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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 205: Belfry
The automatic doors in front of the People's Hospital were half open, with an ambulance wedged into the gap. The doors were wide open, and dark bloodstains marred the windshield and the front of the vehicle. In the corner where the wheels met the door, a gray-uniformed zombie was struggling and howling. Its lower body was caught in the wheels, mangled beyond recognition, while its upper body remained trapped between the wheel and the door, unable to move forward or backward. Judging by the decayed flesh below its waist, this unfortunate creature had been stuck here for some time, unable to free its broken limbs or die peacefully, forced to struggle and scream day and night.
Footsteps approached, and the trapped zombie turned its head at the sound. Its gaunt claws reached out desperately toward the newcomer, restlessly howling as it twisted its body in an attempt to lunge forward. The newcomer moved cautiously, checking around the ambulance to ensure there were no other zombies nearby before stepping up to the transformed security guard and plunging a combat knife into its skull. The sharp blade penetrated easily; the rotting scalp and brittle bone offered no resistance. A crisp sound echoed as the Crown of Heaven was withdrawn, and a pool of thick black-red liquid gushed from the wound.
Zeng Yadong wiped the blade clean on the security guard's uniform and stepped over the ambulance to pass through the automatic doors. The fountain in front of the hospital had long since dried up, filled with dust and debris, while blocked drainage prevented rainwater from escaping, slowly accumulating into a foul-smelling yellow-green puddle. Three flags hung limply from their poles, soaked by rainwater and adding to the desolation.
The hospital was large; the Outpatient Building stood six or seven stories tall, with the Inpatient Department and research facilities behind it. The tiles on the building's exterior had been washed clean by rainwater, briefly revealing their original bright white color as water trickled down through crevices into drainage channels that spilled onto the ground. Zeng Yadong pushed open a glass door and illuminated his surroundings with a flashlight. Directly ahead was a service consultation desk, flanked by escalators that had long ceased operation. To either side were Registration Windows and Payment Windows, with an inconspicuous Medical Insurance Reimbursement Service Window tucked away in a corner; on the left were a pharmacy, an elevator, and a row of chairs.
Potted plants lay overturned on either side of the entrance, shards of flowerpots scattered far away; several ATMs displayed black screens, wedged between revolving doors where a corpse leaned against one side—apparently someone who had failed to make it into the hospital before being trapped inside and starving to death.
Zeng Yadong couldn't help but shiver at this torturous fate; it would have been more merciful to take his own life. The lobby was in disarray, with exits leading to other areas on three sides. A few wandering zombies lingered near the second-floor escalator entrance but had yet to notice him downstairs. Zeng Yadong pressed forward toward the service desk; it was gloomy outside, casting shadows throughout the dimly lit lobby where a thick layer of dust covered the area map.
"Surgery... operating room..." Zeng Yadong silently memorized a few locations before glancing at the zombies and quickly ducking under an escalator railing to dash into the pharmacy.
A group of five—Jin Bo, Ming Junwei, Xiao Wei—had sustained injuries while caught in this rainy weather. Bai Yudong and others had yet to arrive; if they didn't treat their wounds soon, complications could arise. Thus, Wheat stayed behind to care for the injured while Zeng Yadong took a risk venturing out for supplies. None of them were medical professionals; although they had learned some basics from experience, they were unsure how to treat specific injuries. In desperation, Zeng Yadong thought of universal anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics. Relying on his vague memories, he swept through several rows of shelves in search of anything labeled "anti-inflammatory."
The surgery room was on the second floor; Zeng Yadong figured he needed some instruments. Chen Zhao Zhou had two serious gunshot wounds; Xiao Wei had a penetrating injury in his right shoulder while Jin Bo had a bullet lodged in his shoulder. Zeng Yadong's combat knife was sharp enough but extracting bullets would be challenging—and contaminated with too much zombie fluid could lead to trouble.
