Zhou Rong had finished reorganizing and was about to settle accounts.
“Why didn’t you save the pregnant woman Wang Wen?” Zhou Rong asked.
Chun Cao stood at attention in front of him, head down, dejected. Dr. Zheng rubbed his hands, wanting to explain, but he was pushed back by Zhou Rong’s thunderous rebuke:
“Why didn’t you carry her on your back? Why was your retreat so slow?”
“You and Si Nan had two thousand five hundred rounds of ammunition, and Si Nan fired until the last round! Why didn’t you?”
“You still have eight hundred and sixty-four rounds left!”
Zhou Rong roared into Chun Cao’s ear. Everyone around the open ground was terrified and dared not speak.
Si Nan was awakened by the shouting and suddenly interjected coldly, “I was also there. I didn’t catch her then, so scold me too.”
“Can’t scold you!” Zhou Rong retorted: “You’re not my team member, you haven’t sworn an oath!”
“What can that pay do? Who here is risking their life for that military pay? Can Unit 118 even pay wages now?”
To everyone’s surprise, Si Nan began to argue, his usually taciturn self suddenly sharp-tongued.
Who will give me a gun, and I’ll go to the front market and rob exactly how much Lieutenant Yang Chun Cao earns in a month, and from then on she’ll risk her life for me. Deal?”
Zhou Rong: “…”
Chun Cao: “…”
Dr. Zheng was dumbfounded, and after a while, he mustered the courage to say weakly, “That… that…”
Dr. Zheng steeled himself to explain: “They both tried their best. There were really too many zombies, surrounded on all sides… It’s my fault for not holding her tight. She secretly jumped down, wanting us to run quickly…”
Many people looked sympathetic. The baby was awakened and began to cry loudly.
Dr. Zheng hunched his neck and sighed, “We’d really all be dead.”
The survivors gave Zhou Rong subtle, reproachful looks, implying “How could you be so unreasonable?” Zhou Rong had no choice.
“Are you admitting your mistake?!”
Chun Cao wilted, “I admit.”
Zhou Rong thought for a moment and added, “Go sit over there and don’t eat!”
Chun Cao walked dejectedly to the vehicle’s edge, sitting down, embarrassed, fingers rubbing the dirty hem of her deep green military dress.
