With a faint but clear sound, He Zhiwen abruptly opened his eyes, his mind clear. He put down the radio, nimbly stood up, and opened the door without hesitation. (Super-fast and stable novel updates)
Song Fei and Qi Yan squeezed in through the crack in the door, their movements as nimble as donkey shadows, a sight to behold.
After closing the door, He Zhiwen's first priority was to check if his comrades were safe. Only after confirming that they had no wounds did he discover that his comrades had brought back most of their backpacks full of No. 1 batteries, as well as three large rolls of fire hoses that had been cut at the root.
"You two took all the batteries in our facility, didn't you?"
"No, there are still quite a few left. They're too heavy. Qi Yan said these are enough." Song Fei said breathlessly, "The main concern is that the cafeteria might also run out of power. If we want to keep listening to news from outside, we'll have to stock up on batteries."
He Zhiwen looked embarrassed and pointed to the three rolls of fire hose: "Then what's your reason for damaging our hospital's fire protection system?"
Song Fei shrugged: "Qi Yan said that you can use this to climb down directly from the rooftop, making it both convenient and safe to leave."
"That's all? Qi Yan didn't say anything else?"
"That's all. But we encountered zombies blocking the entrance to the lab just now, and Qi Yan had no choice but to turn on the fire hydrant and use the hose as a gun for a while. I guess some equipment in the lab might have gotten wet."
"..." Dean He Zhiwen, a physics student, hereby swears that he is not familiar with these two people at all, and will not take the blame for damaging the college's public property.
While Song Fei and Qi Yan sat on the ground catching their breath, He Zhiwen impatiently inserted the battery into the tape recorder, took a few deep breaths, and solemnly turned on the radio.
thump.
thump.
While waiting anxiously, He Zhiwen heard his own heartbeat.
Sizzle—
As the radio broadcast started, He Zhiwen's heart pounded wildly!
Qi Yan had already turned the flashlight to its brightest setting, making the entire office as bright as day.
He Zhiwen held his breath and slowly turned the knob to adjust the frequency band.
Song Fei and Qi Yan unconsciously swallowed and held their breath.
Sizzle—
Sizzle—
"#￥%...&*!#..."
The electric wave, which sounded like a human voice, made the three of them widen their eyes instantly. He Zhiwen dared not make any rash moves. Originally, he used both hands to adjust the knobs, turning this and that, but now he only used one hand to adjust a certain knob with extremely slow and tiny movements.
Qi Yan and Song Fei couldn't understand the technical tuning, but they could hear that the sound was gradually becoming clearer under He Zhiwen's adjustments.
"hulushi…"
However, I still don't understand.
Song Fei and Qi Yan exchanged glances, and the latter sighed with melancholy: "It seems to be... Arabic."
So, what exactly are you saying?
"How should I know!"
"Aren't you a top student?"
Even top students can't cheat!
Song Fei rolled her eyes at her disappointing boyfriend, then turned to He Tongxue, a highly skilled technical talent, with a sweet smile and gently suggested, "How about we travel domestically instead of going abroad..."
He Zhiwen felt both frustrated and guilty. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued.
Five minutes later.
"The whole nation is paying attention to this..."
This time, without needing his comrades, He Zhiwen could tell it was Japanese.
Song Fei looked at Qi Yan.
Qi Yan looked out the window.
Song Fei sighed and continued to encourage He Zhiwen: "Keep going! You're getting closer and closer. Motherland is waving to you!"
Twenty minutes later.
"Dwar! and fighting! destroythosewhobehavestrangely..."
He Zhiwen and Qi Yan's eyes lit up together: English!
Song Fei silently looked out the window.
But the ears are upright.
Qi Yan understood the message faster than He Zhiwen: "We are facing an unprecedented war. Pick up your weapons and fight to eliminate those who behave strangely..."
The repeated English messages basically conveyed the same message—inciting the people to fight. However, there was no name of the country or radio station mentioned throughout. The accent was American English, but it was unclear whether it was a public or private radio station.
"Does 'strange behavior' refer to zombies?" Song Fei asked uncertainly.
"I can't think of any other explanation besides this," Qi Yan said, wiping his forehead, his palms covered in cold sweat.
The three fell silent.
Previously, Class 1 deduced from the delayed rescue that the virus was likely widespread across the country. Now it seems there's at least one English-speaking region or country experiencing a similar crisis. If we consider an even worse scenario, could the unusually urgent Arabic and the subsequent somber Japanese be warnings? Does that mean the virus crisis is far more severe than they imagined?
