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墨書 Inktalez
"Well, let's take a gamble. If it doesn't work out, we can just leave," Ming Junwei said, his demeanor submissive and compliant, resembling a simple country man, except for the peculiar Hello Kitty eye mask on his face.
"How about your injuries?" Guard B skipped that part and continued, "He has burns; what about you?"
Ming Junwei removed his eye mask to show his injuries and sighed, "I got into a fight with another camp and ended up like this."
A few guards huddled together and whispered among themselves. Guard A stepped forward again, scrutinizing the two for a moment before saying flatly, "You guessed right; you two can come in."
"Really?" Ming Junwei felt a rush of excitement. This wasn't an act; although it felt unreal how smoothly things were going, it was still a step forward compared to standing outside the wall.
"However, there are some procedures to follow," Guard B interrupted Ming Junwei's moment of joy. He frowned and continued, "First, you need to know that this place is different from any shelter you've seen before. No matter who you were before, once you arrive here, you can start anew. Of course, there are rules here that you must abide by."
"No problem, no problem," Ming Junwei nodded eagerly. As long as he could get inside, nothing else mattered. While he felt fortunate about the smooth progress, he also found it strange that this was indeed Kenny's territory.
"Don't be too quick to agree," Guard A said, clearly accustomed to dealing with many people like them who were similarly excited. He spoke seriously: "We will first take you to a temporary residence where you will stay under surveillance for now. After that, we will arrange for a health check. Until the results come out, you cannot go out freely or engage in activities. In other words, your movements will be restricted during this period. Do you understand?"
"Uh-huh," Ming Junwei paused for a moment before quickly nodding and asking, "But what will we eat?"
"We will provide food and accommodation," Guard B added. "If you pass the health check, you'll be assigned work based on your previous skills. Living here means you need to work; do you understand?"
"Got it! We worked at the camp before too," Ming Junwei chuckled foolishly, an innocent look on his face.
The two guards exchanged glances and smirked arrogantly. "I told you this place is different from any camp you've seen before. By the way, that vehicle is yours; what else is inside?"
"Uh, there's a tent, sleeping bags, some food and drinks, and also a dog and a litter of cats. Oh, and some self-defense weapons," Ming Junwei confessed without holding back, listing everything honestly.
The equipment and supplies labeled “Dogs and Cats” seemed relatively normal, but what was up with the cats and dogs?
Ming Junwei chuckled and nodded, then turned to open the car door. A bony Big Yellow Dog jumped out and dashed straight to the fence, lifting its hind leg to urinate, completely ignoring the guard in front of it.
The guards exchanged glances, surprised. They had seen many Survivors arriving with families or in groups, but never anyone fleeing with pets.
“This is…” Guard A said with a strange expression. He turned to his companion and whispered a few words, then added, “There’s no precedent for animals; we need to consult our superiors. If necessary, animals will also require a health check. Additionally, you can keep your clothing, but all weapons must be confiscated, including vehicles, which will become public property.”
“Ah?” Ming Junwei looked puzzled. He didn’t particularly care about these rules, but he knew that being too agreeable could raise suspicions.
Guard A cleared his throat and explained, “Civilians in the city are not allowed to carry weapons; it applies to everyone. As for other equipment and vehicles, once you go through labor allocation, we will convert their value into cash for you.” The guard shrugged and added, “You won’t be at a loss; cars aren’t needed in the city, but money is essential for living.”
“Money?” Ming Junwei exchanged a glance with Hou Xiong, both surprised. To be honest, they were both quite curious about this Lonely City.
“For now, that’s all. Do you understand? If you do and can comply with these terms, then come in; there’s still much to do.” Guard B finished the routine questioning with a sigh of relief. “If you don’t want to comply, that’s fine too; take your Cats and Dogs and leave.”
“Do we need to sell our Cats and Dogs to you?” Ming Junwei asked.
Guard A cursed inwardly—what would they want with your Cats and Dogs, which hardly weighed anything? He forced a smile and replied, “They can remain your private property, but they will also need to undergo a health check.”
Seeing no objections from the two men, the two guards stepped out through the gate. They began inventorying the items in the car, categorizing them for record-keeping. When they opened the trunk, they were taken aback; it was stuffed with dozens of various Knives.
“All these weapons must be confiscated,” Guard C reiterated as he snatched a dagger embedded with agate from Ming Junwei’s hand and tucked it into his own pocket.
Before entering the gate, Ming Junwei recalled something else and asked, "Excuse me, what’s going on with the Zombies on both sides of the city wall?"
"Oh," the guard paused, hesitating. "You went there too?"
Ming Junwei quickly fell silent, pretending to be deaf and mute.
The guard exchanged glances with his companion and said dismissively, "Outside is still the world of Zombies; it’s nothing. The city is very safe."
There’s no need to elaborate on the feelings of the two newcomers after entering the city. Unlike Yuan An, they had yet to experience the true civilized world.
