Meeting is accidental, separation is destined
If Xiao Lu dares to say she won't accept it, I'll dare to stab her a few more times. As for being shot or anything like that, being afraid won't help now that I've been pushed to this point. Do you think I'll have a good life if she catches me? Maybe Yu Zhongjian can save me, but he's too far away to help me in this situation. By the time he arrives, I'll have already suffered all the losses I'm supposed to suffer.
Thinking of Yu Zhongjian reminded me of his words to me before he came: "Don't cause trouble." I felt a pang of guilt for a moment, but I quickly calmed down. I hadn't caused any trouble; it was the other party who provoked me. Only a fool would stand still while being attacked.
"say!"
With the tip of the knife pressed against her, Xiao Lu screamed in agony, tears streaming down her face: "I accept! Ah! Let me go!"
I quickly gestured to the guards with my chin: "You all heard that, she said she accepts my apology. Let's put things one thing at a time, and consider the previous matter settled. We'll discuss who's right and wrong today later. You're all witnesses!"
"Miss Qi!"
Just as the guards were looking at me like I was an idiot, a shout came from outside the door, and my acquaintance, Shan Kelun, pushed through the guards and entered.
He had a new pair of glasses, and the wound on his chin had healed without leaving a trace. He was refined and cultured, and even in this tense hostage situation, he showed no sign of panic.
"What are you doing? Release Deputy Base Chief Xiao at once!"
I held Xiao Lu by the neck, unmoved: "I didn't want to do this either, but she used her position to settle personal scores and withheld my supplies. I came to apologize to her, and she wanted to arrest me. If I didn't take action, I would already be in that disciplinary center, being abused and beaten. She might even secretly kill me and then fabricate a lie about committing suicide out of guilt to deceive my relatives and friends."
Dan Kelun was both amused and exasperated: "How could such a thing happen? The base's disciplinary center is just like the old police station. It performs its functions in accordance with the law. You're overthinking it."
I narrowed my eyes: "You mean I can let myself be arrested without worry?"
Dan Kelun choked for a moment: "That's not what I meant. If you have a conflict or misunderstanding, you can sit down and talk it over, or come to me for mediation. But by taking her hostage, the nature of the incident has completely changed. Now release her, and I can guarantee that the guards won't hurt you. If you continue to act impulsively, you should think about the consequences."
"Consequences?" I chuckled. "Base Commander Shan, you're a mild-mannered and easy-going person, so I won't accuse you of protecting each other. As for the consequences, I can give you a prediction. First, if I don't release her, you can order the shooting. If I die, Xiao Lu will definitely die. Try it if you don't believe me. Second, if I release her and she surrenders and is sent to the disciplinary center, regardless of whether she mistreats me or not, the Huai City survivor team won't let you off easily, especially my parents and my best buddies. You should know that my sworn brother, Xiao Yu, is now the commander-in-chief of the Western Front Army, with more than 10,000 soldiers and civilians under his command. He will definitely avenge me, storm the base, and capture Xiao Lu alive. Do you want to send out bombers again for her, killing more than 10,000 people? I'm afraid General Shen and Base Commander Hu won't agree!"
"You..." Shan Kelun gasped for breath, "Are you threatening me?"
"It's not that. You asked me to think about the consequences, and I did. These are the consequences." Seeing that Shan Kelun was getting angry, I felt I should add a few more words, so I nudged Xiao Lu and said, "Your narrow-mindedness is incomparable to that of Chief Shan. I only rubbed your hand with a knife, and you wanted to kill me. Chief Shan is understanding and magnanimous. He understands the suffering of us survivors in Huaicheng. He didn't blame me even after I was injured and kidnapped. Who do you think you are to dare to arrest me! I won't give you any of those gifts. Give them all to Chief Shan to calm his nerves!"
Xiao Lu burst into tears, while Shan Kelun began to gasp for breath again, his face twitching. After a long while, he said, "Miss Qi, what exactly do you want?"
"I want Xiao Lu to stop causing trouble and give me what I'm owed, nothing else!"
Dan Kelun probably thought I wanted more supplies, and was taken aback when he heard this: "That's it?"
"that's all."
Dan Kelun shook his head in disbelief: "This was agreed upon long ago, and I've already issued the approval. Why did it have to come to this!"
I raised an eyebrow: "Ask who? Ask her!"
Dan Kelun looked at Xiao Lu: "Deputy Base Chief Xiao?"
"Give it to me!" she cried, sobbing uncontrollably, washing off a layer of her foundation.
