Let's go fight!
I walked up to the soldier and looked at him closely for a while. His uniform was a bit dirty, but because it was camouflage, it wasn't very noticeable. His face was covered in various colors from being punched, so it couldn't have been from zombies; it must have been Yu Zhongjian's handiwork. He was really young, with a baby face and a bit of chubby cheeks, looking like a freshman in college participating in military training.
I bent down slightly and said softly, "I'll ask you a few questions. Just nod or shake your head. If what you say is true, I'll take the stuff out of your mouth, okay?"
Perhaps it was because I was a woman, or perhaps it was because of my kind attitude, that the defensiveness and anger in his eyes subsided somewhat, replaced by a hint of impatience, and he nodded.
"Do you have a soldier's ID?" I noticed that his collar insignia only had one stripe.
He immediately tilted his chin towards his left chest, looking rather impatient.
I pulled a small, dark red booklet from his pocket. Sure enough, the cover had the words "Soldier's ID" on it. When I opened it, his name, place of origin, date of birth, enlistment date, and unit number were all clearly recorded. The one-inch photo with the official seal was indeed him, and there was an anti-counterfeiting mark in the lower left corner.
I showed it to Han Bo, but he didn't say anything. I couldn't tell if the soldier's ID was real or fake, but this 18-year-old boy named Zhang Yanhuang was just a new recruit who had only been in the army for a little over four months. Was there any need for him to impersonate someone else? So I put the soldier's ID back into his pocket.
"Which unit does this number belong to? Our Huaicheng?"
He shook his head.
I perked up: "You came from somewhere else? Have rescue troops entered Huaicheng?"
He nodded, then shook his head, his anxiety undisguised.
I'm confused. What does it mean to point and shake? I think this young man must know a lot of things. I won't know unless I let go of his mouth.
I reached out and touched his mouth, then stopped: "I'll ask you one more question, did you bring the zombies here?"
His eyebrows suddenly furrowed into a V-shape, and his eyes changed from anxious to indescribably sad, blinking as if he was about to cry. Then he nodded, then shook his head.
I glanced at Han Bo helplessly: "Did you take it?"
Han Bo shrugged: "Take it."
I struggled to pull the gag out of Zhang Yanhuang's mouth. Yu Zhongjian had stuffed it in really tightly. As soon as I took it out, Zhang Yanhuang immediately started coughing and spitting out saliva. He even coughed up a mouthful of blood, which startled me again.
Han Bo pinched his mouth and looked at it, saying that his tongue was bitten. I breathed a sigh of relief, because I thought he had a contagious disease.
Five minutes later, Zhang Yanhuang finally calmed down. His first words after regaining his speech were, "Let me go! I need to save the company commander!"
Out of my natural affinity for soldiers, I didn't refuse him outright. Instead, I spoke to him gently, "No rush, tell me what happened first? Did you fire that shot last night?"
He nodded dejectedly: "I was the one who set them off. When I got here, I only had a few bullets left, and Sergeant Chen didn't have a gun. We had no choice but to shoot. The zombies were lured out by those bandits to kill us. We didn't know there were people here. We only saw a large open space and thought we could run this way to shake them off."
I grasped the key point: "Bandits? What bandits?"
Zhang Yanhuang became agitated: "Don't you know that living here? Those people aren't soldiers at all, they're all fakes! They're just a bunch of bandits. They formed their own gang, got weapons from somewhere, and dared to attack real soldiers, even capturing our company commander!" As she spoke, her eyes reddened. "Our company commander was held back by them while trying to save us, I must go and save him!"
Han Bo and I exchanged a glance, seemingly understanding something. I ran inside to get some tissues, wiped Zhang Yanhuang's face haphazardly a few times, and said, "Don't cry yet. Explain yourself clearly. Which unit are you from? How did you get to Huaicheng? How many of you are there?"
Zhang Yanhuang sniffed: "I won't tell you, we have confidentiality regulations."
I was speechless. This questioning really sounded like interrogation. So I put on a sincere face: "You can tell that we're not with the bad guys, right? You brought the zombies here and almost killed my family of seventeen, but we didn't do anything to you, did we? As ordinary people, we believe that soldiers won't harm people. We're still counting on you to come and rescue us. We're asking you these questions to find out how likely we are to be rescued."
Zhang Yanhuang was a trusting and easily moved soldier. I hadn't said more than a few words when he started crying again, filled with immense guilt: "I'm sorry to have disappointed you. We may not be able to carry out the rescue because... we were also forced into Huaicheng."
