Compensation and the Upper West Line

During the arduous journey from Huaicheng to Beijing, I often used fantasy to comfort and encourage myself. I fantasized about how I would appear and disappear without a trace, turning the large base upside down and causing widespread panic; I fantasized about how I would expose the crimes of those in power to the ignorant survivors, letting the voice of justice echo over the capital; I fantasized about the bigwigs trembling under my gun, offering up large sums of compensation and begging me to spare their lives.

But fantasies are just fantasies. Ever since realizing the vast gap in strength between us and the big boss, I've kept spouting harsh words, but my actions have been incredibly cautious. We robbed three warehouses in Li County, but dared not confront the main force head-on, hiding deep in the mountains; when we infiltrated the base, I put on a dramatic act, pretending to be family and acting cute, finally managing to kidnap two people, all in stealth and covert operations. Aside from blowing up the checkpoint, which showed a bit of ruthlessness, we practically lived a life of hiding the whole time.

Why? Because I'm afraid of incurring strong retaliation, because I have family by my side. I thought that having the three base commanders under my control would give me the leverage to demand exorbitant sums, but after their analysis of the situation, I backed down. They're right; if I take a hard line and refuse to accept their demands, whether they kill me or not, and refuse compensation, there's really nothing I can do to them. Would killing these three stop the missiles from the capital from reaching us? They'd probably just fly faster, higher, and stronger.

Negotiations failed, and fighting was unwinnable—it was a dead end. When I sent everyone to prepare for battle, I was already thinking about how to use the three base commanders to buy more time for more people to escape before killing them.

But to my surprise, the bigwigs agreed. They agreed to a formal apology to the families of the victims, to hold those responsible accountable, to help us rebuild the veterans' quarters and the Qi residence, and to compensate the survivors of five cities for their losses in the bombing. Besides food, it included ten tons of gasoline, two tons of medical supplies, a thousand boxes of weapons and ammunition, various machinery and equipment, building materials, daily necessities, seeds of vegetables and fruits of existing varieties in the capital, and fifty pairs of poultry and livestock—all of which I added after returning from the Red Star base; a whole ton of stuff. They even drew a layout map of the veterans' quarters, showing where the lake was, where the pavilion was, where our first, second, and third wells were, what was in the inpatient ward, what was in the outpatient clinic, what was in the administration building—I wrote down whatever came to mind, whatever I saw, haphazardly adding a lot of things that weren't originally there. While writing it, I felt a little guilty; this wasn't compensation, it was extortion!

Perhaps subconsciously, I didn't believe this petition would succeed. Even with my arrogance and conceit, I know I can't fight a losing battle. I came because I had to, like Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin—though I died, my resolve remained clear, at least letting you know why I came to you. Besides, even a one-in-a-million chance is still a chance; what if I succeed?

We actually encountered this "what if" situation, and while we were genuinely overjoyed, we were also completely bewildered. After the big boss had strongly advised me against leaving, he suddenly agreed to this overwhelming compensation package, all on the condition of exchanging Yu Zhongjian for him. Is that reasonable?

Who exactly is Yu Zhongjian? Why does he know a general surnamed Shen? I want an explanation.

"We'll talk about it when we have time." He didn't want to say more.

"I'm free right now."

“You’re busy.” Yu Zhongjian pointed to the large group of young men below, carrying cannons, pulling cannons, and raising guns. “Aren’t you going to tell them this good news?”

He turned to leave, but I grabbed him: "Where are you going?"

"Pack up and head to the base." He finished speaking and then chuckled self-deprecatingly, "There's not much to pack, just going to say goodbye to Han Bo and the others."

"Wait, wait!" I said urgently, then suddenly felt a pang of panic and grabbed his collar tightly. "No, no, you can't leave. Let me think."

"What are you thinking about?" He turned his head and looked down at my hand that was tugging at the back of his shirt.

I don't know what I was thinking, I just felt it was absurd, ridiculous, and unacceptable: "Anyway, don't leave now, the base commander is still here, what are you busy with? Don't leave, let me think it through."

