Walking alone on the morning streets, watching the people bustling or lounging on both sides of the road, Jack felt a sense of being in another world. If it weren't for the gray wall in the distance, perhaps this gathering place would be no different from an ordinary town. However, with that indispensable wall, while it protected people's safety, it also imposed a strong psychological pressure, like being confined within a prison!
There weren't many early risers on the streets. Naturally, there were no breakfast stalls that were once everywhere before the apocalypse. Even the most bustling red-light district had no establishments open for business. Through the glass doors covered only by sheer curtains, young and beautiful women lay sprawled on the floor, seemingly indifferent to pride and modesty. Regardless of their previous professions or statuses before the apocalypse, everything had to start over here. Ordinary residents probably wouldn't rise early unless there was a significant reason. Waking up early meant consuming energy early, and in this era of scarce food, unnecessary energy expenditure was almost akin to a slow form of suicide!
Since he was up early, Jack didn't plan to go directly to find Ryan Qiang and the others. After stretching his legs a bit, he started jogging along the right side of the road, deciding to exercise a bit before heading to Ryan Qiang's place. He was only carrying a gun and two rows of magazines, seemingly unaffected by last night's conflict. In fact, it wasn't that he was foolishly bold; rather, it was a case of confidence born from skill. Jack was sure that even if he were surrounded by William Chenghu and his men with just his gun, he would still find a way to twist off their heads and kick them like a ball!
The population of Jiangcheng gathering place is not large, with only about ten thousand people, even counting a Michael and a Dubi. However, it seems that the locals are particularly interested in the "land grab" phenomenon. Although there are few people here, the area is quite spacious. At least, Jack has yet to see the hotel occupied by William Chenghu and his gang after wandering around for quite a while, which only indicates that this place is much larger than he had imagined!
As Jack jogged along, he quickly passed by the bar where the gunfight had occurred last night. Not far from the bar, besides a ground full of shell casings, there were also several pools of dark red blood that were particularly conspicuous. Many buildings around still bore numerous bullet holes, and the ground was littered with flying stone debris, clearly indicating that a fierce battle had taken place.
When Jack passed through the bar's entrance, a wooden cart creaked by. Both wheels of the cart were flat, and even with two big men pushing it, it was quite a struggle, with sweat pouring down their faces. An arm and an ankle stained with blood extended from the cart's partition, shaking stiffly with the bumps of the cart. Jack glanced casually and noticed that the cart was filled with dismembered bodies, at least seven or eight in total, all clearly victims of gun violence!
Needless to say, these were undoubtedly the subordinates who died after the gunfight between Ryan Qiang and William Chenghu last night. However, in Jack's view, these dead people were merely cannon fodder. He didn't believe that Ryan Qiang would go all out for someone he had just met. Ryan Qiang's actions last night were merely a show of strength forced by the arrogant William Chenghu, and the fact that he quickly backed down afterward clearly indicated Ryan Qiang's true thoughts. Jack was no longer a naive newcomer to the ways of the world, and he certainly wouldn't feel grateful for a few dismembered bodies that Ryan Qiang had produced.
Seeing a pile of dismembered bodies early in the morning, even Jack felt a bit unlucky and disheartened. He quickly turned and ran down a small path, leaving the clearly defined wealthy area behind and stepping onto the narrow roads of the slums, facing the rising sun.
The slums, of course, were not like the wealthy area where the rich could enjoy sleeping in until late morning. Some cleaning staff had already started sweeping the streets and alleys with large brooms, while the strong laborers responsible for repairing the city walls were diligently using shovels to patch up the walls that had been battered by wind and sand. The most eye-catching were the groups of people pushing carts, all wearing masks; these were the cleaning crew responsible for removing waste.
