They are all relatives.

The girl who got off the bus was wearing the same military uniform as Gao Chen. She was about the same height as me, and she wasn't wearing a hat. Her short hair fluttered in the evening breeze. I couldn't see her face clearly, but I felt that her smile next to Gao Chen was particularly jarring.

Gao Chen introduced: "This is my cousin Qi Aifeng, and this is my comrade-in-arms Xiao Qing."

Comrades-in-arms? You became comrades-in-arms after knowing each other for only a week? Gao Chen, if you're just putting on an act, may you be struck by lightning! Why would you go against your conscience for the sake of a mission!

The girl named Xiao Qing extended her hand to me: "Hello, this is the first time I've heard that Gao Chen has a cousin in Liucheng."

Liucheng, a city on the western front, it's quite reasonable that some survivors escaped. I smiled insincerely and shook her hand. In just one week, how many stories could his amnesiac brain possibly concoct to fool you? This is the first time I've heard of such a thing, as if you've known him for a long time.

I got into Gao Chen's car, leaving Xiao Zhang and Da Gan to follow in the van. It was a military jeep, rugged and stern on the outside, but the interior was impeccably clean. Thick plush cushions covered the seats, and there were tissues and a soldier figurine on the center console. Most outrageous of all, there was a faint scent of perfume inside – an insult to a military jeep!

The passenger seat was taken by that woman, so I had to sit in the back. Before the interior light was turned off, I saw my sneakers, so dirty I couldn't even tell their original color, stepping on the light green terry cloth floor mats. I felt incredibly frustrated and deliberately sniffed around: "What's that weird smell?"

Gao Chen, holding onto his seatbelt, turned to look at me: "Is there? What's that smell?"

I said seriously, "Hmm, it has an indescribable smell, like the smell of dead bugs."

Xiao Qing turned to look at me and laughed, "Is it the smell of car air freshener? I told you it smelled awful. My sister said it smelled like osmanthus, but it doesn't smell good at all. I don't want it anymore." As she spoke, she pulled a small cone from the vent and casually tossed it out the window.

Although she was dressed as a soldier, she had very fair skin, a round face, crescent-shaped eyes, and rosy lips. When she smiled, she had dimples on her cheeks and looked like a plump, juicy apple.

I hurriedly looked away, and just then I saw Gao Chen smiling slightly at her, with a small dimple appearing at the corner of his lips.

Dimples, cheek dimples, haha, not at all. I slumped in the back seat and stopped making a sound. I don't even remember if I cooperated with Gao Chen and acted like a proper cousin. Anyway, I was absent-minded and lost in thought the whole way, just giving perfunctory "uh-huh" responses to whatever came my way.

An hour later, we arrived at the Red Star Base. We passed three checkpoints, but no one asked us for supplies anymore, and they didn't even stop our vehicles. We drove straight to the airport road without any hindrance. Our accommodation was in the cabin crew dormitory of an airline. Following Gao Chen—no, following Xiao Qing—the checkpoints and sentry posts were nonexistent; we just strode in.

Three people, two rooms, move in without bringing your own luggage. The room is fully equipped with a table, chairs, bed, cabinets, and bathroom. Even though there's electricity, the faucet is still dripping water – isn't that infuriating?

Gao Chen led Xiao Zhang and Da Gan to another room, while Xiao Qing stayed with me. She took a bottle of mineral water from the drawer of the table and handed it to me: "You must have had a hard journey. This is the staff dormitory. Apart from the inconvenience of taking a shower, the other facilities are quite complete. If you want to take a shower, you'll have to wait two days. The bathroom in the center of the base is open once a week on Wednesdays. I'll take you there then."

"Thank you." I smiled insincerely again. People in the capital are so lucky to be able to take a bath once a week.

"You're welcome. Gao Chen was so eager to ask for leave to pick you up as soon as he received the message from his older cousin this afternoon. It's not easy for the three of you cousins ​​to reunite in the capital at this time."

"Um."

I started to feel a little guilty as soon as she started chatting about everyday things. Yu Zhongjian's detailed plan didn't include an explanation of our origins. Thinking about it carefully, there were many loopholes. My second cousin had only been in the capital for a week. How did my eldest cousin contact him and know that my younger cousin was coming? Why didn't my eldest cousin receive my younger cousin when she arrived, but instead pushed the responsibility onto my second cousin?

Moreover, it's not even certain whether Gao Chen is the second cousin or the third cousin. I don't know how he managed to fool people, so I don't dare to say anything.

