CH 30

After Hao Jian came back, Peng Mao couldn’t wait to ask her, “What did you talk to him, why did he come looking for you over and over again?”

Hao Jian looked at him with a faint smile, “There is no gossip to tell you, so stop asking about it!”

Peng Mao was a little disappointed, but Lian Ru Ning curled the corners of her mouth.

When Hao Jian was found by An Minghui, Peng Mao chatted with the guards nearby to ask whether An Minghui had a girlfriend, and the answer was no. So, Peng Mao’s brain became open-minded and listened attentively. Lian Ru Ning, on the other hand, was a little unhappy.

Hao Jian turned to look at Lian Ru Ning without speaking. She saw her figure being reflected to a pair of amber eyes, making her a little confused.

“What are you looking at? There’s no gossip, so do you have any business with me?” Lian Ru Ning looked away, appearing like a calm river on the outside.

“There is indeed a business matter. The Conference Center and the Civic Park on the Civic Boulevard that we passed by at noon are actually refuge points. They can’t contact them so they want to send someone to investigate the situation.”

Peng Mao hurriedly asked, “What happened over there? Is it related to the group of zombies we met at noon?”

“Well, aside from what happened with those two motorcycle riders and the current intelligence, something big must have happened, otherwise there should still be some contact. In order to prevent the same thing from happening here, someone must be sent to investigate clearly and prevent the slightest failure.”

“Is it not safe since they have guards stationed there?”

“There is no place that can be said to be 100% safe because there are often many factors and occurrence of hidden dangers.”

Lian Ru Ning, who listened quietly said, “Are you determined to go?”

Hao Jian seems to have never experienced having a guilty conscience like this, “Well, I’m going.”

“Then I will go with you.”

Lian Ru Ning’s voice was very calm but firm.

Hao Jian didn’t seem to expect that she would be so decisive, and looked at Lian Ru Ning with slight surprise. Lian Ru Ning suddenly chuckled, “Do you think that I don’t want you to go, or feel that I’m like an arrow and don’t want to delay here for too long so I will insist on returning to Southern City alone tomorrow?”

“. . .”

Lian Ru Ning muttered dissatisfiedly, “Am I really so selfish in your mind?”

Hao Jian’s focus became a bit strange, “Do you care about your image in my mind?”

Lian Ru Ning was afraid that she would suddenly say something that could be misunderstood and quickly stopped her, “Don’t ask me if I fell in love with you anymore!”

Peng Mao, who heard the conversation between the two on the side and the newcomers next door, opened their eyes wide “Is it popular among girls nowadays to play this way?”

Hao Jian smiles, “I was still thinking about how to trap you here until I come back, and we will return to Southern City together.”

Lian Ru Ning stared at Hao Jian suspiciously ‘Why is this person black-bellied?’1

The ‘black-bellied’ person continued, “But since you’re willing to wait for me, then I don’t have to look for Adjutant An. However, you still have to stay here tomorrow and I will go to the center with them.”

Although the first half of Hao Jian’s sentence was very ambiguous, Lian Ru Ning had no time to think about it and said, “I’m not discussing with you. You have shown your bravery and fearlessness along the way, so it’s my turn to show you how fearless I can be. If you dare to leave me behind, I will ignore you for life and treat you like a stranger.”

“Tsk.” Hao Jian turned her head. Although she didn’t look at Lian Ru Ning, it was the first time that the system thought that they looked perfect for eachother.

Regardless of their tacit understanding or temperament, Lian Ru Ning was quite to Hao Jian’s taste. Compared to a girl who is only protected by others and is as delicate as a doll. she still prefers this kind of courage and brave person.

An Minghui selected two of his mean to go to the Conference Center with him tomorrow to investigate, but Yi Gao – the commander of the Jiangxin Island Refuge – said, “I will go with them tomorrow. Someone must stay and guard here.”

Yi Gao was the leader of the first group and An Minghui was the leader of the second group, so the two were arranged as the chief and adjutant of the Jiangxin Island Refuge.

On weekdays, Yi Gao is responsible for leading the team to carry out search and rescue work while An Minghui is responsible for the safety of the evacuation area and handling various affairs. It was natural for Yi Gao to believe that he is still taking the lead in the investigation.

