I walked silently in the corridors of Universal City in the middle of the night, the wet flip-flops on my feet creaking as I walked. Since the temperature was significantly higher than the previous days, I simply put on a pair of beach shorts; I remember that at that time, Dr. Liao Yuan joked that I was only shot in the thigh, and I would not show my scar when I wore beach pants, and I thought that I would never wear this kind of pants at that time, but I didn't expect that now I actually wore a pair of such pants. Although the lower half of the dress seemed cool, I still wore a dark red hooded thin jacket on the upper body, this jacket has almost no cotton layer, but it can basically resist a little wind cold, and I feel a little more secure when I wear the hood. To keep things as low-key as possible, the crimson top I chose wouldn't be too eye-catching in the night, and the beach pants were just blue and black; Although the combination is strange, it is generally not very noticeable to passers-by, and my range of movements is not too large, and some people with extreme personalities who like to find fault pass me only glance at it.

The reason why I'm bothering so much is actually quite simple, there are still a lot of people who hate me in this safe zone, but I have to take a shower today. That's right, I haven't showered in almost a week. Although I secretly go to the sink to wash my face before going to bed these days, it seems that I can take a shower happily and become a luxury hope that I can wash away the bad luck during this time. Washing your face sounds simple, but like me at this time, if I wash my face, it will be revealed, which means that washing my face has to become a sneaky thing.

Usually my washing time is picked in the time when there are fewer people in Wanxiang City, such as late night or early morning. Every time I finished washing, I had to cover my head and cover my face, as if I had done something unseemly, and return to the room in the fastest and most low-key way; Sometimes I put on makeup right away because it will "get me back to the way it was" right away, but if it's time to sleep, I'm still willing to keep that dead face for a while.

Lately I've had a deep disgust with this dead face of mine. The self in the mirror is more like a posthumous portrait, and it is the kind of black and white posthumous portrait taken after death, every time I see it, I will have a feeling of admiring my own remains, and loneliness and sadness will follow. Although I tried my best to restrain myself, now I am gradually controlled by my anger towards myself, and sometimes I want to find a place where no one hears and scream about my miserable present.

A polite knock on the door interrupted my self-deprecation in the mirror, and I glanced at the time on my watch, it was almost twelve o'clock, and there was usually no one hanging outside at this time. Huang Weizheng and Zhang Xiaoying seem to have gone on a mission with that old wolf a few days ago, and as for the others who are also busy with their own things, I really can't find any reason to let them come to me at night. However, Chen Mo, who often came to visit the door a while ago, has no news, maybe I should find a time to see her tomorrow, although I don't know what to do with her.

I absentmindedly opened the door, and suddenly it was dark in front of me, and a tall figure appeared in front of me, forcing me to take a step back.

"Xie Tao, are you looking for me?" I asked as if I wasn't scared.

There was no embellishment on his face, but I guess he could see my surprise and he himself was a little surprised to see me with a pale face and a chilling glint in my eyes that always gave off me.

"Excuse me?" Xie Tao, a big man, has always spoken softly, which is in great contrast to his burly figure.

"It's okay, I've only been back for a short time." I opened the door and pointed inside the room with my chin, and Xie Tao walked in politely.

He saw my half-dried hair and looked at my outfit, and wondered, "That's how you went to the shower?" ”

"Hehe, I can't help it." I took off my coat with a wry smile; The temperature is relatively comfortable indoors, so I don't feel too cold even in a short-sleeved T-shirt.

"Well, I understand."

Compared with me, who was dressed so casually, Xie Tao, who was fully armed, felt very formal, not only carrying a practical wearable backpack but also carrying his short assault rifle, each pocket of the backpack was swollen, and there was a bundle of hemp rope hanging from the lower right position. Although he was wearing a normal crewneck shirt like me, he was also wearing an army green wind-resistant jacket, and he looked like he was about to go out. He looked around my room from side to side, reminding me of the instructor who inspected the barracks during military training in high school.