It's so annoying. Gao Chen is already a member of the guard regiment, just one step away from becoming the base commander. We could just find an opportunity to set up a diversionary tactic, steal from him, and kidnap him directly. Why do we have to deal with these strange people?

Afraid she would ask too many questions, I pretended to be very sleepy, yawned a few times, and then gave her an apologetic fake smile.

Xiao Qing replied, "I won't disturb your rest. Get a good night's sleep, and I'll take you to visit the base tomorrow or the day after."

"Thank you." It's tiring to keep forcing a smile; my face hurts.

Twenty minutes after she left, I finally saw Gao Chen again. We peeked around the corridor, tiptoed and locked the door, and finally had the chance to ask my question, which was as high as the sky and as deep as the sea.

"who is she?"

Actually, my brain has already given me several answers to this question, each one both cliché and melodramatic. For example, the base commander's daughter, a princess-like figure, falls for a handsome and dashing bodyguard—that's reasonable. Or, the daughter of a military bigwig, whose father wields military power and who runs rampant in the base, falls for a strikingly handsome young man—that's reasonable too.

In short, she must be a daughter, the kind whose father has a name in the base. But Gao Chen's answer surprised me.

“She was my comrade-in-arms. We were assigned to the 99th Army in the same batch. I was in the Tongcheng Infantry Regiment, and she was in the Propaganda Section of the Yucheng Division Headquarters.”

"What?" I was shocked to learn it was a comrade-in-arms. "You remembered? You're not suffering from amnesia anymore?"

Gao Chen shook his head: "I can't remember, but she has a lot of photos, videos and communication records to prove that I have known her for a long time, so I have no choice but to believe it."

WTF? I quickly realized the key point: even if they were comrades-in-arms, they weren't serving in the same place, so why did she have so many photos, videos, and communication records with him?

"Xiao Qing's older sister, Xiao Lu, was the former deputy director of the Organization Department of the General Political Department. She is also working at the base now. Her main job is to manage people. All the personnel and positions at the base are under her management."

"Oh." So it wasn't the princess's daughter, but the princess's sister.

Gao Chen didn't say much about Xiao Qing's matter, but quickly changed the subject: "She knows me, so she will inevitably pay attention to me. There are a few things I need to tell you in advance, so that if she asks, don't let anything slip."

That's what people of good character are like; they never forget their roots no matter the circumstances. His words miraculously calmed my unease. No matter how many photos Xiao Qing had of him, or rather, no matter what their relationship was, he hadn't forgotten his mission and remained steadfastly on our side.

Through Gao Chen's description, I heard a dramatic story about three cousins ​​who, after a zombie outbreak, searched for each other, embarked on a journey of exile against the zombies, endured countless hardships, and finally successfully reached the capital. It turned out I hadn't come from out of town; I was injured and entrusted to farmers on the outskirts of Beijing by my two cousins ​​for a few days. At the agreed time, I followed the agreed route to Beijing to reunite with my brothers, and also brought along my two farmer "benefactors."

As for why he didn't go to his older cousin Yu Da, but instead went to his cousin Gao Er, it's because Yu Da wasn't doing as well as Gao Er and couldn't create a comfortable environment for his younger cousin Qi Xiao. Besides, the Fenghuo Base had already started pre-war training, so Yu Da couldn't take care of it.

I thought about it again and again, and I think the story is quite well-made, and I can't find any loopholes for the time being: "You wrote it really well."

Gao Chen said, "This is the first time I've heard of this either. Captain Yu made it up on the spot this afternoon."

I immediately seized the opportunity to slander Yu Zhongjian: "Look, the brain circuits of mentally ill people are just a few more twists and turns than those of normal people. They can make up lies as easily as they want."

“I could have explained everything with amnesia, but since you’re here, you need to have a reliable background. If we pretend we don’t know you, we can’t pull strings to get you here,” Gao Chen lowered his voice. “That building behind is the residence of the base’s high-ranking officers.”

I lowered my voice as well: "Is it difficult?"

“It was very large. He was always accompanied by at least six people when he went in and out, because he had the key.”

"What key?"

"The key to turning half a country into scorched earth."

