Lu Qiming’s expression was complicated, mixed with vigilance and some resentment, making Jiang Miaomiao unable to understand.
She thought he might be angry about her return and explained, “These people are here to rescue us. His name is Gu, Gu Changzhou. He’s the one we met last time…”
Before she could finish her words, Gu Changzhou suddenly said, “I remember now, you are… A63?”
Lu Qiming remained silent and tightened his grip on the gun, as if ready to shoot at any moment.
Gu Changzhou looked at him in disbelief. “Weren’t you dead back then? How come you survived? It’s been more than ten years, but you haven’t changed at all?”
This surprised Jiang Miaomiao. “You know each other? What do you mean by more than ten years?”
In the original text, she had never seen Lu Qiming before!
Gu Changzhou glanced at her, countless speculations flashing through his mind, but one thing was certain—this girl was indeed very ordinary, both inside and out.
Seeing that he didn’t speak, she looked at Lu Qiming subconsciously and asked softly, “Do you know him?”
Lu Qiming also didn’t answer, staring at Gu Changzhou, his thoughts unclear.
The atmosphere in the room became tense and serious, making Jiang Miaomiao doubt whether she had done something wrong.
Gu Changzhou changed the topic after more than ten seconds. “Are you injured?”
Lu Qiming’s face remained expressionless. “Even if I had my arms and legs broken, I still have the ability to kill you.”
His words were like a fuse, making Gu Changzhou’s subordinates even more vigilant, watching him closely and being prepared for any action he might take.
Gu Changzhou himself remained relaxed, even putting away his weapon and adopting a harmless posture. “Don’t be so serious. The past is not something that can be explained in a few words. Let’s put it aside for now. I’m here to rescue you and this little girl.”
As he said the last three words, his gaze turned to Jiang Miaomiao.
She was looking at Lu Qiming and turned her head back when she felt the gaze, wanting to say something, but he had already looked away.
Lu Qiming’s tone was mocking. “You want to save me?”
“Why not? In this world, survivors must unite and help each other to survive. Moreover, I am a professional soldier now, and protecting the country and its citizens is my duty.”
He still didn’t believe it, and his expression was full of detachment.
Ignoring him, Gu Changzhou ordered his subordinates, “Test him to see if he’s infected.”
His subordinates put away their weapons and took out a sealed test paper from their backpacks, approaching Lu Qiming.
Lu Qiming sternly shouted, “Stay where you are!”
Feeling the strong hostility from the other side, he had no choice but to stop and seek help from Gu Changzhou with his eyes.
Gu Changzhou looked at Jiang Miaomiao.
After thinking for a moment, she walked to Lu Qiming’s side and hugged him, whispering in a volume only they could hear, “Let them test you. If it shows that you’re not infected, we can go to the base.”
Although the base wasn’t as good as the carefree days they had before, it was still better than waiting for death here.
Lu Qiming was very upset.
“You never care about what I say; you never listen to me.”
Jiang Miaomiao’s fingers tightened.
“If we switch roles, and it’s me lying here dying, would you leave? No, you wouldn’t. So I won’t either. The way I feel now is exactly how you felt when I was close to death.”
Lu Qiming froze for a moment, then sighed, “Fine, test me then.”
He turned his face away, refusing to look at the soldier anymore.
The soldier breathed a sigh of relief and followed Gu Changzhou’s instructions, taking a blood sample from him and dropping it on the test paper.
After a few minutes, the result came out.
The soldier shook his head at Gu Changzhou.
“A.”
The test paper had three levels of results: abc.
c, not infected.
b, possibly infected.
a, confirmed infection.
In the base, they could use instruments to conduct further tests, such as the degree of infection.
But in the current situation, this preliminary result was enough for them to make a decision.
Infected individuals were absolutely not allowed into the base.
The soldier returned to Gu Changzhou’s side, and everyone started preparing to leave.
Gu Changzhou fell silent for a while before giving an unexpected order.
“Take them with us.”
When Jiang Miaomiao read the novel, she already knew the meaning of the test levels, so when she heard the result, she had already lost hope and was prepared to stay with Lu Qiming.
