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墨書 Inktalez
Act 4: Prefer Words Over Weapons
A light sound of the door opening came from downstairs, and a few spirited young men followed Jiao Ziqian out. Luo Yu stayed behind with some of the group to guard downstairs, leaving only a few girls without much combat ability upstairs. They had already eaten dinner before their nighttime mission, so there was no fire lit now. The girls simply spread out some bedding and fell asleep fully clothed, while Xin Mengfan remained at the table, her delicate fingers twirling her long hair, her large eyes sparkling.
"What's wrong? Are you not used to sleeping on the ground after a few days on a big mattress?" Song Jiu, who also had no intention of sleeping, sat down across from the beautiful girl and started chatting.
"Yeah~" Xin Mengfan pouted with a smile, deliberately elongating her tone to sound coy as she complained, "I was treated like a princess over there, and now I've returned to being just a maid. The psychological gap is really too much."
"Stop joking." Song Jiu chuckled and ruffled the girl's hair. "Get some rest; we have to travel tomorrow."
"Do you need my help tomorrow?" Xin Mengfan blinked and asked. "That group is probably tougher than us; we can't just charge in, right?"
"I need to think about it; I don't know much about them." Song Jiu was also troubled by this issue—how to rescue the little girl was a problem. According to the Middle-Aged Man, that group by the river had strong armed forces; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to stand firm for a year. Relying solely on their small-caliber firearms and a few steel knives would be like throwing eggs against stones. Trading goods for people might be a solution, but Song Jiu was unwilling to suffer that loss, and besides, they didn't have any valuable items to exchange.
Given the composition of Song Jiu's team, their survival in this world relied not on unmatched military strength. After all, with the current breakdown of order, there were many ruthless Survivors willing to resort to violence for mere scraps of food, let alone fight over large resources. Their ability to turn danger into opportunity and succeed in perilous situations stemmed from two factors: first, individuals like Song Jiu and Luo Yu who were clever and skilled at planning; second, those like Jiao Ziqian and Xin Mengfan who were daring and willing to take risks. However, there was a slight distinction between the latter two—Jiao Ziqian fought with bravery and sweat, while Xin Mengfan relied on her looks.
For instance, during this night raid on the train station, Song Jiu and Luo Yu set up the ambush plan while Jiao Ziqian led the team to scout ahead. Xin Mengfan ventured alone into danger to gain trust and relay information from outside. This "tactical plan" had been implemented many times before without any mistakes so far. Therefore, when Xin Mengfan noticed that Song Jiu seemed somewhat at a loss, she proactively suggested using their previous strategy again.
Three years ago, regardless of the circumstances, using female members' bodies as bait would have been considered disgraceful. However, times had changed rapidly; in today's environment, the line between "human" and "object" had become increasingly blurred. Concepts like "values" and "morality," part of human civilization, were disappearing at an alarming rate. Undeniably, this "disappearance" could be both active and passive—some people's inner worlds had been completely turned upside down while others chose selective oblivion.
It all boiled down to survival.
When Song Jiu met Xin Mengfan during chaotic times, humanity had not yet fully grasped what it meant to live without the threat of Zombies before being unexpectedly driven back into the deep mountains by revived Zombies. At that time, Song Jiu did not have a team; he was accompanied only by three or five fellow survivors struggling for scraps of food, living day by day without knowing what tomorrow would bring. On one chilly spring day when winter was giving way to warmth, Song Jiu went out searching for supplies as usual with his companions. However, when he returned late at night to their temporary refuge, only Xin Mengfan remained by his side.
Thus, Xin Mengfan became one of the earliest members of this team and one of Song Jiu's most capable assistants.
Regarding the proposal from Dream Fan, Song Jiu had considered it, but this time the situation was somewhat different. They seemed to be facing not a ragtag group like the Railway Guerrillas, but an organized survival force. According to Song Jiu's usual style, he generally would not provoke such camps because they were not worth the trouble. Acts of burning, killing, and looting, regardless of the motive, still followed the tradition of "the strong oppressing the weak." To act against an opponent one knows is stronger requires either great courage and wisdom or sheer foolishness.
Song Jiu was not arrogant enough to think he could take on a team armed with a large number of firearms using only Cold Weapons Squad. Therefore, a direct confrontation was absolutely out of the question. As for old methods? They were also unsuitable because seduction had a prerequisite: the other party had to be lecherous or lacking in women. The Railway Guerrillas were all rough men; while Dream Fan's delicate beauty might have a fatal attraction for them, it would have no effect on the gang by the riverbank. Who were these people? They were capable of setting up camp and opening a market in Zombie territory—did they lack women? Probably not. The problem was that since they didn’t lack women, why would they trade their precious gasoline for a sixteen-year-old girl who couldn’t carry her own weight?
Was it merely to satisfy some kind of "preference"? Song Jiu thought that was unlikely; their gasoline reserves probably weren’t abundant enough to waste so freely. Moreover, since the Railway Guerrillas mentioned they had exchanged for women before, it seemed that women were also one of their "strategic reserves."
