Translator: transcendentwings
TN Note: update 2/2
When Feng Qibai played the entirety of “Little Apple”, the stars and moon became hidden as the sun rose in the east.
Zhao He, who had been baptized by the ancient style classical tunes, felt extremely tranquil in his heart at this moment. He didn’t know what words could be used to evaluate this performance and was stunned for a long time before he commented with one sentence: “You played until the sky brightened.”
Feng Qibai didn’t know whether it was a compliment or sarcasm, but he didn’t want to inquire further, so he simply responded: “Yes ah.”
Wu Zhou couldn’t keep up with his two comrade’s train of thought, so he decided to do something more practical such as listening carefully to see if there was any response from either side.
Yet all he could pick up was the bitter morning wind whizzing across the roof.
After concentrating for a long time, he seemed to vaguely be able to capture some human speech, but after all, it was too feeble and before he could hear it clearly, it was blown to pieces by the frigid winds.
It was a hopelessly windy day.
In the professor’s office on the twelfth floor of the Gewu Building, three people either took turns stepping up to the plate or hollered in unison and ended up roaring for the time elapsed for half a song. Sometimes they sang along, other times they called out the names of their comrades-in-arms. They didn’t know which companion the sound originated from, so they just screamed whoever’s name they liked. As a result, there still wasn’t any response until the end of the song.
The three of them were very anxious.
Song Fei even jumped onto the window sill directly, hooked onto the window frame with his hands, and then leaned four-fifths of his body out in order to scan the surroundings like a plane that reached the cruise phase before he shouted at the top of his lungs: “Song Fei! Qi Yan! He Zhiwen! The three of them are in the Gewu Building—inside the Gewu Building—within the building—Ahhhhh—”
Qi Yan was so startled that his heart almost skipped a beat, he wasn’t frightened by his roar, he was afraid that the other would take a dive ah!
On this side, Qi Yan hastily looped his arms around this worrisome b*stard, while He Zhiwen on the other side swiftly judged the situation based on their positioning: “Song Fei, stop shouting. Whether it is the Yixin Building or the more distant Luban Building, they can’t hear us screaming from where we are. Even if they could, they wouldn’t be able to pick it up clearly because the distance is too far, besides, the Qiushi Building is in the middle ne.”
Song Fei knew that what He Zhiwen reasoned was sensible, but his fellow comrades had already sounded a rallying call, they couldn’t not respond at all ah.
Taking in his expression, Qi Yan knew what Song Fei wanted to say, so without the need for the other to speak, he directly asked He-tongxue of the physics department in his place: “Do you have any other more valid methods to convey information?”
He Zhiwen frowned, pondering it for a while: “I’m not sure, but it’s worth a try.”
Song Fei urged: “Be more specific.”
He Zhiwen glanced at Qi Yan and spoke with a heavy voice: “I’m afraid we’d have to make a trip to the sixth level.”
Song Fei rolled his eyes, he didn’t care what He Zhiwen wanted Qi Yan to search for on the sixth floor, just based on the time this one round-trip would take, it would be enough for their comrades-in-arms playing music to leisurely stroll back to the canteen and even finish a hot meal while they were at it!
Just when he was about to complain, he discovered that Qi Yan had already tied something to the heating pipe by the window. Taking a closer look, he swiftly recognized it as the fire hose that they had cut back when they went to retrieve the batteries!
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Climbing down the fire hose and breaking through by going down the stairs were two completely different concepts. In terms of time alone it was already a qualitative leap ah, comparable to Doraemon’s anywhere door! He had only been thinking about how the fire hose could be used to descend to the ground floor and completely ignored the fact that the fire hose could also be used to go to any other floor. All in all, Qi Yan, whose only previous goal had been the batteries yet brought back a fire hose as a bonus, was simply way too far-sighted!
“What are you looking at ne.” Catching sight of Song Fei’s ever-changing expression from the corner of his eyes, Qi Yan was thoroughly amused by the other’s colorful inner drama.
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However Song Fei wasn’t satisfied and mumbled sullenly: “Reciprocity is a courtesy, aren’t you going to praise me too?”
Qi Yan paused what he was doing and swiftly raised his head to follow what was right as a stream follows its course. He stared into Song Fei’s eyes intently: “My boyfriend. . .”
Song Fei: “En en.”
Qi Yan: “. . . Human?”
It was only missing one word, but it created a difference worlds apart, and the most outrageous part of it was, why was it even an interrogative sentence!!!