But--
"That shouldn't be the case." Qi Yan couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she tried, and muttered to herself for the first time ever, "Infectious diseases usually only spread in the region where the source of the disease is located due to the geographical isolation of continental plates. Although it is possible that patients may carry the disease to other regions, it is rare for it to break out rapidly on a large scale in other places."
"It's not impossible," Song Fei analyzed. "Think about it, this virus spreads and causes illness so quickly. Within minutes, one person can infect two, three can infect six, then nine can infect eighteen, twenty-seven can become eighty-one, and it's not impossible for it to double like that."
"Then what was the initial source of infection?" Qi Yan asked. "If it really was an outbreak in multiple regions at the same time, how did the source of infection appear in different parts of the world simultaneously?"
"Brother, the world is a village. What if the initial source of infection was at an international airport? After everyone got infected, they all went back to their own homes. Assuming the initial incubation period of the virus was long, like the classmate I met at the beginning, it's not impossible that they would develop symptoms after all these people had returned to their own countries."
Qi Yan was stunned for a moment, then thought, "That makes sense."
Song Fei rolled her eyes, her nostrils flaring: "I just don't like studying. If I really studied, I'd beat you to a pulp."
Qi Yan was practically in tears: "Please, just a quick reply, I really mean it."
"Sizzle... Help..."
The sudden cry for help brought their bickering to an abrupt halt. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and the world seemed to be filled only with those two words.
But upon closer listening, it turned into a faint crackling sound of electricity.
"Don't rush, don't rush," He Zhiwen understood before his comrade could speak, "Transfer him back immediately."
"Zzzzz... I'll repeat myself, I don't know where you are, you who's been yelling for help for ten days now. If you really need help, give me your location. If not, don't waste resources. If you can't resist streaming, post something positive, like me. I do stand-up comedy every day, with my usual dose of toxic positivity. It'll uplift those who don't want to live and give courage to those who don't want to fight. That's me, *Brother, a proud MC!"
Song Fei and Qi Yan: "..."
He Zhiwen: "Uh, it seems like it's been tuned off..."
Over the next fifteen minutes, He Zhiwen tuned in to dozens of shortwave stations, the content was incredibly diverse, and the hosts were all very individualistic—a veritable feast for the eyes and ears. But it seemed everyone knew what the situation was, and assumed the listeners knew as well; not a single one offered any serious scientific background information—it was all just making the best of a bad situation.
But being able to find joy in hardship is a good sign, isn't it?
The debugging had been going on for almost an hour. Song Fei and Qi Yan went from excitement to disappointment, and then to repeated disappointments. Their initial expectations had been worn away, leaving only gloom. They even started to silently tell themselves that if they couldn't find any radio waves, so be it. Maybe there just weren't any. And to put it another way, maybe they could find something by listening to those oddly shaped shortwave stations.
But despite their thoughts, neither of them spoke to He Zhiwen.
Because from beginning to end, He Zhiwen never wavered, let alone experienced the emotional fluctuations they did. After each failure, he would quickly immerse himself in the next adjustment, concentrating intently and persevering relentlessly.
Just like the two of them when they went to find batteries.
He Zhiwen didn't ask them how they found the battery, and they didn't talk about the danger and perseverance involved in each failure and their repeated attempts to keep going. But they knew that He Zhiwen understood, and was responding with the same persistence.
"Sizzle... Saliva spreads through blood..."
The sudden broadcaster's voice startled both Song Fei and Qi Yan!
He Zhiwen realized this too, but the more excited he became, the steadyer his hands became. As he turned the knob, his clear, resonant voice gradually became more distinct—
"...No other transmission routes have been found yet. Once infected, most people will develop symptoms rapidly within 10 seconds to 5 minutes, while the incubation period may be longer in a few cases. The longest known incubation period is 23 hours. Symptoms include loss of reason, memory, emotion, and pain sensation; varying degrees of decreased mobility, vision, and joint flexibility; and an enhanced sense of smell, leading to attacks on healthy individuals based on odor. Some residual memories or behavioral habits from before infection may also remain. Currently, there is no cure for this virus. Most experts believe the damage caused by this virus is irreversible and urge the public to stay away from infected individuals..."
He Zhiwen carefully loosened the knob, keeping the channel on that band. At this moment, Qi Yan and Song Fei had already gathered around, the three of them standing very close to the radio, yet afraid to touch it, as if touching it would cause this hard-won shortwave signal to disappear.
