Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 210: The Years to Come
The next morning, the prepared team departed from the Local Cuisine Restaurant. The tires of the two trucks were fitted with snow chains, and two thick blankets were shaken off from the tarpaulin at the back, isolating the cargo area from the wind and snow. The long street was a vast expanse of white, devoid of tire tracks or footprints, enveloped in silence, with only the crunching sound of footsteps on the snow breaking the stillness. Just yesterday, they had been dressed in thin clothing; today, they were bundled up in heavy cotton jackets, looking bulky and clumsy, like two rows of dumplings rolling along.
The trucks stopped right at the entrance; there was no need for a long farewell. Summer Rain and Xiao Wei stood side by side, their faces showing reluctance. The Brothers in Arms climbed onto the vehicles silently and orderly, waiting quietly for a few to say their final goodbyes. Shaoshan and Wang Zhongyu appeared somewhat helpless; seeing their determination, they could only shake their heads and leave, each stepping into the driver's cabin.
"Take care," Jiang He said with a bitter taste in his mouth as he hugged each of them. When he reached the graduate student, he felt even drier in his throat and whispered, "Stay strong."
"Yes, I wish you all the best," the graduate student forced a smile, trying to appear cheerful.
The final decision surprised Shaoshan; aside from Summer Rain and Xiao Wei, the graduate student and Yin Nuo also chose to stay. Initially, Jin Bo had no intention of leaving either, but a brief moment of clarity from Ming Junwei in the middle of the night convinced him.
"I have Xiao Wei here; Jiang He needs your help," Ming Junwei said, his state groggy yet his mind clear. It was evident that he was aware of their plans over these past few days—perhaps Summer Rain had told him or he had caught snippets while half-asleep. Jin Bo did not refuse; he patted Ming Junwei's shoulder and agreed. Jiang He felt nothing but gratitude, his emotions growing increasingly complex.
Jin Bo was different from them; this group rarely acted alone. They had always been together with their companions before eventually banding together to roam around. In contrast, Jin Bo had lived independently long before settling in Daliugou. According to the locals at that time, Jin Bo was known for his strong combat skills and quick thinking; he was responsible for most of their resource gathering and almost single-handedly supported half of Air Raid Shelter as Zheng Er's most capable right-hand man. Thus, he could easily choose to withdraw.
After all, he had initially joined the team to repay Jiang He's life-saving act. Now that Jiang He had returned—not only alive but transformed into a high-level Zombie—his role as a bodyguard should have come to an end. He could have left quietly, hidden his achievements and name away; with his abilities, he could live more freely in this apocalyptic world. Yet he stayed. Months of sharing hardships had forged bonds with everyone, and being someone who valued loyalty deeply made it hard for him to leave. Zheng Er had saved his life once; he remained out of gratitude.
Weighing the pros and cons, Jin Bo agreed with Ming Junwei's assessment: with Zombies rampant in the city, those who stayed would not remain for long. Once Ming Junwei's health improved slightly, they would likely evacuate. Xiao Wei was a military man himself; his skills were not much inferior to Jin Bo's, plus there was a graduate student with them. The two men would ensure safety while Summer Rain and Yin Nuo took care of daily needs—a reasonable division of labor between men and women. Staying behind would only add another mouth to feed without much utility. On the other hand, if he didn't follow Jiang He, only Song Yao, Luci, Zeng Yadong, and Wheat would be left—Shaoshan's relationship with Jiang He was unclear; ultimately, they weren't truly allies. If something unexpected happened at that so-called base, Jiang He would be isolated.
Song Yao and Luci felt somewhat downcast; they understood what Summer Rain's choice to stay meant. With just over a month left for her no matter where she went, staying behind to care for Ming Junwei seemed like the best option. While others might not realize it, both Xiao Wei and Jin Bo understood perfectly well—Ming Junwei reached out a hand and pulled back a heart; not everyone possessed such capability.
Song Yao had also discussed with Jiang He whether to stay behind together. After careful consideration, Jiang He felt it necessary to visit Establishment's territory. Balancing out the medications within their group was one aspect; deciding on future paths was another. According to Shaoshan's words, headquarters differed from their outpost in Shanxi; all remaining Armed Forces concentrated there while numerous survivors were included under its protection—Bohai Bay Port still retained its pre-Cataclysm lifestyle patterns. While wandering outside offered freedom, Safe Zones clearly provided better conditions for human survival and reproduction.
Jiang He had planned this carefully. They would temporarily split into two groups; those who remained would tend to their injuries and gradually move towards Bohai Bay once they had healed. Meanwhile, he would lead Song Yao and the others ahead. This way, they could address the issue of supplies and also experience life in the Safe Zone firsthand. If it truly was as good as Shaoshan claimed, they could all settle there together later. With Jiang He’s connection to Shaoshan, it wouldn’t be too difficult for the Safe Zone to accept a few more survivors. The only concern was whether the remaining personnel could safely reach the port after recovering from their injuries. The journey was long, and without protection from the Armed Forces, it seemed quite challenging.
Shaoshan had no objections to this plan and even offered to leave behind some firearms and ammunition for a few people if needed, as long as Jiang He and his group could evacuate quickly with him. However, Shaoshan himself felt uncertain; before leaving the Gobi Desert, Kenny had ominously mentioned that their base seemed to be completely compromised. This left him feeling restless over the past few days, eager to set off. He didn’t share his worries with Jiang He and the others; he was a man of action who preferred to see things for himself.
In summary, after much discussion, they couldn’t come up with a perfect solution. Whether they would meet again in the future depended entirely on luck.
“Keep this safe,” Shaoshan said as he jumped out of the vehicle, shoving a folded piece of paper into Xiao Wei's hands. Xiao Wei was puzzled but opened it to find a military map.
“Can you understand this?” Shaoshan asked, scratching his ear, unable to wait any longer for the young ones to stop hesitating.
“I can…” Xiao Wei glanced at it a few times and grasped Shaoshan’s intent.
With a sigh of resignation, Shaoshan said, “I can only help you this much. When you’re ready to leave, follow the red line on the map. Even if you encounter obstacles along the way, don’t deviate from it. You can avoid danger temporarily but must return to the route. It takes a hundred days to heal from serious injuries; if you can leave early, do so. Otherwise, if heavy snow blocks your path, my good intentions will have been wasted.”
Seeing that the graduate student looked confused, Shaoshan explained further: “This route is what we took when we came here; it’s relatively safe. If you delay too long, Jiang He will also be anxious. If things go well at the Defense Zone, I’ll find a way to send someone along the way to assist you. So make sure not to stray from the path—understand?”
“Understood,” the graduate student replied with raised eyebrows and thanked Shaoshan. The soldier had indeed thought things through and considered nearly every possible issue.
“Good. Take care on your journey; once Brother Ming feels better, we’ll set off.” Xiao Wei folded the map and tucked it away, feeling much more reassured now that Shaoshan had given them this assurance. To put it bluntly, as long as they managed to hold on without dying, even if they had to stay put for a while, help would eventually arrive.
As if seeing through Xiao Wei's thoughts, Shaoshan rolled his eyes and doused him with cold water: “Don’t just wait around for help.”
Comment 0 Comment Count