He sighed softly, "Qi Aifeng, the base commander only issues orders. There are many hurdles involved in moving the compensation from the capital, involving various aspects. It can't be done in a day or two. You should hand this matter over to Liao Donghui and give him a few deputies. Also, you can arrange for someone to go back to Huaicheng first to clean up the original site. You, Han Bo, Gao Chen, and Zhou Yi are responsible for keeping an eye on the implementation of the base commander's approval. Don't give them any reason or opportunity to negotiate again. You should know that this matter was almost entirely facilitated by General Shen. The other two base commanders weren't very willing."

My panic intensified: "Why are you telling me all this? You still have command authority. You can't just walk away. There are too many things to handle."

“You can handle it.” He raised his fingers, which were hanging by his side, and then lowered them again when they were about five centimeters away from touching my hand. “Even without anyone’s help, you can lead the team very well. Let go, I’ll go and talk to Han Bo.”

I felt extremely uncomfortable; the joy of receiving compensation had vanished. On one hand, I felt humiliated. All the work we had done beforehand couldn't compare to Yu Zhongjian simply revealing his identity. He must have played a part in negotiating with the base leaders, but if he wasn't special, why would General Shen have gone to such lengths, sacrificing resources to exchange for him? I knew some of his special qualities: mental illness, abnormality, exceptional skills, and strong abilities. Perhaps General Shen knew more about him than we did. But this special quality originally belonged to our team. It felt like we had sold him out to get the compensation, and it made me uncomfortable.

On the other hand, he suddenly said he was leaving and would never come back. Why? Before the apocalypse, he was a veteran, and after the apocalypse, he'll still be a veteran. No one has ever given him discharge papers, so he'll always be a veteran. Why should he sign a contract of servitude with the general? It's uncomfortable, very uncomfortable.

I didn't let go. After thinking for a while, I said, "Wait a minute. Let's have a big meeting to tell everyone about the compensation, and also... the news that you're leaving. Let's start now."

"There's no need."

“It’s necessary!” I said firmly. “You’re part of our team. I don’t understand why we have to replace you just because we have to pay compensation. This needs to be discussed in a big meeting to get everyone’s opinions. It’s not like we can just accept whatever that guy surnamed Shen says.”

Yu Zhongjian paused for a moment, then lowered his head and leaned closer to me: "If I don't leave, the compensation issue will get complicated again."

The tobacco and soap scents created a peculiar aroma. I staggered back, feigning nervousness and saying, "Oh, look how stunningly beautiful you are! Without you, nothing can be accomplished. So what if there are setbacks? I'm not afraid of them!"

"There's a possibility we won't even get a pound of grain, and we'll have to fight. Are you willing to give that up?"

I rolled my eyes at him: "What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm more willing to give up the supplies than you?" The words left my mouth, and I froze for a second, quickly letting go of his hand, coughing and covering my mouth. Looking around, my mind a jumbled mess, I started babbling incoherently: "Eat, we haven't eaten yet. The weather's nice today, let's go to the meeting..."

Yu Zhongjian showed no intention of giving me a way out. He first burst out laughing, then chuckled and tilted his head back, saying, "Okay, let's go to the meeting."

It was noon, time for lunch, but no one was in the mood. The group meeting in the first-floor cafeteria was in an uproar after hearing two pieces of news. A mix of emotions—joy, anger, shock, and incomprehension—filled the spacious room. Most shared my opinion: receiving compensation was good, of course, but what about Captain Yu's disappearance? To say he sacrificed himself for others to secure the compensation meant the apology from the capital wasn't sincere. No one could accept this, neither out of camaraderie nor out of pride.

After everyone had spoken up for a while, Yu Zhongjian finally spoke: "The base commanders aren't willing to pay this compensation because of me. They've responded positively to our report, but there's been some disagreement about the amount. I know everyone won't be satisfied with the amount they've offered, but the longer the negotiations drag on, the more complicated things will become. We don't have the time or energy to keep dragging it out. So I accepted General Shen's call to arms, offering to fight on the western front for the capital base in exchange for a quick result. This isn't a sacrifice, because stopping and eliminating zombies is the responsibility of all survivors. We have to kill them in Huai City, and we have to kill them elsewhere. The more we eliminate, the more time we buy for the researchers, and the faster the apocalypse will end."