Hearing this, I wasn't disappointed. I had already figured it out: if a rescue force had really come, how could they have been captured by irregular armed groups, or chased by zombies in a panic?
"I don't need to ask which unit you're from. Just tell me, are other cities as bad as this one?"
"It's even worse than here, at least that's how it is where I am. Almost everyone is dead. All I can tell you is that we came from the same unit, but when we entered Huaicheng, there were only three of us left: the company commander, Squad Leader Chen, and me."
Mentioning the company commander, he immediately perked up: "I believe you are the real ordinary people, not bandits. We really didn't know there were people here last night, and we're sorry for causing you trouble. But since I didn't do it on purpose, can you let me go? I'm afraid those people might harm the company commander."
I pondered for a moment and then asked, "How did you encounter those people? Why did they want to capture your company commander? And why did they lure out the zombies?"
Zhang Yanhuang said, "We encountered those people not long after getting off the highway. At first, we thought they were just ordinary survivors. They said they had gathered all the survivors from Huaicheng together in a small base where we could rest and eat. Because we were so tired, we went with them. But then we saw two men with guns at the entrance. The company commander said something was wrong and told us to be on guard. As soon as we went in, they pointed their guns at us and demanded that we hand over all our equipment. There were about twenty of them; we couldn't fight them head-on, so we gave in. Then they tied us up..." In a small room, the company commander untied the ropes at night, knocked out two guards, and stole their guns, trying to escape. However, he was discovered at the second door. The company commander blocked the door and opened fire, ordering me and Squad Leader Chen to go first, while he covered our retreat. Later, the bandits came in a car, relentlessly firing at us until we reached a bridge. Suddenly, many zombies appeared out of nowhere. We only had the stolen gun, and our ammunition was running low. The zombies were right behind us, so we could only fight and run desperately until we reached this point. The company commander… couldn't escape at all.”
Zhang Yanhuang's language skills were average, but he still managed to explain the situation clearly despite his rambling. Simply put, three people were robbed, and the valiant company commander single-handedly fought off dozens of men, giving his men the chance to survive. However, his men were pursued, and during the ensuing firefight, a horde of zombies was unleashed, surrounding my house. We were truly caught in the crossfire.
Han Bo pondered for a moment: "The bridge he mentioned, isn't it the Renmin Road overpass? So that means those people didn't know we were here; it was just an unintentional act."
"Yeah! So those zombies were in the underground passage before!" Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine. The zombie den is only three kilometers away from my house. If someone goes there to fight or start a fire, wouldn't the possibility of my house being attacked again be very high? It's like sleeping right next to a wolf's mouth.
But now is not the time to think about that. Zhang Yanhuang kept pleading with me: "Let me go! I got separated from Squad Leader Chen. He might have gone to rescue the company commander himself. I have to go too! Let me go!"
"Why didn't you consider that your company commander is already dead?" Binbin, who had been peeking from behind the living room door, popped his head out and asked a very real question, "Do you think he could have survived fighting against more than twenty people all by himself?"
"No way!" Zhang Yanhuang roared angrily. "The company commander is a former special forces soldier, with the best military skills in the entire regiment. He has won multiple championships in major competitions. That rabble is no match for him!"
Binbin added fuel to the fire: "They have twenty guns, and your company commander only has one. What's the use of having good military skills if they're not going to fight you one-on-one?"
Zhang Yanhuang was furious, but unable to refute Binbin's words. After a long pause, he finally managed to say, "Even if the company commander is killed, I will still collect his body! I will avenge him!"
I couldn't feel the camaraderie, but I could see that Zhang Yanhuang greatly admired his company commander. So I glared at Binbin, signaling him not to provoke the man any further. Then I patted Zhang on the shoulder and comforted him, "It must have been really difficult for the three of you to make it to Huaicheng alive. I don't think your company commander is going to die so easily."
Zhang Yanhuang's gaze softened, and he said to me sadly, "Thank you, but it's really hard to say what will happen if it's too late. Please let me go, okay? I'll come back and apologize to your family after I save the company commander."
I asked, "You're all alone, and your gun's out of bullets, how are you going to save her?"
Zhang Yanhuang was stunned. "I..."
"Your company commander gave you the opportunity to escape. You finally managed to get away, and now you're going to walk right back into our trap? In terms of numbers and weapons, it's like throwing an egg against a rock. You'll only be sending yourself to your death."
