Armed Train in the Apocalypse

”These mongrels!”

A suppressed growl came from a flat thirty meters away.

As soon as the man stood up, a powerful arm clamped his neck and pushed him down again. The man struggled desperately, but the arm’s owner didn’t make a sound, just pressed him down tightly until they both were out of breath.

Moonlight penetrated through the window, illuminating the vapor from their breath in vivid detail.

”Had enough?”

”Not really!”

The person holding him punched him hard, ”You are really stubborn, aren’t you! Only the three of us left in the company, if you charge ahead, what should Old Dong and I do? Wait to die?”

At the mention of Old Dong, the man paused, just as he was about to get up, he was pulled back.

”Shut up, don’t move!”

A motorcycle roared past outside the window, the headlights made the room stark white, only two figures in camouflage hid in the shadow beneath the window.

After a moment, the motorcycle clearly faded into the distance, and only then did the man pat his arm and say quietly, ”Sergeant, let me go, they’ve all left.”

The sergeant then tossed him aside, gasping for breath while teasing, ”I’m just a sergeant choking a platoon leader, you won’t make life difficult for me, right?”

”You’ve been telling this joke for a year, platoon leaders are useless right now.”

The young man’s voice was muffled, filled with frustration.

”Living has its use.”

”What’s the use? Even those mongrels from the Four Nations have come in. When the company commander left, he kept saying, no matter how hard it gets, we can’t let those mongrels from the Four Nations in. Donghuang’s border definitely can’t be lost under our care. The commander said this so many times before he was gone, and then Old Zhao kept saying it, and then Old Ma said it, you were all there. We’ve lost so many brothers defending this place, why did you let them get through, why...”

The young man’s voice grew increasingly aggrieved, and by the end, tears flowed down uncontrollably from his reddened eyes.

He wiped one way, then the other, never clean, finally just cradled his gun and lowered his head.

Sobbing without a sound.

Suddenly a muffled groan and intermittent cough came from under the bed in the inner room, the two men’s faces changed, the young platoon leader stopped crying, flipped over and stood up.

The two entered the room and slightly pulled the bed aside, under the bed and the fixed table lay a quilt with a wounded soldier whose face was purplish, the bandage on his chest soaked with blood.

It was the wounded soldier Old Dong.

The two quickly examined Old Dong’s wound, looking at each other seriously.

”It’s infected.”

”I know, we gave the last batch of medicine to the villagers, Old Ding went to find more and hasn’t come back yet, maybe never will.”

”I’ll go find some!”

Declared the young platoon leader firmly.

The sergeant suddenly scrutinized the young platoon leader a couple of times, hesitated briefly, and sighed, ”Alright.”

The two immediately got to work, first changing Old Dong’s bandage, then carefully pulling him onto the bed, heading to the living room to prepare their gear.

As the sergeant prepared, he cautioned, ”Avoid heading west, that’s where Old Ding and the others ended. Go south, there are fewer people there, should be some undiscovered pharmacies, don’t go to hospitals, large places are monsters’ nests now.”

”We’re low on bullets, only one magazine for you, I need to stay and protect Old Dong. Bring an extra canteen, it’s not convenient to fetch water outside, and change out of those clothes.”

The sergeant handed him a set of civilian clothes.

Though perplexed, the young platoon leader still changed while frowning, ”Why?”

”Sticking to your principles is good, but think flexibly when going on missions. When guarding here, wearing a uniform shows you defend the border, but outside you’re just a civilian. Don’t get involved in everything and anything. Times have changed, people have changed, Old Ma once saved so many, still lost his head over a gun.”

”Once you find medicine, don’t rush back, wander outside, stay cautious, don’t bring anyone back. You’re young, use your wits, think more when facing issues, got it?”

Already changed, the young platoon leader felt the sergeant spoke a lot today, but worrying about Old Dong’s wounds, he didn’t think deeply, stood up and saluted.

”Yes!”

The sergeant hung the gun onto him, adjusted his collar, stepped back, and saluted.

Calm and solemn, ”Off you go, Platoon Leader.”

Then watched as he silently exited through the door, disappearing into the dark alley, only after going inside.

”... Talk more and you’ll give us away.”

A weak voice sounded from under the bed.

The sergeant lay on the bed, looking through a crack at the old mate below, he suddenly chuckled, ”Didn’t expect your acting, Old Dong, quite convincing.”

Old Dong, who had his eyes tightly shut, grunted with laughter, ”You with those bushy brows deceiving people now, back then could have avoided a month of punishment from the sergeant over a pack of cigarettes if this capable.”

In the pitch-black room, the two men laughed heartily, like two mischievous weasels.

The sergeant took out a wrinkled cigarette, took a puff, then stuck it in Old Dong’s mouth, who delightfully savored it.

The sergeant sighed, ”Finally sent that kid away, this cigarette won’t split three ways.”

”Exactly, keep this up I’d really become a seriously injured patient. Give me a hand.”

”Hang on, the kid hasn’t gone far yet.”

”Can’t wait, get out of the way, I’ll get out myself. Guarded this border for years, only to let some mongrels in, fuck it, never took such crap before!”