The culprit behind the false alarm was finally untied by his kind comrades. Meanwhile, the bewildered new student, introduced by Huang Mo, had a friendly and cordial exchange with the eight soldiers in the martial arts platoon whom he had only heard of but never met.
These thirteen people arrived the night before last, not long after Song Fei and the other eight left the cafeteria.
When the timeline was mentioned, Song Fei sensed something was off. But after hearing their "chemistry department" affiliation, it was almost a certainty: "You were responsible for the explosion at Qiushi Building?"
The thirteen classmates were all from Applied Chemistry Class 1, and they were all male students. The most energetic one was the class's secretary, Wang Shan, who was very talkative and always acted as the representative to communicate with the students from the martial arts class. It was clear that he was trusted by his classmates.
According to him, he was a junior in college and had passed both the CET-4 and CET-6 exams. The rest of his brothers had all passed the CET-4 and had no intention of taking the CET-6. So when the zombie horde broke out, he was leading his brothers who were about to retake their experimental operation exams to cram for the battle. As a result, the zombies entered the building. After experiencing confusion, escape, and a series of chaotic events, they hid back in the laboratory and survived for about twenty days by relying on two vending machines in the corridor. Finally, when their food supplies ran out, they had no choice but to create an explosion and escape in the chaos.
"Do you know what happened after the explosion?" Song Fei asked gently after listening to Wang Shan's account.
Wang Shan shook his head blankly.
Song Fei smiled: "The power is out."
Wang Shan was initially surprised, but then realized: "The explosion may have affected the electrical circuits; the power grid around the department building is connected."
"Hmm," Song Fei nodded, understanding. "Then the elevator stopped, and I was inside."
Wang Shan was stunned.
Song Fei asked, "So, do you understand what I mean?"
Wang Shan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "Sure enough, you can't take the elevator in a crisis."
Song Fei: "...Who told you to criticize me?!"
Although the other residents in the building also experienced some inconvenience due to the power outage, none of them had the same bloody history as Song Fei and He Zhiwen. In particular, Zhou Yilu and Qiao Siqi were able to crawl forward using cardboard boxes because the power outage allowed them to avoid many direct conflicts. Therefore, apart from He Zhiwen, who kept nodding but didn't know how to support Song Fei's accusations, no one else echoed them.
After venting for a couple of minutes, he ran out of steam, and with the chemistry students' comprehension skills also needing improvement, Song Fei's accusations ultimately came to nothing.
Seeing the conversation getting a bit dry, Song Fei wanted to lighten the mood, so she jokingly asked why there weren't any girls in their class. The reply was, "Not just one, there are over a dozen! And the class monitor is a girl too, but she wasn't in the Qiushi Building when the incident happened; she might have been in her dorm, somewhere on campus, or maybe even out shopping. Anyway, I hope they're all safe."
A sigh escaped, but instead of lightening the mood, it grew even heavier. The eight returning warriors felt somewhat awkward, wanting to continue but unsure what else to say.
At this moment, Luo Geng stepped forward: "I really can't stand it anymore, please, have some mercy and listen to the broadcast first, okay?"
He had been staring at the large retro radio next to He Zhiwen for a very, very long time; he was going crazy if he wasn't allowed to listen to it soon!
Song Fei was embarrassed, and the other seven friends also felt apologetic. They already knew the broadcast content, but they had forgotten that their six babies at home were still crying for food!
Can...
Song Fei looked at Qi Yan without saying anything, but there was a question in her eyes.
Qi Yan understood what he meant. If there were only martial arts students in the cafeteria, even if Song Fei forgot, he would immediately remind them to turn on the radio for their six comrades. But now there were not only Lin Dilei and Luogeng, but also thirteen "new classmates." The quotation marks were not meant to be discriminatory; it's just that those who have suffered losses are always more cautious.
"Turn on the radio," Huang Mo suddenly spoke up, his calm and composed demeanor behind his clear glasses. "It's alright."
Huang Mo is very petite, but whenever she shows this expression as if she has everything under control, Qi Yan feels that her aura instantly surpasses Zhao He and Wu Zhou. Only Xiao Di Lei in her berserk state can compete with her, but with greater negative effects and a smaller chance of winning.
