To the Start of a New World

2.9

Ji Ling and Hong Sheng stared at each other. Hong Sheng's eyes were empty and dark, while Ji Ling's flickered with emotions so subtle that they were impossible to grasp.

It was Yu Qiu who broke the standoff.

"Hong ge, do you know this big sister? Did you bring us to her hideout?" Hope lit up Yu Qiu's face. She turned an amazed expression on Hong Sheng, clearly believing that he had just saved them.

Hong Sheng's gaze did not leave Ji Ling's. No one knew what he was thinking. Then, his gaze suddenly flickered to the ground. He parted his lips and said, "Lieutenant Ji. It is a good thing you are here." He lifted his dark eyes, turning them on Ji Ling once more. "Is this place safe?"

Ji Ling stared at him for a moment, a stiff smile on her face. Hong Sheng only returned a placid expression, and then, a beat before the silence dragged on too long, Ji Ling's expression morphed into one of natural concern. "Yes, it should be. Hong Sheng, little lady, please take a seat. I'll go grab a medical kit."

Ji Ling bustled off to another room. Yu Qiu started moving toward a seat on the couch immediately, but when she noticed that Hong Sheng had not budged, she looked back and hesitated. Hong Sheng was sweeping his gaze around the room, and only after he had seen everything did he walk toward the sofa. Yu Qiu followed and sat down next to him.

"Hong ge, I can't believe we made it. I thought we were goners for sure." Yu Qiu fiddled with her fingers, the tension in her shoulders relaxing. She asked Hong Sheng, who stared ahead without responding to her, "Is the big sister also part of the SG? Is this one of your secret bases? Is that why you knew that door was there? I didn't see it at all. I never would have thought there would be a secret base hidden there! Does this mean that we're finally safe? Are we...?" The terror of the past days was finally at its end. Her eyes watered. She raised the back of her hand to her eyes and scrubbed the tears away.

Hong Sheng hadn't responded to any of her questions. By now, Yu Qiu understood that this big brother was a bit taciturn and not very fast at speaking, so she just kept fidgeting with her fingers and waited.

Ji Ling returned, a heavy plastic box in her hands. She set it down on the coffee table, opening it to reveal medicines, bandages, patches, and other medical supplies. As she opened the kit, she asked casually, "How did you get here, Hong Sheng?"

Yu Qiu's eyes brightened at the sight of the beautiful older sister. She had a trustworthy and reliable air around her, and coupled with the miraculous getaway, this made Yu Qiu feel like everything was now going to be okay. She jumped in before Hong Sheng could say anything, saying, "Sister, this big brother and I were running from some zombies outside. You should be careful. They're not low-level, and they're right outside the door. Thankfully zombies can't open doors! Sister, Hong ge said that his unit leader is missing and we need to find him. Do you know where he is? Do you think you can help us?"

Ji Ling's calm and smiling expression changed into one of concern. "Unit leader? Hong Sheng, do you mean Lu Hao was with you?" She directed this question at Hong Sheng.

Hong Sheng had taken some disinfectant and bandages from the kit while Yu Qiu had been talking. He had started applying the medicine and wrapping his own wounds first, and when Ji Ling turned to him, he said, "Lu Hao went by himself. He didn't come back." His gaze was lowered, focused solely on the patches he applied over his scrapes. "Lieutenant Ji. There is something strange in this area. Lu Hao may be in danger. You have the best chance of finding him."

Ji Ling was quiet for a moment. Then, she got out of her seat. "I understand. I'll go out and look for him. In case there are dangerous zombies around, I have some help." She turned her head to look off into another room. As if on command, a figure rounded the corner and entered the room.