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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 250: The Night Before the Frost
That night, on the second floor of the bar.
A four-legged stove stood in the center of the open-air balcony, with dry wood crackling and burning brightly in the hearth, flames flickering and dancing, casting a circle of wavering shadows. More than ten people were gathered around the stove; some were smoking, others drinking. Some sighed softly, while others remained silent. The flickering firelight illuminated their faces, revealing a strange mix of expressions.
What Gao Yang said was not untrue; during this time, apart from the five of them, no one else had entered the ancient city. Perhaps there were others, but they hadn’t come to the bar. The ones left behind in the bar were four women and one man, all seemingly in their thirties. It appeared that this group was living quite well in the bar, but none had much combat ability—only Gao Yang and Fifth could hold their own.
Ming Junwei and Jiang He had spent the most time with them and knew a bit about their past experiences. Combining this with the time Gao Yang mentioned they had been at the bar and the team he referred to, it wasn’t hard to guess their identities. This Gao Yang was undoubtedly one of Zhou Huai's team members! This group had attempted to seize the bar but was instead scattered by the chaos caused by Jiang He and his companions. Some died at the hands of zombies, while others escaped in the confusion. Zhou Huai had been entangled with them all along, while Gao Yang and Fifth took advantage of the bar being deserted to move in.
Among the five present, only Yin Nuo had no connection to Zhou Huai; the others had a significant history with him. Originally, their group was heading to Shanxi with revenge in mind, but unforeseen circumstances disrupted their plans. Life is unpredictable; who would have thought that after going in circles, they would return to this city and find themselves sitting together with enemies' allies? Ming Junwei did not hide anything; he didn’t need to. Gao Yang wasn’t a fool; when Ming Junwei mentioned Fan Bar, he vaguely recalled these people's identities. He didn’t fabricate a story on the spot but spoke honestly and brought them to this bar.
The brief standoff downstairs during the day did not ignite conflict. Ming Junwei and his companions felt somewhat dazed upon seeing the bar. Yin Nuo had never met Chao Yifan but had heard much about him since her graduate student admired Chao Yifan greatly. As for the others, it goes without saying that after spending so much time together through thick and thin, bonds had formed. Looking at this bar that belonged to him, scenes from the past flashed through his mind—the playful smile of Bald Kid seemed to echo in his ears for a moment before abruptly freezing at the vastness of the Loess Plateau, accompanied by a gunshot heralding dawn. Having experienced life-and-death situations more often than not, this group had not become numb; instead, they had grown more emotional than before.
Since a fight was out of reach now, Gao Yang breathed a sigh of relief and let those upstairs come down to open the door for these returning travelers. Everything inside the bar remained as it was; most of the original wooden decor was damaged, showing signs of human destruction. A large brass clock sat atop the bar shelf, looking quite impressive as its hands continued to move steadily. Ming Junwei stared at it for a moment before tilting his head and asking, “Did you pick up this clock?”
“No, it was already here,” Gao Yang replied.
Ming Junwei smiled slightly but said nothing more; he quietly observed for a while before joining everyone upstairs.
The silence among these five caught Gao Yang off guard; he initially thought that even if they didn’t turn against him outright, they would likely distance themselves from him. He had been weighing his words carefully, hoping to set aside past grievances so they could coexist peacefully and support each other in survival. However, Ming Junwei and his companions said nothing; once upstairs, they stood by the railing in a daze, staring at the quiet street without uttering a word.
The remaining men and women were puzzled by what was happening; what they witnessed downstairs made them uneasy. Moreover, there was an uncomfortable aura surrounding these five individuals—it certainly didn’t seem like they were friendly people, including those two girls. Ming Junwei and his companions paid no mind to how others perceived them; if Jiang He or Chao Yifan were present at that moment, they would undoubtedly be keenly observing everyone’s reactions around them and feeling proud of their own "killing intent."
They remained silent, and Gao Yang found it difficult to break the ice. His judgment was generally correct, so he needed to find a new strategy to try and mend their relationship. Fifth did not disturb them; he was rather timid and could barely hold his own against Zombie, let alone engage in a battle of wits with living people.
The awkward silence upstairs lingered for a long time. Gao Yang brought over a few lounge chairs and instructed the two women to prepare a meal. Ming Junwei's group had just finished eating before arriving, and given their current mood, they had no appetite. They thanked him lightly and passed on the offered bowls and chopsticks. Although they did not eat, the exchange of a few words reopened the lines of communication between both sides. Clearly, both groups had a lot to say but lacked an outlet for their feelings.
Gao Yang took the initiative to speak first, making his attitude and sincerity clear from the outset.
"I can leave this place; it doesn't belong to me. I just hope you will allow them to stay," Gao Yang said, gesturing toward his teammates. His tone was earnest as he continued, "They are not part of the previous team and are unaware of past grievances."
Ming Junwei lifted his gaze to look at him but remained silent.
Seeing this attitude from Ming Junwei, Gao Yang chose not to continue with grandstanding but instead shifted the conversation to the past.
"You might not believe it, but I have no deep-seated hatred toward your companions. I admit that Zhou Huai had ulterior motives when he brought us to the bar, but neither Fifth nor I had any direct contact with your friends. Moreover, they left the bar afterward, which is why Fifth and I ended up staying." Gao Yang's words lacked conviction; he wasn't sure how those young people had described past grievances to Ming Junwei and his group, but judging by their expressions and attitudes, it seemed they hadn't spoken kindly.
"You don't need to tell me this," Ming Junwei said, flicking his fingers. The cigarette butt arced through the darkness, its glowing ember flickering as it fell. Ming Junwei seemed lost in thought for a moment before saying, "It's meaningless."
"So what do you mean—"
"You've seen those young men and women from the bar before, right?" Ming Junwei interrupted him with an unrelated question.
"Uh? Yes, I have. What's wrong?" Gao Yang was confused and didn't understand what Ming Junwei meant by asking this.
"There were two boys and two girls, right?" Ming Junwei counted off on his fingers.
"Yes, no, it seems like more than that. I remember they brought one or two people with them before leaving the city," Gao Yang said, frowning as he recalled the details, still unsure of what he wanted to convey.
"Do you have any impressions of them? Of those few?" Ming Junwei asked, reaching over to pick up the FN shotgun lying next to Xiao Wei, casually playing with it in his hands. This action left everyone momentarily stunned. The women near Gao Yang subtly shifted away, unwilling to stay too close to him, fearing they might be caught in the eye of the storm.
"I... I have some vague memories..." Gao Yang was uncertain about whether he remembered Jiang He and the others, but it was clear that he was increasingly worried about the situation unfolding around them.
"One of them was a young girl, not yet twenty, who loved to wear skirts. Do you remember her?" Ming Junwei seemed to be casually toying with the gun. Without waiting for Gao Yang's response, he continued, "She died—shot dead by Zhou Huai."
As he spoke those last words, Ming Junwei suddenly raised his voice. The teammates of Gao Yang, who had been listening with their heads down, were startled and exchanged glances before quickly lowering their heads again. Although they were unclear about what had happened, they had picked up on some hints from the conversation between the two men and sensed a hint of tension in the air. Both Gao Yang and Fifth paused for a moment; they indeed remembered the girl Ming Junwei mentioned. After all, they hadn't seen many living people in over six months, so while their memories might be a bit hazy, they could still recognize her.
"There was another girl, just sixteen. Do you know what Zhou Huai did to her?" Ming Junwei placed the gun on his lap and lit a cigarette.
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