The oppressive atmosphere easily breeds thoughts of despair.
Muge hesitated and asked, "Can we really reach the mine? What if we end up going in circles again?"
"If we go in circles, it means this approach is wrong," Hai Baihe replied. "Let's consider it as a process of elimination."
Ni Xuanxuan sighed, "Can we really hold on until we find the right answer?" If it weren't for a few reliable companions, she would have already collapsed. But because they were still persevering, she managed to hold herself back from falling into the abyss of despair.
A long silence followed, even Hai Baihe, who was usually talkative, didn't know what excuse to use for self-comfort. The reality was so surreal that even the expression "seeing a ghost" couldn't adequately describe their feelings.
Liang Xiao thought for a moment and broke the silence like lifting a curse, "Let me tell you a story."
Hai Baihe's eyes lit up, "Great!"
Muge covered her face and pleaded, "Sis, please restrain yourself. We're in this situation, who has the energy to focus on romance?"
She had misunderstood Hai Baihe. It wasn't that she was interested in Liang Xiao himself, but rather she was interested in his story.
Liang Xiao's story began on a smuggling boat, filled with young people dreaming of making a fortune in a foreign land.
There were about a dozen illegal immigrants on the boat, most of them with only primary or middle school education. Unable to find well-paying jobs in their home country, the snakeheads used this as an opportunity to lure these young dreamers to work abroad. They promised monthly salaries of over a thousand dollars and the prospect of returning home to get married after three years. These beautiful lies led them to leave their homes and embark on the journey.
If they managed to arrive safely, they would face an undocumented life of hardship. Without legal status, they couldn't ensure their rights. Employers would take advantage of this, paying them meager wages. Some unscrupulous employers would exploit them as illegal workers for a few days before firing them, leaving them with nowhere to go but sleep on the streets.
However, this particular boat faced even more misfortune. It was summer, the season of frequent typhoons. Normally, the typhoon's route wouldn't hinder their journey. But this time, the typhoon had different plans.
Their boat met the typhoon head-on.
The snakehead, not being a competent captain, panicked in the face of this situation. The only crew member was ill-equipped to handle such strong winds. He persuaded the snakehead to release the illegal immigrants from the cabin, so they could all work together to overcome the challenge.
However, the winds were too fierce, and some people were swept off the deck by the turbulent waves. In the raging storm, no one could save them.
It was uncertain how much time passed, but eventually, the typhoon subsided. One-third of the people on the boat were gone.
In such a situation, seeking rescue was necessary. While making a fortune was desirable, it wasn't worth losing their lives. However, the snakehead disagreed. If a rescue team arrived, they would surely face investigation. These illegal immigrants might be deported, but the snakehead would face far worse consequences for his past crimes.
However, this snakehead, now controlled by his own victims, accepted his fate and chose imprisonment over certain death.
But misfortune never comes alone. Their communication devices malfunctioned, preventing them from contacting rescuers. Fuel was running out, and they were trapped in desperation.
Hai Baihe listened intently, her heart racing, and asked eagerly
, "And then?"
"They survived on the sea for a month, eating seafood and relying on rainwater. Finally, they were rescued," Liang Xiao concluded the story with a satisfying ending.
"So, until the very end, we must never give up, understand?" He hadn't intended to say that, but now everyone was puzzled. Muge asked, "Did they all make it back?"
"Some weaker ones died, but the majority survived," Liang Xiao answered.
Surviving by eating the flesh of the dead and drinking their blood.
In dire situations, the topic of cannibalism is inevitable, but it's a taboo that must never be brought up. Once spoken, the whole team would fall apart, consumed by mutual suspicion.
That would truly be a dead end.
However, Liang Xiao didn't say it, and no one present was foolish enough to open that Pandora's box. Until the last moment arrived, they would deceive themselves, numb their senses, and blind others.
When they saw the sign for "Huyang Mine," everyone was excited. Instead of walking along the road and ending up back in Huyang Village, they had reached the mine. What did this prove?
It proved that the key to leaving this place was right here!
Although Liang Xiao thought the idea of finding clues to leave the map was too idealistic, in their current situation, any possibility was worth a try. Besides, understanding the origins and consequences of the zombies wouldn't hurt. Even if they couldn't escape, they could still help them find some clues.
Entering the mine, they observed groups of zombies scattered about.
They hid behind a mining car and observed.
"Strange," Hai Baihe whispered, touching her lips. "It doesn't seem like the source of the outbreak."
If it was an underground excavation that accidentally unearthed a mutation, then in such a confined space, few people would survive. Mining was the pillar industry of Huyang Village, and newspapers had been calling for people to join. Obviously, a large number of people from Huyang Village and even other places were working in the mine. The number of zombies should be terrifying.
But here, it was no different from Huyang Village.
