Selling out his uncle for personal gain?
The extra night the base commanders stayed on the mountain felt like an extremely long night to me.
I've been trying to stop Yu Zhongjian, hoping to sit down and have a proper talk with him before he leaves, but he keeps "running away" and avoiding me. He'll talk to Han Bo for a while, discuss things with Gao Chen for a while, and most of the time he'll use General Shen as a shield, either accompanying me for smoking and walking to give pre-battle pep talks, or hiding in the VIP suite for a long time without coming out.
If it weren't for the incident involving Base Chief Hu, he probably would have avoided me until the moment he left the team.
Except for a few weaklings, 80% of the male team members agreed to participate in the cleanup operation. They were divided into separate teams, led by Han Bo and Gao Chen, and advanced towards the western front following the assault troops. General Shen even came to the mess hall at dinner time to give a pre-battle pep talk. He explained the ever-growing threat of the million-strong zombie horde, emphasized the importance of this western campaign, lavishly praised the team's unity and bravery, and promised rewards for their contributions upon completion of the mission.
He said that the total number of regular troops in the three bases was only about 5,000, making it extremely difficult to eliminate the zombie horde in nine cities and surrounding areas. Therefore, he encouraged ordinary survivors to actively sign up for the reserves to fight for survival, for the future, and for the defense of their territory. The experience in the southern cities made them deeply reflect on their deployment mistakes. This tragedy must not be repeated on the western front. Therefore, they needed to coordinate air and land operations, with ground troops as the main force, with the ultimate goal of blocking the eastward movement of the zombie horde and the first priority of rescuing survivors.
The implication is that the leaders should acknowledge their mistakes, apologize where necessary, and provide compensation where appropriate. Since you have lost loved ones, don't watch others suffer the same pain. Save as many as you can, and preserve the flame of humanity.
No one could find fault with what he said, even though it wasn't very pleasant to hear.
I didn't sign up to fight. Seeing Yu Zhongjian always by the general's side made me feel inexplicably annoyed, so I ran out of the restaurant and happened to run into Shan Kelun in the first-floor corridor with a handheld power station.
"Commander Shan, what brings you down here?"
Dan Kelun remained calm and composed: "Am I being held against my will?"
“No… feel free to wander around.” I remembered Yu Zhongjian saying that he and Chief Hu were not happy with the compensation plan, so I deliberately softened my tone: “I apologize to you. Cutting your throat was a last resort. You know how difficult it is for survivors from small places like us to enter the capital, let alone see you. We finally got the chance, and the method was a bit radical. Please forgive us.”
Dan Kelun pushed up his thick-rimmed glasses, smiled and nodded, saying, "How do you know you can't see them if you don't try the official channels? The base chief's essence is to serve the survivors; I'm not that bureaucratic."
I thought to myself, if the essence is service, then you're really going too far. Just look at how you have ten guards watching over you even when you're sleeping—I don't believe you. They preach one thing, but they do another. Which official doesn't cultivate a perfect, righteous image? Anyone who believes that is a fool. But the compensation approval is in their hands, so I can't argue with them. Let them embellish it however they want; once they get the compensation, it's over, and we'll likely never see each other again.
Just as I was agreeing with them, a man and a woman started arguing from a room at the end of the corridor.
"Don't you dare touch me, get out!"
"Just one more touch, just one more touch!"
"If you don't leave, I'll call for help!"
What kind of outrageous words are these? How could there be such a shameless person in the team, harassing a girl so late at night? I took off running towards the source of the sound, but Shan Kelun stepped forward and blocked my way.
"Miss Qi, where is Lieutenant Colonel Wu Yaoguo?"
Upon hearing the name, I immediately became wary: "What? I won't release someone I captured through my own abilities; he hasn't received the punishment he deserves yet!"
"Although the end of the world has come, the law still exists. Whatever mistake he made, the base will investigate and punish him accordingly. We cannot resort to vigilante justice."
At this moment, the noise from the room at the end of the corridor grew even louder: "Get out! Get out! Don't you dare cling to me here like that. I won't let you see or touch me!"
I hurriedly said to Shan Kelun, "Okay, at least I have to beat him up. We'll talk about the guy surnamed Wu later. I need to take care of my family matters first."
When I got to the room and saw the two people entangled, I was dumbfounded. One was a nurse from the medical team, and the other was none other than Commander Hu of the Wolf Smoke Base. When I realized whose room it was, my heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding filled my mind.
