"But what's the point of going to school?" she asked.
"If a natural disaster occurs, like an earthquake or flood, besides hospitals, schools are usually used as temporary shelters. If there are similar signs in the school, it can help us make judgments about the event," Liang Xiao explained in detail. "Also, schools usually have libraries where we might find more complete newspapers. An event like this doesn't just happen without any warning, there must be some indications."
Mu Ge counted on her fingers seriously, "If it's radiation from a meteor, we should look for signs like shooting stars. If it's an infectious disease, the public would definitely be advised to pay attention to ventilation and hygiene. If it's a secret experiment... uh..."
"Clank!" A faint sound resonated clearly on the quiet street. They instinctively took cover, and a zombie staggered by but quickly disappeared.
A rat scurried out from the alley, likely the instigator of the noise.
The zombies couldn't find any prey and wandered aimlessly, while everyone stealthily passed by. Most of the zombies were either burned by the hospital or lured into the river by sea lilies. Now, the streets were back to how they were when they first arrived, with only a few zombies in sight.
However, the challenges they would face were no longer just zombies.
After some effort, they finally found a local school. It was hard to tell if it was a primary or middle school; perhaps it was a combination of both. The so-called library turned out to be nonexistent.
The school only had one activity room with tables joined together and plastic chairs arranged around them. There was a small bookshelf with a few books and newspapers, which probably served as their makeshift library and activity room.
Ni Xuanxuan and Mu Ge were assigned the task of searching and gathering information. One was a top student while the other had a leg injury, so they made a good pair.
Hai Baihe wanted to look for something to eat, and Liang Xiao planned to check the principal's office. Considering safety in numbers, they decided to go together.
In the activity room, Ni Xuanxuan couldn't help but ask, "Does Hai Baihe really want to pursue him?"
It was rare for someone to engage in gossip with her, and Mu Ge's eyes widened. The pain in her leg seemed to diminish. "I think Baihe wants to sleep with him."
"What?" Ni Xuanxuan exclaimed.
"I mean, she doesn't want a long-term relationship. Although Officer Liang is handsome, as you heard, he's always investigating cases overseas, flying here and there. It's one thing for local police to be unfortunate, often unable to go home, but international agents? Who knows where they'll be!" Mu Ge teased. "But they're probably gathering information now, you see."
Mu Ge truly lived up to her role as Hai Baihe's best friend of many years. She guessed correctly.
Hai Baihe was somewhat interested in Liang Xiao. After all, it was rare to come across such a handsome man with a remarkable career. It was like poppy, exerting a fatal attraction on her.
"I have a question." Hai Baihe rummaged through the drawers in the principal's office. "You mentioned earlier that you broke up with your girlfriend, is it true?"
Liang Xiao understood why she asked that question. Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't answer, but this strange situation gave him a chance to relax. "Yes, it's true."
"Why did you break up?" Hai Baihe was genuinely curious about this.
"She was my colleague," Liang Xiao paused and added, "an undercover agent."
"Wow, she must have been a cool
woman, and surely very beautiful too."
"That's true," Liang Xiao sighed lightly.
"Since you were colleagues, you must understand each other and have common ground. Plus, she's so beautiful. Why did you break up?" Hai Baihe had a sudden realization. "Could it be because she slept with someone else?"
"I wouldn't break up because of that," Liang Xiao didn't deny that such a thing had happened. "That was part of her job, and we both understood it. Loyalty goes beyond our work."
Hai Baihe was now genuinely puzzled. "Then why?"
"She developed feelings for the target," Liang Xiao flipped through the documents calmly. "She never said it, but I could tell. I initiated the breakup."
Originally, he hoped that after this mission, Delia would transition to a more open position. He had specifically requested a vacation to go skiing with her in Switzerland.
But in the snowy cabin, he saw her holding a ring, tears streaming down her face.
It was a token of affection from the target, whom she had fallen in love with, even though... she had apprehended him herself.
He cut short his vacation and voluntarily requested to investigate the actions of "The Raven."
"Is 'The Raven' the name of that drug trafficking gang?" Hai Baihe asked.
"No, that organization is called..." Liang Xiao turned his head and smiled. "I won't tell you."
"Stingy, we've been through this together, after all," Hai Baihe and Liang Xiao's only achievement during their stroll was a can of powdered milk they found in a teacher's cabinet. Since it was a tin can, it was spared from being eaten by rats.
Glucose mixed with powdered milk... It didn't taste great, but they all swallowed it diligently. Energy and calories were the foundation for their journey out of there.
Liang Xiao changed Mu Ge's leg bandage, and she pretended to be relaxed. "I can't feel anything now. If I don't think about it, it doesn't hurt."
"You silly girl," Hai Baihe teased, "if you can't feel anything, they might amputate it!"
Mu Ge got scared and quickly changed her tune. "Actually, it still hurts quite a bit. Baihe, don't scare me like that."
"If it really hurts, take a painkiller. That's not a solution," Hai Baihe advised.
Mu Ge took a painkiller. "Have you found any clues?"
"There were just a bunch of useless documents in the principal's office. What about you?"