Zhou Yi still suspects that the Wolf Smoke Research Building is developing a weapon of mass destruction, but the Red Star Base Chief is that weapon of mass destruction himself. If he ever decides he doesn't want to live anymore, he could send all the survivors in the country to hell with him with a few flicks of his fingers. I was previously fantasizing about how I would humiliate him for his poor management, denounce his cold-bloodedness, and use violence to force him to provide satisfactory compensation. But judging from the current situation, that won't work. This man's psychological defenses cannot collapse; if he does, we all will collapse too.

“Moreover,” Gao Chen continued, “if the base commander goes missing, the capital will be in chaos, and it won’t be easy for us to escape then.”

I lowered my head and thought for a long time before solemnly saying, "Although we are few in number, we are the last survivors of the five cities on the southern front. Captain Fu Hua's father and brothers are gone, Lao Lin's mother-in-law, wife, and son are gone, and everyone is homeless. What did we do wrong? Even if they look down on us, refuse to compensate us, or even want to kill us, I must let everyone vent their anger, tell them about the tragic situation in the bombed cities, and make Lao Lin, Fu Hua, and those who lost their loved ones ask them face to face, 'What right do you have to take lives so lightly?'"

Gao Chen remained silent.

I gave a bitter smile: "Do you know what my mom said? She said if we fail and get arrested, she and my dad will write 10,000 leaflets and distribute them in the capital, so that these rich and powerful people can see how we ordinary people struggled on the brink of life and death, how we tried so hard to survive, and how the national rescue we were hoping for every day dealt us a fatal blow and silenced us!"

Gao Chen stared at me for a long time, then suddenly reached out and touched my hair: "Then we can't fail."

I left the tap running all night, filled the sink with water, and then thoroughly washed myself in the morning. I scrubbed my face, neck, wrists, and all exposed areas with soap several times, leaving a pool of black residue. My short hair hadn't been styled in a long time either; I'd only had Hanbo cut it when it grew long. Without washing it, a quick comb stroke was enough to create a greasy, unkempt look.

After washing up, I went downstairs to eat. The restaurant was on the first floor of the building, with a dedicated canteen chef. It was a buffet, with unlimited steamed buns, mantou, porridge, and salted eggs. The conditions were so good that it made me feel uncomfortable.

I ate six steamed buns and two bowls of porridge, Xiao Zhang ate eight, and Da Gan ate eleven. Our appetites quickly attracted the attention of other diners in the restaurant, and groups of neatly dressed men and women pointed and whispered about us.

Would we care? Of course not. After finishing our meal, we tossed the three little red meal slips Gao Chen had given us onto the table and swaggered away. They looked so clean and innocent, like they'd never experienced the hardships of life. They're out killing zombies every day; they probably eat more than we do.

As soon as I stepped out of the building, I bumped into Xiao Qing. The daytime temperature was high, so she had changed into a summer military uniform: a short-sleeved shirt with a pencil skirt and leather high heels. Her calves were slender, and she walked with a graceful gait.

"Cousin, Gao Chen is on duty. Let me show you around."

My face twitched: "Miss Xiao, it's not really appropriate for you to call me cousin, is it?"

She smiled, revealing sweet dimples on her apple-shaped face: "Age-wise, I'm two years younger than Gao Chen, I'm already twenty-eight this year, you're younger than me, right?"

"Ah...only a year younger."

“Being a year younger is still being younger. In terms of status, your cousin is my fiancé, so you can naturally be considered my cousin as well.”

"Fiancé?" The canned meat buns I ate were stuck in my stomach tube, unable to go down or come up, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable. "How come I've never heard my cousin mention him before?"

Xiao Qing, however, displayed a bit of military bearing at this moment, and said quite frankly, "Your family is in Liucheng, and he doesn't visit relatives often, so it's normal that he hasn't mentioned it. He used to be the kind of person who didn't care about anything except work. I even went alone the first time I met his parents."

Huh? Has the relationship gotten that deep?

"However, you could also say that he is my ex-fiancé. Last year, I texted your cousin to break up with him, but he didn't reply, so the breakup became one-sided and without any consensus. I didn't expect that he would have amnesia now and become much more lovable than before. I think I can give him another chance, so as long as I take back my proposal to break up, he will still be my fiancé."

WTF?

What the hell is she talking about? Martian language? I don't understand a single word! Forget about breakups, fiancés, or anything like that, I'm going to kidnap your base chief, so lead the way!

"Hehe, cousin-in-law, what's that building for?" I asked innocently, pointing to the airport terminal in the distance. No need to be polite, we're all family.