"In Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Hainan, the virus infection has been completely controlled. In parts of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia, the virus infection has been basically controlled. It is expected that the infection situation nationwide will be effectively controlled within the next month..."
"During the state of emergency, it is recommended that everyone choose the nearest shelter and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary. Do not believe or spread rumors to avoid causing unnecessary panic. All information should be based on official government announcements. If supplies are insufficient, please ensure your personal safety when going out. When choosing shelters, try to select large supermarkets, sports stadiums, etc. The government will also dispatch air force units to airdrop supplies to densely populated areas in various provinces and cities..."
"The Chinese nation is facing the most severe test in its history, but I believe that with the whole nation united as one, we will surely overcome the difficulties and usher in a new tomorrow!"
"The following is international news. Following the United States, Canada and Mexico have also declared a state of emergency. As of now, the unknown virus has broken out in 32 countries around the world, and there has been no progress in virus research..."
The three of them remained motionless, listening quietly to the news until the first light of dawn appeared in the east.
In the end, the news loop became old news, and the announcer's clear pronunciation also had a subtle change in tone due to the depletion of the battery. Only then did He Zhiwen gently turn off the radio.
He moved very carefully, afraid of accidentally touching the tuning knob.
So what if it gets messed up? I'll have to take the radio back anyway. Whether I carry it in my arms or on my shoulder, the frequency will definitely be messed up, and I'll have to retun it when I get back. But at this moment, perhaps I feel that this shortwave news is hard-won, so even if it gets messed up a little later, it's okay.
Ren Zhe's flashlight ran out of power completely.
But the three of them knew that soon, the sun would rise in the east, dispelling the cold darkness and ushering in warm light.
"What do we do now?" He Zhiwen sniffed, but his eyes still couldn't help but well up with tears.
"Let's wait for rescue," Qi Yan said, trying to suppress his excitement and remain calm and objective. "If what the news says is true, the rescue team will arrive here in about ten days at most."
"There are no ifs." Unlike Qi Yan, Song Fei could not maintain a spirit of skepticism at this time. He was more emotional than rational and was willing to listen to his inner feelings. "Just because the news is still using broadcast-style language, the experts are still acting like hooligans, and people abroad are still suffering, I feel that the situation is not out of control."
He Zhiwen: "Your reason for being so confident is really..."
Qi Yan: "I can't refute that."
"Moreover," Song Fei gazed into the distance, his eyes shining with unwavering trust, "we, a bunch of oddballs, have managed to deal with zombies and struggle to survive until now. There's no reason why our mighty army can't conquer this vast land!"
He Zhiwen: "..."
Qi Yan: "Was the phrase 'crooked melon and cracked date' voted on by students from both classes?"
Song Fei withdrew his gaze from the distance, stroked his chin, and pondered deeply: "Uh, a few heads of rotten garlic?"
He Zhiwen said, "Brother Fei, if you keep drawing hatred like this, you might really not get rescued..."
Thump thump thump—
Before the sun rose, the sound of drums suddenly soared into the sky.
Three colleagues in the office, for some inexplicable reason, simultaneously got up and went to the window. That's the good thing about not having glass; no need to open the window.
Thump thump thump thump—
The drumming grew increasingly intense, and you could feel the drummer giving it their all. But based solely on the drumbeats, it was impossible to discern whether it was a cry for help, a summons, or some other emotion.
But the direction it was heading sounded like the Yixin Building area.
Gewu Building is neither too close nor too far from Yixin Building. During the day, the windows of Yixin Building can be vaguely seen from the three people's office, but now that it is just getting light, nothing can be seen clearly.
Only the sound of drums shook the heavens.
"Is it Feng Qibai and the others?" He Zhi asked uncertainly.
Qi Yan remained silent.
Song Fei hesitated, after all, a day and two nights had passed since they parted ways: "It's hard to say..."
The chilling drumming lasted for about two minutes, starting inexplicably and ending abruptly.
Just as the three friends were completely bewildered, the morning breeze carried a distinctly different sound. It was another instrument beginning to play, its sound subtle, deep, desolate, and melancholic.
Qi Yan narrowed his eyes: "Xiao (a type of vertical flute)."
In this zombie-besieged school setting, the mournful sound of the flute does fit the desperate and sorrowful mood of the trapped students, but... He Zhiwen scratched his head in confusion, why does this tune seem so familiar?
"Could it really be them?" He Zhiwen asked again.
Song Fei facepalmed. At this point, was there even a need to ask? Besides their martial arts class, who else in the entire sc
hool would be so crazy as to play "Little Apple" on a flute?!