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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 251: The Night Before Frost
Gao Yang and his group left in three vehicles, loaded with supplies, driving away from the quiet street. Ming Junwei's group stood on the second floor, watching the convoy disappear into the distance. They then went downstairs to transfer all the luggage and equipment from the Coach inside. Their food and clean water were sufficient for the time being, but they were lacking weapons and medicine. Cold weapons could handle Zombies adequately, but against firearms, they would be at a disadvantage. Gao Yang's group had plenty of guns, and after tonight, it was uncertain whether there would be further disturbances. For safety's sake, they needed to be cautious. Fortunately, Xiao Wei had not returned the shotgun, but it was a pity that after coming back, he forgot to ask for ammunition; relying on just a few remaining bullets wouldn't be very effective.
"Actually... we should be able to coexist peacefully, right?" Yin Nuo timidly asked as she approached Luci. She was unaware of past grievances and felt that given the current situation, there was no need for things to become too tense.
"In theory, yes. However, that person is quite cunning; even without any past conflicts, I wouldn't dare to trust him," Luci replied as she hung a cloth curtain on the beam above the booth by the wall. She clapped her hands and jumped down from the table, speaking softly, "It's nice this way; we are all on the same side and don't have to worry every day."
"I think those people are fine; they even saved Brother Ming," Yin Nuo said, not fully understanding Luci's perspective. She continued working with her hands as she spoke.
The group tidied up the hall a bit; several scattered tables were arranged with candles for lighting. The booth sofas were turned around to form a few large beds. Yin Nuo and Weiwei shared one bed with a curtain separating them in the middle. The three men were rather lazy; one combined two sofas together and called it a day with some bedding. Chao Yifan had spent quite a bit on decorating the bar area, using four-seat leather sofas. The booths were slightly elevated compared to the hall and were distributed on both sides of it, featuring a semi-enclosed structure. The pure black floor was very clean; it seemed that the previous occupants had paid attention to hygiene.
Xiao Wei and the graduate student initially intended to use the lounge area as their bedroom; however, space was limited there and it faced the restroom, which had an unpleasant odor. The two held candles as they peeked inside and found it wasn't too dirty after all. The men's restroom had a row of urinals that showed no signs of use and were covered in a thick layer of dust. There were two Squat Toilets and one Western toilet inside; a small pouch hung on the partition filled with three or five mothballs.
"Damn, they really treated this place like home," Xiao Wei remarked in surprise. For these past few months, their lives had been no different from those fleeing disaster; if one were to consider living conditions, Launch Base was probably the most comfortable place. Other locations either involved roughing it outdoors or making do without much effort—who would spend so much time on such details?
"This is good; it saves us from having to clean up," the graduate student chuckled and asked, "How do they flush water here? And won't the drainage get clogged?"
"Not sure; we'll figure it out later. Let's head out first," Xiao Wei said, unable to tolerate the smell any longer. He pulled the graduate student out just as they bumped into Yin Nuo standing at the women's restroom door holding a candle.
"What a coincidence," Xiao Wei greeted with a grin as he hurried outside, followed closely by the graduate student who was stopped midway by Yin Nuo.
"What's wrong?" he asked curiously.
"Wait here for a moment," Yin Nuo pulled him over to the women's restroom door and whispered, "I'm a bit scared."
"What's there to be scared of?" The graduate student chuckled lightly and replied, "Aren't you afraid of Zombies? Why be scared of using the restroom?"
"It's too dark!" Yin Nuo shot him an annoyed look before reminding him not to sneak away again. Then she held her candle high and slipped inside.
The hall was mostly tidied up now; scattered tables and chairs were gathered in the lounge area, leaving the center of the hall open. The circular stage was somewhat obstructive as it took up a large portion of space in the middle; fortunately, they didn't have much luggage so it could remain an eyesore for now. After finishing arranging their bedding, Luci jumped onto a small stage next to one of the booths and spun around on a steel pole for a couple of turns, inadvertently recalling that rebellious Bald Guy.
"Hey, you can dance on a pole too?" Xiao Wei said as he circled around the dance floor with Yellow Dog in his arms, settling down on the sofa with a grin. "Come on, show us a move."
Luci shot him an annoyed glare as she jumped off the stage, laughing and scolding, "You seem so serious most of the time, but the moment you step into a bar, your true colors show!"
"What? I'm just here to support you," Xiao Wei chuckled, glancing around. "To be honest, I've never been to a bar before. Wow, I didn't expect Yi Fan to be such a boss."
"A playboy with too much time on his hands," Luci replied with a laugh, her gaze drifting to the large clock hanging above the bar.
The graduate student and Yin Nuo returned to join them, checking the entrance before sitting down and engaging in casual conversation. After a while, Ming Junwei came down from the second floor, struggling to carry a lounge chair downstairs.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Wei asked as he helped him lower the chair. "Did the stove go out?"
"No," Ming Junwei smiled as he set the chair by the door. "Get me a blanket; I'm on duty tonight."
"Huh? You still have to work?" The graduate students stood up in confusion. "Is there another Zombie?"
"Not a Zombie," Ming Junwei replied as he lit a cigarette that Xiao Wei handed him, sitting by the dance floor and blowing out smoke rings. "It's better to be cautious; I'm not too comfortable with that group."
"Oh, then I'll go. You all rest today; we can switch shifts tomorrow," Xiao Wei said as he picked up his bedding and prepared to head upstairs. Ming Junwei quickly stopped him. "I'll take care of it tonight; don't try to take my shift. Tomorrow I need to scout around; you all conserve your energy; I won't go during the day."