The guard led them into the city gate's security department, where they were thoroughly checked for any contraband. Once confirmed clear, they proceeded with registration, recording their names, ages, places of origin, and occupations. Then they were escorted by Internal Staff to a large residence near the end of the city wall.
Though called a residence, it resembled more of a communal dormitory. Surrounded by high walls on three sides, it featured an open area inside with two gray buildings arranged in a U-shape. At that moment, many people gathered in the square—dozens of armed Field Duty personnel and an equal number of male and female internal staff. Additionally, about a hundred individuals were unloading from two trucks. Compared to these people, Ming Junwei and Hou Xiong seemed relatively dignified; at least they weren’t tied up. As they passed through the crowd, Ming Junwei noticed many anxious expressions, but it was eerily quiet; everyone maintained a strange tacit understanding, communicating only through their eyes without uttering a word.
Internal Staff assigned them to a single room on the first floor in the southwest corner. The room was small, containing a bunk bed and a table, with a window that let in no sunlight.
"You’ll stay here temporarily. I will arrange for your medical check-up soon; it won’t take long," said the internal staff man as he waved his hand. Following him were workers carrying two new bedding sets and a bag containing bowls and toiletries—thoughtful and attentive service.
"A specialist will come by tonight; you can ask any questions you have. He will also explain some important matters you need to be aware of. Before your check-up, you can move around in the yard, but remember: do not step outside the main gate or attempt to climb over the high walls; the consequences will be something you do not want to bear." The Internal Staff spoke like a mechanical device, his voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation as he continued, "You saw those people outside; do not ask about them or try to communicate with them. They are different from you; there is no connection between you now or in the future. By the way, someone will bring your pets later; keep an eye on them. If they leave this compound, they will become public property."
After delivering this dry monologue, the Internal Staff raised his head and stared at them through his glasses, throwing them an inquisitive look. "Do you understand everything?"
"Yes, we understand," both replied eagerly, nodding like bobbleheads as their bladders felt ready to burst.
Nodding slightly, the internal staff adjusted their glasses and said, "There’s a restroom at the stairway." With that, they turned and left the room, closing the door behind them.
Ming Junwei and Hou Xiong exchanged glances, watching as the staff walked away, both letting out a long-suppressed gasp.
"Damn, this is nothing like what you described. This doesn’t resemble a hellish Experimental Base at all," Hou Xiong said as he secured the door latch and began tidying up the bed. "This is just a proper shelter. It must have been established by the government."
"Government," Ming Junwei chuckled in disbelief, patting his pocket only to remember that his cigarettes had been confiscated for testing. He sighed and said, "You have such a short memory."
"Yeah," Hou Xiong replied, taken aback.
Ming Junwei smiled broadly and added, "If Song Jiu hadn’t gone to your Riverside Camp back then, you would probably be among the crowd outside."
At the mention of Song Jiu's name, Hou Xiong's expression stiffened for a moment before he realized what Ming Junwei was really implying. He exclaimed in surprise, "Are you saying those people were all transported from Zombie Camp?"
"Clearly," Ming Junwei replied confidently. "We discussed this before; Zombie Camp has different roles, and transporting labor is just one part of it. I didn’t expect that outside Survivors would also be accepted here. It saves a lot of trouble. If everything goes smoothly, you might even run into some of your old friends here."
"I don’t have any friends left," Hou Xiong shrugged, his expression darkening. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "So you didn’t expect them to take us? How did you plan this?"
"I had no plan; it was just luck," Ming Junwei said with a smirk. "The chances of being killed on the spot should be low. I thought they might capture us and lock us away somewhere. Now it seems like that’s still somewhat true."
Hou Xiong nodded silently as he finished making his bed and asked, "What’s next? Just wait for the health check?"
"Do you really want to settle down here?" Ming Junwei laughed at the thought.
Hou Xiong shot him a glare, displeased. "Aren't I asking you?"
"Calm down," Ming Junwei replied with a mysterious smile. He moved closer to the door, opening it just a crack to peer at the disheveled crowd outside, muttering, "Some people are useless; they expire."
"How do you use them?" Hou Xiong asked, confused.
"I'm still thinking," Ming Junwei said nonchalantly as he plopped down on Hou Xiong's bed. He lowered his voice, "We need some time. With about a hundred people out there, if we can stir up some chaos, it should be enough for us to act. Alas, it's a pity that Zombie is too far away; otherwise..."
Hou Xiong felt a chill run down his spine at the mention of Zombie and grew serious. He had been so relaxed during the journey that he almost forgot the purpose of coming here. He frowned and said, "The problem is, you can't even be sure that girl is really here. Finding her in such a vast place is like searching for a needle in a haystack."
"You’re right," Ming Junwei nodded in agreement before changing the subject. "However, I’m certain that another girl is definitely here, and she’s easy to find."
"Oh?"
"Come here." Ming Junwei sat up and walked to the window, beckoning Hou Xiong over. He pointed at the towering Launch Tower in the distance and said, "We need to go there. There's an old friend of mine; as long as we find her, we’ll be fine."
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