"We're going out later."

"Well, be careful." I sat down on the bed with a polite remark, and suddenly felt a little wrong, "Huh? We? I opened my mouth wide and sat cross-legged on the bed.

"Yes, you, me, Ban Zhiyu and two other people you don't know." Xie Tao seemed to have expected such a big reaction from me, "This is Zhang Xing's request, and Dr. Lu Huaxiong also agreed. ”

"But why? I'm ......."

"Yes, that's why they asked to take you because you were like that. With you, the Dead City Forest is basically not much of a threat. ”

"Dead City Forest? We're going to the Dead City Forest? "I jumped out of bed, and my heart beat faster at the thought of that creepy place.

"Well, we're going to bring a botanist into the forest to collect samples and do some experiments on the spot."

"If people haven't been cured, are you going to start treating plants?" I laughed sarcastically.

"Yu Heng, the medicine that drove you crazy last time was a plant that can treat viruses. I'm guessing this experiment has something to do with you. ”

As soon as I mentioned the unbearable tragedy, the expression on my face became serious, but Xie Tao didn't mean to sarcastically mock me, if he said so, then I did need to go out with them. I asked him seriously, "Then are we going to leave later?" ”

"No, we'll leave tomorrow at six o'clock, and you can rest for a while." Xie Tao realized that I was concerned about his equipment, and explained embarrassedly, "Oh! When I was told that I was going to do it right away, they said they were going to leave early tomorrow morning. ”

After all, Xie Tao is a professional soldier, and his resolute attitude has become a part of him, and seeing that he is about the same age as me is feeling embarrassed because of his little episode, I can't help but laugh: "It's okay, you're right about this." Then we'll see you tomorrow. ”

After Xie Tao left, I hurriedly hurried to go to bed, but it was not easy to fall asleep. In the spring and winter delivery period, the weather in Nanning will become humid, the floor and walls will be condensed into small water droplets, even the quilt and clothes feel wet to the touch, the air mixed with various smells is not very good, plus the damp musty smell is more uncomfortable.

Tossing and turning in bed, his consciousness wandering away for a night. The sound of walking outside the room gradually increased, and the sound of the shop opening from time to time downstairs could be heard. I looked at my watch, and it was still a while before the departure time, and it was no fun to lie in bed any longer, so I decided to get out of bed and start making some preparations for the trip.

I sat at my desk, and in the mirror I wasn't terrible, but not much better. I took out the foundation, but I really didn't want to rub it on my face anymore. Although my skills have improved with the help of Chen Mo, I really can't bear to use this kind of disguise every day to deceive the people around me and deceive myself. Staring at himself in the mirror, Wei Liqin's words echoed in his mind again.

Du Yuheng, I thank you for everything you have done for us in the past, but you have to know how dangerous you are now, if you really want to protect us, please leave.

What harsh but yet realistic advice......

I took a deep breath, stopped my inner struggle, closed my makeup case, and turned to count my gear. As for the work on the face, I made up my mind to face my truest self this time.

I was about to set off, Xie Tao knocked on the door and said, "Du Yuheng, are you up?" ”

"Well, just about to go out, you're here."

As soon as I opened the door, Xie Tao happened to bump into my face without any foundation. He whispered a little tabooly, "That...... You're not going to deal with it......" he pointed to his face with his fingers, intentionally or not.

I shrugged nonchalantly and shook my right hand holding the gun. Xie Tao happened to walk behind a passerby, and after seeing me, he walked quickly with his back hunched as if he had seen a ghost. "There's nothing to deal with, that's me. Anyway, even if it's not like this, what should I do to my people is still what to me. ”

"Okay." Xie Tao was not too embarrassed to force me, so he had to force a smile to signal that we could go, and turned around and walked in front of me, "Ban Zhiyu, they are already waiting for us at the door." ”

"Don't you take the car?"