With his mind at ease, Qi Yanchong nodded to Song Fei.
Song Fei received it and then passed it on to He Zhiwen.
He, who had been clutching the tape recorder tightly since returning to the kitchen, finally had his chance to shine. He slowly stood up, hugged the tape recorder tightly to his chest, and carefully approached the power outlet in the corner…
"Hey, let me tell you first. The virus in Beijing, Tianjin, Tangshan, the three northeastern provinces, and the coastal areas has been almost brought under control. They say it is expected to be under control nationwide within a month."
He Zhiwen stumbled, nearly crashing into the wall: "Zhao He!!!"
"ah?"
"…Never mind." He Zhiwen squeezed out the last two words through gritted teeth.
Zhao He pondered for a long time but still didn't understand. In the end, he shrugged and pretended that the incident never happened.
Song Fei leaned close to Qi Yan's ear and whispered, "Believe it or not, what He Zhiwen was about to say just now was that he'd die from spoilers."
Qi Yan looked at He Tongxue's dejected back as he bent over to plug in the power cord and felt boundless sympathy for him.
On the other hand, Qiao Siqi shared his experience with Zhou Yilu: "I hate these kinds of bullet comments the most when I watch videos, especially detective movies. If a bullet comment pops up at the beginning of the movie saying that the murderer is the guy wearing glasses at 3 minutes and 59 seconds, you're guaranteed to vomit blood."
Just as Zhou Yilu was about to reply to the comment, he heard Luo Geng ask Zhao He—
"Have you finished listening to the radio? Wasn't there a power outage?"
Zhao He thought about it for a moment, and then said, "That makes sense." He immediately looked at Song Fei and asked, "Right, how did you hear anything when the power went out?"
When Zhao He first saw the retro-styled war trophies, he was shocked for a long time. But after his comrade told him that the situation in the motherland was very good, he believed it unconditionally. Now, with Luo Geng asking him this question, he was hesitant again.
Song Fei, no longer wanting to deal with the simple-minded, opportunistic Zhao, directly answered Luo Geng: "That machine can use batteries."
Luo Geng was stunned, feeling that something was amiss: "Why would he go through all the trouble of plugging it in when he could use batteries?"
He Zhiwen, who had finally plugged in the tape recorder, turned around and explained, "We have a limited number of batteries, so we should save them wherever possible."
"Oh..." Very good, everything can be explained perfectly now.
The conclusion is that, as expected, nobody cared that he was already extremely anxious!
"Sizzle..."
"Zzz... China National Radio..."
Although Zhao He had given a spoiler beforehand, it wasn't until they actually heard the clear and articulated broadcast that everyone's emotions truly stirred—the dawn had arrived, piercing through the darkness and reaching their hearts. This was something everyone had been hoping for but dared not even dream of, and now it had indeed come to pass, right before their ears.
Like Song Fei, Qi Yan, and He Zhiwen before them, the comrades who stayed behind and the thirteen students from the School of Chemistry listened for a long time, completely absorbed even though the news content had been repeated countless times. Even Zhao He, Feng Qi, Bai Zhoulu, and Qiao Siqi, who were already excited, were excited a second time because it was the first time they had heard the broadcast content in person.
By midnight, the group's emotions had gradually calmed down. Lin Dilei's eyes were red from crying; she had been on the verge of a night of uncontrollable tears, but after seeing Qiao Siqi, who was also in tears, she instantly stopped crying.
Feeling he had listened enough, He Zhiwen asked his friends for their opinions and then turned off the tape recorder.
The twenty-seven friends sat haphazardly on the ground, staring at each other.
Finally, Wang Shan spoke first: "Fortunately, we have enough food. Now we just have to wait for rescue."
That's basically what everyone thought, so they chatted amongst themselves, optimistically looking forward to a bright future.
Song Fei was initially wary of the Chemistry Thirteen, but after spending half the night with them, he didn't find anything about them unpleasant. On the contrary, they even unintentionally displayed a kind of politeness, as if they implicitly acknowledged that those who arrived first were the hosts and those who came later were the guests, and although resources were shared, there was a subtle difference in status.
