, "Look at these two fools, hahaha."
With no way to enter through the large gate and the high walls being vertical with no footholds for climbing, it seemed that their presence did not interest anyone. Thus, staying under the city gate held little meaning for them.
Feeling a deep sense of disappointment, the Disabled Duo decided to head back home.
On their way back, they occasionally glanced over their shoulders, pondering whether the other party would attack once they left the gate's range. However, that speculation proved fruitless; until they returned to their vehicle, the Lonely City remained undisturbed in its place—an epitome of tranquility.
Hou Xiong climbed into the passenger seat and shoved Yellow Dog, who had taken up space sleeping in the backseat, to make room. He asked, "Does this count as an unsuccessful mission?"
"I suppose so," Ming Junwei sighed again, lighting a cigarette and reflecting sadly, "We were ignored."
"So what now? Should we still go in? Didn't you say you wanted to go to the Launch Base? Where is that Launch Base?" Hou Xiong asked again.
"Over there." Ming Junwei pointed at the two towering pillars faintly visible in the darkness. "Let's go around the city wall and take a look; the Launch Base should be separate from this city."
With that thought, Ming Junwei started the vehicle, veering off the road and speeding across the bumpy Gobi Desert, attempting to bypass the massive Walled City and head straight for the long-lost Launch Base.
However, that idea quickly fell apart. The city wall loomed at the end of the road, stretching a full five kilometers, encompassing a much larger area than he had imagined. As they approached a bend in the square-shaped city wall, Ming Junwei realized something was wrong. The expected corner of the wall had no passage to circumvent it; a massive barbed wire fence blocked their way. Beyond the fence gathered their old friends, Zombies.
The vehicle's lights and sounds inevitably disturbed the Zombies. Through what appeared to be a flimsy barbed wire fence, they saw hundreds, even thousands, of densely packed Zombies. Those startled by the noise pressed against the fence, their decaying flesh bursting and tearing from the pressure, foul-smelling corpse fluids and Blood Plasma trickling down along the wire. Bloodthirsty and frenzied faces snarled and roared before them.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ming Junwei turned the Cabin around and sped away. Experience told him that such a barbed wire fence could not withstand a horde of that magnitude; if they didn't run now, there would be nothing left of them. The terrified Disabled Duo fled in panic, racing back down the road until they reached a stretch of Red Willow Forest at the foot of Winding Mountain Road, where they finally stopped, hearts still racing.
Why did Lonely City ignore them? Why were there so many Zombies by the side of the wall? How could a barbed wire fence stop such a massive Horde? These questions were beyond their capacity to think about at that moment. They opened a bottle of liquor to share and, fueled by its effects, locked the doors and fell into a deep sleep.
Morning came, bringing clarity as they awoke to find their problems waiting for them again.
Ming Junwei stared blankly for a while before rolling down the window to let in some fresh morning air. He reached under Yellow Dog's belly to retrieve his cigarette case, intending to have his morning smoke.
Yellow Dog reluctantly rolled over with a grunt and fell back into a deep slumber.
The Red Willow Forest was right next to Mountain Road Exit; from here, one could see the winding road but not the city at its end. The wind rustled through the leaves outside, and the slightly damp morning air was invigorating.
Vaguely, Ming Junwei felt something was off. After looking around for a while, his gaze landed on the pink eye mask he had tossed onto the dashboard.
The eye mask was moving—trembling ever so slightly.
Ming Junwei rubbed his eyes and opened them again. Before he could further investigate the eye mask, he felt a faint tremor in his palms gripping the steering wheel.
As his muddled brain began to clear, Ming Junwei recalled something important and hurriedly woke up Hou Xiong, who was still sound asleep.
"Wake up, there's someone," Ming Junwei urged.
Hou Xiong opened his eyes groggily, startled into awareness. He quickly looked around, confused. "Where is there someone?"
"Listen," Ming Junwei frowned and made a shushing gesture, signaling him to use his ears.
The two fell silent, and the cabin was enveloped in stillness. The driver's visor continued to tremble lightly. Soon, a howling wind could be heard from outside the window, and at the end of Winding Mountain Road, the familiar sound of an engine roared. The shrill noise created by the speeding vehicles became clearer.
"Behind us," Hou Xiong reacted as well, turning to look toward the Mountain Road Exit obscured by Red Willow Forest.
Ming Junwei squinted in that direction. Two minutes later, the howling grew closer, and the roar of vehicles intensified. The red willows swayed violently in the strong wind as several shadowy figures flashed past the exit.
Ming Junwei opened the car door and grabbed a pair of binoculars, running toward the Mountain Road Exit. As the sounds of the vehicles faded away, he pushed aside the branches of the red willows and raised the binoculars.
Through the lens, he saw three small cars and two larger ones lined up in a row, kicking up dust as they sped down the road toward the distant city.
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