"Of course." Xie Tao and I took a shortcut that led directly to the main gate of Wanxiang City, "but they have already driven the car to the main entrance." ”

I didn't see Xie Tao's expression, but his back made me feel that he was hiding something, probably because they didn't want me to pass by the scene of the tragedy that day. Before passing by a store with something to eat, Xie Tao suddenly took the initiative to run into the store, and after a while, he hurriedly ran back with two cups of steaming rice cereal.

"I heard last night that this store has a new product, so it turned out to be this, so let's try it and treat it as breakfast." Xie Tao's hearty laughter was especially loud in the morning walkway.

I thanked him for the breakfast and continued to walk after him towards the rendezvous point. In fact, not only Wanxiang City, but also when I was in Aoyama, I occasionally heard about new food pairings because I found new supplies. Soon after the crisis erupted, people began stockpiling food and useful supplies, and most of them were looted, with the exception of a few supermarkets that no one remembered or were in danger of being in the zone.

People and groups that possess large quantities of materials and have the ability to ensure their inviolability will use various demands to absorb the survivors, and eventually become powerful. The Jiangshang people who roam the Yong River, the Qingshan formed by the former mayor, the bikers who roam around doing whatever they want, and the Wanxiang City, which is amazingly powerful and acts strangely, the reason why they can become the four major forces is that they have weapons and material supplies.

Whatever the claims of these forces, what they all have in common is that they will do everything in their power to find useful supplies from the City of the Dead. In the past, in Aoyama, scouts brought back boxes of instant noodles, which in the past were considered unhealthy food, and many people were willing to pay a lot of money for a bowl. And the rice cereal in my hand, which Xie Tao called a "new product", is actually a thin rice cereal mixed with egg flowers, and in order to adjust the taste, the store also added tomatoes. I dare say that in the past, no one would have eaten this thing, but now, it's a rare new product.

"Eggs?" After a few sips, I quipped, "Does Wanxiang City have a lot of chickens?" ”

"I don't understand that. However, I heard that someone once found a group of hungry, thin, dying chickens in a nearby vegetable market. I guess I raised it for a while and raised eggs. Xie Tao finally licked the only small broken egg flower left on the side of the cup, like a greedy child, and spat out hot air with satisfaction.

We finished this delicious breakfast as we walked, and we didn't see many people on the way, and of course, even if they did, they all passed me quickly. It didn't take long to see Ban Zhiyu looking around at the main gate of Wanxiang City, and after he saw me and Xie Tao, he hurriedly waved his thin hands at us exaggeratedly.

After approaching, before I could speak, Ban Zhiyu seemed to have done something wrong, and whispered to me left and right, "Why did you come out like this?" ”

"Can't you?"

"No, we don't care, it's just ......," he said, gesturing with his eyes to the two men who were counting their gear outside the doorway, "not necessarily the others. ”

"Come on, it's like you've seen me in the past." I looked at Ban Zhiyu with a wicked smile, suddenly put on a straight face, leaned towards him suddenly, and frightened, "Scared, right?" ”

Ban Zhiyu took a few steps back, but he still said stiffly: "How come!" Don't overestimate yourself, okay? ”

I didn't expect that Ban Zhiyu, who used to be afraid of me, now learned to talk back, I smiled crookedly and was about to kill his sharp qi, when two people outside the door walked in after hearing our movements.

These two people are a man and a woman, and it can be seen from their clothes that there must be a huge difference in their identities. The middle-aged man in a shabby suit felt more sophisticated, and the equipment on his body was a little different from the scavengers I had seen in the past, in addition to a Type 63 rifle that was more commonly used among scavengers, he also had a beautifully crafted sword at his waist, and after a closer look, I couldn't help but suspect that it was the Han sword that Wei Hong had used, after all, I had never seen any trace of that sword since the last time I had a big fight with the bikers. The scabbard of this sword is the same black and red as Wei Hong's, the ancient wood after black lacquer is printed with red lines, the bottom is slightly worn, and the metal sheath is somewhat deformed, but the ornamentation on the hilt and handguard is still clear and exquisite. After staring at it for a long time, I was even more sure that this was Wei Hong's sword.

