Chapter 12 – Rainy Night in Hua City (4)
◎Teach her a lesson◎
Was fever a precursor to awakening of supernatural abilities?
Even long after Tian Yi had left, Song Ke was still pondering this question.
Would her three-day high fever have any impact on her supernatural abilities? What exactly was the ability she had awakened?
As one problem was resolved, new questions kept emerging incessantly, giving Song Ke a headache.
Jiang Rui later paid her a visit, facing numerous gazes, and brought food and a mattress for Song Ke. From the past, she had always regarded him as a troublesome busybody, but she hadn’t anticipated that after three years, he would still be like this. She was so fed up that she didn’t want to bother with him at all.
Perhaps sensing her impatience, Jiang Rui didn’t linger much either. He just left after putting down the items.
At night, the wind and rain on the playground subsided, and everyone lay on their mats, lost in their own thoughts, gradually slipping into slumber.
Song Ke picked up her backpack from the ground and stealthily entered the equipment room in the darkness.
Inside the stuffy equipment room, she bit her lower lip, undoing the bandages wrapped around her body.
The gauze separated from her skin with a slight tug, and after removing all the bandages, Song Ke was momentarily stunned. Several wounds on her body, deep enough to expose bone, had actually healed within just a few days. Fresh, tender new skin had grown, and even when she lightly poked at it, it didn’t hurt much.
Was this related to her awakening of supernatural abilities? Her body’s healing speed had significantly increased.
Previously, Song Ke had been unwilling to walk alongside those soldiers, partly because of her injuries, especially the ones on her back and abdomen. At a glance, they looked grisly, so she intentionally wound long bandages around her arms. Her aim was to divert attention to her hands, thus downplaying the existence of other wounds.
After all, she had been wounded by zombies, and she didn’t know if any abnormalities would arise. The group of powerful and vigilant supernaturals, if they noticed anything amiss, given their inhumane treatment of those who showed abnormalities, the consequences would likely be unpredictable.
After reapplying the ointment and tending to her wounds, Song Ke closed the door, retreating back to her corner.
In the latter part of the night, she dozed off, hugging her backpack, until the tranquility of the safe zone was shattered by a loud exclamation.
“There’s news! The Alliance has issued a statement!”
Spots of light from cell phones began to flicker one after another. The awakened individuals who were awoken by the noise didn’t even have time to complain as they rubbed their eyes and checked the official messages.
“It’s true! The nearest rescue team is less than 80 kilometers away from Hua City!”
“They say they will clear out the peripheral zombies first and then dispatch starships to the urban area for rescue. Survivors can upload their locations.”
“This is fantastic! We can finally leave!” The girls embraced each other, jumping and rejoicing with tears of joy.
The hope of survival ignited the entire safe zone. Nobody felt sleepy anymore; they gathered together, excitedly discussing. Xu Liren gathered a group of students for an emergency meeting, seemingly discussing matters about contacting the rescue team.
Song Ke wasn’t interested in their meeting’s contents. She rolled over, facing the corner of the wall, and continued to sleep. When she escaped from District 177, she had already known that a rescue team would be coming in the next couple of days. The news now confirmed it, and for her, it meant just another place to wander.
What she didn’t expect was that, in a short while, the group that had just finished the meeting was heading straight toward her.
“Song Ke, wake up. We need to talk to you, Song Ke?”
Representing them, Lin Xia called softly for quite some time, but Song Ke, with her face buried in her bag, was sound asleep and showed no response.
In fact, she had awakened when this group of people had approached, but with so many people buzzing around, her morning irritation got the best of her.
She wasn’t really keen on dealing with these people.
Xu Liren knelt down in front of her, as if he knew she was awake. He said in his usual tone, “Song Ke, today Zhang Qi is preparing to lead a team to the starship port to gather information. We’re missing one person. Would you be willing to go out for a bit?”
Although it was phrased as a consultation, a dense crowd of people was behind him, and dozens of pairs of eyes were fixed on her.
Everyone was waiting for her answer. Unable to pretend to be asleep any longer, Song Ke slowly opened her eyes and let out a big yawn.
Feeling so sleepy, her eyes even welled up with tears.
