It was midafternoon. Yue and his entourage picked up the rest of them from the treatment facility and left for the base.
Driving by the familiar path was much easier. Only the path near the dam was hard to deal with because of the darn fire zombie. It kept attacking their tires in hopes they will stop the jeep.
They lost three tires to this child zombie's mayhem.
Only the metal rim of the wheels was spared, thankfully they were still able to drive albeit slowly and cautiously.
The next obstacle Yue passed through was the naked mole rat-infested cornfield. Thankfully the rats identified their scent and did not even come close to them this time. They scattered away when they got close.
Even a huge naked mole-rat which was in their way just walked away casually.
They got back to the base in just about an hour.
A few thousand people stood out in the nearby reinforced barricade. There was a huge line in front of a make-shift gate; a group of soldiers was guarding the post. The cars were parked to the side.
Yue glanced out curiously. "Uncle did mention that coming back in we will have to wait for a few days outside,"
Fan Xui frowned. 'I don't like waiting here." His narrowed eyes looked around. So many people were looking into their jeep, especially Tian and Yue who were at the front.
"It's protocol Fan. It's fine," they parked the car, picked up all the bags, and lined up.
Tian and Yue stuck together while Fan and Hary were standing beside like guards. Prisitsky was walking behind carefully, carrying his test specimens and his microscope. The two soldiers were in charge of taking care of him.
Hary kept a careful look at him. Occasionally he frowned deeply when he looked at Prisitsky.
Tian nudged him slightly. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing," he shook his head frowning.
"You've been stealing looks at him."
Hary scoffed. "No I haven't."
"Yes, you have." She secretly whispered into his ears. "Not just today. Even in that treatment facility, I saw you looking at him. Many times! What's up? You attracted to him or something?'
Hary just blinked at her. "I.. I think he's dying. I feel it. He does not eat well, he does not sleep well. His weight has been going down drastically. He's literally bones Tian… he was sitting on my lap and all I could feel was his bones. There is something wrong with him.."
Tian glanced back at the said man. Upon closer look, she could notice the changes clearly. Prisitsky was thinner than before. His neck was too thin, exposing his delicate collar bones. His cheeks were slightly sunken in. He looked like a heavily malnourished man.
"Something does feel wrong. I'll ask Juda to take a look at him once we get in."
"Thank you. It's not that I'm worried for him. It's just... I don't like the thought of him dying," Hary mumbled scratching the back of the neck.
"Yeah you don't have to explain yourself," Tian patted his back.
Slowly their line progressed. There was a huge table upfront. There were asking the survivors to fill out the form and to fill out their health-related issues. Everyone was ordered to go through a blood test. The results will be shown in about ten hours.
Yue took the form from them and filled them up for everyone in their team.
The soldier in the seat was looking at him unblinkingly.
Not minding his weird stare, he filled the forms and submitted them.
The man grabbed his bandaged-covered hand suddenly. "You might be infected. We need to do a strip search for all of your team,"
Fan Xui pulled his hands out of his hold immediately with a deep glare. With his sleeve, he swiftly wiped at the spot Yue was touched.
Sighing Yue removed the gauze showing off his pale hands. "I'm not wounded in any way. There's no need,"
"Its mandatory, Strip search now"
Yue raised a brow. "Excuse me? What did you say?"
The man leered at him with lust clearly written in his eyes. "Follow orders. Obstructing the way will only lead to corporal punishment. Soldiers take these people for a strip search," he gestured for them to take the group to the nearby tent.
Yue glared down at him. "So that's what this is about... thinks have gotten lax around here since we left. Can you inform me who made such a rule?"
"It was our highest general Wen."
"Oh is that so?" Tian glared at him with her gun tightly held in her hand. "do you know who we are?"
The man did not even flinch. "Are you a rich young miss? That doesn't matter? In This place, you have to follow our rules. If we want a strip search, we will perform a strip search,"
"Hary, who was silently listening to this, let out a peal of loud laughter. "Wow really. Your place?" he came forward and banged on the table. "Soldier tell me your rank and your superior's name,"
"huh? Why do you need that?" the man looked slightly spooked at this.
"I said name rank and superior's name!" Hary glared down at him.
"I ordered that," a middle-aged man walked out of the nearby tent with his nose held up high. This was exactly the tent the soldiers were trying to take the people for the strip search.
Yue felt completely appalled by this man. 'Shall I kill him? What if I kill everyone there… no, killing them will cause a lot of mayhem. But should trash like this still exists?'
Hary peered at the middle-aged man with a look of contempt. "Rank and name."
"Who are you to ask me that boy? Show respect. If you want to enter this place, you need to follow the protocol,"
"Rank and name!!"
"Yu Ling, acting general of second corp. Now, who might you be, boy!"
"boy? Hary, general of the first corp. You are talking to your senior acting general."
The old man's pupils trembled. "Sir! I have been informed that you will be returning after finishing a very important mission. I'm very sorry for obstructing your way. Please go on ahead."
He gestured of the soldier to take away the barricade to let them in.
Hary still stood there unmoving.
"Sir general?"
"Acting general Yu, Why is this strip happening in your tent? Were you there to observe or were you there to act like a fucking perv? Can you elaborate your reasoning?"
The middle-aged man started to sweat buckets. "This... this" he guiltily glanced towards the tent.
Yue marched in there. A few men were laughing and touching the woman who was half-naked. The girls were silently sobbing hiding their bosom.
"Who are you? a new one? Come on in. Strip."
"This one looks like a beauty," the soldier mumbled to themselves.
Yue simply walked in, raised his sword, and cut one of the fingers of each soldier with precision.
Unprepared, the soldier wailed like dead pigs.
Outside, Hary peered at the acting captain. "Looks like your second brigade is relieved of their duty due to severe health issues. Please ask the third brigade to cover this position. And warn them. If this continues on all of their fingers will be chopped off,"
Yue walked out, wiping his sword clear.
Fan Xui walked up to him and held his hands. Somehow his hands were trembling.
"You okay?" he worriedly looked up at his lover.
Fan simply peered at the military men. His eyes lingered on their rank badges.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing.. Let's go in."