However, the order given was shocking, not only to the subordinates but also to her.
One of the subordinates said, “Captain, he’s already infected! He’s an infected person!”
“I know.”
“Then why order to take him back? We’ve put in so much effort and resources to keep the base absolutely safe. If he goes in and spreads the virus, won’t it all be in vain?”
Gu Changzhou asked, “Are you the captain or am I the captain?”
“…You are.”
“Since that’s the case, you just need to follow the order and take them back.”
The subordinates exchanged glances, but nobody moved, clearly unable to comprehend this order.
Gu Changzhou frowned, about to reprimand them, when Lu Qiming spoke up.
“I’m not going to the base with you.”
Taking the opportunity, another subordinate hurriedly said, “Captain, you see, he doesn’t even want to go himself. Why should we take the risk? Let’s go!”
Gu Changzhou narrowed his eyes and looked at Lu Qiming.
“Are you sure?”
He had already seen his fate, would he do nothing and just wait to die?
This is not his style.
Lu Qiming sneered, “I won’t go to the base. There are too many idle people there, and it’s not quiet. I need you to provide me with a safer and more concealed place.”
Gu Changzhou mocked, “It seems like the virus has already affected your brain, to come up with such an unrealistic idea.”
Jiang Miaomiao was also puzzled, “Why are you saying that? It’s already difficult enough for him to offer help, isn’t it too much to ask?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not too much. He can’t bear to refuse,” Lu Qiming looked confident, holding her hand with a firm grip, waiting quietly for the response.
The two seemed to be engaged in a silent game, each holding a tempting trump card.
After a few minutes, Gu Changzhou gave in.
“Fine.”
Lu Qiming said coldly, “Thanks,” then he glanced at Jiang Miaomiao, signaling her to help him get out of bed.
Jiang Miaomiao assisted him to the floor and went to gather his belongings – clothes, shoes, and the most precious cigarettes and lighter.
Under the watchful gaze of several pairs of eyes, he brazenly took out a gun and tucked it behind his waist.
The subordinates’ eyes nearly popped out, but Gu Changzhou remained indifferent, seemingly unconcerned.
One of the subordinates couldn’t help pulling him aside, “Captain, we can take him with us, but how can we let him carry a weapon? What if a conflict occurs on the way? It will only cause trouble.”
Gu Changzhou said calmly, “Don’t worry, even if he wants to shoot, he’ll only target me, not you.”
“Why?”
He smiled bitterly without saying a word.
By now, Jiang Miaomiao had gathered everything and was helping Lu Qiming walk out.
Because they were so close, she could clearly smell the increasingly strong putrid odor emanating from him.
To be honest, she wasn’t surprised when she heard the test result.
When Lu Qiming was critically ill and insisted on sending her away, she had a faint premonition that he might be infected.
She just didn’t have the courage to face this issue head-on, so she simply didn’t mention it to anyone.
Why wasn’t he infected when bitten before, but now he is?
Was it because the virus in the zombies’ bodies was activated by the medicine?
Her limited knowledge couldn’t explain it clearly, but she was very grateful that they hadn’t been separated yet.
Where was Gu Changzhou taking them? Would they ever have a chance to come back?
Before boarding the plane, she looked back at the building where they had lived for several months and the familiar city behind it.
This place had brought her many hardships and dangers, but she still felt reluctant to leave.
What would the future be like? What would they encounter?
She couldn’t imagine.
All she knew was that the warmth of the people around her and the hope still existed.
The plane closed its cabin door, ascended into the sky, circled around for a while, and flew towards a distant destination.
According to Gu Changzhou’s explanation, the flight would take seven hours.
It was almost noon, which meant they had to wait until evening before they could disembark.
This was the first time Jiang Miaomiao had ridden in a fighter jet, and she couldn’t help but look around curiously.
The interior of the cabin was completely different from a regular passenger plane; it looked more like a small armory.
On each side of the walls, there were rows of fixed seats, while in the middle, there were several large boxes containing weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies, making the already cramped space feel even more confined.
In the front was the cockpit, and through the glass, she could see a cluster of intricate instruments, which was quite dazzling.