The escalators split into up and down directions; several zombies wandered near the ascending escalator entrance. Fortunately, power was out so climbing stairs wasn't too difficult. Zeng Yadong secured a bag filled with medications around his waist and held his knife low as he ascended cautiously. Halfway up, he accidentally stepped on a plastic bag that crunched loudly in the otherwise silent lobby.
Cursing under his breath, Zeng Yadong hurried up and swung his knife to stab through a zombie lunging at him before kicking its body aside. He grabbed a trash can next to the escalator entrance and hurled it at other approaching zombies before quickly turning to flee. The hospital was vast; there could be more zombies lurking about. Zeng Yadong was pressed for time and had no intention of engaging in combat with them.
The surgery area was very conspicuous, with various examination rooms lining both sides of the corridor. At the end stood a push-pull door, with the words "Operating Room" printed in red above it. Zeng Yadong hurriedly rushed over and pushed open the door, only to be met with a foul stench that assaulted his nostrils. On the operating table lay a decaying corpse, its abdomen cut open, presumably a patient who had not been evacuated in time. A breathing mask was still clamped over its face, and its belly had been gnawed away, exposing stark white bones. The culprit was still there; judging by its attire, this zombie had likely been a doctor, with sterile gloves still on its hands and blood smeared around its mouth.
Zeng Yadong exhaled sharply and used a knife to crush the doctor’s skull before searching for the surgical instruments. Aside from scalpels and hemostatic forceps, he recognized none of the other tools. To avoid making another trip later, Zeng Yadong gathered all the instruments on the tray and, hearing zombies approaching in the corridor, quickly pushed the dead patient off the table. He shoved the gurney through the door and charged toward the zombies.
The long-dead zombies had mostly suffered from osteoporosis. The gurney Zeng Yadong forcefully pushed collided with one of the leading zombies, splitting it in half at the waist. Before the remaining zombies could fill in the gaps, Zeng Yadong leaped onto the gurney and jumped out, narrowly rolling out of the surgery corridor. After getting up, he hurriedly closed both doors and grabbed a folding stool nearby to jam it into the door latch.
At that moment, a loud explosion rang in Zeng Yadong's ears. A powerful shockwave shattered a row of glass windows on the second floor, followed by a small mushroom cloud rising into the air.
Zeng Yadong's expression brightened as he rushed to the window to look outside. Several military men were running around the corner of the street just as a three-story restaurant across from the hospital had turned into ruins. Zeng Yadong frowned slightly; those military men clearly did not resemble Bai Yudong but bore some resemblance to militants from Gobi Desert. What were they doing here? In the distance, zombies were drawn toward the explosion, swarming in their direction. Zeng Yadong quickly ran downstairs; while they were not yet surrounded, she dashed out of the hospital after them. She had little interest in their identities but was concerned about their escape route leading to their hideout. What if these people caused destruction along their path and compromised their sanctuary?
Zeng Yadong's worries were somewhat unnecessary; even if Shaoshan had such intentions, he lacked the capability. Two grenades combined with a gas cylinder could create maximum destruction in a short time. Moreover, they were not demolition teams; attracting zombies was sufficient for their purpose. Zeng Yadong trailed behind this group at a distance and suddenly changed direction to slip into an Azure Brick Building.
This was an ancient structure featuring flying eaves and brackets, wrapped in blue bricks with archways on all four sides. At its center was a square earth platform atop three wooden stories; this city tower had eastern and western sections that provided a broad view.
The five men had driven thousands of miles that night, arriving nearly a day earlier than Jiang He's group. They too had been lured by Jinta County, mistakenly believing that the city was an empty shell. However, upon entering downtown, they encountered zombies crossing the street. With their combat effectiveness nearly zero at that moment, they could only flee in panic without considering seeking out prominent high-rise buildings. Wheat was quick-witted; during their escape, he spotted this belfry and suggested they take refuge inside. Although it wasn’t particularly tall, this ancient building stood out amidst the steel jungle and was certainly better than searching for nooks and crannies to hide in.
The belfry belonged to Jiuquan's landmark architecture; initially not open to the public, it gradually became a unique attraction with protective railings built around it on all sides.
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