Zhang Yanhuang lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then looked up and said resolutely, "I am a soldier, and a soldier has no reason to abandon his comrades. My company commander saved me countless times along the way. He didn't abandon me, so how can I abandon him? If I don't go, then I'm not only not a soldier, but I don't even deserve to be a human being! If I don't have a gun, I'll use a knife. Killing one bandit is no loss for me, killing two is a gain for me. So what if I die? I'm not afraid!"
The last few words carried a hint of youthful defiance, and these irrational words almost moved me to tears. I looked at Binbin with pity. Look at this eighteen-year-old boy, knowing full well the dangers, yet still venturing into the lion's den. He's naive yet stubborn, passionate yet loyal. If it weren't for the apocalypse, sending Binbin to the army for some training would have been a really good idea.
Zhou Yi winked at me and pointed to the gun on the ground, clearly implying something. I understood what he meant; he just wanted to take this opportunity to implement Yu Zhongjian's plan. But didn't they all use their brains? The known enemy numbered at least twenty, all armed and well-equipped. How were we supposed to fight them?
Zhang Yanhuang's appearance completely disrupted my plans. I wouldn't have known if I didn't know, but now that I know what's going on, I really can't bear to watch a young soldier go to his death alone. He's so young, he hasn't even grown a beard yet. Most importantly, he's a soldier. Even in the midst of chaos, even though he's bound hand and foot, the insignia on his head still fills me with respect.
But we were supposed to go to the cement factory today. I hesitated, sighed, and untied Zhang Yanhuang's ropes, saying to him, "If you die, what are you going to do about apologizing to us? We can't just let it go like this, with our house surrounded by zombies all morning. A whole house full of old people, women, and children almost perished here."
Zhang Yanhuang glanced guiltily at the gun on my shoulder, then lowered his voice and said, "You people from Huaicheng are all very capable, everyone has a gun... Hmph, anyway, I'm all alone now, I have nothing left. All I can do to apologize is say sorry. Take my life if you want, or let me go save people. I can't care about anything else!"
"Shoot zombies, buddy!" I rolled my eyes at him. This kid was starting to act like a scoundrel. "If your troops don't come to our rescue, we can't just sit here and wait to die. What are we going to do if we don't save ourselves? Also, I don't want your life. You can leave if you want, but I'm just reminding you not to make unnecessary sacrifices."
After untying Zhang Yanhuang, he slumped to the ground in a daze for a while, still unwilling to give up, and said, "You are good people, can you lend me some bullets?"
“No.” Yu Zhongjian came out of the living room. He hadn’t been sleeping and had probably been listening to our conversation. Now that he appeared, he immediately refused Zhang Yanhuang.
I quickly said, "He's not a fake soldier, he's a real one."
Zhang Yanhuang was a little embarrassed and angry. He slammed his fist on the ground and stared at Yu Zhongjian, saying, "I may not be able to beat you, but don't underestimate me. I said you wouldn't accept my life, so why can't I borrow some bullets to kill some bandits? Eliminating bandits would also benefit you!"
Yu Zhongjian coldly replied, "You say you're a real soldier, don't you know that the two types of bullets are different?"
Zhang Yanhuang paused for a moment, "I don't know if you have Type 95 ammunition, so... then lend me one of your guns."
"No."
Seeing Zhang Yanhuang's face turn purple with frustration, I quickly said, "Little Zhang, calm down. We ourselves have very few guns. If we lend them to you, it's like they're gone forever."
Zhang Yanhuang deflated, and after a long while, he shakily got up from the ground, saluted the people in the courtyard, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry for causing trouble for the villagers." After saying that, he was about to head towards the gate.
"Wait," Yu Zhongjian called out to him, "You think you can just leave after saying sorry?"
"Then what else do you want?"
A cold smile slowly crept onto Yu Zhongjian's face. "You'll lead the way; make amends for your mistake."
Things finally took the turn I least wanted to see. I barely ate anything all lunch, spitting as I frantically tried to persuade everyone to think things through. The six-man group, led by Blackie, wouldn't take sides, just waiting for my dad to speak. As for Yu Zhongjian, Han Bo, and Zhou Yi, those three stubborn guys, no matter how much I analyzed the pros and cons, they remained unmoved, determined to cause trouble. And now there's Zhang Yanhuang too, making me feel more and more like a cowardly old woman.