There were no windows on the fuselage, and the lighting came from the built-in cold light tubes.
People sitting inside couldn’t see the outside scenery and could only sense they were high in the sky from the occasional slight turbulence.
The pilots were three of Gu Changzhou’s subordinates. He, like Jiang Miaomiao and the others, was sitting in one of the seats inside the cabin.
No one talked, and no one slept. Their eyes were as sharp as eagles, observing them attentively.
*Cough, cough.*
Lu Qiming coughed twice, and Jiang Miaomiao quickly patted his back, taking a thermos cup from her bag and handing it to him.
He took a shallow sip, his face pale and lifeless. His body was covered in a layer of cold sweat, and even his pulse had slowed down.
Gu Changzhou’s gaze scanned them back and forth, and he suddenly asked, “Do you know how old he is?”
Jiang Miaomiao pointed to herself, “You’re asking me?”
“Yeah.”
“I know, why do you ask?”
“Nothing.” He smiled, looking mature, which made people think he had ulterior motives. “Are you two a couple?”
She was about to speak when Lu Qiming coldly interrupted, “What’s it to you?”
“It’s none of my business; I’m just idle and thought we could chat. No need to be so cold.”
As Gu Changzhou spoke, he glanced at Jiang Miaomiao again. “I really couldn’t have imagined that someone like you would end up with such a gentle girl.”
Lu Qiming snorted, “I also never imagined you would grow up to be so sleazy.”
Gu Changzhou, “… You don’t have to resort to lying to put me down. My appearance is clearly not a flaw.”
“Right, it’s just blind self-confidence.”
“…”
He fell silent for a few seconds and didn’t continue the argument.
“Suit yourself; I’m way past the age of being troubled by such trivial matters.”
“What troubles you now?”
Gu Changzhou felt his question was strange, but he still answered.
“Reviving the country, eradicating the zombies, and such.”
“Give it up. You’re so old, you won’t live to see that day.”
“…The zombies should have bitten your tongue.”
Jiang Miaomiao watched the lively exchange with amusement. But upon closer thought, she suddenly discovered a shocking secret.
They knew each other a long time ago.
Gu Changzhou had aged, but Lu Qiming hadn’t.
Is Lu Qiming about the same age as Gu Changzhou?
They are about the same age???
She looked at him in astonishment, her expression incredulous.
Lu Qiming turned his head and leaned against her shoulder, using the coldest tone to speak the softest words.
“I’m cold.”
Jiang Miaomiao loosened her seatbelt slightly and hugged him in an awkward posture.
Lu Qiming nestled in her arms and closed his eyes to sleep.
Gu Changzhou watched for a while and praised, “You are very courageous.”
Not everyone would dare to hold someone who could turn into a zombie at any moment.
Jiang Miaomiao politely smiled, “Your medal looks very nice.”
Gu Changzhou looked down at the medal and didn’t move for a while, as if he had frozen.
Until Jiang Miaomiao was getting a bit drowsy, he sighed and chuckled self-mockingly, leaning against the back of the seat and looking at the top of the cabin.
Jiang Rourou had no chair and was locked in a cage in the corner.
It seemed a little motion sick, lying there lethargically and occasionally spitting out some acid water.
Jiang Miaomiao wanted to ask the soldiers if they had motion sickness medicine, but they laughed at her instead.
She had no choice but to dig out a piece of mint candy from her bag and hide it in a sausage to feed Jiang Rourou.
After feeding the little piglet, she returned to her seat and continued to hold Lu Qiming.
He kept sweating, and she used tissues to wipe him, wiping off a little whenever he perspired.
Though she knew it wouldn’t be of much use, she wanted to do her best to make him more comfortable.
After flying for more than three hours, the soldiers started to eat.
They were having military field rations, which were delicious, nutritious, and very convenient. Just add some water, and it became a steaming meal.
The cabin was quite small, and Jiang Miaomiao caught a whiff of the aroma of beef and couldn’t help but salivate.
Gu Changzhou asked, “Are you hungry? Want a portion?”
She shook her head.
She had brought some biscuits, enough to fill her hunger.
Lu Qiming obviously wasn’t on good terms with him, and she couldn’t betray him for some food.