Seeing that she wasn’t taking it seriously, Zhang Qi’s expression immediately turned grim.
Xu Liren paid no mind to her impoliteness and continued to persuade her gently, “Song Ke, everyone in the team has their own position and contribution. You’re new here, and fairness is important in the decisions I make as a teacher, right? I know you’re skilled and capable of handling this task. I’ve talked to Zhang Qi, and he agrees with your involvement.”
Through the corner of her eye, Song Ke saw Tian Yi madly gesturing behind.
Jiang Rui stepped forward, his lips tightly pressed. “Professor Xu, let me lead the team today.”
Zhang Qi was already very displeased. When he saw Jiang Rui stepping up, he immediately sneered, “Jiang Rui, do you look down on me? You think you’re better than me? You’re a hero, and I’m a coward?”
Xu Liren interjected in time, extinguishing the brewing argument between them. “Searching outside is important, but protecting everyone within the safe zone is equally crucial. Jiang Rui, I trust you, and you should trust your fellow student’s abilities, right?”
Jiang Rui wanted to argue further, but Zhang Qi standing nearby quickly pulled him back, murmuring something to him.
Both supernatural individuals had fire in their eyes, staring each other down in tension.
As the tension escalated in the background, Xu Liren remained calm and lowered his voice, gently persuading, “Song Ke, let me speak candidly. Jiang Rui is steady; I’m at ease with him leading. Zhang Qi has a stronger personality, but I believe you’re capable outside. Also, Zhang Qi’s words… he’s a bit more assertive. Keep an eye on him when you’re out there. I know you’re quite capable.” He stressed the last sentence meaningfully.
Song Ke’s heart skipped a beat, uncertain about the meaning behind his last words.
Xu Li turned away, speaking in a loud voice, “Zhang Qi, you’re leading today. Remember, we can’t afford to lose anyone else.”
He seemed to smile, his eyes behind his glasses hiding unfathomable depths, carrying a hint of warning.
In the dimly lit playground, a few hanging lights illuminated the ceiling but couldn’t reveal everyone’s expressions clearly. Song Ke’s gaze swept across Zhou Anqi and Cao Yiyi in the distance, Tian Yi and Lin Xia closer by, Jiang Rui and Zhang Qi in a standoff, finally settling on Xu Liren.
Each face held its own thoughts. What were they calculating? What were they worried about? What were they afraid of?
Grandfather was right. Dealing with people was truly the most exhausting thing in this world.
With her bag slung over one shoulder, Song Ke pushed herself up and stood. “Got it, I’ll… go out.”
…
Liu Zixuan placed his hand on the wall. After a violent surge of energy, the outline of the door gradually became visible and eventually stabilized.
He patted Zhang Qi on the shoulder. “Send me a message when you’re back.”
Zhang Qi made an OK gesture.
Just before opening the door, Zhang Qi suddenly withdrew his hand and playfully said to Song Ke, “Hey, I heard you’re pretty amazing? How about you go first?”
Compared to going in, going out was certainly more dangerous. Who knew if they’d face a group of zombies when they opened the door?
“Sure,” Song Ke couldn’t be bothered to expose his ulterior motives, so she simply responded, not bothering to look at him, and opened the door to step out.
Arrogant, way too arrogant.
Zhang Qi’s face was almost twisted with anger.
This time, the team, including Song Ke, consisted of eight people, all boys. There wasn’t a single familiar face among them, except for one: Zhang Hao, who somehow tagged along. On the way, he took the opportunity when others weren’t paying attention to come over and remind her, “Zhang Qi might cause trouble for you. Be careful.”
Having heard gossip from Tian Yi, Song Ke knew that Zhang Hao was a repeat student, older than the rest. He had a somewhat serious disposition and was quite close to Jiang Rui. She neither liked nor disliked him, so she nodded in response.
“Brother Qi, should we head to the starship port first?” Shortly after leaving Hua City No.1 Middle School, one of the team members asked.
“No rush.” Zhang Qi glanced at Song Ke. She was trailing behind, drooping her eyelids, giving off an indifferent air, as if she were keeping a distance from everyone.