An Minghui knew that Yi Gao is also good at what he does, but this time his attitude is frim, “The usual search and rescue work cannot be interrupted. This time, going to the conference center is just a sudden task. I should be the one to take the lead and investigate. You can’t go.”

Yi Gao looked solemn but eventually nodded, “But the number of people is too small. Not to mention that the situation over there may not be optimistic. You need to take two more people!”

They had two teams at the Jiangxin Island Refuge with 20 guards, but now, there are only 15 guards left, so An Minghui said, “No. In order to prevent emergencies, there should be more people left behind. Not to mention that the search and rescue work on weekdays also need manpower. If I bring too many people, there won’t be enough staff left behind. I also have found some foreign aid, which is enough.”

“Foreign aid?” Yi Gao was puzzled.

An Minghui asked Hao Jian earlier to find him. Yi Gao saw a tall and thin girl coming in, and he subconsciously showed a disapproving look.

An Minghui smiled and said, “Don’t underestimate her. She came here from the open market with her bare hands, which shows that she’s capable.”

Yi Gao’s expression improved, but he still had concerns. “But we can’t let the people do such dangerous things.”

“It’s only this time. You don’t hesitate to cherish the lives of our teammates and the people! If the danger in the conference center is not investigated, what if the same thing happens here? But it’s not just me or just a handful of people, but the thousands or even tens of thousands of people here will be in danger.” Hao Jian said.

“. . .” An Minghui glanced at Yi Gao who was expressionless who couldn’t say a word to refute Hao Jian’s words.

“Further more, if you just give and sacrifice blindly, you don’t expect the people to be moved and support your actions, don’t you?”

Yi Gao turned to look at An Minghui, “Where did you find such a sharp-tongued person?”

“We just happen to meet.” AN Minghui smiled.

Yi Gao looked at Hao Jian again, “If that’s the case, then I invite you to join the conference center investigation team.”2

Hao Jian thought for a while, “I have a friend who will also go with us by then. Of course, she is also mentally prepared to deal with the critical situation and danger when the time comes.”

“Then you can discuss countermeasures. I will prepare tomorrow’s action!” Yi Gao walked out.

An Minghui learned that Lian Ru Ning would also act together with them tomorrow, so she was brought to him. His two teammates were gathered to discuss their plans together. One of the two is a member of the escort who likes to chat with Peng Mao named Liu Feng.

When he introduced himself, his smile was very bright, “Just call me Da Liu.”

“You are younger than us, aren’t you?” Hao Jian smiled. The age of these guards were generally only 19 to 20 years old and it hasn’t been long since they joined the force.

An Minghui said, “He came in at the age of eighteen. He’s 21 this year. He’s a veteran, otherwise I would not look for him.”

Another member of the escort, ‘A Tao,’ was a little cold, but An Minghui said that among them, he was the best scout. Unfortunately, before he could join the reconnaissance team, a crisis occured.

“Okay, let’s not gossip too much.” An Minghui returned to his serious expression and took out a men and a map of Jian City.”

This map was more detailed than the maps on the market and it even contains handwritten data. It is also clear at a glance the distance between Jiangxin Island and the conference center, the routes between them, and which areas have high risk factors.

“Jiangxin Island and the conference center are both in the suburbs, which can avoid the city center with a higher. But considering the road conditions, we have to choose a smaller road.” An Minghui explained

“Then you can’t drive a truck, let’s drive a motorcycle!” Liu Feng suggested, “There is a Bian San in the truck.”

“What is Bian San?” Lian Ru Ning asked Hao Jian quietly.

Hao Jian pondered for a moment, “It’s the kind of three-wheeled motorcycle with a cart on the side”

As she described it, Lian Ru Ning understood, “What about us?”

An Minghui just mentioned them and said, “Cars are not easy to find, but motorcycles are still easy to find. We have them here.”

He also took out the floor plan of the conference center and the citizen park, “There is a square in front of the conference center, and the building is surrounded by walls on three sides. Aside for the gate connecting to the square, there is only one back door. . .”

The design of the conference center is still quite new in the country. It has two buildings. The building facing the south is connected to the square. Its left and right sides are integrated walls. The hall in the middle has a door leading directly to the back. And the main building.

It is known from the floor plan that it was built in an antique building. Such a building can be visited as a scenic spot on weekdays, and in the event of a crisis, it can also be used as a place for defense and refuge. After all, its wall is high enough and combat power can be mainly arranged at the two doors.