After Zhang Yanhuang figured out Yu Zhongjian's intentions, his excitement was palpable. The resentment from being beaten to a pulp disappeared, and the humiliation of being tied up and forced to kneel was cast aside. He followed behind Yu Zhongjian, constantly urging him to act quickly, eager to lead his team into a group battle. Meanwhile, Han Bo and Zhou Yi had already begun preparing, sharpening their weapons and loading ammunition.
Feeling uncertain, I could only rely on the authority of my elders. I explained the situation to my father, emphasizing that the other party hadn't provoked us and wasn't currently hindering our survival plans. All our worries about the future were just Yu Zhongjian's imagination, and their coming to cause trouble was completely unreasonable. Moreover, the other party was militarily strong and numerous; we had no chance of winning in a fight. We didn't want to end up with casualties instead of supplies and weapons, as this behavior was essentially the same as the senseless robbery by the Black Brothers.
My dad's face darkened when he heard this. He nearly smashed the coffee table with his fist and roared in a booming voice, "Where did these bandits come from? How dare they kidnap lone soldiers! This is outrageous! This is outrageous! Are they trying to rebel? You boys, beat them up! Beat them until their own mothers wouldn't recognize them! Make them recite 'The Most Beloved People' to me one by one!"
Blackie and the others immediately echoed in agreement, leaving me dumbfounded.
Yu Zhongjian walked up to me, whose complexion was not good, and said calmly, "You don't need to worry."
I was furious: "That's all you can say! How can I not worry? Can't we sit down and discuss this carefully, and come up with a comprehensive plan before we take action? Don't you care about the rest of the family? You're just looking for trouble!"
Yu Zhongjian wasn't angry. Instead, he asked me a question: "What is your opinion of soldiers?"
I said with a sullen face, "I was talking to you about serious matters, what have you gotten yourself into again?"
He didn't speak, waiting for my reply. I was getting annoyed, so I said irritably, "What else can I say? Of course, I respect and cherish them. The country depends on them for protection!"
Yu Zhongjian raised an eyebrow: "Also, someone who's alone?"
"Nonsense! Even if you're alone, you're still a soldier. Didn't you learn about the close relationship between the military and the people when you were a kid?" My intuition was that he was trying to justify his actions. He wanted to stop him, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything that would be detrimental to soldiers.
Yu Zhongjian laughed: "Yes, soldiers don't change their protection missions based on the number of people involved, so when soldiers are alone, they naturally hope that someone will lend a helping hand."
My dad nodded repeatedly: "Xiao Yu's idea is very good, that's what I think too."
I sneered and pointed at Zhang Yanhuang: "Let's not even talk about whether his company commander is still alive or not. I'm just asking you, what makes you think you can save him? Twelve men, five women, including two old men, one child, and one paralyzed man, six guns, and one of them is broken. Come on, tell me how you plan to fight them."
My dad got upset: "Am I old?"
Yu Zhongjian said, "You're overthinking it. Meeting up doesn't necessarily mean we'll fight. Can't we just make friends?"
"Hahaha, that's hilarious. What if someone doesn't want to be your friend?"
"Then it's not too late to fight it out."
Ultimately, it's time to do it. I approached Yu Zhongjian and looked him up and down suspiciously: "You're so stubborn, something feels off. Are you Yu Yu?"
He calmly shook his head: "I am Yu Zhongjian."
My dad spoke up again: "Dafeng, what have I been teaching you? Why are you so indecisive? Knowing that a soldier is in danger and not going to rescue him, that's heartless and ungrateful. His troops are gone, who else can we ordinary people rely on at a time like this? I'm going too! I'll talk to those bastards. If they release him honestly, everything will be fine. If they don't, they'll have to be taught a lesson. Later, when the government's rescue team arrives, I'll report them!"
Han Bo said, "Dafeng, don't be afraid, we've thought it all out."
Zhou Yi said, "Sister, if you're scared, you should stay home."
Blackie said, "Uncle, we'll follow you!"
Looking at the group of people standing in the room, I knew that further persuasion would be pointless. I chuckled, "Fine, fine, it's about saving someone, so at least we have a legitimate reason." Then, I suddenly kicked over the coffee table and yelled, "To hell with it! My dad's not afraid, so why should I be? Let's go fight!"
The glass coffee table shattered on the floor with a crash, stunning everyone who then wore embarrassed expressions.
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