Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 314 - 40: A Night without Words
Chapter 314 -40: A Night without Words
“Hiss~”
The roar of the steam made Li Yan raise his chin unconsciously.
The armored vehicle passed through several sentry posts and barbed wire, and an old, bustling, and vibrant town appeared in front of Li Yan.
Taverns with wooden signs, old but tidy hotels, vendors with embroidered tent cloth, glittering telegraph poles, and the crisscrossing cables that delivered electricity to every corner of the town.
Concrete mixers with black casings rumbled loudly, and the scorching asphalt sloppily spread on the ground, with heat rising. On the partially repaired new road, pickup trucks fully loaded or armored combat vehicles fully armed occasionally rolled by. Around them, black low-rise buildings were scattered, with intense noises coming from inside, and tall chimneys spewed out huge clouds of murky smoke, which merged into the radiation clouds.
This was the first time Li Yan had seen a large-scale settlement with a semblance of “humanity” since coming to this world.
“We’re almost there.”
Afafu pointed ahead. In front of them was an old-style manor with a red roof and white eaves. To Li Yan, it wasn’t particularly majestic, but along the way, most people were living either in caves or self-made shacks, some even using abandoned cars as nests. The most luxurious dwelling he’d seen so far was the nearly forty-degree leaning damaged apartment building at the Kuang Zhuoma Frontline Base. Compared to those places, this old manor naturally could be considered sumptuous.
After a few turns, the armored vehicle entered the interior of the manor, where Black Star soldiers could be seen hurrying by. But more often, there were men and women wrapped in sturdy leather, their bodies strapped with various gun kits and peculiar metal ornaments, undoubtedly the original personnel belonging to Kuang Zhuoma.
Finally, the armored vehicle stopped in front of the joined white buildings.
“Comrade Afafu, we’ll leave you here. The reception from here onwards will be handled by Kuang Zhuoma’s people. Remember to keep your nameplate safe. It’s getting dark, and there’s a curfew here. Without a nameplate, you’re not allowed to go out at night,”
“Thank you, Comrade Xu.”
The driver smiled, and Afafu, Li Yan, and Song Zuo got off the vehicle one after another. The driver named Xu, along with the other soldiers responsible for the escort and combat, watched them go, and because of what had happened before, the expressions on these Black Star soldiers were not too pleasant.
“Don’t take it to heart.”
Afafu whispered to Li Yan.
Li Yan shook his head, “I believe Song has gotten over it, and I myself also think that they are a very outstanding group of soldiers.”
“As long as they don’t point their guns at me…”
Li Yan added silently to himself.
Suddenly, a rusty twin-cylinder motorcycle came around a corner and charged straight for Li Yan. The rider, clad in a leather coat and pants, had half of his face covered by black goggles, which he only removed when he clutched the brakes at the moment Li Yan looked over, causing the two anti-explosion tires to screech alarmingly against the ground as they stopped just at the tip of Li Yan’s shoes. The murky exhaust sprayed onto the ground, hissing loudly.
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Li Yan caught the glint of the rider’s earrings, and the man took off the black goggles, revealing a handsome and fair face.
“Wei Dan?”
Afafu cried out in surprise.
Wei Dan smiled and said to Afafu, “Zhuoma sent me to receive you.”
The leader of Kuang Zhuoma, a woman called Zhuoma, had been regarded in a sense as the pinnacle of the entire Zone B before the Black Star combat vehicles swept through everything. On the same level as the leader of Medicine Buddha, Ramu Jue, and the chairman of the Raine Brothers, Leon Raine. However, in just a few days, Leon Raine was shot dead by the combat troops of the Black Star combat vehicles due to his violent resistance, Ramu Jue was exiled to the Great Demon Lake, while Kuang Zhuoma did not suffer any crippling damage, showcasing her to be a woman both astute and with a keen sense of the times.
After the major organizations of Zone B surrendered to the Black Star combat vehicles, they began to gather their core personnel on a large scale. The refuges and settlements that were once scattered across the lands, with water and other abundant resources, were also taken over by the Black Star combat vehicles. It’s for this reason that Wei Dan had returned here.
With that, Wei Dan turned to Li Yan, “Where’s Yin Xiong?”
Li Yan shrugged, “He’s dead.”
Wei Dan’s eyelashes fluttered, and she seemed to be chewing on something before saying after a while, “Alright, I’ll arrange accommodation for you first. Follow me.”
Li Yan had heard before that Wei Dan was brought up single-handedly by Yin Xiong, so she must be feeling not too well. He did not say much, just followed along.
Along the way, a fair number of Black Star combat vehicle personnel saluted Afafu, including some officers with military ranks. The looks given to Li Yan and the others, however, were not so friendly but rather cautious and veiled with hostility. For Wei Dan, this could be seen as the wheel of fortune turning, whereas Li Yan did not really care. After all, he had come all this way without feeling any close gazes from any side.