The defense point of the Civic Park that’s diagonally opposite is the bridge, mainly relying on the same method as Jiangxin Island. Not to mentions that the two are close, if there is a change on one side, the other side can support it.

However, after An Minghui and the others lost contact with the conference center, there was no response from the Civic Park. This was what they were worried about the most.

“There are nearly 100,000 refugees over there!” An Minghui said.

As they worked out a preliminary plan, there was a sudden uproar outside. They looked at each other and went to check the situation.

It turned out that Yi Gao accepted An Minghui’d proposal and recruited some people who will go out with them tomorrow for the search and rescue work. Some people became dissatisfied, “You are the guards. It is your responsibility and obligation to protect the people. Why do you want us to do such a dangerous thing?”

These people’s reactions reminded Yi Gao to think of Hao Jian, the woman who had a completely different attitude when faced with such proposal. But he couldn’t repeat Hao Jian’s words and endured his anger, “I’m not forcing you, but asking capable people to assist us.”

“You have enough manpower these days, why would you suddenly ask us to help? You want to use words like our safety to threaten us to work for you. Right?”

Someone also agreed, “Yes, besides, it is safe for those people to stay at home honestly. Why do you want to move them somewhere again?”

Others said, “It’s too small here. There is simply not enough space to accommodate so many people!”

“What’s more, can we not help the search and rescue? Why do we have to save the lives of people we don’t know?”

The selfish faces of these people made Yi Gao’s temperament violent. At the beginning, he never thought of asking these people for help, because starting from the setting up of refuges and receiving survivors, their selfish views never stopped.

But as An Minghui said, now the situation is severe, and it’s not the time for them to fight alone and be heroes. He has to look for foreign aid.

Liu Feng was so angry, “Our brothers sacrificed themselves in order to save them, to find food for them, to prepare tents and mats for them to sleep in, but they were not grateful at all!”

An Minghui held him down, “Don’t be impulsive.”

He knew that Yi Gao is also very angry, but Yi Gao knows that if the situation is not handled properly, it will lead to a catastrophe.

Yi Gao couldn’t tell the people what happened in the conference center. If he suppressed them using violence, it would also result to hidden dangers.

After being silent for a while, Yi Gao blankly said to the people standing in the crowd who were saying bad things, “We don’t have enough food here. Starting tomorrow, we will cancel breakfast and only have lunch and dinner. The portion for rations will also be reduced.”

After he said this, there was a lot of complaints that even the people who had thought that were just watching on the sidelines also reacted.

“Why don’t we have enough food? Are you not the guards? You have a lot of food, don’t you? Couldn’t it be you who ate them?” The questioning person said.

“Are you threatening us? You really want to use us to die!” Said the conspiracy theorist.

Yi Gao thought that he and his teammates risk their lives everyday to clean up the surrounding zombies, searching for survivors and finding food. For this reason, how many of his men were bitten and sacrificed to the zombies? Where did these people come from and demanding things with confidence?

His eyes were red when he though about it. He clenched his fists and tried so hard to not pull out the gun from his belt.

He was about to speak but Hao Jian walked over and said to him, “I say, let them leave here!”

The people surrounding them listened to her and stared at her, “Who are you?”

Hao Jian pulled out her army knife and said, “I’m a common citizen just like you. The guards here have principles and beliefs. They will not do anything to you who’re trying to make trouble, but I’m different. The zombies I killed on the way here are not the same as them. They eliminated hundreds, while I only killed forty to fifty zombies. I don’t mind dealing with people either. . . “

She threatened blanatly, causing those who didn’t have any armor to take a step back. Yi Gao, An Minghui and the others didn’t respond either. They just looked at her.

“What do you want to do? Do you dare to take advantage of us here?!” One of the men asked arrogantly.

Hao Jian pointed her knife at them and said coldly, “You know that you’re only safe because the guards are protecting you, right? For me, I can’t fully enjoy the protection that others have exchanged for their lives, but people like you who still don’t know how to be grateful after all this are no different from parasites. If pest like you dies, then so be it. What’s there to be regretful about? If it should be killed, I will kill it. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Lian Ru Ning gazed at Hao Jian’s back and felt that her domineering side was very similar to the boss in the domineering president she had read – too charming!