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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 217: The Unfading Shadow (Part 2)
The fishing boat, over twenty meters long, appeared quite new, suggesting it had not been in operation for long. Its hull was white, marked with the shipping company’s identification number at the bow, and a red flag fluttered at the top of the mast, snapping in the wind. Zhou Huai sat at the edge of the boat, catching his breath, sweat pouring down his forehead, soaking through his shirt front and back. At the end of the container alley, a cargo container was being relentlessly battered by a tremendous force, with the lever trapped between containers showing signs of imminent collapse. Through the gaps in the containers, he could see a horde of frenzied zombies roaring in the distance.
Directly opposite this medium-sized fishing boat was a dock about four to five meters away, connected by a flat walkway for pedestrians. The deck was piled high with goods—Zhou Huai's accumulated possessions over these past few days. Diesel had become increasingly difficult to procure, and his reserves were far from what he had anticipated. There was no alternative; unlike cars, boats had limited access to fuel sources. While there were many large workboats nearby, their fuel tanks had already been stripped bare by earlier fleets. Moreover, refueling a boat was labor-intensive, and he couldn’t manage all that work alone.
However, Zhou Huai had his own clever plans. He never intended to travel far with this fishing boat; getting close to the Changshan Islands would be sufficient. It was said that soldiers had retreated to the Yellow Sea region, leaving behind some reefs that provided him with an opportunity. The open sea was vast and beyond his navigational skills and equipment to reach; however, there were advantages to staying near shore. As long as he could secure a foothold on one of those reefs, he wouldn’t have to worry about starving. The only issue was that many survivors from coastal cities had already landed on the islands; he wondered if any of those small reefs still remained unclaimed.
At the stern of the boat was a small lifeboat fixed in place—enough for him to navigate close to shore alone. The boat had two engines that seemed to be functioning well after several adjustments. He had transferred all his food and fresh water supplies and was just waiting to set sail.
Zhou Huai exhaled a puff of smoke slowly; his dark face bore numerous scars, and his lips looked somewhat chapped. The cigarette burned quickly as he took a deep drag before flicking the butt away and returning to the container alley. The alley twisted and turned like a maze; Zhou Huai had blocked off all cross alleys near the dock where he had managed to survive for some time. On the left side of one container, there was a crack—a makeshift door cut open with hydraulic shears—releasing a foul stench that could be detected without getting too close.
Zhou Huai inspected the precariously balanced blocking mechanism of the container before grabbing a crowbar leaning against it and stepping inside. Sunlight streamed through the gap at the door's edge, illuminating a disheveled mattress on the floor surrounded by heaps of discarded trash. He approached it, adjusted his pants, and sat down on the mattress before lifting off a heavily moldy blanket. Wrapped inside was a disheveled woman with wild hair and terrified eyes; her mouth was taped shut while her hands and feet were bound together.
“Have you thought it over?” Zhou Huai reached out to touch her head gently, but she recoiled violently, her fear turning into disgust and hatred.
“I can’t take you with me like this; you need to cooperate,” Zhou Huai seemed to have anticipated this reaction and wasn’t surprised by her response. His speech was slow and somewhat slurred, sounding as if he were struggling for breath. He reached out and peeled off the tape from her mouth; this time she didn’t flinch but gasped for air while spitting at him.
Zhou Huai felt slightly helpless as he wiped away the spit from his face with a bitter smile. “I’ve shown you kindness; if you act like this, I really can’t help you.”
“You killed my dad, you beast! How could you do that?” Her voice was hoarse; beneath her tangled hair lay a youthful face that didn’t seem very old.
“That was his own doing,” Zhou Huai waved his hand impatiently before asking again, “I’ll ask one last time: will you come with me? I’ve found a safe place where we can live well without hiding anymore. We can build our own house; I’ll go fishing while you sew at home. We’ll support each other through winter. Next year when conditions improve, we can have a child—how does that sound? I don’t mind if they take your father’s surname.”
"Bah!" The woman spat out her response with a thick phlegm.
Zhou Huai's disappointment was evident on his face as he sighed regretfully and murmured, "Why bother?"
"Who saved you when you were lying on the ground like a dead dog? My father fed you, cared for you, and treated your injuries, and this is how you repay him?" As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion. She bit her lip stubbornly, trying hard not to cry in front of this beastly man. Angrily, she said, "Just kill me! I know I can't kill you; I don't want to live anymore."
"Sigh... I really want to spend my life with you," Zhou Huai said, looking at her with what seemed to be genuine reluctance in his eyes.
"Disgusting! Bah!"
"Sigh..." Zhou Huai reached out and pulled her into his embrace, sealing her mouth once more. The woman struggled fiercely, but instead stirred something within Zhou Huai. His rough hands kneaded her body for a moment until the sound of heavy objects splashing into the water outside brought him back to his senses.
The look of disgust in her eyes made him feel a bit sad, but he didn't show it on his face. Shaking his head regretfully, Zhou Huai placed the woman back on the pillow and covered her face with the blanket. Underneath the blanket, she whimpered softly; her voice was muffled, making it hard to discern what she was saying.
Zhou Huai stood up, took a deep breath, and swung the crowbar in a wide arc before bringing it down forcefully. The sharp edge of the crowbar struck the rounded bulge of the blanket, and the muffled sounds abruptly ceased. He did not stop there; he continued to swing the crowbar repeatedly until the blanket sank down. Each strike sent splatters of blood flying until he finally paused, panting heavily. He wiped the blood from his face and wrapped the corpse in the blanket before carrying it outside, the metallic scent of blood overwhelming him as he stepped into the container behind.
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