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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing the captain's tone, Wang Chao realized that this team had come specifically to find this woman—Shen Zhitao. Could it be that she was some kind of official's daughter? That didn't seem likely. Shen Zhitao lived alone in a villa, which would be too conspicuous; within three days, someone would come knocking to investigate. But if Shen Zhitao was just an ordinary rich second-generation, even if she were wealthy, she wouldn't be able to buy anything substantial. In such a precarious situation where everyone was on edge, sending a squad of soldiers to rescue one person indicated that either the woman's identity was special or she possessed something the military needed. As for the exact reason, Wang Chao couldn't guess.
From the first moment he saw Shen Zhitao, Wang Chao's initial impression of her was cunning—yes, cunning; perhaps a more flattering term would be shrewd.
Shen Zhitao smiled and said, "Captain, may I ask your name?"
"My surname is Lei," the captain replied.
"Captain Lei," Shen Zhitao said, her eyes sparkling. "Could you tell me whose orders you are here under?"
"I don't have the authority to know whose orders they are, but they must be significant. That's all I can say," Captain Lei said before stepping back to create a passage for the three to walk through. Shen Zhitao said nothing and walked straight ahead. Wang Chao understood that it was best not to speak out of turn when the situation was unclear, so he pulled Chen Feifei along and followed closely behind Shen Zhitao.
Captain Lei spoke into his radio, "Miss Shen has been located."
Ten men immediately surrounded Wang Chao and the others, forming a defensive circle. Wang Chao knew that this treatment wasn't for him but for the confident Miss Shen Zhitao striding ahead.
"Miss Shen, please wait," Captain Lei said. "The vehicle will arrive shortly!"
A tank had already started moving, cutting through the area to clear a path for the team. Wang Chao stood on the side of the street and looked around; he saw a pile of Zombie corpses on the ground. Many Zombies had been flattened and stuck to the pavement like a heap of glue, making him feel nauseous just looking at it. There wasn't a single standing Zombie in sight; Wang Chao realized that these Zombies had been crushed by the tank.
The center of the road had also been forcibly cleared by the tank, allowing vehicles to pass through.
Indeed, technology was the primary productive force, Wang Chao thought as he recalled how many hundreds of cars had been stuck on the road when he arrived; it had looked like rush hour in the city’s third ring road.
Two military jeeps were speeding towards them at that moment. Captain Lei had taken Shen Zhitao into the front vehicle, while the one behind was prepared for Chen Feifei and Wang Chao. The soldiers did not get inside but instead stood on the running boards, gripping the overhead bars on top of the jeeps, hanging off the sides. Wang Chao felt a bit puzzled, but the driver spoke up, "This is to ensure quick maneuverability in case we encounter zombies."
Wang Chao observed the driver through the rearview mirror. The man appeared to be in his forties, with a scruffy beard that seemed to have gone untrimmed for quite some time. His complexion was somewhat sallow, and he had a cigarette butt dangling from his mouth.
Hastily, Wang Chao pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his Spatial Ring, lit one for himself, and offered the rest to the driver. The driver’s eyes lit up at the sight of the cigarettes in Wang Chao's hand, and when he saw Wang Chao offering him the entire pack, he could hardly hide his delight.
"What should I call you?" Wang Chao asked as he handed over a lighter.
"Just call me Uncle Zhang; I see you're young," the driver replied.
Wang Chao nodded and said, "Uncle Zhang, you came from the refugee camp in the West, right? What's it like over there?"
Uncle Zhang glanced at the soldiers outside, took a puff of his cigarette, and then said, "To be honest, things aren't looking good over there either."
"How so?" Wang Chao inquired.
Uncle Zhang sighed and explained, "Living life is all about eating, drinking, and having fun. At this point, fun is out of the question." He gestured towards the soldiers outside. "And as for those wealthy folks enjoying their lives—people like us common folks are just focused on food and drink."
He continued, "But even that isn't just about being full. Let me tell you something." Uncle Zhang lowered his voice. "The military stormed into the granaries early on and found them filled with zombies; blood and bodily fluids were all over the food. The army could only bring back what little food they could salvage—most of it was old stock that had been stored for years."
Uncle Zhang shook his head and added, "As for water sources—who can guarantee there's no zombie lurking in there? But we have no choice; they keep sprinkling bleach or whatever it is—I don't know what that stuff is—but it's toxic too. At this point, having something to eat and drink is already a blessing. As for this," Uncle Zhang tossed back the cigarette pack and said, "a box of these can be traded for a small bag of fresh grain. I'm not trying to swindle you; you should keep it for yourself."
Wang Chao shook his head but still tossed the cigarettes back to him. "Uncle Zhang, you take it. It doesn't make sense to ask for something back after giving it away."
"Brother, it's really something," Uncle Zhang sighed and then said, "However, when we get to the Refugee Camp later, we can't be so generous. You never know when the food might run out. Look at how the military keeps going out again and again; that's for food and drinking water. But this time seems a bit different."
Wang Chao naturally understood that this time was not like the others. He didn't comment on that but instead asked, "Have all the Zombies been eliminated there?"
"It's impossible to have eliminated them all; after all, there are just too many," Uncle Zhang replied. "The military has set up two layers of Electric Fence around the area, so the Zombies can't get in. The Zombies aren't the main threat; it's those two points I mentioned that everyone in the Refugee Camp must face. By the way, with just two cigarettes, you can..."
Uncle Zhang suddenly remembered that there was more than just Wang Chao in the vehicle and awkwardly closed his mouth. Wang Chao knew what Uncle Zhang was trying to say and helplessly shook his head, creating an awkward atmosphere.
At that moment, Uncle Zhang pointed ahead and said, "Do you see that towering concrete wall? It was just built not long ago. Behind it is the Refugee Camp."
Wang Chao looked through the car window and saw a concrete wall standing over three meters high along the road, with a massive black iron gate in the middle. On either side of the gate were two high platforms with canopies overhead, seemingly newly constructed. Each platform had two armed guards on alert. The wall was so tall that everyone could see it from a distance.
He wondered if Yiyi and Yang Mengying had already gone inside.
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