Han Bo exclaimed, "But how can you go alone?"

Yu Zhongjian laughed: "Of course it's not just me. General Shen entrusted his assault troops to me."

Everyone realized that General Shen and Yu Zhongjian had some unusual relationship, but no one asked about it at the moment. Instead, they changed the subject to discuss the corpses on the western front.

Han Bo said, "No, I mean, how can we let you go alone? Are you familiar with those people in the army? Will they listen to your commands? Can they cooperate as well as we do? Eliminating zombies is everyone's responsibility. I'll go with you."

Ma Li was shocked: "Han Bo, the zombie horde in the west has reached millions, you...you mustn't act rashly."

Han Bo said casually, "It's alright. The fact that the capital city is so quick to compensate me makes me suspect they're up to something. Xiao Yu, make sure you don't get scammed again. I need to keep an eye on things."

Gao Chen raised his hand: "I also volunteer to go with Captain Yu."

Zhang Yanhuang and Liu Sicheng immediately followed suit: "We also volunteer to fight and eliminate the zombies. It is the duty of soldiers to do so."

"Are you out of your mind? You dare to lead troops into battle and then lead them into a ditch." Zhou Yi muttered sarcastically as he raised his hand: "I'll go and keep an eye on you, so you don't have another fit of madness in the middle of the night and smash someone's head."

Then came the members of Team Three, Han Bo's team, Zhou Yi's team, and Zhang Yanhuang's team, one after another raising their hands. It turned out that more than half of the original Rong Jun team wanted to follow Yu Zhongjian to the western front.

Fatty Luo and Li Qiang both signed up, and Xiao Hei wanted to too. He raised his hand halfway before Liu Meili pulled it down. He raised it again, and she pulled it down again. The two of them engaged in a fierce eye-battle in front of everyone. No matter how Liu Meili glared at him, Xiao Hei remained steadfast, stubbornly and sadly staring at her. In the end, Liu Meili gave in and ran to me crying, asking me to talk to him.

I bit my dry lips and remained silent, watching as more and more people signed up. The event had even spread to the neighboring city's brother group. Everyone was enthusiastic, putting aside the huge compensation issue, and excitedly began to imagine being equipped with more powerful weapons and fighting on the western front with the regular army.

Yu Zhongjian neither accepted nor refused. It wasn't until all the women, except for the elderly and children, raised their hands that he finally said again, "Thank you all. I appreciate your kindness, but this matter needs General Shen's approval. I will convey everyone's wishes to him. As for whether we can form a group, it depends on the capital's strategic arrangements. If we can, we can fight side by side again. If not, that's okay too. Going back to rebuild our homes is also a very important thing."

Han Bo then shouted, "If that doesn't work, we'll go ourselves. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat with zombies, those regular troops might not be able to match our civilian armed groups!"

The men laughed and then started comparing their experience and number of corpses they had killed.

Looking at the faint smile that always lingered on Yu Zhongjian's lips, my unease did not dissipate. I had a vague feeling that this matter was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

After the meeting, he went to see the big boss again, bringing Gao Chen and Han Bo with him. A girl working for Liu Meili came over and told me that Xiao Qing had woken up and specifically wanted to see me and Gao Chen.

I went to the temporary ward alone and saw a weak, pale person lying on the bed with their head wrapped in gauze. In just over a day, their once radiant apple-shaped face had become noticeably thinner.

"Hello, Miss Xiao." I felt a little apologetic towards her and couldn't bring myself to be arrogant, so I greeted her warmly and sat down by her bedside.

Her lips were colorless, probably from blood loss, and her cold laugh had a sickly quality: "Why don't you call me sister-in-law anymore?"

I grinned and said frankly, "Because Gao Chen isn't my cousin, we're friends."

"Friends?" Xiao Qing stared straight at me. "Adulterers, aren't they?"

"Tsk tsk tsk," I shook my head, "If you talk like that, we can't talk. Just focus on getting better and go back as soon as you're healed, so your sister won't worry."

"What did you do to my sister? Did you hurt her? Did you kill her?" She was so agitated that her mind was racing. She tried to lift her head, but ultimately couldn't resist the pull of the earth's gravity on her dizzy head.