With about ten thousand people in the gathering place, there was indeed a lot of waste produced daily. If not cleaned regularly, it wouldn't take a month for sewage to flow everywhere and an outbreak of disease to occur. However, the waste collected was not wasted; it was all gathered at the western city wall for reuse. There, a small-scale garden of fruits and vegetables was cultivated, with almost every square meter being carefully tended to. Not only did they have to protect the plants from wind and rain, but they also had to shield them from the scorching sun. Taking care of the vegetables was almost more delicate than caring for a baby, but rather than saying these vegetables were for human consumption, it would be more accurate to say they were for the private enjoyment of the big shots in the gathering place!
As Jack jogged, he silently observed the people in the slums. Most of them were thin, with waxy complexions, and occasionally there were a couple with slightly normal faces, which were rare. Although it hadn't reached the level of corpses lying everywhere, it was quite normal for a few people to die each day.
When the people in the slums saw Jack jogging, many of them quickly stepped aside, not daring to look him in the eye, all wearing expressions of fear and trepidation. After all, anyone who could afford to exercise in the gathering place was undoubtedly someone significant!
As Jack ran up a small hill, a white water truck was slowly driving in from outside the city. It found an empty spot, stopped, and honked the horn twice. This roused even the impoverished people who were forcing themselves to sleep, and they all got up, holding colorful pots and bowls as they walked out of their little homes. Without anyone needing to maintain order, they all lined up in a long queue in front of the water truck, each taking turns to receive the fresh water that could only be distributed every two days!
Jack knew that the entire settlement was severely lacking in water, but he never expected it to be this bad, almost comparable to a vast desert. However, he felt equally powerless; he could manage to find food or even a gun, but securing a large amount of water was beyond what he could accomplish alone. Water not only takes up a lot of space but is also consumed quickly. Just like that large water truck he saw earlier, a full load of water would barely last the people here for a day or two, and that was without even washing their faces!
Everything has its pros and cons, just like how there are very few zombies around here, but the water sources have also dried up. Bringing back a supply of water is a tremendous effort and quite difficult. However, if they leave this area filled with Marcus sand, the number of zombies will increase, and the danger will be even greater. The conflicting situation is similar to the mindset of people in this apocalypse; on one hand, they don't want to live anymore, but on the other hand, they fear a painful death!
Jack withdrew his gaze with a sigh and turned to continue running up the small hill. However, he hadn't run far when a graceful figure suddenly caught his eye, making his previously helpless expression brighten. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but the words got stuck in his throat because the person jogging ahead of him was none other than the cold-faced beauty, like a block of ice—Qin Yu!
Looking at the beautiful woman ahead, drenched in fragrant sweat, her alluring figure seemed to dance lightly in Jack's eyes. However, Jack quickly forced a bitter smile. He could easily imagine that if he rashly approached her to say hello, Qin Yu would definitely not give him a pleasant response. This woman was simply the best contrast to Thomas—one was as cold as a mountain, while the other was as passionate as fire. However, both beauties shared a common trait: they were not someone an ordinary person could handle. Whether cold or hot, if taken too far, they could both be deadly to men!
"What are you following me for?"
Just as Jack was lost in thought, Qin Yu, who was running ahead, suddenly stopped and turned around, glaring at Jack with an angry expression. Jack also stopped, looking wronged as he said, "Dr. Qin, I think you really misunderstood. I'm not following you; I'm just here to run as well. But this small path is the only one here. If you don't want me running here, I can stop and let you go first!"
Qin Yu didn't respond but instead looked Jack up and down with a blank expression. After Jack shrugged and made a "please go ahead" gesture, Qin Yu unexpectedly asked, "Have you killed many people before?"
"..."
Qin Yu's question left Jack somewhat speechless. If someone else had asked, he would have thought they were deliberately provoking him. However, after interacting with Qin Yu, he understood that she was just the type to speak her mind directly. He could only pat his forehead in frustration and ask, "Why do you say that?"
"Don't ask so many questions; just tell me if it's true!" Qin Yu looked at Jack without moving, her tone quite domineering.
