Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Around ten days after Xue Ling left, Wen Jiuze returned to the base.

He went straight to his quarters after getting out of the vehicle but didn’t see Xue Ling. He then went to Wen Yi’s lab, only to find it locked, with Wen Yi also absent.

He immediately had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, he found out that Xue Ling was not at the base but had gone to the northwest with the team. He was so furious that he kicked over the meeting table right there.

The plain long table had one of its legs broken, crashing into the nearby wall.

Captain Shen Zhang, who came to inform him, was taken aback by his sudden outburst.

Ever since he first saw Wen Jiuze at the base, although he seemed hard to approach, he had actually been emotionally stable and dependable in his duties.

During the trip to Donghai City, there were some frictions within the team. Some people said unpleasant things in front of Wen Jiuze, but he hadn’t gotten angry.

This made people think that despite his intimidating appearance, his temper was actually quite good.

Now, Captain Shen Zhang realized that it wasn’t that Wen Jiuze had a good temper or didn’t get angry, but that no one had hit his sore spots.

Hearing the word “voluntarily,” Wen Jiuze became even angrier, his rigid, statue-like face as cold as stone, twisting into a strange, forced sneer.

However, he didn’t move further. Instead, he sat down on a bench, glowering at Shen Zhang with a domineering air.

Captain Shen, aware of Wen Jiuze’s capabilities, felt a chill down his spine.

He silently lamented his fate. As soon as he returned, General Hao summoned him to explain the situation and tasked him with talking to Wen Jiuze.

But what could he do? He couldn’t let the old general deal with this tough nut.

Captain Shen earnestly tried to explain, but Wen Jiuze wasn’t listening anymore. He sat there merely to digest his anger, and once he regained his composure, he knew exactly what he needed to do.

“Give me a car. I’m going after them,” said Wen Jiuze.

“Don’t worry. The car is ready, and there’s someone to guide you. You can leave shortly,” General Hao walked in from the door, as if he hadn’t seen the broken conference table.

He gestured for the guard to bring a letter, saying, “I almost forgot. Xue Ling left you a letter.”

Wen Jiuze took it, ripped open the envelope, and out fell a Polaroid photo.

In the photo, Xue Ling held up her old, worn-out writing board, on which she had written, “Don’t be angry.”

Even from the photo, you could see how anxious and nervous she was, like a prisoner taking their first mugshot.

After staring at it for a moment, Wen Jiuze put away the photo and left.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Captain Shen Zhang asked the old general with a wry smile, “Why didn’t you let me give him the letter earlier?”

General Hao leaned on his cane and waved his hand, saying, “Young people have big tempers. They calm down more easily after they’ve vented. At a time like this, seeing the letter helps to ease their anger.”

He was quite experienced in this. Back in his younger days, when he and his comrades were stationed outside under harsh conditions, he had been responsible for comforting military families.

Military wives, when wronged, could be terrifying when they threw tantrums. You couldn’t reason with them, and when they got physical, their ferocity was something today’s young people can’t even imagine.

They could dismantle not just conference tables but nearly General Hao himself.

Compared to back then, Wen Jiuzhe isn't as difficult to handle as before.

Wen Jiuzhe reached the vehicle General Hao had mentioned and realized it was a motorcade dedicated to transporting supplies.

The previous team left in such a rush that many things were not properly prepared. They were the second batch of reinforcements to support the northwest. Even if Wen Jiuzhe hadn't requested to go, this second batch was set to depart soon.

In the end, Wen Jiuzhe was just an add-on.

Wen Jiuzhe: “……”

Everything seemed to be arranged as expected, which was infuriating.

Captain Shen Zhang and his team were also assigned to this group.

According to General Hao, they had already successfully cooperated once before. Once is strange, twice is familiar.

If Wen Jiuzhe had recklessly driven off on his own, they would still be responsible for the safety of the supply convoy.

Captain Shen Zhang saw Wen Jiuzhe standing motionless in front of the vehicle for a long time, fearing he might kick it over in anger.

But he merely took out the photo, glanced at it, and then stepped into the vehicle.

General Hao came to see them off, a slight smile appearing on his serious face. "You can trust that our military families are understanding. They might feel wronged or angry for a while, but they will still consider our warriors."

Captain Shen Zhang: "Is he considered a military family member?"

General Hao, leaning on his cane, waved dismissively. "Xue Ling is a fine comrade who has joined us and participated in many routine missions. Her partner is naturally considered a military family member."

Captain Shen Zhang: "What I mean is, isn't he a warrior?"

General Hao's eyes gleamed. "He might be Xue Ling's warrior, but he is not one of ours."

But this wasn't a big problem. With his experience, General Hao believed that with Xue Ling around, he wouldn't pose any threat.

Xue Ling was an honest and sincere young woman, and this young man knew how to adapt to the situation.

The highly experienced General Hao had defused this potential issue at the base and easily sent the person away.

Xue Ling sat in the vehicle and couldn't help but keep looking back at the road they had come from.

The road was empty except for dust, but she kept glancing back.

Wen Yi noticed and said, "Don't look. Even if Wen Jiuzhe is coming, he won't catch up so quickly. They probably haven't finished the mission in Donghai City yet."

"You haven't been apart for long. Do you really need to miss him so much?"