Hearing the promise, I released Xiao Lu, blew on the blade, slid the scabbard shut with my knee, and walked proudly to the center of the room. Several gun barrels were still pointed at Liao Donghui and me. Shan Kelun opened his mouth, but before he could speak, I smiled nonchalantly: "Brothers, this is the apocalypse, a world overrun by zombies. Don't you feel any remorse pointing your guns at me?"
The guards' eyes flickered slightly, but they remained motionless.
I patted my right arm: "This arm was injured in the west. I stayed on the front lines for three whole months, killing countless zombies. I wouldn't dare call myself a hero, but I did contribute to stopping the zombie horde from moving east! You guys are here dreaming that the country hasn't fallen and the government hasn't collapsed, deceiving yourselves into being so-called civil servants and protecting so-called high-ranking officials. Is that meaningful? Throw this deputy base commander to the front lines for a month, and see if she still has the mind to act arrogantly here! You know who the enemy is, so don't point your guns at the wrong place!"
I don't know if my resounding speech inspired the strong, energetic guards, but apart from Shan Kelun looking unwell, no one stopped me when I left.
Let them make a scene. As long as they don't kill her, it's no big deal. My sworn brother is the commander-in-chief!
Having received Xiao Lu's promise, I had achieved my goal and had no intention of staying any longer for a chat. I discussed with Shan Kelun that I would gather the supplies within two days and have someone transport them away, mainly to prevent any unforeseen complications. Today, Xiao Lu didn't manage to deal with me; instead, I got a beating. If I don't get my things out of here quickly, there's no guarantee she won't come up with other ideas to get back at me.
Liao Donghui, who was in a daze, did not regain his senses until he was far away from the center of the base. He then began to pray to heaven, earth, and me, begging me not to be so impulsive in the future and not to escalate ordinary conflicts into irreconcilable ones.
It's already too late to regret it now. Besides, what do I have to regret? Even the base commander has been cut and tied up. Xiao Lu following closely behind is good for team unity.
Actually, I could tell that Shan Kelun was somewhat dissatisfied. Even the most gentlemanly person couldn't stand me causing trouble in his base time and time again, leading to chaos and even violence. If he hadn't been so cautious, he probably wouldn't have let me leave today.
He was wary of Yu Zhongjian, or you could say General Shen, because the latter was the one with real troops, while he was just someone using someone else's name.
As I was leaving the base, I saw a familiar face again: Xiao Qing. She was dressed casually, wearing a baseball cap pulled low over her shoulders, and seemed to be in a hurry.
I wanted to call out to her and ask how she was injured in the earthquake, but then I remembered what I had just done and changed my mind. Seeing that she was moving freely, she should be alright, but the fact that she was willing to give up bothering Gao Chen and return to the capital meant she must have been quite frightened.
From that day on, I visited General Shen and Base Chief Hu, entrusting all negotiations with the Red Star Base to Liao Donghui. Fortunately, Xiao Lu stopped interfering, and we soon received news of the supplies being released from the warehouse.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. The first batch of supplies and personnel had already set off for Huaicheng. My father was unwilling to stay in the capital any longer and was eager to go back with the truck. His missing person notices were played at all three bases, but there was still no news of my third uncle's family. He himself went into the city to look for them several times, but the results were very discouraging. As a result, he was in a bad mood for a while, and only returning to Huaicheng to rebuild his hometown could comfort him.
I'm still waiting, waiting for the second, third, and fourth batches to depart, waiting for the brothers far away on the western front to return in triumph.
In late May, the western zombie horde was successfully repelled, and all potentially threatening groups of zombies were scattered and destroyed. Although only a handful of survivors were rescued, the greatest security threat was eliminated, and several provinces and cities to the east, as well as the capital, could remain safe for a considerable period.
Because he knew I was the one who seized Lixian County, General Shen and I were deadlocked over the construction issue. Every time we met, he refused to compromise and even scolded me several times. But when the news of the victory came, he was so happy that he generously approved a professional construction team for me.
Yu Zhongjian led his troops back to Jinyinshan, while the Huaicheng guerrillas returned first.
Liu Meili and I planned a small welcome ceremony. We gathered all the staff on both sides of the road outside the hotel. The children waved red ribbons, and the adults each carried a plate of pork and mushroom dumplings. As we watched the trucks turn into the road, I directed everyone to shout in unison, "Welcome! Welcome! A warm welcome!"
More than a hundred brothers and sisters, each carrying a gun, all dark-skinned, thin, and dirty, some leaning on crutches, some with slings, and some with bandages wrapped around their heads. They still walked in disorganized formation, free and undisciplined. In the sweltering heat, waves of sweat, stale smells, and rust wafted over, mixing together to create an unmistakable scent of iron and blood.