In the dean’s office situated on the tenth floor of the Luban Building, Qiao Siqi and Zhou Yilu had already howled until their throats were raw. When the notes of the xiao repeated the melody for the lyrics you are my little apple ya, little apple, the two of them became so hypoxic that they could no longer love you until they thought it would never be too much.
“We’ve been hurrying to holler back after the sounds, I’ll be d*mned if they could actually hear us.” Zhou Yilu paced back and forth anxiously.
Qiao Siqi was also distraught: “Then what should we do? We can’t just go find another office down the corridor ba.”
Zhou Yilu froze, then slowly turned to fix his gaze on Qiao Siqi.
Qiao Siqi gulped: “Uh, I’m just making suggestions casually, after all, there are so many zombies in the hallway, how would we be able to just rush over ma, ah, ah ah. . .”
Zhou Yilu made a face: “Don’t worry, I didn’t plan on charging all the way to the other end of the hall.”
Qiao Siqi: “You are too wise!”
Zhou Yilu: “Let’s head to the roof.”
“. . .” Exactly what was it that deceived him back then and made him choose to chase after this reckless to the point of brainless Zhou Yilu ah!!!
The morning breeze sent over the faint xiao sounds again, though this time the tune had changed. Although it wasn’t as familiar as “Little Apple”, but it was still recognizable.
Zhou Yilu’s eyes lit up: “This is tacit understanding ah!”
Qiao Siqi also recognized which track this was and was enlightened upon a truth while wallowing in despair—every cowardly person was craven in their own way, but those who were arrogantly rash were all the same.
On the roof of the Yixin Building, Feng Qiabi ignored Zhao-tongxue’s impatience and frustration as well as Wu-tongxue’s pessimistic view and was silent for a few minutes before presenting the second song—“Rooftop.”
President Chou and Landy Wen’s classic duet, under the interpretation of the xiao, transmitted a sort of melancholic feeling of “come up to the roof and I will discuss breaking up with you”.
This time Feng Qibai played slowly and leisurely, he even deliberately slowed down the rhythm in many places. When the chorus started looping, Zhao He, who had the brightest window to his soul, spotted a little black shadow in the shape of a man on the Luban Building.
At the same time, Qiao Siqi also spotted his comrade with sharp eyes: “Zhao He!”
The Luban Building was one floor higher than the Yixin Building, thus the former had a wider and more comprehensive view of the latter. However, it was still a distance away, Zhou Yilu squinted his eyes for a long time, and still could only barely recognize that there should be three people on the roof over there, but let alone their appearance, he couldn’t even tell if they were tall, short, fat, or thin.
As such he was quite shocked when he heard Qiao Siqi call out the other’s name so accurately: “You can see his face so clearly?!”
Qiao Siqi’s reply was: “I can see his head clearly.”
Zhou Yilu was completely convinced.
They were gathered all on the roof, and so now the obstacles of walls and orientation were removed for smooth communication. Although they still couldn’t really hear each other that clearly, only a couple of repetitions were needed to capture the general idea.
“Why are you guys over there—” Qiao Siqi and Zhou Yilu still remembered that they risked their lives to lure the enemy away while their comrades headed straight for Gewu.
“What—” The one who yelled the inquiry was Wu Zhou.
Zhao He’s vocal cords could no longer support shouting. He suspected that after howling for a few hours the night before yesterday, his vocal cords were scrapped, only that he originally possessed great talent and after experiencing a day and night of terminal lucidity, and after a wet and chilly baptism overnight courtesy of the fire hose, he has completely transitioned into possessing a male duck’s voice.
The Yixin Building couldn’t hear the Luban Building, but the Luban Building could hear the Yixin Building. Who knows if it was because the gusts were blowing from Yixin to Luban.
“Why are you there—” Qiao Siqi repeated.
Wu Zhou strained himself so hard to catch even a whisper, hating that his ears couldn’t encompass for thousands of miles.
Zhao He couldn’t help but interject with a hoarse voice: “I heard it clearly. He said ‘Why are you guys scolding you’.”
Feng Qibai and Wu Zhou peered at him in unison.
Zhao He scratched his head in embarrassment: “There does seem to be something off ha. . .”
Twenty minutes later, the two teams finally broke through with their communication method and were updated on each other’s situations, grasping the current battle situation. Just as they were staring wide-eyed at each other and worrying about how to get in touch with the main squad, there was a strange phenomena in the sky.