The man wasn't too tall, the sword on his waist made him look out of proportion to his height, and the black sports backpack on his back probably contained other useful equipment, pressing his body down slightly. Although this man is not good-looking, and his gray appearance is more like that of a farmer busy in the fields, I feel that he is not only worthy of a beautiful sword to give himself courage, judging from the tendons of his well-defined hands, at least he knows how to use the weapons on his body, and may still be an expert. In contrast, the woman was wearing old clothes, and they were all badly worn, but they were kept as neat as possible, and it looked like she was going out for the first time.

The woman must have been in her thirties, maybe younger, her gray jeans were still a little tight, her boots were not much dirt and dust, and her weapon was just a dagger pinned to her waist with a homemade leather button. Unlike the dagger knives I have seen in the past, this dagger is not a common fruit knife or a saber, its handle and scabbard are silver metal, perhaps pewter, and the carving on it is exquisitely carved, quite Tibetan, more like a work of art. However, this woman has never used a knife, so it can be said that this dagger in her hand may have saved her life, but it may have just given her a chance to commit suicide by slashing her neck.

"The knife is good." Rather than waiting to see the same expressions on me, I might as well find something to distract them, and the woman's side seemed to be kinder, so I decided to have a few pleasantries with her. But after I said it, I felt that I was a little familiar with it, maybe the other party was thinking about how to draw a line with me.

"Thank you." The woman smiled at me unexpectedly, and there was no look of disgust or fear on her face.

"This is our botanist, who used to be a researcher at the Medicinal Plant Garden, Liao Zhuojun." Ban Zhiyu's abrupt introduction made me feel hated again, and after Liao Zhuojun nodded and greeted us, he invited the middle-aged scavenger again, "This is Cao Lige, Master Cao, he used to be a taxi driver." ”

"You can use a sword?" I pointed with my chin at Cao Lige's sword.

He didn't respond to me as kindly as Liao Zhuojun, but turned around and prepared to go out, and replied hastily. "I understand a little, I've practiced in the past."

Well, I don't expect both of them to be friendly to me, at least I'm sure this guy can do a few tricks with a sword. After Master Cao walked out the door, we all looked at each other, and we all knew the reason why this was happening. I'm glad Liao Zhuojun wasn't scared of my appearance as a living dead, and Cao Lige, I just hope he doesn't stab me in the back.

As soon as I stepped out the door, I saw the vehicle we were transporting for this trip - a van with steel plates. Not only does the van have a heightened chassis, but the tires are also equipped with special off-road tires, and if it weren't for the model restrictions, this car would definitely be able to participate in the Qatar Rally. However, the addition of a Type 89 heavy machine gun on the roof gives a clear idea of the car's capabilities. In fact, in the past few days in Wanxiang City, I found that the weapons here are no worse than the security zones of governments such as Qingshan, of course, their weapons are more earthen guns and artillery and sporadic active military and police weapons, but I heard that Zhang Xing of Wanxiang City seems to have been an arms smuggler specializing in small countries in Southeast Asia in the past, so it is not surprising that there will be many scavengers in Wanxiang City with weapons such as Type 63 and Type 56 rifles.

In addition, a bulldozer-like construction shovel was welded to the front bumper, and the windshield and other windows were hit with iron mesh and black sunscreen film; These black films ensure that the inside of the car is not visible from the outside, and the iron mesh naturally provides maximum window protection.

In fact, I have seen a lot of modified cars in the past in Qingshan and even in Tianyang base, but this one is considered to be comprehensive, and it seems that I have a long-term plan for any situation that may occur. From the other side of the car came a familiar face, he was busy loading his equipment into the car, and when he saw us, he clapped his hands and stepped forward, his face was not very friendly; At least not very friendly to me.