“Student Song,” Zhang Qi called her leisurely, “we still have some time. I’m thinking of searching for supplies first. What do you think?”
Song Ke lifted her gaze, her eyes like lustrous gems locking onto Zhang Qi’s. His heart inexplicably trembled under her gaze. Slowly, she nodded. “Sure.”
As they would be heading to the starship port afterward, their search pace accelerated. The team walked westward along School Street. The journey was calm and peaceful, and soon they arrived at a commercial street. The storefronts here were not very large, but their numbers were considerable, closely packed together.
The group stopped at the entrance of a row of connected shops. Zhang Qi surveyed the surroundings and made a half-smiling suggestion, “Student Song, how about we split up and search separately? One person per shop. Would you like to choose first?” He remained still, and the group behind him dared not make a move, as if they were trying to force Song Ke into agreeing.
Song Ke casually chose a gift shop, gripping the door handle. Suddenly, she turned around and asked, “Split up, one person per shop. Whose belongings are these supplies considered?” It was better to clarify such matters beforehand. She wasn’t part of their group and didn’t accept their unified distribution practices.
Zhang Qi smirked but didn’t really smile. “Whoever finds them can claim them.”
Song Ke was satisfied. “Okay.”
Once she entered the shop, Zhang Qi quietly instructed his subordinates. The remaining members split up and entered adjacent shops.
Zhang Hao was searching for supplies when he faintly heard some commotion outside. Something seemed off to him, so he put down what he was doing and rushed out. Sure enough, Zhang Qi’s group had somehow brought over several thick iron chains and locked Song Ke’s door with them.
“Zhang Qi, what are you doing?!” Zhang Hao realized their intentions and moved forward to remove the chains.
Zhang Qi’s burly arm intercepted, and he punched Zhang Hao against the wall. He squatted down, staring at him sinisterly. “I’m warning you, stay out of this.”
Zhang Hao shouted angrily, “Have you lost your mind? Aren’t you afraid of causing fatalities?”
“I just want to teach her a lesson. Why are you so worried?”
“If something happens to her, not just Jiang Rui, even Professor Xu won’t let you off.”
The way Xu Liren treated Song Ke was quite polite, and Zhang Qi hesitated briefly. But then he remembered the boasting he did last night and his anger flared up. “Do you think I’m stupid? Lock it up!” he yelled.
Chains as thick as a bowl’s rim wound around the door handle, forming an impenetrable barrier like a spider’s web. Half an eternity passed, yet inside remained quiet. Several followers grew uneasy. “Brother Qi, what if there are zombies inside?”
“If there are zombies, wouldn’t she scream? When she begs me, kneels down and surrenders properly, only then will I let her out. Let’s see how arrogant she is afterward!”
As soon as he finished speaking, urgent knocking suddenly came from inside. Everyone’s hearts raced as they all stared at the door.
One follower muttered in panic, “She… why isn’t she screaming?”
The intense knocking continued for over ten seconds. Then, the door shook violently a few times, causing the metal chains to produce a crisp metallic clash. Gradually, the sounds inside the room fell silent.
The extreme quietness made everyone’s hearts feel as heavy as a stone.
Someone couldn’t hold back anymore. “Brother Qi, could… something really have happened?”
Zhang Qi hadn’t expected Song Ke to be this obstinate. She hadn’t even uttered a plea for mercy. He wasn’t as foolish as he appeared. He really wanted to bring her to the brink, but in the current situation, it was difficult to decide.
Gritting his teeth, he held on for another five minutes. Sweat rolled down his face. Finally, unable to bear the psychological pressure, he said, “…go open the door.”
Before they could take action, an earth-shaking roar erupted from inside.
“Bang—”
“Bang—”
“Bang—”
One, two, three consecutive roars echoed. In full view of everyone, the entire shop door split from the middle, sending debris flying in all directions.
Amidst the dust, Song Ke appeared like a war deity descending from the heavens. Shouldering a massive azure warhammer three times her size, she stood before them.
She locked eyes with Zhang Qi’s group and tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Spoils, of war.”
With a forceful kick, several headless zombies were sent hurtling toward Zhang Qi.
