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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 215: The Port
Time flew by, and the long journey of over a thousand kilometers became less daunting as the tires spun rapidly. Due to the incident in Jingtai County, a certain distance had developed between Jiang He and the Soldiers. Although no one openly acknowledged it, this invisible gap was undeniably present. It was evident that Luci's decision to leave was indeed the right one; had she remained with the group, conflicts might have arisen. Times had changed, and while these armed Soldiers still adhered to a spirit of discipline, the brutality and bloodshed were gradually eroding that discipline. Their inner ferocity and wildness were slowly awakening, and under such high pressure, a backlash was inevitable. Therefore, Shaoshan and Wang Zhongyu could not overly demand that they accept things calmly; they could only keep the two groups apart as much as possible, minimizing contact and allowing time to ease the buried grievances. Though the effect was minimal, it was better than nothing.
This was a strange psychological state; Brothers in Arms could face death without complaint on a real battlefield but struggled to accept deaths shrouded in mystery. Each of the six fallen comrades left them with their own speculations, all inevitably tied to the missing girl. They might not have harbored thoughts of making Luci pay with her life, but there remained an insurmountable hurdle in their hearts—"We saved you, yet you indirectly harmed us without any explanation." This subtle emotion took root and silently brewed a storm among them.
As they progressed on the latter part of their journey, the convoy noticeably quickened its pace. With less communication among individuals, everyone seized moments of rest to recuperate and focused intently on moving forward when on the road. Seven days passed in an instant, and before they knew it, they had entered the Tianjin Region, slowly advancing towards the so-called Sixth Military District under Shaoshan's guidance.
In reality, since entering Hebei Region, they had distinctly felt a difference from the previous urban ruins. The empty cities they had seen before were merely abandoned shells, filled with desolation and despair; zombies roamed the streets and alleys, leaving behind corpses and abandoned vehicles with little evidence of large-scale warfare. However, Hebei Region presented a different scene altogether—urban structures were thoroughly destroyed, with numerous signs of collapse and fire everywhere. The number of corpses had multiplied several times over; even outsiders could recognize the extensive remnants of war.
Cities near the capital naturally had higher population densities, compounded by people's instinct to cluster together. After the Cataclysm, the influx of refugees became unimaginable. Unfortunately, as the capital city Throat failed to act as a barrier, it instead formed walls of flesh and blood that hindered zombies' advance at a terrible cost to itself.
According to Shaoshan, after the rift between Establishment and RCA emerged, RCA's remnants retreated to their capital stronghold. Relying on their geographical advantages and well-developed urban infrastructure, they clung to survival; meanwhile, what was called the Transitional Government used remaining military forces to retreat to military ports along Bohai Bay, establishing a blockade at various ports and shifting their strategic focus to maritime operations. Shaoshan's words hinted at dissatisfaction; given the current government's execution capabilities, large-scale military resource allocation had become quite challenging. Most forces stationed at sea were still part of the ruling class while those tasked with ensuring their safety remained stationed at peripheral frontlines—the entry corridors of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region.
Before Shaoshan headed for Gobi Desert, there had already been signs of large-scale zombie migrations from all directions. Whether intentional or not, hordes of zombies bred in densely populated cities were all targeting Bohai Bay's Defense Zone. If viewed from above, one would see waves of corpses steadily shrinking the military's defensive perimeter at an alarming rate. Many found it hard to understand why an army equipped with artillery and tanks could not fend off these flesh-and-blood creatures; the answer was simple: one misstep led to another—when circumstances took a sharp turn for the worse, attempting to reverse course became nothing more than a pipe dream.
Artillery required operators; coordinating large mechanized units needed command centers. When these core command structures were destroyed, hoping for an orderly and effective military response became wishful thinking. Fighter jets needed pilots for takeoff, cruising, and bombing missions; armored tank units couldn't simply function with just one driver inside. The collapse of command structures was fatal; thus, at that time, Establishment could only choose to retain easily maneuverable Infantry Groups while abandoning mechanized units that demanded substantial manpower and resources.
The remaining naval forces could hardly exert significant combat power; their existence resembled a last resort… an escape overseas. After all, zombies could only thrive on land—they couldn't wrestle with humans in water. This helplessness is difficult for ordinary people to comprehend; it's like having a mountain of gold but being unable to spend it. The war machines at military bases lay dormant under layers of dust while soldiers carried whatever individual combat gear they could muster as they retreated step by step alongside command centers until there was nowhere left to retreat.