…
Perhaps it was Wei Dan’s care, or more likely Afafu’s influence, that both Li Yan and Song Zuo were provided with spacious private rooms. Li Yan’s room, in particular, was not short on luxury – an old-fashioned wooden structure with yellowing walls adorned with tiger pelts and vibrant Thangkas, a tin teapot and yak horn handicrafts on the table, as well as a bedside cabinet decorated with turquoise and red coral inlay. It was evident that this room had once been the bedroom of some noble lord.
Before leaving, Afafu handed Li Yan a document.
“Regarding Shuishu Park, I’ve conducted an investigation within my authority, and all the details are here. To be honest, I don’t quite understand how this is connected to you, but if you have any requests, you can find me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
Li Yan nodded in acknowledgment. To be frank, he was quite surprised by Afafu’s sincere attitude – there weren’t many who truly embodied the simple creed of “repaying even the smallest favor with a fountain of gratitude,” especially in an environment as harsh as winter.
“There’s more.” Afafu took off a pair of rimless glasses from her pocket and put them on her face: “Black Star has brought in a lot of professional equipment from the combat department, which can provide a comprehensive check on the physical condition of gene soldiers. If you really have amnesia, you might want to have a look. Even if not, the researchers there will give specific recommendations for your genetic condition and future development. You’ve just returned from Great Demon Lake and didn’t have proper anti-radiation equipment; it’s better to get checked. It’s free, and I’m also working there temporarily.”
“Additionally, Luo Bu and I belong to the relatives of high-ranking officers, and I myself am a second-level special talent. According to our policies, since you saved us, Black Star’s armored vehicle will grant you an internal purchase credit of eighty thousand yuan. Anything beyond that and you’ll have to pay yourself. Black Star’s technological products are not available outside, including several rare genetic enhancement drugs. If you’re interested, I can take you to see them tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Li Yan agreed.
“Also, also.” Afafu seemed to remember something else, while Li Yan listened quietly without interrupting. “Your friend’s tissue mutation is quite severe; you must get him checked at the military zone’s advanced hospital. I will cover the examination fee. The medical level of Black Star is certainly stronger than that of any barefoot doctor in the wilderness. Once life is gone, everything is gone.”
“I’ll definitely pass the message.”
Li Yan nodded.
“Wait for me to think again…” Afafu hugged her shoulders and after a while said to Li Yan, “That’s all for now; we can talk about anything else tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
The woman smiled as she said goodbye, leaving Li Yan somewhat bewildered. The Afafu before him radiated brilliance, confidence, and determination throughout the conversation, a far cry from the first time he had seen her. Then again, upon reflection, a woman who dared to reach for water amongst a mob with an unloaded gun was never a fragile character to begin with.
Once Afafu had left, Li Yan undid his clothes and entered the bathroom. Thanks to the blessings of the Quanlang Sea Ghost, the injuries he had sustained in the Great Demon Lake were no longer a serious matter, and even the more severe burns had started to scab over. However, his body felt uncomfortably sticky from mud and dried blood mixed together.
After spending ten minutes showering, he found a clean cotton robe in a basket next to the bathroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Li Yan twisted his neck and stretched his muscles for a while. Just as he was about to lie down, he heard someone knocking at the door.
It was either Afafu or Song Zuo.
Li Yan, dressed in a loose cotton robe and barefoot, opened the door and was greeted by a cobalt blue liquor bottle.
He caught the neck of the bottle in his hand, lowered his arm, and in front of him stood Wei Dan.
Her fair skin, double-lidded phoenix eyes, and an air of resilience with her short hair gave this girl a distinctive cool beauty.
She leaned on the door frame with one hand and reeked of a strong scent of alcohol; under her thick, short hair, her two curved black eyebrows were furrowed together.
Li Yan’s initial reflex was to grip the wrist of the person, but upon realizing it was Wei Dan, he loosened his hold. Unexpectedly, Wei Dan leaned forward, causing Li Yan to take a half step back and support her by the waist, feeling the smooth yet resilient touch.
“What’s wrong?”
Li Yan’s question brought focus back into her eyes. Wei Dan propped herself up and, upon clearly seeing it was Li Yan’s face, let out an incoherent groan, then stood up straight and rubbed her eyes, saying, “I’m fine. Got a little tipsy from drinking. Then I thought about it, Afafu left at six-forty, you would have taken your clothes off to have a hot shower before resting… If I came knocking at this time… it should be just right.”
Taken aback, Li Yan looked down at the shallow red lipstick mark on the bottle mouth.
His eyebrows raised slightly, and he finished off the remaining liquor.
As the fiery, potent liquid surged into his chest, Li Yan breathed out heavily, and then, with a hoarse voice, he said to Wei Dan, “Since you’re here, why not come in and sit down?”
Wei Dan’s eyes narrowed, her plush lips curved up, and her teeth barely visible.
“Alright.”
