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墨書 Inktalez
The journey along Jiang He was smooth for the group, with only the occasional sighting of scattered Zombies feasting on corpses along the roadside. Song Yao drove steadily, familiar with the route, and to avoid getting stuck on congested main roads, they opted for side streets.
As they drove, the three engaged in conversation, growing more familiar with one another. Song Yao was 23 this year, Jiang He was a year older, and Jinhua was the youngest, having just graduated from school not long ago. She had celebrated her 20th birthday shortly before the Cataclysm.
As dawn broke, the city welcomed a new day.
People had long grown accustomed to a life of comfort and monotony, so when faced with sudden upheaval, most were ill-equipped to respond. Some placed their hopes in the government and military, abandoning their struggle for survival, which ultimately cost them their lives. Many others lacked any sense of crisis; when the resurrected dead roamed the streets, biting and devouring the living, some would stop curiously to watch, while others even took out their phones to snap pictures and gossip about it. It seemed as if this horrifying scene was merely a staged effect from some show.
However, the internet and film indirectly played a compensatory role. The scenarios depicted in movies were unfolding in real life; after a brief moment of shock, a small portion of people quickly reacted. Whether fighting back or hoarding supplies to hide away, at least they knew what they needed to do.
Jiang He gazed out the window at the lightening sky, feeling a chill deep within—a sense of abandonment washed over him. Yet this feeling was fleeting; being an optimistic person, he believed that as long as they were alive, there was still hope.
“Have you thought about what to do next?” Song Yao asked as she caught Jiang He lost in thought through the rearview mirror.
“Next? I haven’t thought about it,” Jiang He replied with a shrug. “Right now, I’m only thinking about tomorrow; anything beyond that feels too distant.”
“Oh?” Song Yao raised an eyebrow playfully. “You seem pretty cheerful for someone who’s so hopeless.”
“It’s not hopelessness; it’s confusion. Movies at least have cause and effect, but reality is just bizarre. Besides trying to survive, what other options do we have?” Jiang He spread his hands helplessly.
Jinhua in the passenger seat pondered for a moment before asking, “So how have you been getting by these past two months?”
“Me? My buddy and I hid on the rooftop, drinking and chatting every day. At first, we thought rescue teams would come; once communication and power went down completely, we stopped hoping for that. We figured we’d gather some food and drink since Zombies can’t climb up there. As long as we don’t starve to death, we hadn’t really considered what comes next,” Jiang He spoke candidly. He didn’t know what conditions were like elsewhere, so he chose not to move.
The three fell silent again as the Pickup quietly drove onto a side road. On one side was the vibrant Green Belt, while on the other were storefronts—places selling name-brand cigarettes and liquor, beauty salons for manicures and cosmetics, kitchen supplies, hardware… Normally bustling with people, today these shops were eerily deserted.
Suddenly remembering something important, Jiang He shouted, “Stop the car!”
Startled by his sudden exclamation while focused on driving, Song Yao slammed on the brakes hard. The inertia threw Jiang He back against his seat's headrest, causing his nose to bleed profusely.
“Damn! Can you be a little calmer?” Jiang He exclaimed as he clutched his nose, tears streaming from his eyes due to the sting.
Song Yao broke into a cold sweat from fright and turned around to scold him. “You’re the one being all dramatic! You scared me half to death!”
Seeing Jiang He's nose bleeding heavily made Jinhua feel sympathetic; she quickly handed him a tissue.
Jiang He pressed a tissue against his nose to stop the bleeding, still grumbling, "Look at Little Gold, so considerate!"
"Bah! You're as fragile as a vase!" Song Yao shot back, the two of them bickering joyfully.
Jinhua giggled from the side, laughing while trying to mediate, "Alright, you two stop it. We need to summon Zombie soon."
Song Yao was quick to heed Jinhua's words. She shot a glare at Jiang He and ceased the argument, asking, "Why did we suddenly stop?"
Jiang He pinched his nose and pointed out the window. The two women looked over, puzzled.
"Kitchen Supplies!" Jiang He stuffed a rolled-up tissue into his nostril and spoke in a muffled voice, "We're all bare here, without any gear. What if we run into a Zombie? Kitchen Supplies must have some knives or something we can use for self-defense."
Song Yao nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. I'll go with you."
Jinhua grew anxious. "What about me if both of you go?"
"You keep watch. If anything happens, just honk the horn," Jiang He instructed.
"But what if that attracts more Zombies?" Jinhua still felt uneasy.
"Then you drive away first; just don’t get trapped," Song Yao said as she jumped out of the car and pulled out a cloth bag from the trunk.
"I can't! I don't have a driver's license," Jinhua protested, shaking her head repeatedly.
"Silly Girl, who cares about traffic cops at a time like this!" Song Yao laughed as she ruffled Little Gold's hair before turning to follow Jiang He.
Jinhua settled into the driver's seat and locked the doors, nervously watching the two leave.
The Kitchenware Store wasn't large but had an upscale decor. Jiang He pushed the door open; inside there was no stench of decay, and everything appeared relatively clean. Perhaps due to the lack of food, it hadn't been looted yet, so most of the shelves remained intact.
The two quickly found the knife rack and began selecting suitable tools.
"Why are they all small knives?" Song Yao complained slightly.
" Jiang He " chuckled, "You probably won't even find a kitchen knife in the capital. Just make do for now. Once we get back safely, if we really have no choice, we can smash a 'Fire Hydrant' at the market. That 'Fire Axe' will definitely meet your size requirements. The only condition is that you can handle it." With a playful double entendre, " Jiang He " ignored "Song Yao's" eye roll and stuffed various knives, including a kitchen knife, a 'Bone Cutter,' and a fruit knife into a cloth bag.
"Do you think the police station has guns?" "Song Yao" suddenly asked, gripping a slender 'Bone Cutter' in her hand.
"Huh?" " Jiang He " paused for a moment before replying, "The police station has an 'Armory,' but even if they do have guns, would you know how to use one? Real guns aren't just for shooting heads off." He dismissed "Song Yao's" whimsical thoughts; reality wasn't like the movies, and untrained people could easily hurt themselves with real firearms.
This time, "Song Yao" didn't argue back. She nodded seriously and handed " Jiang He " a hefty meat cleaver.
" Jiang He " weighed it in his hand; it felt substantial, unlike those flimsy stainless steel knives. This cleaver was short with a curved edge, resembling a small axe.
"Let's go. If we don't head back soon, my buddies will go crazy," " Jiang He " said as he slung the cloth bag over his shoulder and beckoned for "Song Yao" to follow.
The two of them hurried back to the car, where "Jinhua" finally let out a sigh of relief.
"There’s an alcohol stove at the bar; let’s have hot pot tonight!" " Jiang He " said cheerfully, patting his stomach and rambling on. The two women exchanged smiles and started the car.
"Huh?" "Song Yao" suddenly stopped and pointed outside.
Five "Zombies" were staggering across the road towards the "Green Belt." "Jinhua" immediately sat up straight, tensing up.
"Don't worry; it's just these five," "Song Yao" reassured her before opening the car door and jumping out.
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