"There are signs of fights on the ground, and lots of bloodstains," Liang Xiao said softly. "They weren't completely powerless; many survivors should have left this place."
"Could it be that we were wrong?" Ni Xuanxuan slumped down, feeling her limbs drain of strength. She felt like a fish on a chopping board, flopping around in a desperate struggle before meeting its end.
Hai Baihe sighed, "Since we've come this far..."
Since they've come this far. This catch-all phrase was as effective as "it's the holidays." Whenever they traveled and encountered difficulties like exhaustion, rain, or expensive tickets, they could use this phrase to convince their companions.
Since they've come this far, not going would seem like a waste.
Liang Xiao looked at the entrance, then turned and said, "I'll go in and check. Wait for me here."
Hai Baihe said lazily, "I want to go in too."
Muge tugged at her clothes, trying to restrain her. Her short T-shirt was pulled up, revealing half of her shoulder. Hai Baihe quickly pulled her neckline back, feeling more wronged than Dou E: "Then you stay here, and I'll go?"
She genuinely didn't have any ulterior motives. She truly wanted to go inside!
Muge tugged at her, not solely out of annoyance that she was being distracted by appearances. Who knew what awaited them inside the
mine? If luck was on their side, it might just be zombies. If luck wasn't on their side, there could be something even more terrifying than zombies.
Although Liang Xiao was very considerate of them, sorry, but his feelings couldn't compare to the friendship she had with Hai Baihe for over a decade. Privately, she didn't dare to take risks herself, nor did she want Hai Baihe to get involved.
Muge knew that her thoughts were selfish, but in times like these, she preferred to be selfish and protect her friend rather than see her in danger.
Liang Xiao understood her thoughts with just a moment's reflection. It wasn't wrong; in such a situation, they couldn't abandon their teammates. Liang Xiao wasn't the type to leave them behind.
Ni Xuanxuan hesitated. For her, both Hai Baihe and Liang Xiao were still new acquaintances. She relied on Liang Xiao a bit more, and even though Hai Baihe didn't seem fragile, she felt that Hai Baihe was too unpredictable. In other words, she couldn't provide a sense of security. She was too unreliable.
However, Liang Xiao was a man, a police officer. Both emotionally and rationally, he was the best choice. There was no doubt about it.
Ni Xuanxuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Officer Liáng, we'll wait for you outside."
Hai Baihe sighed, "We can't let you go alone into danger. We don't know what's inside the mine, and it's too dangerous for you to go alone."
Muge was about to speak when suddenly she heard Ni Xuanxuan next to her scream in shock. She turned her head and saw a black gun barrel pointed at Ni Xuanxuan's back.
Liu Ge stepped down from the mining car, which had some resemblance to an excavator. It wasn't a small hand-pushed mining cart, but had a driver's seat for operation. They had been so focused on observing the zombies that they hadn't noticed Liu Ge hiding inside.
"Officer?" Liu Ge sneered at Liang Xiao. "You really are a cop, acting the part all the way."
Liang Xiao tensed his muscles. "Stay calm," he tried to slow down his tone. "You must have some bargaining chips if you didn't shoot right away. Let's be frank with each other since time is precious."
"Oh? If I fall into your hands, will you spare me and help me leave this hellish place together?" Liu Ge grinned. "Do I look that easy to deceive in your eyes?"
"I'm not trying to deceive you. Since you didn't shoot immediately, there must be some negotiation you want to have with me," Liang Xiao raised his hands. "Time is valuable. Let's have an honest conversation."
Liu Ge, realizing that arguing here would be pointless, decided not to rely solely on verbal disputes. If they all died, he wouldn't even have a trace left. He had used the monkey as a scapegoat and didn't know if Da Xu was dead or alive. He had no other choice but to do this. "You and this little girl, go inside and see what's going on."
He pointed at Hai Baihe and then unlocked the gun's safety. "If you try anything funny, I'll inject them with this. It's quite powerful."
Everyone's expression instantly changed. Being injected with such a high concentration of drugs was worse than death itself.
Hai Baihe, inexperienced in dealing with people like Liu Ge, could
only grit her teeth and turn her head away. "Three hours, what good is one hour?"
Liu Ge considered it. One hour was indeed too strict. "Two hours," he bargained. After a pause, he looked at them with a twisted smile. "And give me your guns."
"We need weapons for self-defense," Liang Xiao said. "You keep the hostages in front of you. Are you afraid I'll shoot? My marksmanship isn't that good."
Liu Ge sneered, "What does your life or death have to do with me? If you can't make it out and die here, these two girls will die with you. I don't care."
He menacingly pulled Ni Xuanxuan's chin. Ni Xuanxuan was so frightened she couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Liang Xiao knew how tragic it was for someone to fall into drug addiction. Even if it wasn't voluntary, once it began, there was no way to stop. Ni Xuanxuan shouldn't have her life ruined here.