Zhang Zhineng pulled Yan Jie into a building that appeared to be inhabited solely by him. The furniture was haphazardly scattered, and cigarette butts littered the floor. The air was pervaded by a stench of sweat, prompting Yan Jie to wave his hand in front of his nose as they entered.
"Make yourself at home."
After Yan Jie responded, Zhang Zhineng asked, "Did you bring anything to eat?"
At his question, Yan Jie pulled out two packs of instant noodles from his backpack, much to Zhang Zhineng’s delight. After observing Zhang Zhineng’s expression, Yan Jie glanced at the cigarette butts on the floor, then took an unopened pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and handed them to him.
The look on Zhang Zhineng’s face went from surprise to pure joy as he bellowed, "Hey, you’re a considerate youngster, huh!"
The more he looked at Yan Jie, the more he liked him and felt that saving him had been worth it. The pack of cigarettes alone made it all worthwhile!
Blushing with embarrassment, Yan Jie scratched his head. He chose not to tell Zhang Zhineng that the cigarettes were simply bribes that he carried with him every day.
Zhang Zhineng took the cigarettes, opened them eagerly, put one stick in his mouth, and lit it. He enjoyed a leisurely puff before offering one to Yan Jie.
"Here! You want one?"
"No, no, I don’t smoke." Yan Jie hastily declined with a shake of his head.
"What’s a non-smoker doing carrying a pack of cigarettes?"
"Well, it’s just a habit, I guess."
Zhang Zhineng took another puff before speaking, "Why are they after you guys? Did you kill Yan Zhaofeng’s mother or something?"
"Yan Zhaofeng is already..."
Yan Jie paused in consternation. Tang Ye had told him yesterday that Yan Zhaofeng had been killed. However, seeing Zhang Zhineng’s confused expression, Yan Jie realized something - the government must have covered up Yan Zhaofeng’s death!
Deflecting quickly, he continued, "Let’s not talk about Yan Zhaofeng...He’s not worth it. Do you know what he’s done?"
"Huh? Wasn’t it you guys who killed him first? And that’s why Yan Zhaofeng issued a warrant for you?"
"No way! He sent his men after our leader’s daughter. But they were caught, and in the end, our leader killed them."
"Kidnap your leader’s daughter? Why would he do that?"
"To conduct a human experiment!"
"What kind of experiment?" Zhang Zhineng’s interest was piqued.
"Have you heard about evolution potions? Those things are a scam! Drinking an evolution potion could kill you! They allegedly improved the formula recently, but couldn’t find any volunteers for the test. Yan Zhaofeng wanted to recruit our leader, who ignored him. This infuriated Yan Zhaofeng, causing him to impulsively decide to snatch our leader’s daughter. They even set our base on fire."
"Our leader got the news and was outraged. He killed many people and we managed to escape. But by dawn, we were being hunted. You see, our leader’s daughter is just over two years old. He dared to use such a young child for experimentation - tell me, is that human?!"
"I see... That bastard Yan Zhaofeng is a real beast!"
Zhang Zhineng slammed his hand on the table in righteous indignation, clearly contemptuous of Yan Zhaofeng’s behaviour, before taking another satisfied puff.
"Yesterday I heard from a friend in the Zombie Slaying Team that a zombie had somehow made its way into the base and taken down several helicopters. Incredible! I wonder how that nincompoop guarding the zombie wall could be so oblivious as to let a zombie in."
Yan Jie nodded, drumming his fingers on the table absentmindedly. Noticing Zhang Zhineng’s hesitance in broaching the subject, Yan Jie concluded that he wanted something. The zombie Zhang Zhineng was referring to was actually Tang Ye. Yan Jie decided to withhold that information.
His reason for venturing out was to scrounge up some clothes for Tang Ye, whose own were long gone. He was supposed to find a suit of clothes and a mask.
Given the current situation, Tang Ye and Chen Chaoyang wouldn’t be able to reveal themselves. He had to figure out how to get this news to Tang Ye as soon as possible.
"Hey, kid, why did you come out? Maybe I can help you out a bit in return for this pack of cigarettes. But just to forewarn you, if there’s something I can’t do, I won’t be able to help, got it?"
"Yes, yes, there’s definitely something! Do you have any clothes that are a bit oversized? Also, do you have a mask, perhaps?"
"You need these things? Did something happen?"
"Yes, our leader’s clothes were damaged."
"Oh, I see. Something bigger... Actually, I believe I saw a trench coat somewhere recently. Your leader also wears trench coats, right? It should fit. As for the mask, I have a few sets. Let me check for you."
"That would be great."
Zhang Zhineng stood up and walked into an adjoining room. Yan Jie showed a look of gratitude, although he didn’t feel too pleased.
He’d initially thought they could establish a new life at the Yindan Base by concealing their identities with masks. However, it seemed impossible now. He wondered where they would end up next.
Anybody in his position would have felt the same way, experiencing a lack of joy.
Yan Jie accepted them and expressed his gratitude, to which Zhang Zhineng gestured dismissively, indicating it was no big deal.
"Okay, it seems you guys can’t stay at the base anymore. Got any backup plans?"
At this, Yan Jie grimaced, "What else can we do? We just have to deal with things as they come."
"Then why don’t you join me?"
"No, no. Our leader has helped me before. I can’t abandon him."
"Alright then. I can’t help you in other respects, but I can at least assist you in returning. After that, make sure to leave Yindan Base as soon as possible. You guys can no longer stay here. You’ll definitely be captured sooner or later... "
Zhang Zhineng rambled on beside Yan Jie then patted him on the shoulder. After listening to him, Yan Jie bowed in sincere gratitude, then headed towards the backyard with the clothes and mask Zhang Zhineng had given him.
Zhang Zhineng watched Yan Jie leave, a smile playing on his lips. The young man was nice, but whether they’d meet again was another story.
Life after the apocalypse is like life in the mortal world, full of comings and goings. Familiar and unfamiliar faces alike eventually fade into obscurity. Thinking about this stirred a sense of chivalry in Zhang Zhineng.
He too wanted to ride through this world, heroically confronting life’s challenges.
As Yan Jie left through the back door, Zhang Zhineng walked out the front door, climbed over a wall, and made his way down the street. He then shouted towards the crowd that was tirelessly searching for Yan Jie, "Hey, come on! Come and get me!"
Hearing his yell, the crowd grew restless. Zhang Zhineng quickly whipped his clothes up to cover his lower face and darted off into the distance. Yan Jie hid in a garbage bin nearby. Once the people had dispersed, he jumped out and headed back towards Tang Ye.