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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Seventeen: Under Currents
Let us turn back time to the afternoon of the Flash Flood, one day prior.
The camp was drenched in heavy rain, making the ground muddy and difficult to traverse. Everyone huddled inside the coffin house, gazing at the sky, hoping for the downpour to end soon. Yet, some remained unfazed by the storm.
A new arrival graced the desolate and silent highway, though not entirely new; these individuals had come through a few days earlier but hadn’t lingered long.
Leading the way was a black business van, followed by two box trucks. None of the vehicles bore any markings or license plates, their roofs shining slickly from the rain while their tires were caked in mud, suggesting they had emerged from some remote valley.
The two box trucks passed the business van and parked beside the Golden Dragon Bus. The rear doors swung open, and about ten individuals clad in military green raincoats jumped out one after another. They remained silent, their hoods pulled low, and something hard protruded from behind their raincoats. The last person to exit from each truck slammed the doors shut with a thud. Some stood guard on either side of the Coach while a few others rushed up to it. Moments later, one of them poked their head out of a shattered rear window and made an "OK" gesture.
The business van slowly approached as a well-dressed black man stepped out of the driver’s seat, holding two umbrellas and respectfully opening the door.
A man with slicked-back hair and gold-rimmed glasses descended from the vehicle and turned to assist someone inside. The black man hurriedly held an umbrella over his head while raising the other to shield a woman stepping out from the car.
Raindrops cascaded down both umbrellas, quickly soaking the black man's suit. He paid no mind as he returned to the van after ensuring both individuals had taken their umbrellas and moved away.
“Why couldn’t we wait a few days?” The woman appeared displeased, wrapped in a brown trench coat that barely kept her warm. The hem of her coat was thin black stockings that clung to her long legs, with water droplets sliding down her high-heeled shoes.
“They’re pushing us hard from above,” the man replied with a slight smile as he unbuttoned his suit jacket. “Cold? Why not wear something warmer?”
The woman shot him an annoyed glance and said, “Please notify me in advance next time you plan an outing so I have time to find appropriate clothing. Also, there are many reasons for not answering the door—like being asleep or taking a shower—breaking in isn’t a solution. Remember, even if you’re in charge, that doesn’t give you a free pass.”
The man shrugged nonchalantly without taking offense, still smiling. “I apologize.”
With a sigh of resignation, she seemed aware that she was speaking to a wall. Wrapping her coat tighter around herself, she asked, “What do you plan to do?”
“They’ll handle it; we just need to wait,” he said, glancing at the Raincoat Man standing guard by the roadside before heading straight toward the large Coach.
“Kenny…” she called after him, her expression complex as she quietly asked, “What will they… do?”
“They will complete their mission,” Kenny replied as he linked his arm with hers. “Aso, call me by my Chinese name. Let’s go; it’s too rainy out here.”
Raincoat Man gathered several pieces of plywood from the van and secured them to the rear window with a nail gun. He removed most of the seats and brought in two folding beds and a folding table.
A muscular Black man ran up to the coach carrying two aluminum alloy cases, placing them on the driver's seat before quietly standing to the side.
The Raincoat Men worked swiftly, quickly arranging the beds and chairs. One of them took out a computer from one of the aluminum alloy cases and set it on the table, connecting various cables before plugging it into a power source. A few Raincoat Men brought in a strangely shaped generator, running wires inside the cabin and attaching two light bulbs to the roof. The windows were covered with black glass paper, and when the generator was turned on, the light bulbs flickered a few times, illuminating the entire cabin.
Aso frowned slightly as he sat on one of the folding beds and asked, "Why not start the car? The air conditioning could warm us up."
Kenny wiped away a bubble on the glass paper with his hand without turning around. "The engine noise is too loud; it's better to use the silent generator. Get up and move around if you're cold; is your body really that weak?"
Aso tilted his head, thinking he was talking nonsense.
Kenny gestured to the Black man at the door, who turned and got out of the car. A moment later, two people dressed in raincoats came back inside.
They lifted their hoods; one had an Eastern face while the other had a Western face.
The Eastern man was short with a neatly trimmed mustache. If he cut off his long hair, he would look just like Lu Xun.
The Western woman was tall; she pulled back her rain hood to reveal a beautiful white face with golden hair tied up. Her deep-set blue eyes curiously scanned Aso's beautiful legs.
"Wen Tao, you and Caroline take a team of ten. Check the equipment in five minutes; if everything is fine, set off and bring back both people and data before dark," Kenny said as he tossed his suit jacket onto the bed. He opened a metal box on the table, took out a wooden-tipped cigar, and added, "If you get the data first but don't bring back the people, that's fine too."
Aso's expression stiffened as he interjected, "Can we—"
"That's how it is; you need to go quickly and come back quickly." Kenny cut him off, waving his hand for them to leave.
Before getting out of the car, Caroline glanced back at Aso, licked her lips teasingly, flashed a seductive smile, then jumped out and closed the door behind her.
"Hmm? What were you about to say?" Kenny flicked away his matchstick, releasing a puff of white smoke as he curiously watched Aso.
Without looking at him, Aso replied angrily, "I said, can you keep that lesbian away from me?"
“Oh?” Kenny took off his glasses and placed them on the table, smiling as he asked, “Has she done anything to you?”
Aso had lost interest in speaking and, feeling annoyed, lay back on the folding bed with her arms crossed, pretending to doze off.
Kenny shook his head with a smile, ignoring her, and opened the computer on the table. “If the core data can indeed fix the current issues, would you consider getting one for yourself?”
Though it was a question, his eyes hinted at a certain fervor, as if he were asking himself more than anyone else.
Aso lay on her side with her back to him, gently biting her lower lip, her gaze filled with unspoken meaning.
Wen Tao and Caroline each selected five team members and ventured into the forest despite the rain. The downpour was heavy, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves, creating a thick layer over the muddy terrain that made it slippery and difficult to walk.
However, the group did not slow their pace. After trudging through the rain for a while, they stopped in front of a tent covered in leaves.
The two team leaders crawled into the tent. Inside, they found only some spoiled instant food and tape—nothing else.
Wen Tao pulled out a long device resembling a phone from his clothing. The screen displayed small squares formed by lines, with curved lines slowly expanding. A red dot flickered in the upper right corner.
“It hasn’t moved in so many days; could there be an issue?” Wen Tao ran his fingers through his hair, looking somewhat hesitant.
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