Those who travel back in time

Chapter 2 Nightmare

Chen Qing listened quietly to Dr. Fang's long speech, her face revealing neither joy nor anger.

On the contrary, Ah Jie's anxiety was palpable, but he didn't know how to refute that cold logic.

"So, take the supplies and leave. This is the best choice for you and for us." Dr. Fang made the final decision, giving Chen Qing no chance to defend herself.

"Doctor! Please reconsider! Brother Chen Qing is truly exceptional!" Ah Jie grabbed Dr. Fang's arm anxiously. "When he saved me, I'd never seen anything like it! How can we turn down someone as talented as him!"

"Ah Jie, I've already made myself very clear..." Dr. Fang started to say, but then suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Chen Qing: "Your name is Chen Qing? Chen of 'ear east,' and 'Qing' as in 'the life of a noble person'?"

"Dr. Fang, have you heard of my name?" Chen Qing asked, somewhat surprised.

"I've heard the name, but I'm not sure if it's you." After a pause, Dr. Fang asked again, "Have you ever 'sent' a letter here in a specific way?"

"What letter?"

"An... rather old letter."

"I have never written any letters."

"Does Mr. Chen know anyone at this base?"

"Except for Ah-Jie."

"Mr. Chen, you've been living alone in the occupied zone for two months; you must be exhausted, both physically and mentally." Dr. Fang paused for two seconds, as if making a decision: "Why don't you have dinner at the base first, then take a hot shower, get a good night's sleep, and replenish your strength and energy? Then we can discuss whether or not to stay."

Chen Qing did not refuse. He didn't care about dinner; he didn't need it. But he really wanted to take a shower and get some sleep.

The food at Shuguang Hospital was quite plentiful, with white porridge, steamed buns, and two freshly stir-fried hot dishes: shredded potatoes and scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

What was once the most ordinary home-cooked dish has become a delicacy that many would risk their lives for after the apocalypse.

Chen Qing tasted it; the dish must have been stir-fried with only oil and salt, without any other seasonings, but he still almost swallowed the whole plate.

The base has public shower rooms, but their use is strictly limited. Expedition teams can use them immediately upon returning from expeditions, while other production personnel remaining at the base can only use them once a month.

After finishing his meal and taking a relaxing shower, Chen Qing lay down on the bed.

There are pillows, quilts, and a window in the bedroom where you can see the bright moon.

This base is where life truly begins; what he used to do was merely survival.

But then again, in this zombie-infested apocalypse, simply surviving is already an extremely difficult thing.

Chen Qing had visited many strongholds, and Dawn Hospital was the closest he had ever seen to pre-apocalyptic life.

This Dr. Fang is really something.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow, and the exhaustion of the past few days finally dragged him into a deep sleep.

"Aoko! Open the door!"

A heart-wrenching cry for help suddenly rang out. Chen Qing turned around and found herself no longer in the safe bedroom, but in a cold, abandoned warehouse. The air was thick with the smells of sweat, blood, and an overwhelming sense of fear.

"Please! Let me in!"

"It's your brother! Open the door!"

Chen Qing found himself standing behind the door, his hands pressed tightly against the cold latch, his knuckles white from the force. He could feel the other survivors staring intently at him from behind, a heavy pressure a mixture of fear and silent condemnation that threatened to crush him.

"That's my brother, you have to open the door!" A voice screamed wildly in Chen Qing's mind. Reason told him that this was the only option, the thing he had to do.

His right hand trembled as it slowly moved toward the latch; with just a gentle pull…

But at that moment, his gaze pierced through the coin-sized hole in the iron gate used to observe the outside world, and he saw what was happening outside.

First, there was the brother's face, contorted with extreme fear, almost filling the entire field of vision. Tears, sweat, and grime mingled together, brimming with a desperate yearning for life. His eyes pierced through the small hole, gripping Chen Qing's gaze with pure pleading.

But right behind the brother, a shadow was creeping and approaching.

It wasn't just one or two, but a whole flock! Dragging their mutilated limbs, they surged out from street corners and gaps in abandoned vehicles, like a slow but unstoppable black tide. The closest one, no more than ten meters from the older brother, stared blankly ahead with its gray eyes, a bloodthirsty growl emanating from its rotting throat, its quickened steps kicking up dust scattered on the ground.

Further away, more swaying figures were attracted by the noise and turned their heads.

A wave of overwhelming fear gripped Chen Qing's heart, a chilling numbness spreading from his spine throughout his body. He wanted to open the door, wanted to save his brother, but his body wouldn't obey him; he was frozen in place…

"Brother Chen, how did you sleep last night?"

Chen Qing instinctively grabbed the machete placed beside the bed and swung it towards the source of the sound. When he realized it was A-Jie's voice, he quickly withdrew the machete, which finally stopped abruptly at the other person's neck.

"Brother Chen, spare me!" Ah Jie was so frightened that his face turned pale and his legs went weak.

"Sorry, I've been sleeping outside for two months, so I'm a bit stressed." Chen Qing put away the machete in his hand, touched his forehead, and found it covered in sweat.

I dreamt of my deceased brother again.

"Why? I was so cowardly back then! All I had to do was open the door. If I had actually done that, maybe my brother wouldn't have..." Chen Qing gritted his teeth and punched the wall hard, creating a dent.

"Brother Chen, are you alright?" A-Jie asked, noticing that Chen Qing's expression looked a little strange.

"It's nothing." Chen Qing got up from the bed. "It was just a dream."

"Brother Chen, let's go have breakfast first, and then go see Dr. Fang."

"Let's go see Dr. Fang first. I want to see what he's really up to."

Ah Jie then led Chen Qing to the inpatient area. Opposite the first ward was a small office where Dr. Fang was sitting. Seeing Chen Qing, he smiled and asked, "Mr. Chen, did you rest well?"

"Dr. Fang, you're not just being kind by letting me stay the night, are you?" Chen Qing countered without answering, "What are your motives? You can tell me now."

"Mr. Chen, first of all, I want to make it clear that I will not force you to do anything. Yes, there are some things I would like your help with, but that is based on your consent." Dr. Fang gestured to the chair next to him: "Please sit down."

"We've only met by chance, do you think I'd help you?" Chen Qing stood still.

Dr. Fang did not answer directly, but turned around and carefully took out an object from a locked metal cabinet behind him.

It was a rusty iron box, with traces of dried soil visible on its surface. He placed the box on the table, took out a carefully preserved, yellowed piece of paper that still showed its age, and gently pushed it in front of Chen Qing: "Mr. Chen, you might want to take a look at this."

Chen Qing peeked out and saw four words written on the paper: "Try Chen Qing."