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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 241: Countdown 10
Jiang He had witnessed what it meant for someone to turn hostile faster than flipping a page. Before he could say much, the gun was already raised. Was this even something a person would do? Fortunately, Brothers in Arms were not to be underestimated. As soon as Jones showed signs of agitation, they responded with action. The atmosphere was tense, and the situation was on the brink of explosion.
Jiang He and Song Yao were out of sync with the escalating tension; they dared not make any rash moves, fearing that unnecessary gestures might provoke gunfire. The office was small, and with both sides facing each other, no one would come out unscathed.
Luckily, both parties exercised restraint. Jones seemed to only want to express his stance and had no intention of opening fire without warning. Faced with Jiang He's unwavering response, Jones opted for negotiation. He waved his hand, and the Field Operatives lowered their weapons, though their expressions remained grim.
Jiang He found the situation rather perplexing. He hadn't done anything detrimental to either side; he merely intended to delay their plans. In his view, whether or not their ten-man team proceeded together would have no impact on Jones's plans. His men were well-armed and not particularly weak in combat; theoretically, as long as they could safely reach the lower levels and find the drainage system, their chances of survival were still quite high.
A few years ago, an unprecedented torrential rainstorm struck the capital, pouring down for three consecutive days and flooding the city into a vast swamp. There were significant casualties and immeasurable property losses. This storm exposed the flaws and deficiencies in the city's drainage system. To prevent a repeat tragedy, municipal authorities undertook a thorough renovation of the urban drainage system after the disaster, especially in areas severely affected by flooding, where they excavated extensive networks of drainage pipes.
The CBD Zone, being an economically prosperous area, was naturally included in the renovation project. Old facilities were cleared away and completely rebuilt from the ground up. The entire drainage system overhaul took nearly two years to complete, dominating five or six pages of news reports at the time. A spokesperson stated that the new urban drainage system not only had a massive capacity but was also incredibly durable; besides serving as a sewer, it could function as an Air Raid Shelter during wartime. The tragedy would not repeat itself; this city that had stood for a thousand years could withstand any test!
Years later, a Zombie Pandemic swept across the land, leaving no city unscathed. This city, which prided itself on being "able to withstand tests," ultimately crumbled under the overwhelming tide of corpses.
Many sought refuge in Air Raid Shelters as called upon; unfortunately, they could not hold out. The makeshift shelters in the drainage system faced shortages of supplies, rampant disease, and widespread panic... but these were not the main issues; it was ultimately the Zombies that led to the downfall of survivors here.
Indeed, while the renovation and expansion of drainage works allowed for greater water flow and could accommodate many desperate souls seeking refuge, how could places accessible to living people stop Zombies from advancing?
The city's drainage network was intricate; even the Garrison could not fully seal it off. Furthermore, lighting in these underground passages was extremely inconvenient due to the collapse of the city's power grid; torches and candles became their only options for illumination. However, this method produced heat—an irresistible beacon for Zombies drawn to warmth.
It was a long way off. After all, Jones was unaware that the escape route he had pinned his hopes on had already turned into a hell on earth.
The scene shifted back to the China Zun Tower, continuing with the standoff between the two parties.
Jiang He despised silent confrontations. Was there anything that couldn't be clearly stated? Whether it was fighting or causing a ruckus, laying everything out in the open was both direct and clear—what was there not to like? Unfortunately, it seemed people preferred to be indirect; for instance, Jones, as an American guy, appeared to enjoy the air of mystery.
Jiang He had just asked directly, "What do you mean by that?"
Jones did not provide an equally direct answer. Instead, he hesitated for a moment before replying, "I thought you were on my side now."
Jiang He felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest and struggled to suppress the urge to curse him out. He tried to remain calm and said, "We are still allies. Besides, what’s the point of picking sides at a time like this?"
"I heard everything you said," Jones replied, hands clasped behind his back, shrugging. "I’m not planning to apologize; on the contrary, I need your explanation."
"Explain what?" Jiang He filtered out his nonsense and pondered what to do next. Jones had already heard their plan; continuing to hide it was pointless. The real issue was how Jones felt about it.
From his demeanor when he first opened the door, it was clear that Jones's attitude was not what Jiang He had hoped for.
"Explain what you just said," Jones showed no intention of entering. The field personnel at the door remained still, clearly indicating that this wasn't a peaceful negotiation. It seemed he would turn hostile if he didn't receive a satisfactory answer.
At this moment, Jiang He's position was quite awkward. To the Establishment, he and Song Yao were key individuals who needed protection. Given their connections with Shaoshan and Wang Zhongyu, the soldiers took great care of them and even consulted them on issues like escape plans. As for Jones, he only knew Jiang He and Song Yao as subjects of an experiment; he had no idea what they had done in the past. Observing Jiang He's relationship with Wang Zhongyu and noting how well the soldiers treated them led him to believe that Jiang He was also someone of significance... This misunderstanding caused Jones to target Jiang He directly, treating him as if he were the leader of the remnants of the Establishment.
Thus, Jones demanded an explanation from Jiang He regarding why he had known all along that zombies would change during the snow season but hadn't informed them until now. Like the soldier's earlier lamentation, if Jiang He had shared this information sooner, they could have saved considerable energy and resources over the past half month. They might even have been able to reunite the divided field personnel and consolidate their efforts in anticipation of the impending heavy snowfall.
" Jiang He " felt a deep sense of helplessness welling up inside him. He was simply not cut out for negotiations; just that one sentence had completely extinguished Jones's hopes.
The "American Guy," whose features were quite handsome, smiled faintly, and the meaning in his eyes was clear: "I open my heart to you, yet you treat me like a fool?"
" Jiang He " wanted to explain, but he didn't know where to start. As he watched Jones's expression change abruptly, he felt at a loss for how to salvage the situation. Fortunately,
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