"You…" Jack felt an impulse to hit someone. This woman seemed completely unaware of how to respect others. She was asking him such a personal question and didn't even allow him to ask more. If he really answered her, he would despise himself for being so submissive. There must be a tendency in his genes to enjoy being mistreated. So, after taking a deep breath, he retorted, "If you don't tell me why you're asking, then I have no reason to answer your question!"
"Hmph~ Even if you don't say it, I can feel it!" Qin Yu sneered, then looked Jack up and down before continuing, "Your eyes and hands are covered in the hot, fresh blood of your kind. I can smell that scent from a distance because once you've touched human blood, that smell never washes away for a lifetime; it even seeps into your soul. So, you must have killed at least a dozen people!"
"Alright, even if I kill like it's nothing, what does that have to do with you, Dr. Qin?" Jack frowned slightly, and his voice began to grow heavier.
"Of course, it doesn't concern me, but I just want to know how many innocents have died at your hands!" Qin Yu snorted coldly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Jack without blinking.
"Since you've already labeled me, no matter how I explain, you definitely won't believe me, right?" Jack shook his head in exasperation, then looked at Qin Yu and said, "Alright, Dr. Qin, I think we don't need to continue this topic. Going on is just a waste of everyone's breath. If you don't run, I'll be the first to go!"
"Wait a minute…"
Qin Yu suddenly spoke up and stopped Jack, who was about to take off. With a complex expression, she looked at him and asked, "You just need to tell me whether you have killed any innocent people. I... I am a Buddhist and don't like to see people killing innocents indiscriminately!"
Undoubtedly, Qin Yu's excuse was terrible, as bad as a primary school student making excuses for not doing homework, which almost made Jack laugh. However, he was still somewhat puzzled as to why this cold-faced woman suddenly took an interest in him. After a moment of contemplation, Jack candidly replied, "I don't know why you're asking this, but I can clearly tell you that I have never killed anyone who didn't deserve it. The people I've killed either had it coming or wanted to harm me!"
"Not even for food?" Qin Yu looked at Jack with some suspicion, her expression clearly disbelieving of his words.
"Not in the past, and I don't think I will in the future. I, Jack, haven't sunk that low!" Jack shrugged, his face relaxed as he spoke. Then, without waiting for Qin Yu to respond, he took off and leaped past her, leaving this always inexplicably strange woman behind.
...
"Jack, you're here!"
As Jack stepped into the building occupied by Ryan, he bumped into Luo Yudie. With a beaming smile, Luo Yudie looked at him and, noticing his sweaty appearance, didn't seem to mind at all. She turned to a woman behind her, took a pack of tissues, stepped forward a few paces, and handed it to Jack with a smile, saying, "Quick, wipe off! Where have you been working up all this sweat?"
"Oh! I just came back after running outside for a while!" Jack took the tissue that Luo Yudie handed him and generously wiped the sweat off his face. Luo Yudie seemed to have a special fondness for green, as she wore a long emerald green dress today. This color is not suitable for those with darker skin; otherwise, even a big star would look like a country girl. However, when Luo Yudie wore it, she looked dignified, like a noblewoman from a wealthy family, making her appear radiant!
"Alright, you should go in quickly. Qiang has been waiting for you for a long time. You men only know how to fight and kill all day. Qiang didn't sleep at all last night because of you, and we little women were worried too. I really don't know what we owe you in our past lives!" Luo Yudie playfully rolled her eyes at Jack, stuffed the half pack of tissues into his hands, then smiled sweetly and left the hall with her group of girlfriends.
As Jack caught a whiff of the fragrance lingering in the air from Luo Yudie, he felt a bit emotional. Luo Yudie was undoubtedly a capable and wise partner. She possessed the noble aura of Bai Ru and the shrewd mind of Cao Mei. With these two qualities combined, Jack believed that even if Ryan Qiang were a fool, Luo Yudie would still support him. Moreover, Ryan Qiang's own abilities were not lacking; as long as the timing was right, he would surely be able to replace William Chenghu!