Fortunately, before nightfall, they found a private cosmetic surgery hospital where all doctors and nurses had turned into zombies. Zhou Rong boldly entered the pharmacy with his adopted daughter, grabbing any medication he recognized.
Zhou Rong stared into Si Nan’s amber-colored pupils, a look of superiority floating in his eyes, the corner of his mouth curving up. Then he pulled out the bag of apple candied fruit from his pants pocket.
Si Nan pushed him away, rolled up in the blanket, and retreated to the biochemical vehicle without a sound.
★ Chapter 26
Early the next morning, Zhou Rong felt a massive headache – the biochemical vehicle was gone. He carried his gun, circling the open ground, looking up and roaring: “Si Xiao Nan!
” “Si Xiao Nan, come out right now, I’m not joking, quickly! !” The engine sound grew closer, and the biochemical vehicle slowly drove from the other end of the long street, stopping in front of the fuming Zhou Rong. The window rolled down, with milk powder, candy, and dehydrated cake piled on the dashboard. Si Nan slung a submachine gun, holding a honey jar, his cheeks slightly flushed from eating. Zhou Rong saw the black-red rotten blood on his shoulder, clearly having just robbed a supermarket alone, and immediately exploded: “Unauthorized departure! Disregarding discipline! Comrade Si Nan, if you were a formal team member, I’d beat you up! Did you think about the consequences of leaving without a word?!” Si Nan stared at him coldly. “What are you looking at?! If you’re not willing to be managed, then…” Before Zhou Rong could continue cursing, Si Nan suddenly threw two cigarettes at his face, quickly rolled up the window, and stepped on the gas heading towards the main road. “Hey! Bastard!” Zhou Rong was hit squarely by two soft cigarettes, jumping and roaring behind the car. Si Nan was genuinely angry. Zhou Rong finally ended his resource-gathering trip, driving ahead with a dark face. The two vehicles drove out of City B from the highway, and they returned to the suburban industrial park before dark that evening. “
The biochemical vehicle suddenly sped ahead, turning onto a side road directly towards the fertilizer plant’s rear area. Zhou Rong sharply turned the steering wheel to follow, trailing behind Si Nan. A few minutes later, he saw the biochemical vehicle stop at the back gate of the factory. Si Nan grabbed some food, jumped down, and quickly climbed over the wall. Zhou Rong had Chun Cao watch the car, silently following, taking a running start to leap over the wall, then jumping onto a ginkgo tree behind the wall, sneakily looking down.
Si Nan walked straight ahead, following the overgrown path near the anhydrous ammonia processing plant, towards an abandoned truck garage surrounded by wild grass. A slender figure was crouching on the ground behind the garage’s rear window, turning back at the sound of footsteps, rushing forward with joy. —It was Wu Xinyan. Zhou Rong watched for a while, feeling somewhat unsettled, and let out a long sigh.
What am I thinking, he mocked himself. Zhou Rong felt a sourness in his throat, turned back to hook the branch, jumped over the wall, and exited through the back door.
“You’re back?
Feng Wentai said in disbelief. His subordinate nodded. Feng Wentai rushed out, almost running down the stairs, arriving in the front yard of the factory. The open ground was already gathered with over ten people, survivors who had escaped from City T with the special forces back then; Feng family’s three Alpha bodyguards were also guarding there, vigilantly blocking those people and watching outside.
A military anti-riot armored vehicle was parked inside the wire fence. Zhou Rong and others, looking tired and disheveled, were carrying the unconscious, injured Yan Hao and the body bag containing Zhang Yingjie. Seeing their dirty clothes and exhausted state, Feng Wentai immediately understood everything, his heart sinking. However, the Zhou captain turned back, the corner of his mouth slightly curved, his eyes full of mockery: “Brother Feng! Long time no see, is everything still good at your place?” Before Feng Wentai could answer, he turned and ordered his subordinates: “Inventory the supplies and log them, temporarily place Yingjie’s body for me to handle.” Then he waved to the crowd, laughing loudly: “Dr. Zheng! My brother is slightly injured, trouble you to bring two people to carry him up and take a look!”
Besides these special forces members, the thirty-odd survivors had always loosely regarded Dr. Zheng as their leader. Hearing this, they immediately stepped forward and carefully took Yan Hao’s stretcher.
“Zhou Rong stretched his neck, stiff from long hours of driving. He waved to the onlookers and laughed, patting Feng Wentai’s shoulder: “These past few days have truly been tough! I’ll give you great credit!”
Feng Wentai felt that Zhou Rong immediately assumed a commanding attitude upon return, which complicated his already disappointed mood. He didn’t want to show this and responded with a smile: “All is well, all is well, it’s my duty, nothing tough about it. Has Captain Zhou contacted Deputy Director Guo?”
Zhou Rong shook his head.
Feng Wentai’s smile faded slightly: “So… what are we…”
Zhou Rong hooked his arm around Feng Wentai: “Come, let’s go to the cafeteria, we’ll talk on the way.”
Ten minutes later, at the cafeteria table, Zhou Rong shrugged.
It was dinnertime, and all survivors were queuing to get their meals, with only mixed grain porridge and boiled potatoes in the window.”
Not far away, Feng Wentai’s bodyguards sat at another small table, each with a gun at their waist, with white rice and four side dishes in front of them, both meat and vegetarian, and two bottles of beer opened.
Zhou Rong seemed not to have seen them:
“Next, we will leave the fertilizer factory. All surviving civilians will take a shuttle bus to the South Sea Headquarters. We have obtained the latest virus research materials, which are of crucial importance to vaccine development…”
“One of your people died, and another is seriously injured?” Feng Wentai interrupted.
Zhou Rong said: “Yes.”
“What about that young brother who looked very…?”
“Lost,” Zhou Rong said succinctly.
“So now you only have four people.”
“Yes.”
Feng Wentai was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his tone had changed, with a slight coldness:
“Forgive my frankness, Captain Zhou. We’d better stay at the fertilizer factory and not act rashly. You should send a positioning signal to the South Sea Headquarters to call for a helicopter. If the materials you speak of are truly that important, the Central Command will surely take the initiative to pick us up…”
“There is no ‘Central Command’ anymore,” Zhou Rong said calmly. “The positioning signal cannot be received, and it is uncertain whether the other headquarters has fallen before contacting the South Sea.”
“Then we should go to the Northeast,” Feng Wentai immediately said.
“I have some territory back home in the Northeast, and a grain processing factory. If those brothers I raised are still alive, we could organize a considerable armed force. Moreover, the cold weather in the north will restrict zombie movements. From any perspective, it’s safer than going south to the densely populated coastal areas.”
Feng Wentai clearly had plans long in mind, and now spoke eloquently, then changed his tone:
“Captain Zhou and his brothers are certainly admirable for their dedication to the country, but in this apocalypse, people must plan more for themselves. If Captain Zhou is willing to bring his team to join us, I, Feng, will definitely not neglect you all. Once we reach the Northeast, I will ensure that you live comfortably – forget about wealth and glory in the apocalypse, at least it won’t be worse than before. What do you say?”