"Alright then, just call me if you need anything; I sleep lightly," Xiao Wei conceded. Hearing that they would be going out tomorrow dampened his desire to continue chatting. He sent Yellow Dog aside and climbed back into his bed.
"Are you cold? Do you want me to start a fire downstairs?" Ming Junwei asked.
"No need; just cover up more. The air in the hall isn’t circulating well; we don’t want it too stuffy," Luci said as she blew out the remaining candles, leaving only one lit at the scattered tables. As the hall dimmed, fatigue began to wash over them.
"Okay then, I'm heading up," Ming Junwei nodded and dashed behind the bar, rummaging through empty bottles on the shelves and old boxes in storage. After searching for a while, he finally found a few unopened bottles of wine behind the counter.
"Drink less," Luci sighed and advised him.
"Got it, you all take a break." Ming Junwei smiled, holding the wine, and quickly ran back to the second floor after grabbing a gun from Xiao Wei.
It was still quite cold upstairs. Ming Junwei adjusted the heater, leaned back in his chair, and opened the bottle of wine. Without a corkscrew at hand, he lazily pulled out a short knife and popped the top off the bottle. He took a sniff, looking completely satisfied. On the round table beside his chair were two cups; Ming Junwei filled both to the brim and raised one, gazing into the deep night. "Yi Fan, this cup is for you." Saying this, he poured one cup into the heater, then raised his own glass and drank deeply, savoring the chill of the wind and snow before refilling it.
"Little Gold, Little Pan, you two drink a cup... Little Girl, I won't let you drink too much... Old Cao, Old Bai, Zhuzi, Xiaomi, let's have one together... Don't worry, Qianqian and Wheat are doing well; Xiao Wei is fine too, he's a good kid... Jiang He, Song Yao, Dong Dong, Wheat, Little Gold, I hope you all are well. This cup is filled for you; we'll drink again when you come back... Aso, Dr. An, take care..."
The heater crackled as the wine released an intoxicating aroma into the air. The flames flickered, casting shadows that danced around Ming Junwei's silhouette. Sitting in his chair, he spoke to himself softly—saying a few words and taking a sip—before long he had consumed more than half of the bottle. Snowflakes continued to fall from the night sky; it seemed that this was the only place in the empty city where firelight flickered against the darkness and snow-covered ground.
Ming Junwei removed his eye patch and placed it on the table. His remaining eye was red from drinking; he downed cup after cup of wine with that same hue. His tongue began to twist as his words became increasingly slurred. Luci stood at the stairway wrapped in a coat, watching the man's hunched figure with slightly moist eyes.
"Summer Rain..." Ming Junwei sat with his head down for a moment to compose himself before filling two cups with murky wine again. This time he remained silent for a long while; the cup in his hand trembled as he spilled some.
Luci sighed softly as tears streamed down her cheeks silently; there was a hint of a comforting smile at her lips. The wind and snow brushed against her face, adding to the chill. She tightened her coat around herself and wiped her face dry before planning to go over and share a drink with him. However, just as she lifted her foot to step forward, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her—the scene before her blurred and shifted. Luci quickly steadied herself against the wall with an ironic smile, thinking: Truly, I'm already tipsy without even drinking.
Hearing movement behind him, Ming Junwei turned to see Luci standing there. He paused for a moment before quickly getting up and walking over with concern. "How did you come up here?"
"I couldn't sleep; I came to mooch some wine." Luci closed her eyes for a moment until that dizzy feeling faded slightly and then looked up with a smile. "Is there any left?"
Ming Junwei chuckled softly in surprise as he glanced at the small round table. "There is." He then led Luci over to it and pulled up a lounge chair by the heater, laying out a blanket.
The atmosphere became somewhat delicate; the earlier sorrow dissipated slightly as the flames no longer leaped wildly and the howling cold wind began to calm down, gently stirring the white snow that danced around Luci's long hair. Ming Junwei handed Luci a wine cup; they both held their drinks in silence for some time, each lost in their own thoughts.
After a while, Luci suddenly spoke softly: "It's almost New Year’s, isn't it?"
"Yeah, in another two months," Ming Junwei replied.
"This year, I guess there won't be any firecrackers," Luci said with a chuckle afterward. "But I never dared to set them off anyway."
"Do you like watching fireworks?" Ming Junwei asked with a smile as he turned his head to look at her. "The kind that fills the sky with flowers?"
“Do you like it?” Luci nodded, gazing at Inky Night Sky, seemingly recalling the vibrant brilliance of past years.
“Alright, I’ll set off fireworks for you on New Year’s Day.”
“Really?” Luci turned her face to look at him, her eyes filled with hope.
Ming Junwei gave her an affirmative glance and smiled as he raised his glass.
“A gentleman’s word?”
“A swift horse’s promise!”
With cheerful laughter, their crystal glasses clinked together, splashing a few drops of joyful crimson. This toast lightened the atmosphere considerably; Ming Junwei tilted his head back and drank the aged red wine as if it were water. When his glass was empty, he reached for the bottle to refill it, turning to see that Luci still held her glass near her lips.
“Not used to drinking?” Ming Junwei chuckled, filling his own glass again. “I’ll go find you something else.”
“No need…” Luci murmured softly, forcing a smile, but the glass seemed as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she couldn’t lift it.
“Hmm?” Ming Junwei looked at her in confusion, a sense of unease creeping into his mind. He leaned closer and asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”
Luci swayed slightly in her seat, struggling to turn her head. Her gaze was hazy with mild intoxication, and the faint smile at the corner of her mouth was slowly fading.
“Qianqian?” Ming Junwei felt a chill run through him and quickly stood up from Luci’s chair.
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