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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred Thirteen: The Road Ahead
"Have you noticed that Kenny seems to be in a good mood lately?" Wu Wentao had become increasingly annoying, spending his days either flirting with the girls from the administration or hanging around Caroline, chatting nonsense. The image of the top field personnel had completely vanished.
Caroline extended a finger to push Wu Wentao's head away as he leaned in too close, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Are you trying to marry Kenny?"
"I'm just concerned about the Boss!" Wu Wentao replied nonchalantly, cheerfully digging at his ear. He glanced outside the glass door at Kenny and Hong Zhong entering together and sighed, "Either they both go missing or they both show up. Ever since Aso left, it's all men around Kenny." Noticing that he had irritated the Foreign Girl nearby, Wu Wentao quickly corrected himself, "What I meant was—"
"Please shut up," Caroline shot him a glare and stood up to welcome the Boss back.
Kenny looked to be in high spirits, chatting and laughing with Hong Zhong as they walked into the conference room. Upon seeing his two subordinates waiting for him, he immediately apologized and began explaining.
Wu Wentao and Caroline were momentarily stunned, unsure of how to react. The two mismatched colleagues exchanged incredulous glances; had Kenny taken drugs or changed his personality?
Kenny was oblivious to what his subordinates were thinking. After he and Hong Zhong took their seats, he instructed Black Man to wait outside and then smiled warmly at the three of them, his eyes betraying his joy.
"I heard you two have been looking for me? Is there an issue?" Kenny opened a box of cigars and distributed them among the group. Hong Zhong magically produced a rusty Zippo lighter and lit their cigars one by one.
Wu Wentao's mind momentarily blanked; after taking a couple of puffs of smoke, he finally responded, "Well, um, our logistics supplies are running low. The supply points around us have cut off contact."
"The attempt to intercept Zhou Huai failed; he's currently in the hands of the Establishment. I believe Mr. Hong has received news about it," Caroline added, her big blue eyes darting toward Hong Zhong. She didn't like him; despite being Kenny's partner brought back personally by him, Caroline couldn't convince herself to trust him. She wasn't sure why she felt this way—perhaps it was simply because this man had taken Aso's place.
Hong Zhong cradled his oversized Tea Jar and nodded after listening to their reports. "I received the news; I went to handle this matter a couple of days ago."
"Also, Kenny, news of your dismissal has spread. Our activities in the Jinzhong area are restricted, and the Establishment is currently active; it’s no longer safe here." Caroline didn’t look at Hong Zhong but fixed her gaze on Kenny, hoping for clear instructions.
Kenny tapped his fingers on the table, quietly listening to their accounts. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Caroline, Wu Wentao, you've both worked hard these days. I already knew these things would happen before I returned. So there's no need to worry; we will be leaving here soon."
Wu Wentao's eyes lit up as he was about to speak when Kenny gently raised his hand to stop him and turned to Hong Zhong. "How is the situation with the Establishment?"
"The negotiations were fruitless; our informant within the Establishment was exposed, and we couldn't obtain any useful information. I've heard that Zhou Huai didn't carry any data equipment with him; it seems the Establishment also came up empty-handed." Hong Zhong took a sip of Milk Powder coffee with a smile and continued, "I had the tech department track the signals you previously identified, but there were no findings. It looks like that kid destroyed the data equipment."
"Oh?" Kenny raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Are you sure? I may not know how he found out about the information... but since he dared to seize the data related to the Establishment, he shouldn't be so reckless, right?"
"I don't know; it is what it is," Hong Zhong shrugged indifferently. "Actually, I have an idea."
"Go on."
"Since you've now distanced yourself from RCA, why not collaborate with the Establishment? After all, your resources and power are limited." Hong Zhong had prepared this argument for a long time. As a double agent, he aimed to secure the greatest benefits for the Establishment. Zhou Huai indeed did not carry any data equipment, and He Wei Guo had yet to pry any information from Zhou Huai. The Establishment's military strength surpassed that of RCA, but their technology lagged far behind. Kenny held resources that neither side possessed, and if he could be persuaded to cooperate with the Establishment, it would be the best solution.
"I remember we discussed this issue already," Kenny said lightly, glancing at him. He turned to his two trusted aides and instructed, "You two take your teams and spread out; search for An Zheng's whereabouts with full force."
"Kenny, I'm not questioning your decision; I just don't quite understand how you're so sure that An Zheng is definitely within Jinzhong's range?" Wu Wentao had been troubled by this question. Previously, their mission focus was on data equipment, but now that it was confirmed that Zhou Huai had stolen the data, how were they supposed to find An Zheng? Who knew if she had even come to Shanxi? Perhaps Zhou Huai had killed her during the data theft.
Kenny stared at this counterfeit Lu Xun for a while, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and smiled. "Just a guess; go prepare."
Wu Wentao hesitated but ultimately accepted his orders and left. This ambiguous answer left him perplexed; judging by Kenny's expression and tone, he didn't seem to be joking.
Hong Zhong left with Wu Wentao, leaving Kenny alone with Caroline. After they had been gone for a while, he slowly asked, "How's everything at the base?"
"Progress is smooth, but the numbers don't meet your standards; after all, it's sparsely populated there and poses challenges," Caroline said while playing with her long fingers. "Additionally, that professor still refuses to cooperate. Your teacher sent word saying he wants to talk to you."
"If it's not enough, then find a way; our great China never lacks people," Kenny replied half-seriously as he leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
"Corpses may be in high demand, but living people are quite rare right now," Caroline said helplessly; she felt that Kenny had changed recently.
"Your Chinese has improved," Kenny chuckled before shifting the topic. "You don't like Hong Zhong?"
"Well," Caroline admitted candidly, "but you trust him, don't you?"
"Trust isn't quite the word. Since you have doubts about him, keep an eye on him for me; I haven't had time lately."
"Are you going to the laboratory again?"
"No, I'm heading to the base." Kenny had no intention of hiding anything. "You arrange the transportation channels. We need to transport everything back to the base in batches and prepare for evacuation."
"Now? Making such a big move will attract the attention of the Establishment and RCA, won't it?" Caroline was a bit worried. Things were different now; there was no air transport available, and they could only rely on ground transportation. The journey was long, and aside from the zombies, they couldn't ignore the watchful eyes of the Establishment and RCA.
"It's fine, just go ahead and do it." Kenny gave her an encouraging look as he stood up and opened the door to the meeting room. "Remember to keep an eye on him and report back at any time."
"What if you're in the laboratory?" Caroline spread her hands, her gaze drifting toward the Black Man at the door.
"I'll give you access; you can come into the laboratory to find me."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Caroline and Wu Wentao each took action, while everyone at Daliugou Air Raid Shelter embarked on a new journey.
An Zheng didn't know how Ming Junwei had convinced Chao Yifan and Song Yao, but by sunset the next day, everyone had packed their belongings.
Song Yao changed into a black tracksuit; her eyes were still puffy, but she had stopped crying. An Zheng intended to offer some comforting words, but Ming Junwei stopped her.
"Let her process it on her own." Ming Junwei's mental state was...
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