Following Xiao Qing around the base all day was more tiring than killing zombies all day. Besides dealing with her curiosity about Gao Chen suddenly having two cousins, I also had to endure her intermittent reminiscing about her bizarre two-year relationship with Gao Chen, during which they only saw each other for a total of less than twenty hours. By the end of the day, I had basically figured out the terrain, structure, sentry positions, and number of entrances and exits of the Red Star Base. I also learned the touching story of how Gao Chen, a former workaholic, managed to lose his girlfriend.

In the evening, Gao Chen finished his job and had dinner with us. I quietly said to him, "Xiao Qing is your ex-girlfriend. She has already dumped you. Now that she sees that you have amnesia, she wants to get back together with you. Her goal is to brainwash and reform you. Don't fall for her tricks."

Gao Chen said helplessly, "I've only been here for a little over a week, and I only met her a few days ago. She told me everything, and I don't remember anything. But she's Xiao Lu's sister, a privileged member of the base. Being on good terms with her will be helpful for the mission."

I sighed deeply: "It's too hard, it's too hard for me."

What's difficult for you?

"If she hadn't dumped you and was still your current girlfriend, then what you just said was a bit scummy, and I don't know what to do."

“There’s evidence to prove what she said is true, but I really have amnesia and can’t relate to it at all. Maybe I’ll know how to face her when I remember.” Gao Chen looked at me suspiciously: “So, what do you not know how to do?”

How am I going to face her after I remember? Recall our sweet romance? Pretend that being dumped never happened? I find it hard to explain my complicated feelings. After a long pause, I let out a loud sigh: "You can't reason with you men. Enough said, let's get down to business."

Supported by strong willpower, I persisted in calling Xiao Qing my cousin-in-law for two days, and finally got the opportunity to visit the base headquarters building.

"This is the pilots' dormitory, there's nothing much to see here. Let me show you my sister's office."

I stopped in my tracks as soon as I heard that, and looked at the rooms at the end of the corridor with longing in my eyes: "Pilots are amazing, how many pilots do we have at our base?"

“Only thirteen are left to carry out the mission,” Xiao Qing said regretfully. “The zombie virus is spreading too fast; thousands of pilots in the capital have not been able to escape.”

"What a pity! I saw those rescue helicopters on my way to the capital. Wow, they were so cool! Not just anyone can fly one of those planes, right?"

"Actually, anyone with a pilot's license can fly, but here we only have two people, Wu Tuan and Guan Tuan, who are responsible for piloting helicopters to carry out search and rescue missions."

Search and rescue? I smiled even more broadly. "I admire people who fly rescue planes so much. I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to get up close to them. It would be great to take a picture with the helicopter and the pilot. If not, an autograph would be fine too."

Xiao Qing beamed: "Look at you, talking like a little fan who wants to meet their idols. It's not difficult at all. I'll take you to the airport this afternoon to find them, and you can take as many photos as you like."

I took the initiative to shake her hand: "Sister-in-law, you're so kind."

Xiao Qing's facial recognition access is no joke; as long as you're with her, there's nowhere in the entire base you can't go. When I stood on a huge helipad, pretending to be happy, flashing a peace sign, and posing cutely for a photo with the high-end rescue helicopter next to me, I once again felt a resonance with the ancient peasant uprising army—the privileged class, they're so damn annoying!

A man in his late thirties, wearing a flight suit and sunglasses, walked towards us: "Xiao Qing, stop playing around, I have to go on a mission."

Xiao Qing, holding a DSLR camera, pulled me along: "Come on, let's take a picture with your idol. This is Lieutenant Colonel Wu from our flight squadron, who specializes in carrying out nationwide search and rescue missions for survivors, with 8,700 hours of safe flight time."

Lieutenant Colonel Wu asked, "Who is this?"

Xiao Qing replied, "My cousin."

So I shook hands with Lieutenant Colonel Wu, my eyes gleaming with undisguised enthusiasm. I tilted my head and said playfully, "Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Wu. I'm Liu Cheng, a big fan of pilots. Thank you for everything you've done for the survivors. May I interview you?"

I amused Wu Zhongxiao: "Which newspaper are you from? What do you want to interview me about? I won't answer any questions that are too pointed."

Have you ever been to Huaicheng?

"I've been there."

"That's my ancestral home. I wonder if there are any survivors there."

Lieutenant Colonel Wu paused for a moment: "Unfortunately, Huai City has fallen after the zombie horde passed through, and there are no survivors."

"Really?" I was still smiling, and no one could see the slightest difference on my face. "That's such a pity."