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墨書 Inktalez
The weather was gloomy, truly a scene of sorrow that complemented the mood perfectly. Huang Di and I each carried a large bag that was more for show than anything else as we stepped outside. The plan was to head to my blind date's house next door and take his motorcycle. After all, we were heading into the city, and a motorcycle could navigate through tight spots much better.
My blind date was a promising young man who had successfully started his own business at a young age. In the evenings, I would take Huang Di out for a walk, and we would often run into him either jogging or riding different motorcycles for a spin.
Huang Di was a well-socialized dog, but he was quite resistant to others, so even though we often encountered each other, we hadn’t really spoken much. I wondered if he was home.
As it turned out, I worried for nothing. Not only was he alive, but he seemed to be doing quite well. Outside the walls of his house lay several dismembered zombies, and the curtains inside were drawn tightly.
Since we were there to borrow a vehicle, Huang Di and I politely rang the doorbell. Before long, his voice came through the intercom just as the door lock clicked open.
“Come in quickly.”
At this hour, he didn’t even ask before letting us into his home. It wasn’t that he lacked caution; rather, he seemed fearless.
Before I could reach the door, he stepped out to greet me. Feeling a bit awkward, I raised my hand to wave at him.
“Shang Yi.”
“Wen Bie.” Without waiting for me to finish speaking, Shang Yi strode over and gave me a hug.
This gesture felt overly intimate given our relationship. Yet for some reason, I couldn’t stop him in time; Huang Di was also a beat slow in pushing him away.
He released me with a shy smile, looking quite pleased as he said, “I came by yesterday and was surprised to find you weren’t home. I’m so happy to see someone I know.”
That was understandable; after such a sudden change overnight, it was natural to feel excited upon seeing a familiar face.
Shang Yi raised his hand to pull me inside, but this time Huang Di blocked him directly.
He showed no sign of displeasure and retracted his hand to explain, “I just thought it would be safer inside; it’s not safe out here.”
Then he turned to ask me, “Who is this?”
I had already come up with several versions of Huang Di's identity yesterday.
“He’s my childhood betrothed.”
He’s someone I raised since he was a puppy; we are very close.
Shang Yi didn't ask why I had a betrothal but still went on blind dates. He simply pressed his lips into a straight line, fell silent for a moment, and then asked me, "You came with bags to find me; do you already have some plans?"
Alright, let's get to the point; I need to ask for help.
Huang Di is just a two-year-old dog, so it was up to me to step forward. I pulled out a large box of chocolates, several packs of noodles, some medicine I had stocked up on earlier, and a bank card I kept for emergencies from my bag.
"The traffic in the city is completely paralyzed right now. We came to borrow a motorcycle from you. There’s 500,000 in the card, but that money might not be useful. The rest is supplies from my home. Is that okay?"
Shang Yi looked at me for a moment, then glanced at the bag I handed over and reached out to take it. He readily agreed, "I thought it was something serious; of course, it's fine."
He led us to the garage, and I let out a sigh of relief. "If we ride out, we might cause some damage to the vehicle. The worst-case scenario is that we won't be able to bring it back."
Shang Yi said it was alright and turned on the lights in the garage. Looking around, there were more than a dozen motorcycles lined up.
Although I knew nothing about vehicles, I had an eye for aesthetics. Each motorcycle here was clean and shiny, each engraved with the words "worth a fortune."
"I liked driving around before I got into running, so I bought a few more."
This was my second time facing the visual impact of wealth. Unlike the last time when my mind was clouded with joy, this time I felt unusually calm.
The tower built on money was about to collapse. Humanity was once again facing survival issues, and the spirit would be reshaped.
Shang Yi told me to pick any motorcycle; each one looked like a Transformer. I chose the biggest one since I had someone who was six feet three inches tall waiting for me to carry him.
I had only ridden a motorcycle a few times before. In this situation, aside from posing a danger to myself and my teammates, there wasn't much risk involved. Learning on the spot shouldn't be too difficult.
Huang Di was fiercely protective of me and kept his distance. If it weren't for my repeated reminders before leaving not to speak and not to let others discover he wasn't human, he would probably be baring his teeth by now.
Shang Yi really had a good temper; he took two steps back voluntarily. Speaking to Huang Di, his tone remained gentle: "Don't be so hostile; I'm just here to tell Wen Bie some precautions. We can't ignore safety just because of jealousy, right?"
The little dog that still needed me to carry him—what good would blocking do? I patted Huang Di on the shoulder and pulled him aside. Unfortunately, you turned human too late; the world is harsh now; otherwise, I could have sent you off to college.
I rode my bike around the garage a couple of times, stirring up some memories and getting back into the swing of things.
Shang Yi: "Are you going to look for people in the city? Your friend who often comes to see you, I remember you calling her... Huazhang?"