Ni Xuanxuan was completely absorbed in reading a book and only snapped back to reality after finishing it. "Officer Liang guessed right. The newspapers here are quite complete. I skimmed through them and found one report worth noting."
She pointed out a two-page long report, saying, "In the summer of 1995, they discovered a rare metal in Huyang Township, and the government approved its mining. As a result, the economy of Huyang Township developed rapidly, and many people started buying cars and new houses. Xin Xin Department Store was built with donations from the mine's owner."
As she spoke, her excitement grew. She remembered her archaeology professor saying during her first year, "Archaeology and deduction are similar. Both involve searching for the truth among scattered clues."
They searched for traces in various documents and verified their speculations with unearthed artifacts. Now, just like her professor had taught her, she carefully unraveled the situation.
Ni Xuanxuan said, "I've looked at everything, and this is the most suspicious."
Mu Ge raised her hand in agreement. "In 'Resident Evil,' the T-virus originated from
an ancient virus. Who knows what strange things they've dug up?"
Hai Baihe pointed to the map on the wall. "Is this the Huyang Mine?"
"Yes," Ni Xuanxuan lowered her head to read the newspaper. "It used to be called Heishan. The mining site where they found the rare metal was number 23. It was later renamed Huyang Mine."
Hai Baihe studied the map and calculated the distance using the scale. "It's quite far."
"We can ride bicycles," Liang Xiao stood by the window and gestured toward the bicycle shed outside. Unfortunately, bicycles were considered valuable items back in the last century, and there were only two in the shed, probably owned by the security guards.
Hai Baihe really wanted to experience the feeling of sitting on the backseat of a bicycle with her arms around her beloved, but in reality, she ended up riding the bike with Mu Ge.
Mu Ge held her chest, in both pain and frustration. "I'm really sorry, it wasn't intentional. But I thought you would prefer to bring me along rather than Ni Xuanxuan, right?"
"Get lost," Hai Baihe rolled her eyes dramatically. "You're heavier than Ni Xuanxuan, look how thin she is!"
Mu Ge protested, "Hey, can't we be good friends?"
Despite the banter, Hai Baihe was skilled at riding the bike with someone else. To avoid encountering zombies as much as possible, they took shortcuts.
But there were always stragglers.
Indeed, as the sky gradually brightened, a lone zombie spotted them and howled, ready to pounce.
Its sharp nails almost scratched Mu Ge's face, and she held onto Hai Baihe's clothes in a panic. "Bai, Baihe, help!"
Hai Baihe pedaled with all her might while the zombie relentlessly pursued them. Mu Ge buried her face in Hai Baihe's back. "Faster!"
"Alright, it's time to show off my boyfriend skills," Hai Baihe tightened her grip on the handlebars. "Hold on tight, really tight, or you might fall off."
Mu Ge didn't hesitate and held onto her waist tightly. Hai Baihe was being choked by her, making it hard to breathe, but she held her breath and lifted the front wheel.
They were approaching a small square with steps leading down in rows. Two smooth walls curved inward, creating a concave shape. Hai Baihe rode up the steps, performing a 360° backflip. It almost gave Mu Ge a heart attack.
When the bicycle's wheels landed, they were already behind the zombie.
Hai Baihe didn't turn around and run. Instead, she sprinted forward again, the front wheel colliding with the zombie's head. With their combined weight, they pinned the zombie to the ground.
Hai Baihe stopped the bike, and Mu Ge recoiled her legs. She watched as Hai Baihe stepped on the zombie's head, squashing it.
"Disgusting," Mu Ge quickly covered her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting.
Hai Baihe rejoiced, "Good thing I'm wearing boots."
Ni Xuanxuan remarked, "...Was that acrobatics?"
Liang Xiao commented, "Extreme sports." Hai Baihe's love for various extreme sports seemed to be genuine!
Having dealt with the relentless zombie, Hai Baihe nonchalantly said, "So, where do we go from here?"
Mu Ge suggested, "Baihe, can we switch?"
Ni Xuanxuan clung tightly to the backseat of the bicycle. "No switching!" Compared to Hai Baihe, Liang Xiao seemed much more reliable!
"You actually dislike me," Hai Baihe
grumbled. "I let you hold on to me, you know?"
"I can't do it, Your Highness."
She had been in mid-air just now! When she sat down abruptly, it hurt her butt!
"Girls, shh—" Liang Xiao gestured for silence. "This way."
Hai Baihe changed direction and led them into a dark alley. A few zombies at the end of the street swayed over but didn't notice them. They sluggishly returned to their previous path.
They quickly left the city limits. Ni Xuanxuan said, "There shouldn't be any zombies here. Let me walk instead."
She weighed more than 80 pounds, and it was unfair to make Liang Xiao carry her the whole time. Everyone's stamina was decreasing, and since there was no immediate threat, it was better to walk slowly.
With her leg injury, Mu Ge was deprived of the privilege to walk. She sat on the backseat while Hai Baihe pushed the bicycle forward.
This road was no different from the one they had come on before, except it was even more desolate. Apart from the eerie silence, there was no sign of human presence. They felt like travelers in a desert or abandoned orphans in the world.