I was surprised: "You don't understand what I'm saying? What you mean by 'so your sister won't worry' is that your sister is fine, she's just worried about you at most."

She collapsed weakly onto the pillow: "Where's Gao Chen? Tell him to come see me."

"I can't come, something came up."

"I want him to come see me. I want to ask him why he lied to me about having amnesia, why he pretended not to know me, and why he used me to hurt my sister. What have I done to wrong him? Who, who turned him into this heartless and treacherous person!"

I blinked. This girl had an unusually wild imagination and couldn't listen to reason. "You're not thinking straight. Take some more rest. I'll come see you another time."

"I don't want you to see this! You're all conspiring to fool me and make a fool of myself. You're all liars, liars!"

She ripped the IV drip off the back of her hand and flung it at me. I quickly dodged: "You've got a head injury, so don't move around. Okay, okay, I'll have Gao Chen come see you in a bit, you can yell at him all you want, alright?"

"Get out! Adulterers, you'll die a horrible death!"

In my temperament, a woman who speaks recklessly and acts like that would shut up with a couple of slaps, but I genuinely felt guilty. She deceived my feelings, tricked me into drinking, and even used me to get close to her sister. Although my slapping strength isn't great, Xiao Lu's neck was bound to be uncomfortable for three to five days. In the end, she unknowingly escorted us safely out of the base area. No matter how you look at it, we owe her a favor.

I'll just say a few words of abuse. Once she calms down, I'll explain our motives and offer a sincere apology. Until then, let Gao Chen experience firsthand the sheer absurdity and rage of his ex-girlfriend.

The group of men stayed in the VIP room for more than two hours. When they came out, Han Bo was gesturing and talking to Yu Zhongjian happily, while Gao Chen followed behind with a strange expression.

I kept an eye on the door, and when I saw them come out, I went to greet them. "Well, what should I say?"

Yu Zhongjian said, "Tomorrow, Han Bo and I will make a trip to send the base commanders back and, while we're at it, get the approval for the material compensation."

I worried: "What if they try to renege on their debt?"

"No, it's already being generous of us not to ask them for more when we need their help."

Seeing how confident he seemed, I didn't say anything more. The uncomfortable feeling in my heart was still stuck there. The whole thing started off badly but ended badly, and the direction it took was getting weirder and weirder. Wasn't it supposed to be about petitioning to get compensation and go home for the New Year? How did it suddenly turn into everyone going to the front line?

Gao Chen deliberately lagged behind. After Yu Zhongjian and Han Bo had walked far away, he called out to me, "Aifeng, there's something I want to tell you."

"What's up?"

“I was listening to Captain Yu and that general’s conversation in the room just now, and my headache flared up,” Gao Chen rubbed his temples. “Then… I remembered something.”

"Oh? What is it?" I tensed up. If he didn't have amnesia, wouldn't that confirm Xiao Qing's imagination? Given his character, what if he remembered his past with Xiao Qing and realized that he had done something to hurt his ex-girlfriend? Wouldn't he have an outburst of guilt? Then he would feel the need to make amends, then shower her with concern, and then naturally rekindle their old flame?

"I realized I might know Captain Yu."

His words interrupted my wandering thoughts. At first, I didn't understand, but he said, "We already know each other."

“No, it was even earlier, when I was at a hunter school abroad,” Gao Chen recalled seriously. “I don’t remember much else, but I just remembered that I saw Captain Yu’s photo, a very large photo, which was hanging on the school’s TOP wall.”

I was shocked: "Did he also go to hunter school?"

Gao Chen was still trying to recall: "That's not surprising. The longer I spend with Captain Yu, the more similarities I find between us. He must have had a military or special forces training background. What's strange is that the name in that photo is YUYU, isn't that Yu Yu?"

Is it strange? Not really. Don't be fooled by this guy's insistence that his real name is Yu Zhongjian. I know in my heart that Yu Yu is the one with an ID card, and the ID card says it all. More than his real name, I'm interested in how he went through the transformation from Yu Yu to Yu Zhongjian, back to Yu Yu, and then back to Yu Zhongjian.

Soldier? Hunter? Serial killer? Captain Yu's early life was quite eventful.