Xue Ling nervously grabbed her pants and explained with a tablet, "I don't miss him. If possible, I hope he stays at the base and doesn't follow us... I'm a bit afraid that he'll come after us and lose his temper."

Wen Yi: “……”

Putting down the documents in her hands, Wen Yi curiously asked, "What did he do when he got angry with you before that made you so afraid?"

Xue Ling: "He doesn't seem to have gotten angry with me."

Wen Yi: “……”

Xue Ling: "It's because he has never been angry with me that I'm afraid. When he gets angry for the first time, it will likely be terrifying."

She had bravely taken on the mission, but now she was scaring herself.

Wen Yi: "What's the point of your relationship? You don't even have the freedom to do what you want and have to consider someone else's feelings."

Xue Ling thought for a moment and explained, "There are many issues with me, and many with him. Together, we've solved some old problems, but new ones have emerged. But overall, the problems have decreased, not increased... Maybe that's the point."

Wen Yi: "I see. Fixing old bugs and creating new ones, but overall, it's getting better. Your relationship is like a version update."

Xue Ling: That’s so typical of Wen Yi—completely devoid of human warmth.

After chatting idly for a while, Xue Ling, holding her tablet, looked at the dust rising behind the motorcade and asked:

"Why don't we use planes? With planes, we could quickly fly to the northwest, solve the issues fast, and return quickly."

They might even get back to the base before Wen Jiuzhe completes his mission in East Sea City.

"There's no chance of using planes in the short term," Wen Yi said. "Previously, global communications had issues, and navigation and radar systems collapsed completely. More importantly, the mutated magnetic field causes unknown interference, making planes prone to crashing in the air."

"Northern Righteousness Base has people specifically researching these issues, but communication hasn't been restored yet. It will take time to resume the use of air transport."

Xue Ling was disappointed; she had been thinking about how someone offered to teach her to fly a fighter jet during the previous mission. No wonder the captain said there was no opportunity for now.

They had no choice but to drive steadily on the ground.

Their team was on a life-saving mission, driving day and night in shifts, rushing to the northwest as fast as possible.

Xue Ling’s fear of Wen Jiuzhe catching up and losing his temper didn’t materialize, and they arrived at Long'an Ancient City ahead of schedule.

The journey was rushed and exhausting. Even the toughest warriors looked pale, and Wen Yi, along with the researchers in poor health, had lost a significant amount of weight. Wen Yi could barely eat and relied on glucose to survive, looking haggard.

Amidst the lifeless and exhausted team, only Xue Ling, the zombie, remained spirited.

Finally seeing the outline of Long'an Ancient City, everyone felt a great sense of relief.

But before them was a horde of zombies wandering the roads and a group of zombies lingering outside the ancient city.

They arrived at night, and without any lights inside or outside the ancient city, they could only see looming shadows, creating a distinctly Chinese-style horror atmosphere.

"Why are there so many zombies around here?"

"This area is near Long'an City, a popular tourist spot before the apocalypse. Many zombies from the city have migrated here."

Their large group drew the zombies like a beacon in the dark night. Even though the motorcade was temporarily stopped, some zombies had already started to approach, drawn by the scent.

Entering Long'an Ancient City wouldn’t be easy. Ideally, they should proceed cautiously, but Mr. Ji Shiping’s condition was critical, and they couldn’t afford to waste time.

Xue Ling, wearing a hat and gloves, climbed into the medical vehicle, waved at the hopeful crowd, and started the engine.

The map was drawn by the warrior who brought the news, marking the last known location of Academician Ji Shiping and his group.

They were hiding in the famous Li Family Manor.

The narrow brick-paved roads inside the ancient city were uneven in places as the vehicle passed over them.

With many narrow alleys, zombies would suddenly pounce out from the darkness.

Xue Ling drove carefully, but she still jumped at the sight of zombies landing on the hood and windows of the vehicle.

The ancient buildings of the old town, and the sudden close encounter with zombies, were like scary scenes from a classic horror movie.

Startled, Xue Ling instinctively hit the gas, dragging the pouncing zombie under the vehicle.

Xue Ling: ……Not my fault, you scared me first!

For the dozen or so people huddled in a courtyard of the Li family estate, it was a bleak night. Almost everyone had sunk into despair.

The soldiers who had been escorting and protecting Ji Shiping were now down to ten. Each of them was dark and emaciated, not having had a full meal in a long time.

Even their guns had only a few bullets left.

Ji Shiping’s team originally had more than ten members, but now only two researchers remained, both with hollow cheeks.

Their leader, Ji Shiping, had been unconscious for two days. At first, he could still wake up occasionally to give them instructions, but today, he couldn’t even drink water.

His face was deathly pale, as if he might stop breathing at any moment.

They had no medicine, no food, and only a little water left.

The person they had sent for help hadn’t returned, nor had the one sent to find food. They might have already died among the zombie hordes.

After discussing, the soldiers decided to leave at dawn and send someone to seek help nearby.

Everyone knew that leaving might mean they wouldn’t return alive, but they had no other options.

Thirteen people, gathered together, sat in the dark, listening to the zombies’ roars outside.

Amid the suffocating silence, a soldier suddenly stood up, his voice dry and trembling as he asked, not entirely sure, “Is that the sound of a vehicle outside?”