Ten minutes later, Chief Hu, who had been dragged out by two burly men on duty, stood opposite me, his eyes gleaming with a sinister green light, as if possessed by a wolf spirit: "Miss Qi, Captain Qi, is there anything else you want? I'll give you anything you want, how about I double the medical supplies? Double them?"
I remained silent. Not because I was tempted by the supplies or afraid to refuse, but because I knew refusing was futile. Commander Hu was a scientist, and when scientists go crazy, they're probably more terrifying than brutes. He's glowing green right now; believe me, he'll glow red after I refuse!
Taking two deep breaths, I said gently, "You've misunderstood. My second uncle was already in a vegetative state before the apocalypse..."
Commander Hu was so excited he was almost incoherent: "He's not a vegetable, he's a zombified living person! Zombies can move, but they're dead. Do you know what a zombified living person means? Let me explain it to you in simple terms: it means he looks dead, but he's actually alive! He has livor mortis on his skin, but his muscles aren't stiff, he has a heartbeat, body temperature, and he responds to stimuli. The virus didn't even manage to devour his brain! My God! I've only ever seen one like this before. He's unique, and this will be a major breakthrough for our virus research!"
He rushed over like a madman and grabbed my hand: "Thank you, Miss Qi, thank you for capturing me. Your contribution to humanity will be recorded in history forever!"
Me: ...Another thing I worry about every day has finally happened.
Everyone knew that the capital would provide compensation, so Hu and Dan would not only not be prisoners, but would also be given a certain level of friendly reception; restricting their personal freedom was absolutely out of the question. Therefore, after dinner, the two of them wandered around aimlessly, ostensibly for a walk, but actually to look for their imprisoned subordinates.
It was during this process that Commander Hu discovered Uncle Er. We were already used to Uncle Er's condition. Whether it was moving or running away, we would just carry him on our backs and settle him in wherever we arrived. Liu Meili was in charge of long-term care, and when she was busy, she would delegate the task to other team members. Tonight, everyone went to the restaurant to listen to General Shen's mobilization speech. The young woman was taking care of Team Member B, whose gunshot wound had not yet healed, Xiao Qing, and my Uncle Er, who was particularly easy to take care of and only needed to be glanced at occasionally.
With his extensive experience, Hu immediately recognized the emaciated man lying on the bed as a zombie. A second glance revealed something amiss, so he sent Shan Kelun outside as a lookout. Hu then reached out his wicked hand to my second uncle. When the nurse came over to take a look, the two began arguing.
If I say no...
"Three times, I'll give you six tons!" Commander Hu wouldn't give up until he got what he wanted, even emptying his coffers to get the manpower. "This is the limit I can approve, Miss Qi. Do you know how hard our researchers work? Failure after failure, trial after trial, 40 or 50 hours of experimentation without rest is the norm. Humanity is heading towards extinction. In just three or five years, if we can't find a breakthrough against the virus, if we can't develop a drug to eliminate it, how many people do you think will be left in this world? Or rather, when humans have become so rare that they are a rare species on Earth, what use will it be even if we develop a drug to combat the virus?"
"You yourself said my second uncle has become a zombified corpse. He might have become another form of zombie, just one that won't stand up and bite people. I don't think he's of any use..."
"He turned into a zombie but didn't die! This is a special case, a one in a billion exception." Base Chief Hu lost control of his emotions, his eyes reddening. "Don't give up on even a one in a billion chance, Miss Qi, for the sake of more humanity, okay?"
I was slightly moved by his great love for the world, but I quickly came to my senses: "I can't make this decision. He has an older brother and a son. They are his guardians."
Refusing is out of the question; it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who covets it. He's got his eye on my second uncle. His tactics of polite persuasion followed by force are just a routine. If he can't get what he wants, he'll definitely send troops to seize it, all while standing on the moral high ground. No survivor in the world would support us.
"I'm going to talk to them!"
Commander Hu was in a hurry to leave, but I stopped him: "If you take my second uncle away, what will you do with him? Will you dissect him? Cut off his flesh and dig out his brain for research?"
Chief Hu was shocked: "What are you talking about? He's a living person! How can you dissect him? Living people are more suitable for research, do you understand?"