Especially when he couldn’t eat anything right now due to feeling unwell, she couldn’t enjoy it alone.
But unexpectedly, the person in her arms spoke up.
“I want two portions.”
Gu Changzhou was surprised, “You have an appetite too?”
“Living people have to eat; it’s impossible not to eat.”
He nodded and asked his subordinates to give them two portions of food.
Lu Qiming lifted himself from Jiang Miaomiao’s arms and sat up straight.
Even such a simple movement seemed to drain all his strength, and his shirt was soaked through.
Jiang Miaomiao had never eaten field rations before, but she had watched videos of others trying them, so she vaguely remembered the steps.
Opening the waterproof sealed bag, there were a total of thirteen small packets of varying sizes inside.
The largest one contained the main course, and it was labeled as beef fried rice. It only required adding water to the outer compartment, and in a few minutes, it would become as fresh as if it had just come out of the pot.
The other small packets contained canned pork, fruit salad, dried vegetables, compressed biscuits, appetizing hawthorn slices, pickled vegetables, as well as energy-boosting chocolate bars, and orange-flavored electrolyte drink powder.
The richness of the food made Jiang Miaomiao, who had endured hardships for over half a year, salivate.
She handled all the food, gave half of hers to Jiang Rourou, and then returned to her seat, using a spoon to scoop up a spoonful of rice, preparing to feed Lu Qiming.
Lu Qiming originally wanted to refuse, but when he saw Gu Changzhou looking at him, he opened his mouth and swallowed the spoonful of rice.
Jiang Miaomiao was delighted, “Great! Eat more.”
He ate one mouthful after another, looking as if he were on his deathbed, yet there was a hint of satisfaction in his expression.
Satisfied with what?
Didn’t he have a girlfriend who would feed him? How childish.
Gu Changzhou rolled his eyes and quickly finished his meal, then continued to rest.
Lu Qiming finished his portion entirely and couldn’t eat another bite. He leaned against the back of the seat, holding his stomach, trying not to throw up.
Seeing that he was feeling uncomfortable, Jiang Miaomiao took out his treasure.
“Do you want a smoke?”
Gu Changzhou opened his eyes, “Smoking is not allowed in the cabin.”
She had to give up and regretfully said, “Endure it, you can smoke after we get off the plane.”
After finishing her own meal, Jiang Miaomiao opened her arms to him.
“Come, let me hold you.”
Lu Qiming leaned over contentedly, although he was tormented by the smell of a living person on her, he felt comfortable in his heart.
He couldn’t help but wonder if he had taken the wrong medicine in the morning.
How could he bear to let such a good person go?
Fortunately, he didn’t succeed.
The plane continued to fly smoothly, and time passed silently.
Finally, the driver’s voice came through the intercom.
“Captain, we will arrive at the base in ten minutes.”
The base.
Jiang Miaomiao remembered the author’s description of it in the original text.
It was a huge fortress transformed from a military base, with a main structure made of reinforced concrete and steel, covered with anti-radiation layers, making it undetectable by radar.
The base was located underground, with a total height of over 900 meters, equivalent to 300 floors on the surface.
It had an area comparable to a small city and was equipped with a complete set of power supply, water supply, and waste disposal systems.
People lived in the central main city area and worked in other regions.
Clothing production, food manufacturing, and weapon production became the most important industries in the base, along with the indispensable livestock breeding and agriculture.
The once-booming finance, real estate, and digital technology industries were now nowhere to be found, while the fields of biotechnology, agriculture, livestock, and medical industries thrived, becoming the gold rice bowls in the eyes of the base’s inhabitants.
Due to the decline of the entertainment industry, underground casinos began to rise, leading the government to dispatch a group of police officers to crack down on gambling crimes.
It was a world that had suffered heavy blows.
But it was also a world full of hope.
Jiang Miaomiao had been fascinated by it, but at the same time, she was well aware that living inside it required great effort, something she, being lazy, couldn’t handle.
Now, she had the chance to see it with her own eyes?
Gu Changzhou noticed the anticipation in her eyes, so he unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up.
“Do you want to see it? Come with me.”