The vast Armed Forces could provide temporary peace but also consumed massive logistical resources. Military reserves could address immediate needs but were not a long-term solution. In warfare, success depended not on aircraft or tanks but on logistics; whoever's logistics faltered would suffer greater losses. Ironically, this time around, their opponents required no logistics—they simply advanced over every obstacle and tore apart any living beings in their path.
Moreover, Shaoshan mentioned that the Defense Zone was not an ideal refuge; although relatively strong Armed Forces guarded its periphery, life inside was far from enjoying what little normalcy remained for refugees. The Establishment expanded refugee camps primarily for their productivity—soldiers needed food and clothing; these tasks required manpower that certainly wouldn't come from "rulers" holed up aboard warships.
Despite this, there were still no signs of improvement. Kenny's underhanded move had completely shattered the Establishment's fantasy of land ownership and maritime dominance. It wasn't until Shaoshan and his group entered Tianjin that they suddenly realized the defensive line they had left behind was utterly gone.
Jiang He and the others were not well-versed in these matters, but Shaoshan knew all too well. There were only two explanations for this situation: 1. The Establishment's logistical support had run dry, making it difficult to maintain a long front; 2. The Zombie had breached the defenses and surged forward. Both scenarios were undoubtedly fatal blows; in comparison, the former might still allow for some control, while the latter was a naked defeat.
Their anxiety was confirmed on the afternoon of the eighth day when the large-scale movement of Zombie along their route shattered Shaoshan's last shred of hope. The devastation of the city was beyond description; it was no exaggeration to say that the entire city looked as if it had been plowed inside and out by a massive harrow, turning up not loess but blood and flesh. As a swift execution team, Shaoshan and his companions were well-acquainted with various strongholds in the Defense Zone. The loss of Tianjin, which served as a barrier for Bohai Bay Port, meant that naval cruisers would have to relocate, forcing them to retreat to the waters around Yantai and Dalian. This would result in a complete abandonment of inland resources, shifting their focus entirely to maritime operations. While Dalian Port and Yantai Port could strategically support each other against external forces, they found themselves isolated and helpless against an invading force coming from inland.
Jiang He and his companions could only observe silently. Judging by the extent of destruction in the city and the expressions on Shaoshan and Wang Zhongyu's faces, it seemed that their plan to visit the hospital was doomed to fail.
On the morning of the ninth day, the convoy had no choice but to turn back near Tanggu Airport because ahead lay an ocean of Zombie.
It was unimaginable to see a sea of Zombie facing the ocean in springtime. Jiang He and his companions were left speechless, their minds unable to grasp the outcome of their journey, utterly shocked by the true horror of a mountain of corpses.
Before this, Jiang He had never seen a real port; having lived in inland areas, they had only been fortunate enough to visit the seaside occasionally—two entirely different experiences. Although they were still far away, they could glimpse a corner of the vast sea surface, which was now filled with Zombie. The sight resembled a fleet returning triumphantly, starkly illustrating how terrifying a large population could be. They had previously learned about this port through written materials; for instance, it was known as the largest comprehensive port in northern China and an international trade hub; it was also one of the world's highest-rated artificial deep-water ports capable of accommodating state-of-the-art container ships; its container throughput was also first in northern China... Yet none of this mattered now; all they could see were living depictions from "The Zombies and the Sea."
Only then did Wang Zhongyu understand what Kenny had meant before leaving the Gobi Desert.
"Leave by boat... This land no longer belongs to you... provided they are still alive..."
"What has he done?" Wang Zhongyu lowered his binoculars, his gaze vacant. He had just been observing the direction of their departure point—the place where Shaoshan had been secretly meeting with that military old man. It used to be a strategic location with iron barriers, but now it had become a gathering place for Zombie. The ships that once docked at the port had vanished without a trace; all that remained on the sea were abandoned container ships and various smaller vessels. A thick fog enveloped the sea, creating an ethereal white expanse.
The novelty for Jiang He and his companions had worn off as they gathered around the Raptor, chatting idly. They were taken by Shaoshan to a theme park that featured an observation tower with an expansive view overlooking Tianjin.
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