I shook my head: "I don't understand. I'm just afraid that my second uncle will be abused. If you don't explain the research methods to his guardians, they will never let you take him away, even if it kills them."
Commander Hu pondered for a moment: "Oh, I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Miss Qi. I will be careful with my words. I pay tribute to your second uncle's spirit of benefiting all mankind. I will definitely approve the supplies, don't worry."
Watch your wording? Shouldn't you be guaranteeing there won't be any abuse? I feel like I've become someone who betrays their uncle for personal gain.
What should I do? My heart is starting to panic again. What if my dad finds out? What if Binbin finds out? What if he hates me to death? I was the one who extinguished his hope for immunity to his father, but now... We were too careless in how we arranged for Uncle. We should have hidden him deeper in the shadows.
After the restaurant's mobilization ended and the crowd left, I watched as Commander Hu scurried off like his backside was on fire to find someone to talk to. I panicked and wanted to find a place to hide, feeling like my dad's loud voice was about to explode with a roar like, "Qi Aifeng, get over here!"
Yu Zhongjian turned to leave as soon as he saw me, but I was so nervous and flustered that I didn't even notice him, rubbing my hands and pacing around in place. He turned back to look at me, then slowly walked over: "What's wrong?"
I had completely forgotten about talking to him. When he asked me a question, I immediately asked for help: "My second uncle has been found by that guy surnamed Hu, and he's going to take him away. What should I do?"
Yu Zhongjian wasn't surprised, nor was he as flustered as I was. He just frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "It's not a good thing for your second uncle to just lie there like this. What's the point of him lying there until he dies if no one finds out? Being taken away by Chief Hu might not be a bad thing. Live research sounds terrifying, but for him, it's just a change of scenery. The virus research institute has complete equipment and professional staff. It's both research and treatment. Maybe one day, he'll wake up."
"Really?" This is exactly what I wanted to hear. Will I ever wake up? Lying in bed all day here, it's definitely not going to happen. But in a more advanced place, maybe there really is hope.
He comforted me again, and I breathed a long sigh of relief: "I hope so, but I'm afraid my dad and Binbin won't agree."
As soon as I finished speaking, my dad roared in the restaurant, accompanied by the sound of tables and chairs overturning. It seemed that his conversation with Chief Hu had already broken down.
"They're arguing! They're arguing!" Just thinking about how my dad was feeling made my face contort with panic: "That guy surnamed Hu is going to sell me off if they can't reach an agreement. I have to hide. If my dad looks for me, I'll say I'm not here."
Yu Zhongjian grabbed me: "Don't run away, I'll go."
With General Manager Yu on the case, one man is worth two. Shortly after he entered the restaurant, my father's roaring ceased, replaced by Binbin's sobbing that lasted for half an hour. Another half hour passed, and Commander Hu emerged with a beaming smile, followed closely by my father and Binbin, their expressions a mixture of reluctance and anticipation.
The art of language and personal charm are truly mysterious things.
The expected beating and scolding didn't happen. My father and brother were too busy to pay attention to me; they went to my second uncle's room with the base commander. I couldn't tell whether I felt relieved or melancholy. My second uncle's unusual behavior after contracting the virus destined him to become an extraordinary person.
Yu Zhongjian walked up to me and said, "Chief Hu promised that Binbin would stay by your second uncle's side and have the right to know about the research process, so don't worry."
"Binbin is going to stay at the base?"
"Well, your dad also made a condition: he wants Chief Hu to help him find your third uncle's family. He said he can't rely on you."
Me: ...I've completely forgotten about my third uncle!
"He promised to give me six tons of supplies, can that count?" Although it might seem like he was betraying his uncle for personal gain, since he had already done it, he shouldn't hide it.
"Chief Hu mentioned it, but your father said it's a different matter. He'll compensate whatever amount is due, he won't sell his brother, and he won't take advantage of the capital. If he can be cured, he'll send a banner to thank the base; if he can't cure your second uncle, he'll have to come back the same way he came."
My father's noble character and far-sightedness... make me ashamed. Old foxes are indeed shrewd; if they really took those six tons of supplies, would the research institute still be polite to my second uncle?
After Yu Zhongjian resolved the matter, seeing me deep in thought, he started to leave. I grabbed his arm: "The conflict has been resolved, and it's getting late. The base commanders have all gone upstairs to sleep. You probably don't have anything else to do, right? Let's chat for a bit?"