Lu Qiming opened his eyes, and Jiang Miaomiao looked at him with a questioning look.
He retracted his hand and said coldly, “Just go and come back.”
“No problem, I love you!”
She gave him a quick kiss and followed Gu Changzhou to the cockpit, all excited.
The latter smiled and smiled.
“You have a good relationship.”
They had been together for so long that even if she denied it, he would have seen through it.
Jiang Miaomiao didn’t bother pretending and just hoped that they wouldn’t be at odds with each other. So she said, “He’s really a good person.”
“I don’t think so,” Gu Changzhou said with a meaningful tone. “If he were my daughter’s boyfriend, I would never allow her to be with someone like him.”
Jiang Miaomiao didn’t reply because her attention was completely captivated by the scenery outside the window.
When sitting in the back, she didn’t feel much, but now that she saw the view outside, she truly realized that they had arrived in such a remote place.
Not far away were snowy mountains, with white peaks towering high and stretching endlessly.
Below them was a barren wilderness, with gray-black grass covered in white snow, occasionally with eagles soaring overhead.
Wait a minute!
What was that?
A large mass of densely packed things appeared in her field of view. They seemed to be living creatures, constantly surging at the edges, resembling a gathering of maggots, which looked very disgusting.
Those things surrounded the snowy mountains, and the sheer number of them was unimaginable.
They seemed eager to get in, but the ice and cold temperature kept them from advancing.
Even if a few of them managed to get closer, there would be planes coming to destroy them immediately.
The distance was too far, and Jiang Miaomiao couldn’t see their appearance clearly, but she had a vague guess of what they were and couldn’t believe it. She asked Gu Changzhou about it.
The latter was probably already used to this and spoke calmly, “They’re zombies.”
“So many zombies?”
“They are like swarms, chasing after survivors wherever they go. Along the way, they also have other zombies coming from different directions to cut off the escape routes. We’ve made significant sacrifices. This is the sixth base we’ve established. The first five either couldn’t meet the survival needs of everyone or were damaged due to loopholes found by the zombies. If we can’t hold on here, there will be nowhere else to go.”
In her heart, Jiang Miaomiao calculated the timeline.
It hadn’t been a year since the apocalypse broke out, and the base was still in its early stages, with many facilities not fully developed and facing numerous problems.
The female and male protagonists were entrusted by the government and were flying around the world in the plane, trying to rescue the trapped scientific experts and other important figures.
The current state of the base, compared to the final scale in her memory, showed a development gap of at least six or seven years.
She knew the ending, so she wasn’t worried.
But Gu Changzhou couldn’t see the future, which was why, despite holding a high position, he still lacked confidence.
She gazed intently, “I believe things will get better.”
He didn’t believe it and glanced at her.
“If you’re so confident, why didn’t you prefer to stay in the city instead of retreating with the main force?”
Jiang Miaomiao said, “Not leaving was my own choice, and it has nothing to do with confidence. At this stage of development, we still have a country, a government, and no one has been abandoned. I think this is a good sign.”
Gu Changzhou smiled, “I hope you’re right.”
She looked out the window again.
The scenery was beautiful, but the number of zombies was shocking.
However, she had no interest in that and just wanted to stay with Lu Qiming.
Jiang Miaomiao returned to the back of the cabin and found that Lu Qiming had stretched his arm to try and grab the water cup from the bag near his feet.
She hurried over to help him, opened the lid, and fed him water.
The plane flew over the snowy mountain range and landed in a certain mountain valley.
The cabin door opened, and the cold wind blew in. Jiang Miaomiao, who was only wearing thin long sleeves, was directly stupefied, unable to even open her mouth.
Gu Changzhou had someone give them two sets of snow-resistant suits. She quickly helped Lu Qiming put it on, and then wore hers.
Jiang Rourou had no clothes to wear, so she simply wrapped it in her coat and tightened the drawstring at the hem, making her look like a pregnant woman with triplets.
The soldiers were quick, and they had already left the cabin.
With the dog in her arms, supporting Lu Qiming, and carrying luggage on her shoulder, she struggled and comically walked out.
