The next day, Qin Bing pushed her column of soldiers onward, and by afternoon, they finally marched into the remains of Ginkgo Town.
Like every other town in the age of the fall, it was a wreck. There were hardly any proper buildings left standing. In their place were flimsy plastic sheds propped up by bamboo poles, sheltering the filthy bodies of vagrants, scavengers, and refugees.
When word of the Imperial troops' arrival spread, the town's master, a man named Hu Benan, scrambled out to meet them, a few nervous guards trailing behind him.
Ginkgo Town once boasted a population in the tens of thousands. But that was before the news came down the wire: the Black Shark Legion had been broken on the front lines, and a zombie horde was on its way. Anyone with the means to run had already vanished, leaving only the desperate and the stubborn behind.
The town master was ecstatic to see them. His welcome was so effusive it was practically an act of worship. He rushed through the defense handover protocols, and just like that, Ginkgo Town was under Qin Bing's command. In the coming crisis, she would have full authority to mobilize any person or resource within its limits.
"Lord Centurion! And all you fine Imperial soldiers, you must be exhausted," he gushed. "I've already had the owner of our only tavern prepare a hot meal. Please, allow me to escort you!"
"We're not there yet," Qin Bing said, her voice crisp. "First, you'll show us the town. I need a full tactical assessment before my soldiers eat. We deploy our defenses first."
"Ah, of course, of course!" He gave a nervous laugh. "And please, Lord Centurion, don't stand on ceremony. My name is Hu Benan. Just call me Old Hu."
The man practically tripped over himself, leading Qin Bing and her officers on a tour. It didn't take long. The town was little more than two main roads forming a cross, surrounded by a maze of shacks and plastic lean-tos. About three thousand residents were still here, outnumbered by the four thousand vagrants, scavengers, and other outsiders clinging to the edges of the settlement. As for defenses, there were none to speak of. Old Hu's private guards were barely enough to keep a lid on the daily squabbles.
But there was one anomaly: a well-armed mercenary crew, about twenty strong.
They called themselves the Wolf Pack. Their leader was a man known only as Wild Wolf. Qin Bing noted their gear—it was top-of-the-line, easily matching, if not surpassing, standard Imperial issue.
She turned to their guide, her brow furrowed. "Old Hu, what's the story here? You've got a mercenary army in your town, more scavengers than residents, and a zombie attack on the horizon, yet people are staying put. Explain."
"It's the herbs, Lord Centurion," Old Hu explained, his voice hushed. "The Wolf Pack is here on contract, protecting the herb traders. This whole area is rich with rare medicinal plants. The traders pay good money, and collecting herbs is the only way most of these people know how to survive. The scavengers, the vagrants... they all came here for a piece of that. They figure if they leave, they'll just starve somewhere else. And maybe," he added with a shrug, "they don't believe the horde is really coming."
It clicked for Qin Bing and her lieutenant, Xiao Ke. That explained the strange, stubborn pocket of life in a town that should have been a ghost town.
"When we dine," Qin Bing said, her tone leaving no room for argument, "I want to see this Wild Wolf in person."
Hu Benan's face tightened. He knew what she was planning—a battlefield commission to press the mercenaries into the town's defense. He opened his mouth to warn her that Wild Wolf wasn't the type to take orders, then thought better of it. It wasn't his place.
"Yes, Centurion," he said meekly. "I'll send word for him to present himself to you at the tavern."
After the patrol, Qin Bing assigned one of her Decurions and his ten-man squad to picket duty on the town's perimeter. Only then did she lead the remaining four squads to the tavern.
On the way, they cut through an alley packed with scavengers. The sight of armed and uniformed Imperial soldiers was a shock, but hunger was a stronger force. One scavenger, his eyes glazed over with starvation, stumbled forward, feigning a fall. As he did, his hand darted out, grabbing for the ration pack on a soldier's belt.
His target was Duan Canglong.
Of all the soldiers to try and rob, he'd picked one of the sharpest. Duan Canglong's reaction was instant. A single, powerful kick sent the scavenger sprawling into the dirt. "Keep your hands to yourself," he snarled, "or I can't promise this knife stays in its sheath."
Hu Benan was on the man in a second, a leather whip appearing in his hand as if from nowhere. He brought it down again and again, the lashes cracking across the scavenger's back as he writhed and screamed. "Stealing from an Imperial soldier?" Hu Benan roared, his face purple with rage. "You animals think you run this town? I'll beat you to death and remind you of your place!"
Xiao Ke watched, his face a mask of stone. He had been a scavenger. He had been a refugee. He knew that desperation. Seeing the life about to be whipped out of the man, he spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "That's enough."
Hu Benan froze, the whip still raised. He saw the Decurion's insignia on Xiao Ke's uniform, and his rage evaporated, replaced by an oily smile. "Yes, yes, of course! If the officer says spare the dog, we spare him."