Shang Yi knew this wasn't surprising; after all, she was my only friend, and Huazhang came to eat and walk with me three or four days a week.
Whether it was survival instinct or ability, Huazhang was definitely far superior to me. Unless something unexpected happened, her destination would surely be here. If luck was on our side, we might cross paths along the way.
Shang Yi: "I want to go with you. I can't just stay here; I want to know more about what's happening outside and see if I can find help."
Seeing that I was still hesitant, he added, "I am responsible for my own safety."
"Encountering danger is inevitable. If something happens, I'll do my best to save you." I didn't believe he would get into trouble he couldn't handle; after all, the Zombie corpses were still clearly visible outside.
Two motorcycles sped along the road from the suburbs to the city. Occasionally, a few Zombies chased after us but were quickly left behind.
Leading the way was a young man whose cold and calm gaze could be seen through his helmet, like a killer rushing to take a life in a movie. The motorcycle behind him was ridden by a relatively petite young girl carrying a tall man who clung tightly to her like a coat.
It was less convenient than riding my little electric scooter with just a dog before. Now, with the dog turned into a large coat, it felt quite heavy. I didn’t know why; even though he had become human, being held still felt furry. I guessed that roughing it outdoors wouldn’t be too cold in the future.
On the edge of the city, in a two-story villa area, scattered survivors stood on rooftops. When they saw us approaching, some crouched down cautiously to hide while others tried to call for help.
There weren't many Zombies clawing at the walls around the houses. A few individuals definitely wouldn't stand a chance alone, but if survivors banded together, they might have a chance to escape successfully.
Shang Yi looked back at me, making me the decision-maker. I slowed down but didn’t stop, attracting a group of Zombies gathered around the house.
I didn’t have the ability to save everyone on sight; however, without delaying my own matters, I could create a slight opportunity for them to escape—if they could seize it. Seeing that we hadn’t stopped, some of those calling for help began cursing at us. Huang Di jumped off the bike and swiftly twisted the heads of several nearby Zombies 180 degrees with his bare hands. Not only did he take care of the Zombies, but he also silenced those who were shouting insults in an instant.
Shang Yi also slowed down his speed. As we passed by a villa, two people burst out: a young woman pulling along a boy about fifteen or sixteen years old.
They held their breath and desperately dodged the pursuing Zombies, then jumped onto Shang Yi's back seat.
Shang Yi actually dodged a bit, but in a moment of distraction, he found himself in the car. The boy sitting in the middle urged him to hurry up without any courtesy.
Everything happened too quickly; I watched as the two of them swiftly hopped onto the motorcycle. They were quicker than Huang Di returning from killing Zombie. If dogs can turn into humans, it's quite normal for a person to have some Ability. I could deal with those two later once I found a place to settle down.
I calculated the distance in my mind. Normally, when taking a taxi, the trip from my home to the workplace in Huazhang City totals 81.4 kilometers. Now, traveling at about eighty kilometers per hour for over twenty minutes means we had covered less than forty kilometers.
Ahead, more cars began to appear on the road, making it unsuitable to continue riding the motorcycle. Shang Yi chose a four-story standalone villa with its front gate wide open.
We drove straight into the yard, and Huang Di efficiently dealt with the pursuing Zombie, locking the gate behind us. "I'll go inside and check," I said, not removing my helmet, tightly wrapped as I transformed into Zombie. The front door of this house showed no signs of damage, but it was all wide open.
Before I could step inside, the little boy on Shang Yi's motorcycle suddenly became alert, pulling the woman he was with away from me and staring intently as he said, "You are already infected."
I was certain that not a single inch of my skin was exposed, and my behavior was normal. I took off my helmet and connected my vacant gaze with his, asking, "How did you find out?"
Shang Yi stood still, quietly observing this standoff. Huang Di, sensing the tense atmosphere, rushed over to shield me behind him. With his height advantage, I was completely obscured from their view. They stepped back several paces, their disordered and weak footsteps revealing their fear.
I pulled Huang Di aside so they could see me return to normal and explained, "I'm not infected."
It was known that this boy's Ability allowed him to determine if someone was infected. If a person could only have one Ability, then the speed Ability of the woman who just got on the motorcycle must belong to her. The crisis was temporarily averted; I finally remembered the life-saving favor that had been forced upon me.
The boy remained wary of us and cautiously demonstrated his value by saying, "The people inside were taken away yesterday as soon as something felt off; I didn’t sense any other infected individuals in the house."
The front door was open, and the curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows were neatly drawn. Due to the overcast weather, what should have been a well-lit house appeared dark and gloomy. "The owner might have kindly left the door unlocked to provide shelter for people like us," I thought—this was what I most wanted to believe and hoped was true.
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