Xiao Hei led a group of people at the front, but seeing the stunned scene at the hotel entrance, he hesitated and stopped. Liu Meili couldn't contain her excitement and rushed forward, grabbing a dumpling and stuffing it into his mouth, asking loudly, "Is it good?"
Little Black said naively, "It's delicious."
"If it's delicious, you can eat your fill! Everyone gets some fresh pork dumplings, eat your fill!" She fed dumplings to each team member, earning them thank you and smiles as brightly as wildflowers in June.
Then chaos erupted at the hotel entrance. Sister Wei, Sister Lin, Xiao Chen, Xiao Qin, and Xiao Fang all rushed forward, grabbing people and feeding them dumplings, not letting them in until their mouths were stuffed full.
Han Bo and Zhou Yi avoided eye contact with me, so I laughed and stepped forward. "To feed them dumplings?" I asked. "No, of course, I'm going to do what I didn't have time to do before—tease them."
Although there were few people welcoming the troops and many being welcomed, the welcome party was incredibly moving and warm, thanks to the pork dumplings. Several team members who had been injured in the earthquake but refused to leave the front lines and persisted in fighting until the end of the western expedition cried while eating, saying that the dumplings tasted like home.
Doesn't it taste like home? It was made by my mom.
Neither Yu Zhongjian nor Gao Chen returned. At first, I didn't pay much attention, busy arranging for everyone to clean themselves, change into clean clothes, eat, and rest. Three days later, Zhang Yanhuang told me that the army had returned to the city. A week later, not only had they not returned, but they hadn't even sent a single word. Meanwhile, people on the mountain had already started packing up to return home. I couldn't sit still any longer.
I went to the Fenghuo base but couldn't find them. I heard that General Shen and Commander Yu had gone to Hongxing for a meeting. So I went to Hongxing and waited for more than an hour downstairs in the center of the base before finally seeing General Shen and Yu Zhongjian come out.
General Shen didn't give me a friendly look the moment he saw me, which was understandable. Although he had the loudest voice and the worst temper, I had benefited the most from him. For the past few months, all the food and drink I had on the mountain were thanks to his private treasury. After I pestered him relentlessly, he even gave me a lot of help beyond the compensation terms.
So I spoke humbly: "General, have you finished your meeting? You're so busy, you need to take care of yourself. If you collapse from exhaustion, who will we survivors rely on?"
General Shen rolled his eyes: "Go ahead and rely on whoever you want. I knew you weren't coming for anything the moment I saw you arrive. Don't say anything, and I won't agree anyway. I've given you everything I owe you. You still want to rely on me for the rest of your Huaicheng people's lives?"
I gave an awkward laugh: "No, I came to find Xiao Yu. I want to see why he hasn't gone back yet after this battle is over."
Yu Zhongjian seemed to have rested well; he had a haircut, shaved his beard, and changed out of his camouflage uniform into a crisp, formal military uniform with gleaming leather shoes. He looked quite handsome. He handed me a black cloth bag, saying, "Since you're here, take this back and distribute it to everyone."
"What is that?"
"Commemorative medal".
I pulled one out of the bag—a gold, five-pointed star-shaped iron medal engraved with: "Medal of Honor for Survivors of the Zombie Horde." I held it to my chest and said, "This thing can't be eaten or drunk; we'd be better off getting some supplies as a reward."
General Shen shook his head and sighed, "The world is going to the dogs! Young people these days have no sense of honor at all!"
That's what I said, but I couldn't get enough of that little stamp. I kept sticking it on the left and then on the right, trying to find a suitable and conspicuous place to pin it on.
Since I was using only one hand, Yu Zhongjian took it from me and naturally pinned it to my chest, saying, "You go back first, I have something to do."
My heart skipped a beat. Not wanting to confront General Shen directly, I beat around the bush and said, "We're about to head back. We're worried you might miss the train if you don't know the time, so we're letting you know. We've set it for the morning after tomorrow."
Yu Zhongjian didn't speak, but General Shen, who was listening intently, laughed and said, "Little Yu is a veteran. He always returns to the battlefield. Where did he go? He stayed in the capital! The national situation is tense right now. After we finish fighting on the western front, there's still the northern front. There's no rush for you to rebuild your homes. Why don't you all stay and keep fighting? I'll give you an extra ton of supplies."
I got anxious and asked Yu Zhongjian, "You're not going back? What about Gao Chen? Is Gao Chen coming back?"
He frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed, and tilted his head back: "He's down. Ask him yourself."