He seemed a little depressed, habitually reaching for a cigarette, and lowered his eyes, avoiding my gaze: "What are we talking about? Let's talk when I get back from the western front."
"Where did you die?"
His laughter was half-hearted: "It's not like we're fighting a regular army, how could we die?"
Without thinking twice, I dragged him towards the back door, pulling him to the entrance of the hot spring garden changing room where we had discussed the plan late at night. I placed a flashlight on the flower bed and cut to the chase: "Don't play dumb with me. I'm not stupid. Your 'playing hard to get' trick today was to take advantage of the brothers' trust in you, with the aim of leading our team to the western front, right?"
He did not deny it: "What's wrong with going out to exercise? I didn't force anyone."
"It was an agreement you reached with General Shen, wasn't it? You made us risk our lives for the capital before he would give us compensation."
Yu Zhongjian scoffed: "What's the point of a hundred-plus people risking their lives? Does the capital need that many people? You understand the principle of interconnectedness, like lips and teeth, so I don't need to explain it to you, do I?"
Yes, that's what I can't understand either. How could the capital city take our team of over a hundred people seriously? But I don't believe that Yu Zhongjian was purely thinking about the greater good of humanity.
Seeing my conflicted expression, he added, "You don't understand men. They'd rather go to the battlefield than bring grain home to grow vegetables and raise chickens."
"Oh, so you're the one who gave them this opportunity? Thank you so much!" I don't understand men? I'm a...man myself!
I glared at him and said, "Alright, let's not talk about that for now. Let's talk about General Shen. The compensation was given too readily, and I feel uneasy. I always feel there's a conspiracy. Don't try to fool me; tell me the truth about how they compromised."
"You really want to know?"
He suddenly leaned close to my ear and said without waiting for my reply, "Don't you always say I'm crazy? When I have an episode, I want to destroy the world. The base commanders are scared, so they compromised."
My position wasn't good; there was a door behind me, and he moved quickly, reverting to his previous distance and posture after just one sentence. I had nowhere to escape, and I let a warm breath circulate in my ear before leaving.
Before the goosebumps had even subsided, the other person had already moved far away, and I couldn't even get angry in time, so I could only continue by asking, "Are you telling the truth or not?"
"I'm telling the truth," he said, looking quite serious.
"You haven't told a single truth. We've known each other for so long, and you still won't admit who you are." In her anger, she didn't care about his feelings anymore and went straight to the point: "General Shen knows you, Gao Chen knows you, did you go to the hunter school? Do you have a military background? What did you do before? What's the story behind Yu Yu's serial murders?"
He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "You're so eager to know about the past of a mental patient?"
"I......"
His tone was completely different from usual; it was cold, but not indifferent, nonchalant, or dismissive—it was a serious cold tinged with a barely perceptible sadness. Hearing it, my heart skipped a beat. Had I hurt him?
“When I was with the veterans, I told you that my past wasn’t a major factor affecting our relationship. I thought you could accept that, but it seems you can’t. Do you really want me to explain everything clearly? I’m sorry, I can’t do that. I’m leaving tomorrow, so you don’t need to worry about me endangering the team’s safety anymore.”
I was stunned for a moment. After staring at me for a while, he turned to leave, so I rushed up to him and stopped him, shouting, "What are you doing? I've asked you this so many times, and you've always given me the runaround. It's not the first or second time. When did I say I needed you to tell me? If you don't want to tell me, then don't. Why are you throwing a tantrum?"
His face was expressionless, his eyes devoid of any light, as black as a deep pool: "The cooperation ends here. I will stay at the base after I finish the western front. You can go back to Huaicheng. You can end your guard against me now."
My mind has been in a mess countless times throughout the day, and it's in a mess again right now. When it's in a mess, I act impulsively, and when I act impulsively, I can't organize my thoughts rationally.
"You're dreaming! You were born a veteran, you'll die a veteran. Leave the veterans in your next life! I'll go fight zombies too, but you'll have to come back with me afterward! Don't even think about getting into the base!"
He crossed his arms, tilted his head slightly, and looked at me: "Oh, didn't you tell Han Bo before that I could leave or die as I pleased?"
"I'm in charge, so what if I change my mind all the time!"
I don't remember how the topic veered off course, but as usual when I asked him questions, I couldn't get a single truthful word out of him about his background until we started receiving compensation and discussing the departure for the western front.
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