At first, it sounded like an electric fan, but the power was too small for it to produce enough power.
The three of them looked up at the same time and it turned out to be a pocket aircraft hovering about the Yixin Building, driven by a small propeller. If one insisted on calling it a drone, it was plausible, but given how small it was ne, even if the one who were to sit on it was Shuke, it would become overcapacity, only to crash and burn.
The person who remotely controlled the aircraft was obviously unable to position itself with precision and ultimately the aircraft landed on the very edge of the roof, if it were to be a bit further off, then it would’ve landed on air.
Zhao He immediately dashed over to pick up the aircraft and discovered a note tied to it—
[Song Fei, Qi Yan, He Zhiwen are on top of the Gewu Building and the radio has been successfully obtained. The heart and coast of the motherland have already completely gotten the virus under control while the three eastern provinces have been partially controlled. It is expected that the whole country will stabilize in the next month or so. Fellow compatriots, to preserve until the end is victory! PS. Song Fei personally wants to inquire—Who played the xiao?]
Who the hell would answer such a pointless question at this time? The three people on the roof of the Yixin Building burst into tears when they read the news regarding the motherland, even the rims of the apathetic Feng Qibai’s eyes were red. The three companions hugged each other tightly, their hearts feeling turbulent, yet they couldn’t utter a word aloud, all they could do was embrace one another hard and vent all of their emotions into this embrace.
The roof of the Luban Building.
Qiao Siqi: “What are they doing?”
Zhou Yilu: “They seem to be agitated and filled with deep sorrow at the same time.”
Qiao Siqi: “Did something fly over from the Gewu Building just now?”
Zhou Yilu: “Song Fei and the rest have news?”
Qiao Siqi: “An update is good, they should be dancing around ah, so why do they seem so solemn?”
Zhou Yilu: “. . .”
Qiao Siqi: “Ah, could it be, perhaps. . .”
When the opening theme song of the newsflash played, Qiao Siqi was already weeping with tears and snot running all over his face in the delusion of “losing a companion” even if he couldn’t tell who it was.
Zhou Yilu was originally affected by the other and felt inexplicably pessimistic as well, but the moment he heard the melody, he was miraculously cheered up.
“It’s fine! They’re all right!”
Qiao Siqi sniffled, listened to the sound of the xiao for a few seconds in trepidation and abruptly glomped Zhou Yilu without any warning, bawling loudly: “En en, it’s okay, they’re fine, the country is also just dandy, all is well. . . that’s great. . . really wonderful. . . aowuwuwu. . . ahhhh. . .”
Zhou Yilu thought that he, himself, was already emotional enough, however when he saw Qiao Siqi tearing up in his arms, he suddenly felt that he was so heartlessly cruel that he was inhuman.
The transmission between the Yixing Building and Gewu Building was by aircraft while with the Luban Building it was a combination of music+roaring. With a multi-pronged approach, the companions finally settled on a plan to endure for another day, wait until it was dark, tie ropes to the fire hose and descend vertically straight from the roof of the building down below, and then return home with the device at hand.
Different from the uncertainty and confusion when they arrived initially, the eight people who returned to their hideouts in their respective buildings felt unprecedentedly at ease and their hearts were full of conviction.
Before coming, everyone didn’t remark upon it aloud, but they all assumed that this would be an impossible task in their hearts. Because there were too many difficulties that had to be overcome, too many stages to break through, and perhaps, some luck was also indispensable. However they still ultimately set off without any hesitation, even if it might be futile, even if there’s a chance that it would end up being a one-way trip.
Thinking about it now, it might’ve been that little bit of “hope” that supported their willingness to bet on this risk of a narrow escape from death ba.
That sculpture, Zhao He thought, he could probably comprehend it now.
—Even if one is physically entrenched in hell, they would still yearn for the light, with hope harbored in their heart, there will always come dawn.
Author’s Chapter Summary:
Using “Little Apple” to achieve a good rapport, the aircraft dances in the wind until it soars!
The translator has something to say: I wonder if they were using song lyrics to convey information and I wonder how many more toys (nifty gadgets) are at the Gewu building
one of two mice from the popular Chinese cartoon Shuke and Beita who wanted to obtain their food honestly thus Shuke became a pilot and Beita became a tank driver
Are they going to leave the xampus now that they’ve got news.
Thank you for the update.
Ahhh I’ve caught up!
Thanks for all your hard work <3