Outside the plane was a building, mostly hidden inside the mountains, with only a small opening showing, covered in snow.
Her subordinates cleared a path, and Gu Changzhou walked to the door and said something, and the heavy metal door rumbled open.
Everyone entered the room, and the door closed, isolating the wind and snow outside.
The room had heating, blowing gently through the ventilation system on the walls.
It took Jiang Miaomiao a while to recover, and she took off her mask to take a big breath, asking Lu Qiming with concern, “Are you uncomfortable?”
Lu Qiming shook his head and looked around.
This place looked like a private residence, with a living room when you entered, and there were two doors behind the sofa, presumably leading to the bedroom and kitchen.
The area wasn’t large, at most a little over a hundred square meters, and the decoration was simple, with only essential furniture. The most advanced piece of technology was probably the wall-mounted TV.
But the walls were particularly thick, sturdy, and warm, something that, in the apocalypse, was obviously an excellent place that money couldn’t buy.
Gu Changzhou introduced, “This is my private shelter. I’ve been too busy with work and haven’t had time to move in until now. Since we are old acquaintances, you can stay here temporarily. There’s a warehouse in the kitchen with enough food for you to eat for a month. Electricity and water are available. But for safety reasons, my people won’t stay here, so you’ll have to take care of eating, drinking, and other necessities on your own. The main door will be locked, and if you turn into a zombie, I’ll shoot you immediately.”
Lu Qiming glanced at him and nodded, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Gu Changzhou turned to Jiang Miaomiao, “How about coming back to the base with me? If he mutates, he won’t spare you just because you’re beautiful.”
Jiang Miaomiao refused without hesitation, “Thanks, but I want to stay.”
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“I’m afraid.” She held onto Lu Qiming’s arm and snuggled up closely, “But he would be scared if he were alone too.”
Being all alone in this cave-like house, with the body rotting and becoming smelly day by day, waiting for death to come.
Just the thought of that feeling made her unable to bear it.
Gu Changzhou looked at Lu Qiming seriously.
“You’re really lucky.”
“Of course, otherwise, how could I be standing here alive in front of you.”
Gu Changzhou shrugged and said to the two of them, “Since there’s nothing else, I’ll return to the base to report. If you need anything, you can use the video communicator on the wall, and my assistant will help deliver things. Goodbye, I hope the next time we meet, you can still say hello.”
He left with his subordinates, and the door opened and closed again.
The room was warm and quiet, like a different world compared to the outside.
Safe now.
Jiang Miaomiao let out a sigh of relief, put down everything, took off the heavy snow-resistant suit, and sat on the sofa, preparing to rest for a while.
Seeing Lu Qiming still standing, she quickly asked him to sit down too.
As he sat down, his joints seemed stiff, and he staggered a bit.
Jiang Miaomiao supported him and suddenly said with a smile, “You look like an old man now.”
Can’t eat, can’t walk, and always feeling sick.
Lu Qiming self-deprecatingly said, “I wish I were an old man. If I had no teeth, I wouldn’t be able to bite even if I turned into a zombie.”
She blinked, “Do you really want to eat me?”
“Why would I eat you? You’re so skinny, it would be a waste of teeth.”
He leaned against the sofa and raised his chin, looking at Jiang Rourou, “If I’m hungry, I’ll just eat it, plenty of meat there.”
Jiang Rourou was still immersed in the cold and hadn’t come back to her senses, standing there dumbly, completely unaware that she was already being eyed by someone.
Jiang Miaomiao looked at him for a while and couldn’t help but nestle into his arms, rubbing her head against his chest.
“I’m so happy that we’re still together.”
Who would be happy to have a person beside them who was about to turn into a zombie?
Perhaps only her, the fool, in this world.
Lu Qiming was both sad and happy. He wanted to touch her hair, but when he raised his hand, he saw that his palm was starting to turn black, so he silently retracted it.
Jiang Miaomiao looked up.
“But you have to tell me the truth, what’s the relationship between you and Gu Changzhou? You knew each other before, right? Tell me, tell me!”
Lu Qiming lowered his eyelids and fell into distant memories.
“I did meet him, but that was many years ago…”
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