Aside from that, they are just ordinary classmates. They neither try to get close to you nor deliberately distance themselves. They say what they think and their thoughts are written all over their faces, just like the alumni you pass by on campus every day—simple and friendly.
Taking advantage of his comrades' inattention, Song Fei called Wang Qingyuan aside to a corner.
Although he trusted his instincts, the lessons learned from the past were too painful, so to be on the safe side, he decided to ask about the situation: "Were they like this when the thirteen of them arrived? Did they cause any trouble?"
Song Fei asked in a very low voice, as if he were doing something wrong.
Wang Qingyuan smiled and glanced at the group of people in the distance who were still enthusiastically discussing when the rescue would arrive. He said in a low voice with a smile, "Don't worry. Even if they had any bad intentions when they came, Huang Mo nipped them in the bud."
Song Fei didn't understand: "What do you mean?"
Wang Qingyuan clearly found that memory very precious and interesting, so he vividly reenacted it for Song Fei.
When the thirteen newcomers arrived, the two shifts of comrades stationed in the kitchen had already gathered on the first floor, a total of six people. Faced with their sudden arrival, Lin Dilei and Luo Geng, who had a history of bloodshed and tears, were immediately on guard. Wang Qingyuan and Li Jingyu, having heard their comrades recount that incident, also dared not let their guard down. Fu Xiyuan had the simplest mindset; he was neither on guard nor overly enthusiastic, simply fulfilling his duties as a classmate.
Chemistry Thirteen was still in shock after surviving the ordeal, and several of his comrades had died during the escape. Therefore, he remained in a dazed and disoriented state for a long time after entering the place, and did not notice much of the different emotions of the six people.
At this moment, Huang Mo made his appearance.
First, they warmed the new recruits' stomachs with hot soup, then warmed their hearts with kind words. As the thirteen people gradually regained their composure, they seized the opportunity to explain that there weren't just six of them, but eight more comrades who would soon return, subtly imprinting in their minds the understanding that "we actually have the numerical advantage." Finally, they engaged in a sincere heart-to-heart talk, revealing that the eight who had left were actually searching for a radio, establishing a hopeful and not hopeless situation, and suggesting that they stay and wait for their comrades to return victorious with "the hope of survival." They then proactively offered to share resources and showed the new recruits all the food supplies, reassuring them while reinforcing the win-win concept that only through unity, friendship, and concerted efforts could they defeat the virus.
The victorious return of Song Fei and his team is the strongest testament to the "correct approach" instilled by Huang Mo. If the chemistry students still had doubts before, the broadcast just now was the final word.
With ample food, bright hope, familiar classmates, and the kindness of fellow alumni, Chemistry Thirteen had neither the ideological basis for confrontation nor the objective reason for struggle, unless he didn't want to live a good life.
"Is this brainwashing...?" Song Fei glanced at Huang Mo, who was sorting through the remaining canned food in everyone's backpacks, and felt a deep respect.
"It's just presenting facts and reasoning." Wang Qingyuan felt Song Fei's analogy was a bit exaggerated, but, "She has a very accurate grasp of people's hearts..."
Song Fei raised an eyebrow in suspicion: "Why do I feel like this isn't what you meant to say?"
Wang Qingyuan pondered for a moment: "Alright, she does have the potential to be a cult leader."
"Song Fei—" Zhao He called from not far away, "What was the name of that rock song you sang before? The one Feng Qibai played later!"
The "Looking to the Future" group has disbanded at some point. Now, the martial arts class is the martial arts class, the chemistry class is the chemistry class, and everyone is in their own group, with distinct cliques.
"Let me in the snow... never mind, you can't search for the name now, I have it on my phone."
Having finished talking with Wang Qingyuan, Song Fei simply went over and took out his phone to send a Bluetooth message to Zhao He.
—It's rare to find someone who appreciates something, and Song was a little excited.
Zhao He was genuinely supportive, and after receiving the message, he played it on his phone's speaker. As a result, Wu Zhou, Feng Qibai, and Fu Xiyuan also came over. The former two wanted to hear the original version, while the latter was purely out of curiosity.
The four people were listening intently, and Song Fei felt honored. He was squatting down to the side, enjoying the rare pride of having his "musical literacy recognized," when someone tapped his shoulder.