They finally reached the tavern. The owner was a mountain of a man with a wild beard, a single eye, and arms as thick as tree limbs. He moved with a silent, brooding energy, and the occasional glint of violence in his good eye was all the explanation needed for how he kept his establishment running. His nickname was Cask.
"Cask, you fat slob!" Hu Benan bellowed as they entered. "Is that meal I ordered ready or not?"
"Fifty portions, five tables. It's ready," the big man grumbled.
"Good. And pack up another ten. Send them out to the soldiers on watch."
"Done."
Qin Bing took a table with Hu Benan and her Decurions, including Xiao Ke. The rest of the soldiers filled the other four tables. The meal was stark: braised beef, boiled beans, and a thin wild vegetable soup. But the rice was white and plentiful, a rare luxury.
Qin Bing picked up her chopsticks. "Eat."
The effect was immediate. Without a word, every soldier began to eat, a disciplined, focused silence broken only by the sound of fifty men consuming their rations. Hu Benan and Cask exchanged a wide-eyed look. This was no ordinary unit.
As he ate, Xiao Ke noticed a slip of a girl in tattered clothes creep into the tavern. She was covered in grime, but it couldn't hide the delicate features beneath, or the wide, cat-like eyes that watched the soldiers eat. She was swallowing, trying to hide it, but her hunger was a palpable thing.
Xiao Ke had a large piece of braised beef in his hand. He was just about to bite into it when he saw her staring—not at him, but at the meat.
The image hit him like a physical blow. His sister. Starving, just like this girl. Whenever they'd found food, she would devour her share in seconds, then watch him with those same huge, pleading eyes.
A muscle in his jaw twitched. His expression softened. "You want this?" he asked the girl.
She froze, looking left and right, making sure he was talking to her. Then she nodded frantically. "Yes," she whispered.
"Here."
He held out the half-pound piece of beef. She stared, disbelieving, before inching forward and taking it from his hand as if in a dream.
At that exact moment, the tavern door swung open again. Three men strode in, clad in combat gear, pistols, and blades strapped to their hips. The leader wore his collar open, revealing the tattoo of a snarling wolf on his chest. It was Wild Wolf.
He swept the room with a contemptuous gaze, his eyes landing on their table. He stalked towards them, shoving the little girl out of his path without a second glance.
She stumbled, and Xiao Ke's hand shot out to steady her. She clutched the precious beef to her chest and looked up at him. "Thank you, big brother," she breathed.
"It's okay," Xiao Ke said. "You should go. Go and eat."
She nodded and scurried away.
Wild Wolf's eyes flickered between Xiao Ke and the girl, then settled on Qin Bing. He recognized the Centurion's insignia. He knew who was in charge.
"The town master said you were looking for me," he said. It wasn't a question.
Qin Bing felt a familiar prickle of annoyance. There was no love lost between Imperial soldiers and mercenaries. Soldiers saw mercs as faithless dogs who fought for nothing but coin. Mercs saw soldiers as puppets of the ruling class. But the situation was too dire for pride.
"I'm a Centurion with the Black Shark Legion," she stated, her voice even. "A zombie horde may hit this town soon. I am officially conscripting your unit to aid in the defense of Ginkgo Town. You will receive standard military pay. If you fall in the line of duty, your next of kin will receive the full death benefit of an Imperial soldier."
Wild Wolf looked at his men, and they all broke into loud, derisive laughter. He turned back to Qin Bing, a cold smirk on his face. "You know what we charge for a contract? You really think we give a damn about your soldiers' pay?"
"So you're refusing," Qin Bing said, her voice dropping a degree. "You refuse to fight with us to protect this town?"
His eyes trailed down her body and back up, a lewd grin spreading across his face. "I'll fight for you under one condition. You spend the night with me. How about it?"
CRACK.
Xiao Ke's fist hit the table, the sound echoing through the tavern as he shot to his feet. Across the room, every one of Qin Bing's soldiers was standing, hands on their weapons, their faces thunderous. To insult their Centurion was to ask for death.
Qin Bing simply raised a hand, and they froze. She kept her cold gaze locked on Wild Wolf. "So there's nothing to discuss?"
"I told you the terms," he sneered. "The day you warm my bed is the day my men and I work for you. I'm a simple man. I like women." He shot a nasty glare at Xiao Ke, who met it with an unblinking fury of his own.
Wild Wolf looked back at Qin Bing. "The offer stands. Let me know when you've thought it over."
He turned and swaggered out, his men close behind. As he passed Xiao Ke, he paused, giving him one last look dripping with malice, then was gone.
Outside, in the fading light, Wild Wolf saw the little beggar girl huddled in an alley, gnawing on the piece of beef.
A memory of Xiao Ke handing her the food flashed in his mind. A slow, cruel smile twisted his lips. He crooked a finger at his two men and muttered a few quiet words.