"How is she?" "She's alright, just tired. Let her rest." "Thank you." Captain Ma spoke to an elderly man.
"Don't mention it. I'll be outside. If you need anything, find me." The old man nodded and exited.
"I joined the military at twenty, served as a soldier for twenty-three years. I never thought I would have to experience this. I imagined battles with real weapons against evil and powerful enemies, but I never expected to face nature barehanded. I watch my comrades fall one by one, such pitiful deaths. I know my teammates are suffering, yet I can't offer them even the slightest help. In such a harsh environment, after surviving so hard, it's up to a young girl to endure all this at the risk of her life. It's our incompetence."
A hand gently patted Captain Ma's shoulder from behind. "You've been watching over her all day. Come on, let's take a walk outside."
"I don't want to go out. I regret not being able to hold the line that day, so many sacrificed, so many got separated. I'm not worthy of being a soldier. I've deluded myself time and time again, convincing myself that the missing ones must be alive. But now, only one person has returned, and I'm afraid it's a dream. I fear I'll wake up as soon as I turn around, and it will all be gone." The man wept, covering his face.
"This isn't your fault. No one blames you. We've come this far, endured so much crying, every day survived is a miracle, and everyone is a hero. I refuse to believe they're all gone. There must be survivors among them. Perhaps they're somewhere in a corner of the world, missing us just as we miss them. Maybe they're battered and bruised, waiting for heroes to rescue them."
"Do we still have hope?"
"We do. Look at Su Pei. So many people have changed because of her. She is hope. Look outside. So many people still refuse to believe that Xiao Guang is dead. That's hope. Trust me, together we'll go and bring them back. Perhaps on the way there, we'll encounter them."
"Yes, Lao Wei, you're right. Regardless of whether the base sends reinforcements, we'll gather our people and set out to bring them back. There must be survivors."
Upon waking up, Su Pei's condition caused concern. She didn't cry or fuss, but her rationality was heartbreaking. She no longer uttered the first words one says upon seeing loved ones, urging people to launch a rescue. Instead, she drew the terrain she had observed along the way, with annotations underneath. She handed over the samples and scientific manuals she had brought back to Lao Wei and the others, then fell silent. She just sat there, staring at the exhausted and critically wounded Golden Beetle, Doudou, shedding tears in silence.
Su Pei's maturity didn't equate to the group's surrender. A soldier was dispatched immediately to deliver the message to the base. Captain Ma and Lao Wei, among others, began researching the rescue plan that very night.
The plan didn't proceed smoothly, and the most heart-wrenching part was involving Su Pei in the planning. The young girl spoke softly, pointing to the map she had sketched. She described each detail, indicating where mountains were, where water was, where birds had flown, and where bushes and forests were.
Su Pei's calm tone resembled an ethereal narration, and everyone listened in silence. Her meticulous and delicate descriptions showed just how observant she had been all along, implying her strong desire to return for a rescue. Her precise wording and clear expressions, as well as her adept explanation of geographic and directional concepts, showcased her solid education. The listeners' thoughts followed Su Pei's narrative, from the nearest forests away from the base, spanning across countless mountains, over undulating hills, to dreamy beaches and finally the small boat on the sea. As the young girl recounted the last moment, her departing gaze carrying the hope of the people, she couldn't hold back her tears.
"Enough, enough, don't say anymore!" A middle-aged woman embraced the girl, gently patting Su Pei's back. She was also in tears. Her son was among the people on the ship, and many here were relatives of the crew members.
"We need to start the search and rescue as soon as possible!" After a long silence, people exchanged glances, and Captain Ma spoke with a serious tone.
"But we need to prepare extensively for the unknown," Lao Wei responded.
"We need time to prepare, we need manpower. It'll take at least a month for a round trip. We need to be mentally prepared, ready for the possibility that we might not return!"
Lao Wei nodded in silence. The journey through the unknown jungle was perilous.
The connection between the bases might appear simple and convenient now, with a path carved through the forest allowing travel on foot for a few days. However, it took half a year to establish it. The soldiers put their lives on the line, clearing threats along the way, setting traps, and sprinkling insect-repelling powder around. Step by step, they meticulously inspected and eliminated obstacles, creating the relatively safe route of today. Even on the bi-monthly trips, they still replenished the insect-repelling powder and added new traps and defenses along the way, protecting this rugged path of civilization.
The unknown forest held many mysteries, what was there and what they would encounter remained uncertain. Even obtaining food and water was perilous, and not everyone possessed the ability to communicate with insects like Xiao Guang.
At this point, it had been over a year since people had arrived here.
The massive construction of the base, from the ground up, provided opportunities for those with a foundation in basic sciences, be it construction, physics, biology, chemistry, and more. Many skilled workers and even those with strong practical abilities thrived. Meanwhile, those who had once coasted by with signatures, "tea-drinking," and superficial skills within various departments were either starting anew or being marginalized. In various workspaces—clothing, food, construction sites—former "staff" and "team leaders" were now the ones in charge. Even in the smaller management departments, many former "secretaries," "clerks," and "temporary workers" had taken leadership roles, while the "leaders" and "establishment employees," due to their lack of skills, were being left behind, sleeping in shared dorms and huddling together for warmth with awkward expressions.