Gao Chen and Xiao Qing walked out of the building together. He looked somber, while Xiao Qing wore a hat and mask, her eyes red. They both paused when they saw me, then Gao Chen stopped, and Xiao Qing's eyes filled with disgust and hatred.
Here we go again. Whenever the three of us are together, she never gives me a friendly look. She probably knows that I've done something bad to Xiao Lu again, and the fact that she didn't rush up to yell at me right away is already a big favor to General Shen.
I didn't want to get into a conflict with her in public, so I didn't talk to Gao Chen, but said to Yu Zhongjian, "Alright, I just came to let you know that we're leaving the day after tomorrow morning. You can make the arrangements yourself."
After saying goodbye to General Shen, I turned and left. I could still hear his rough laughter from afar: "Not bad in combat, but unfortunately she has no sense of honor. She's a money-grubbing girl. Believe me, if I told her I'd give her ten tons of supplies, she'd be ready to charge to the northern front with a gun right away."
I want to say that ten tons won't do, and neither will a hundred tons. Compared to fighting the endless zombies, rebuilding my home is the most important thing in my heart.
Until the night before their departure, Yu and Gao hadn't given any feedback, seemingly deciding to stay in the capital. Han Bo was indignant and wanted to go to the base to talk to them, but I stopped him. Of course I was angry, but I couldn't explain why. Before going to the western front, I had said I would bring Yu Zhongjian back no matter what, but I wasn't in the mood for it now. Some things can't be solved by arguing, and some people can't be kept by throwing tantrums and acting unreasonable.
Our meeting was purely by chance. They haven't wronged us, and we haven't wronged them; we've both risked our lives for each other. Yu Zhongjian returns to the army, Gao Chen regains his memories, and we will part ways; perhaps it's simply our destined time to separate.
In the dead of night, I lay in bed staring at the dark ceiling, unable to sleep. If I fell asleep, it would be dawn, and we would have to leave. I didn't know when we would meet again.
There was a very light knock on the door twice. I suddenly opened my eyes wide and sat bolt upright. At this time, with this knocking sound, could it be...?
I opened the door, and a familiar figure appeared before me, hands in his pockets, a cigarette dangling from his lips. A surge of inexplicable joy welled up inside me. I pulled him inside, closed the door, and feigned annoyance: "Weren't you supposed to be off soaring to great heights, getting promoted and all? What are you doing here?"
"I've come to say goodbye."
One sentence extinguished all my joy: "...Are you sure you're not coming with us?"
"Um."
His answer was so decisive that my heart ached. I plopped down on the bed and after a long pause said, "Fine, goodbye, get out."
He chuckled, "It's not like we're facing life and death, why be so petty?"
"To me, it means that if you don't want to be a veteran anymore, I don't want to see you again!" I crossed my arms and turned my head to the side, not wanting to look into his wolf-like, cunning eyes.
"You want to break up with me?"
"What breakup? Don't use such words. It's a breakup. Forget it, we're sworn brothers. You're no longer my big brother!"
"I was never that way."
"We're not friends anymore, we're not brothers anymore, we're strangers from now on!"
I don't know why I started arguing with him, saying meaningless and forceful things, as if it could relieve the overwhelming sense of dejection in my heart.
"I....."
"Knock knock".
He had barely uttered a word when there was another knock on the door. Startled, I gestured for him to shush. After a moment of silence, the person at the door didn't leave; they knocked twice more, this time louder.
I had no choice but to ask, "Who is it?"
"Aifeng, that's me."
I was completely stunned. It was Gao Chen! He'd actually learned to knock on my door in the middle of the night! What kind of nonsense is this?! Knocking on the door isn't the problem; the real issue is that Yu Zhongjian is still in my room. It's dark, and we're all alone. What are we supposed to do?
"Oh, wait a minute, I'm getting up and getting dressed."
My forehead instantly broke out in a sweat. The single room was so small, where could I hide? I pointed to the window, Yu Zhongjian shook his head. I pointed under the bed, he still shook his head. I angrily raised my fist, and he slowly moved.
I lit the candles, opened the door, and welcomed Gao Chen in. My heart was pounding at 130, and my expression was extremely unnatural.
What brings you here?
I came to see you; I have a few words I'd like to say to you.
"Go ahead and tell me."
Gao Chen spoke, but I didn't hear a word he said. My eyes kept involuntarily glancing towards the corner of the room. There was a wooden wardrobe there, a place for the hotel to hang coats for overnight guests. The wardrobe doors were openwork, so you could clearly see into the outer room from the inside. It was just a bit cramped, and it would probably be quite uncomfortable to hide in it.
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