Turning around, I saw Qi Yan.
"Hmm?" Song Fei raised an eyebrow and asked in a single syllable.
Qi Yan pointed to a secluded spot behind the desk in the distance: "Let's go over there and talk about something."
Song Fei was startled by the other party's seriousness and hurriedly got up, following Qi Yan to the "no man's land" far away in the back kitchen.
"What do you want to say... um..."
The kiss that landed against the wall came unexpectedly.
Song Fei was completely enveloped in Qi Yan's shadow. The other's kiss was strong and domineering, yet his lips were extremely soft, leaving Song Fei torn between resistance and desire.
Even as Qi Yan reluctantly ended the meeting, he still hadn't figured out the reason.
In the end, he decided to fight fire with fire—he kissed her back.
Both of them could feel each other's excitement and heat, but they both knew that this matter could not be taken too far. In the end, they could only rely on their strong willpower to separate, forehead to forehead, breathing heavily.
"They'll definitely find out." He could be shameless while kissing, but afterwards, Song Fei felt a little scared. Even though he was more than ten meters away from the crowd, he still felt guilty.
"I'm blocking you." Qi Yan's voice was terribly hoarse.
"You don't have to see it from every angle to realize something like this!" Song Fei said, exasperated. Anyone who noticed him and Qi Yan here was practically right in front of the truth.
"So what?" Ever since she won back her ex-boyfriend, Qi Yan has become somewhat reckless and fearless on the road to coming out. "We're back together, so we should drive to celebrate."
The spirited young man, Song, wholeheartedly agreed and sighed helplessly, "It's a pity we can't drive it now; at most, we can only step on the gas in neutral."
Qi Yan pressed down again: "Then stomp on it a few more times."
Song Fei was still worried that getting too carried away with the ignition might scare his friends, and was about to refuse when he heard Big B's familiar shouts and his comrades' laughter coming from afar. He immediately felt relieved and floored the gas pedal.
A dozen meters away, He Zhiwen, having turned the radio back on, was changing the station for his comrades. Lin Dilei, Luo Geng, and Li Jingyu watched with great interest. Just a minute ago, they had tuned to Big B's channel. Lin Dilei exclaimed, "I've heard this guy's program before, it's really interesting!"
Luo Geng was overjoyed, listening and learning simultaneously, and putting his knowledge into practice on the spot.
Li Jingyu was amused and burst into laughter.
He Zhiwen complained, "Li Jingyu, your sense of humor is too low."
The latter was speechless: "Why are you calling me by my nickname too?"
He Zhiwen was shocked: "Isn't that your name?"
Li Jingyu was speechless for a moment, then grabbed her comrade and said, "Come here, let me explain my character to you..."
In the open space near the stove, Qiao Siqi and Zhou Yilu, seeking some peace and quiet, were recounting their thrilling battle to Wang Qingyuan, who had been left alone. Zhou Yilu spoke with great enthusiasm, while Qiao Siqi provided narration; both were fully engaged in their storytelling.
Wang Qingyuan listened very attentively, completely absorbed from beginning to end.
Finally, the two asked expectantly, "How was it? Thrilling, right?"
Wang Qingyuan nodded: "So, Song Fei and Qi Yan got back together?"
Zhou and Qiao: "They only made a cameo appearance at the end of the Lu Ban Tower adventure!!!"
Wang Qingyuan shrugged: "I'm a fan of extras."
This is destined to be a sleepless night.
All of us are celebrating hope and welcoming the dawn in our own ways.
Of course, there are exceptions—
In a corner of the kitchen, Chemistry Thirteen, who had been quietly huddled together, had been watching silently for a long time.
They witnessed four male classmates singing "Eee-yeah~~Eee-yeah~~Because my illness is that I have no feeling" into a cell phone; they stumbled upon two male classmates hiding in a corner, touching each other; they discovered that the friends who seemed so close were actually nameless; they witnessed three comrades falling apart over which was more important, the plot or the bromance; and finally, a stunningly beautiful girl pushed aside her math department friends and took to the stage herself, rapping and dancing.
Is it... really safe here?
The boy who asked the question had a simple and honest look on his face, j
ust like the innocent child in "The Emperor's New Clothes".