The first half-year was arduous for the base's construction, while the latter half was comparatively lighter. With survival concerns resolved, the base no longer spent nights reinforcing defenses or working with bright lights through the night. Nights now provided extra time for personal adjustments and contemplation.
At some point, after surviving half a year of life and death, talk of a way back to the old world started circulating among the people. Multiple versions of the rumors circulated, none of them pointing towards the scientific group. There was talk of a shuttle that could transport people back, but only a few at a time, and it required the other side to hasten production.
Even more outrageous rumors suggested that a complete teleportation device had been successfully tested, but only those gathering near this base could return, leaving those elsewhere with no chance.
Another theory claimed that coordinates for each person's life were recorded in the other world, where deaths in this world were already marked. The scientific group supposedly had the list, and mostly only those listed remained.
Accompanying the rumors were the loneliness and solitude of the nights. Countless sacrifices led to numerous widows and orphans, with everyone facing the choice to either move on from grief or sink into it.
Loyalty was a scarce quality; many couldn't uphold it, leading to the price of loyalty often being betrayal.
No one knew what motives Liu Xing and his group had. Under his leadership, they even strongly encouraged those who had lost partners to form new families. This approach of trying to help by urging people to forget their pasts and start anew left many puzzled. People were marrying again with unclear reasons, all under the guise of doing what's best for them. Jun Ya once debated with Liu Xing about this. She believed that those who lost their partners had the right to choose between remaining single or seeking new companions. If they wished to wait for their other halves and didn't want to forget their pasts, as administrators, they shouldn't overly intervene. Moreover, it was currently just considered being "missing." What if they returned? Such examples were not unheard of. Liu Xing was articulate and always used the need for a stable environment and reduced loneliness as reasons to indirectly debate with Jun Ya.
Under the deliberate guidance of Liu Xing and his ulterior motives, bold living and disregarding others' opinions, various ideas such as individuality and freedom were distorted. The decadent and indulgent lifestyle was glorified, and the most vulnerable aspects of human nature succumbed to temptation in such dire circumstances.
To dismantle a community, one just needed to strip away men's backbone and masculinity, take away women's modesty and kindness, and foster a corrupted atmosphere. The destruction of morality would require generations to repair.
At that time, with few skills and a reluctance to learn anew, many were dissatisfied with their current status of being ignored, receiving meal boxes and awaiting death each night. They shrewdly discovered that Liu Xing was easy to talk to, cheerful, and his every word and action reminded them of the past rules. Some daringly sought him out and were swiftly accepted. Consequently, everyone swarmed to him, and remarkably, Liu Xing arranged things individually for each person based on their situation, causing many to return to their former "positions."
Facing the skepticism of Jin Lao and some practical individuals, Liu Xing was eloquent and explained that during the time of using people, tasks suited to their capabilities were put on the frontlines, while those good at speaking handled management. This was making the best of their abilities. As for the clash between the old and new powers, Liu Xing took it upon himself to mediate. His method of dealing with issues while compromising allowed the former "tea-drinking" leaders, who had grasped the essence of this approach, to be greatly appreciative. Under the attack of Liu Xing's well-versed "political wisdom," the number of pragmatic factions in important positions grew fewer, while the new powers holding actual authority supported their savior, Liu Xing, like stars orbiting the moon. His influence was unrivaled for a time.
Such incidents were not few in number. Jin Lao possessed sharp insight and might have discovered clues early on, but couldn't prevent it. Even in normal society, many situations, despite having ample evidence, could only be restrained and condemned through ethics, lacking legal regulations for punishment. Jin Lao was knowledgeable, but didn't possess strong political acumen and couldn't bring himself to take harsh measures. All he could do was remind his daughter and keep her away from it!
The news brought by Su Pei undoubtedly exacerbated the division within the base.
Liu Xing's heart was ecstatic. He was presiding over a meeting in the conference hall when he received the news and was greatly shocked. He hadn't expected happiness to arrive so suddenly. Xiao Guang's death was even more exhilarating for him than when he had received Jun Ya's favor years ago. He was astonished that a legendary figure of a generation could vanish just like that. Astonished that his various political concerns could suddenly relax, and his expression of shock was cleverly masked in front of everyone, providing him time to react. After collecting his thoughts, he burst into tears. For a moment, everyone in the conference hall was infected by his emotions. Regardless of whether it was true or false, they couldn't suppress the release of emotions.
People spontaneously gathered in the square to silently mourn their losses. They had relatives, loved ones, and hopes within the ship, yet now it all seemed to have vanished. The entire base was engulfed in sorrow, passing through a seemingly endless night.
The night they received the news, Jun Ya fell to the ground, clutching her chest, unable to rise. Upon awakening, she shed tears until dawn, only falling into a deep sleep around noon.
Jin Lao sat by her bedside, observing his sleeping daughter. "You used to always disdain speaking about him. I'm afraid you didn't even realize it yourself—you fell in love with him."
Liu Xing came to visit, looking at the sleeping Jun Ya without saying much. He frowned, his face filled with a heavy expression of grief. After discussing with Jin Lao for a while, he left. His expression was impeccable, devoid of any flaws in his words and greetings. He had all bases covered, yet lacked the normal chaos and confusion a regular person would exhibit.
"The pain of a politician!" Jin Lao shook his head inwardly.
"Alas, he's changed, and his followers are changing too."