With this thought, Song Jiu furrowed his brows even tighter... They were so extravagant; what could he offer in return?
Xin Mengfan did not disturb him; she simply watched him twist his brows in contemplation. Her motto had always been clear: you handle the fighting, I’ll handle the bedding. There was no ambiguity there.
"I have no leads; let’s take a break. I’ll go discuss this with Luo Yu," Song Jiu sighed softly, shaking his head as he planned to hand off this hot potato to his top advisor.
"Alright, looking at you like this, I guess I won’t need to step in," Xin Mengfan said with a grin as she winked and spread out her thin blanket to prepare for sleep. Halfway through lying down, she suddenly remembered something and sat up to call out to Song Jiu as he headed downstairs: "By the way, Brother Jiu, that guerrilla mentioned 'Zombies'... Could it be those that have been following us..."
"Hard to say." Song Jiu paused and thought for a moment before replying, "We haven't had direct contact, so I can't be sure."
"I heard them mention it during those two days at the station; it sounded quite mysterious. What if it's true? Then we..."
"Don't worry; I have it under control." Song Jiu threw her a reassuring glance and said softly, "Get some sleep."
...
Luo Yu was still awake; she left a small gap in the window glass to observe the situation outside.
"If you're tired, take a nap; I'll wait," Song Jiu said as he walked past a long table and picked up a thin blanket to drape over the Young Man who had fallen asleep on it. He then sat down next to Luo Yu.
"Not bad," Luo Yu said, forcing a smile as the cold moonlight spilled through the gaps and cast a layer of frost on her face, making her seem unapproachable.
"The girl is not easy to handle. Do you have any ideas?" Song Jiu, knowing her temperament, cut straight to the chase and presented his dilemma.
"You've already made up your mind, so why ask me?" Luo Yu looked at him with a hint of amusement. "Seeking validation?"
Song Jiu sighed in resignation. "What are you guessing this time?"
"Isn't it the same old trick? Let Dream Fan go in to scout the way, then take action?"
"That won't work this time," Song Jiu said, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice as he tried to untangle the mess in his mind. "These people are different from those we've dealt with before. The old methods won't work, and we might even end up losing Dream Fan."
"Then let's negotiate. Didn't that old man say the girl was taken for gasoline? Just return the gasoline to them," Luo Yu shot him an annoyed glance and muttered, "Why are you being so wishy-washy today? This isn't like you."
"I've been having a rough time lately; my head's all jumbled," Song Jiu pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to clear his thoughts. However, it was futile; all he managed to do was leave two nail marks on his nose without any other effect. "I still can't figure out how the girl got abducted. She's not a child; logically, it shouldn't have happened. Plus, with that tail constantly hanging around me, I feel uneasy—something just doesn't seem right."
Upon hearing his words, Luo Yu's icy expression suddenly changed, and she burst into laughter.
"Huh?" Song Jiu looked up in surprise, bewildered. "Why are you laughing? This isn't like you."
"I think you're just too tired lately, which is why you're losing your composure at night," Luo Yu shook her head helplessly. Seeing his troubled face, she stopped teasing him and said seriously, "I'll keep an eye on the tail; don't get distracted. Bringing the girl back is our priority. I advise you not to overthink it—let's keep it simple. Talk to them and draw a line for us to follow."
"I'm just worried they won't take the bait. Am I supposed to bite them?"
"That won't happen. A little girl isn't of much use to them. We just need to give them what they want."
"Ah..."
"Don't frown so much; it looks bad for everyone," Luo Yu said to comfort him, but she couldn't help letting out a long sigh herself. With a self-deprecating smile, she pulled out a palm-sized pouch of mare's milk liquor from her waist and handed it to him. "I'll make an exception and let you have a couple of sips. After that, go to sleep and rest up. We can take a break, but you can't. Don't worry too much about that girl; she's clever. She’s been sticking with Dream Fan all day, so she knows how to take care of herself."
"You’re quite generous for a big sister. From now on, you lead the team, and I'll just follow as the foot soldier," Song Jiu said as he twisted open the cap and took a swig. The spicy liquor burned down his throat like fire, settling in his stomach and warming him up.
Luo Yu flicked her ponytail and shot him a fierce glare. Just as she was about to snatch the liquor pouch back and scold him, she suddenly realized it felt much lighter in her hand. With a hint of suspicion, she shook it slightly and then fixed her gaze on Song Jiu.
Song Jiu swallowed hard and instinctively straightened up, keenly sensing that the temperature in the shop seemed to drop a bit...
"Song Jiu," Luo Yu said coldly, her teeth clenching as she spat out two words filled with sparks.
"..." Realizing something was off, Song Jiu hurriedly waved his hands. "I-I really only took a sip."
"Ha!!"
Just as Luo Yu was about to explode, a sharp sound of rubber scraping against the ground suddenly echoed from the dark street outside!
Before Song Jiu could check what was happening, they heard Jiao Ziqian's urgent voice calling from outside.
" Brother Jiu! Trouble!"
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