Chapter 110
Chapter 110
The vehicle wound its way through the desolate countryside.
It weaved back and forth between abandoned farmhouses and narrow country roads. Sometimes, even when the road ahead was perfectly flat, Li Chong would abruptly change direction and turn into a stretch of wilderness where there appeared to be no road at all.
Other times, the vehicle would stop at an inconspicuous fork. Xu Wenlie would jump out and enter the woods on foot, only returning several minutes later to wave them onward.
Qingshui rubbed her temple with some difficulty. They had not rested at the farmhouse for long, only a few hours. Once the night had grown pitch-black, Xu Wenlie had come back in and told them to get in the vehicle.
Wen Lianfeng noticed her expression and gave her a questioning look.
“Are you all right?”
Qingshui shook her head, making it clear that she was fine.
About twenty minutes later, their destination finally appeared ahead.
A gate marked the entrance to the Yixiang Sanatorium complex.
It stood alone at the end of the wilderness, backed by a low hill and surrounded on three sides by open farmland, with a scattering of houses around the fields.
Qingshui’s eyes widened slightly. Could this be… the destination Wen Lianfeng and the others had been searching for?
That Psychiatric Hospital?
It was a six-story building. The mottled gray exterior walls were peeling away, exposing the dark brick underneath. The perimeter wall was high, and the main entrance was blocked by a massive iron gate. It was covered in rust but still looked sturdy. An abandoned guard booth stood on either side of the gate, and Qingshui could just make out figures behind them.
The vehicle stopped and waited.
About a minute later, the truck started moving again and slowly drove inside.
Qingshui lowered her gaze. A ring of differently colored soil surrounded the outer edge of the compound. Every branch close to the ground had been cut away, leaving only bare trunks with no footholds for anyone to climb.
The truck circled around the main building and stopped in front of a row of single-story buildings in the rear courtyard.
Xu Wenlie was the first to jump out.
“We’re here. Get out.”
Qingshui and the others climbed out after her.
As soon as her feet touched solid ground, Qingshui instinctively looked around.
The rows of single-story buildings looked like former staff dormitories or warehouses. Firewood, buckets, and several boxes of unknown contents were piled outside their doors. A few figures were busy working beside the supplies. When they saw the newcomers, they all stopped what they were doing.
Xu Wenlie did not linger. She headed straight for the main building.
“Keep up. I’ll take you to meet the Director first.”
Only after entering the main building did Qingshui truly realize how fortified it was.
There were three iron gates at the entrance.
Each one was guarded. When the guards saw Xu Wenlie, they merely nodded, exchanging no unnecessary pleasantries.
Beyond the three gates was a spacious lobby.
It had probably once served as a reception area or activity room, but it had since been converted into a common area of some kind. Several long tables and benches occupied the center, where a few people sat in silence, preparing food.
In one corner, someone was sharpening wooden stakes. Elsewhere, another person was mending clothes.
Qingshui stopped in her tracks.
Other than the Madmen, this was the first time she had seen so many living people since the apocalypse began.
There were fifteen or twenty of them. They were just as thin and exhausted as everyone else, but a certain light still lingered in their eyes, the light of being alive.
Xu Wenlie crossed the lobby and led them into a corridor. Closed doors lined both sides. She stopped before one that stood half-open.
Then she knocked.
“Director.”
A gentle female voice came from inside.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
The room was simpler than Qingshui had imagined. There was an old desk, several chairs, and an empty filing cabinet against the wall. The only window was set high up, leaving the room rather dim.
Someone sat behind the desk.
The Director.
She was a woman around fifty, with hair that had already turned gray, yet her eyes were remarkably calm.
Her gaze settled on Qingshui and the others before she gestured toward the chairs nearby.
“Sit.”
Qingshui did not move. Neither did Wen Lianfeng or Chu Jingchu.
Xu Wenlie had already retreated to the doorway. She leaned against the frame with her arms crossed.
The Director did not urge them. She simply watched them in silence.
Several seconds passed.
Wen Lianfeng was the first to speak. “My name is Wen Lianfeng. They’re Chu Jingchu and Qingshui. Thank you for taking us in.”
The Director nodded. She rose from behind the desk and walked to the window, looking up at the moonlight filtering through the high pane.
“My name is Xu Yun. You can call me Sister Xu or the Director.”
She continued, “This used to be the Yixiang No. 3 Psychiatric Hospital. We once housed more than two hundred patients. Now, only these buildings and the people still alive here remain.”
She turned and looked at Qingshui and the others.
“There are conditions to us saving you, and there are several rules you must follow.”
Her tone remained gentle, but beneath that gentleness lay an unyielding resolve that allowed no argument.
“First, everyone here has to work. No one gets free food or shelter. Whether it’s manual labor, a useful skill, or scavenging, there will always be something you can do.
“Second, you may not approach the perimeter wall without permission, and you may not leave on your own. Anyone returning must circle the area for at least half an hour to make sure they haven’t been followed before they can come inside.
“Third, all weapons are kept under centralized control. If you need one, you must request it and return it after use. Anyone caught hiding a weapon will receive a warning the first time and be expelled the second.
“Fourth, no one is allowed to make loud noises at any time. No screaming and no unnecessary commotion.
“These rules exist to keep everyone alive. If you can’t follow them, you’ll have to leave.”
The room fell silent.
Wen Lianfeng was the first to nod. “Understood.”
Chu Jingchu nodded as well.
Qingshui said, “I understand.”
The Director looked at them, the corners of her mouth curving into a faint smile. “You can rest for the next two days. Come on. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
Xu Wenlie straightened from the doorframe.
“Let’s go.”
Qingshui and the other two turned and followed them out.