After the earthquake, there wasn't much time for people to calm themselves. The eerie silence was soon shattered by desperate cries and calls for help. Before the quake, the small square where they were had been quite crowded. They were lucky; despite some injuries from flying debris, no one was buried under rubble. It was just that it was hard to recover from such a massive disaster all at once.
Most of the people who had come to this square were local residents. Those who were alone fared better, as they had fewer concerns. Those with families had a harder time. They struggled to get up from the ground, their limbs weak and bloody, but they kept pushing toward their homes, barely feeling the pain.
Some people were shouting for their companions, while others, injured and panicked, sought help. As more people started to regain their senses, Mu Nan couldn't stay still any longer. He sat up and touched Qin Huai's hands and feet. Qin Huai held his hand and reassured him, "It's okay. Nothing's wrong. Just a bit dirty, but no injuries."
Mu Nan breathed a sigh of relief and looked around, but visibility was extremely low. With no moonlight and the dust clouding the air, he could only make out some vague shapes. "Where are the others?"
Qin Huai shook his head. "I don't know. Everyone ran this way, so they should be fine. Do you want some cooling medicine? It's really hot and there's no breeze."
Mu Nan declined and handed a bottle of cooling medicine to Qin Huai, saying, "You take it. I can't."
Qin Huai drank the entire bottle himself. He needed to stay strong; if anything happened to him, Mu Nan would only be more scared. Even though he didn't want to, he forced himself to take the medicine.
Mu Nan also pulled out a bottle of ice water from his space and gave it to Qin Huai to rinse his mouth, hoping it would help cool down. The strong taste of the cooling medicine needed to be washed away, or someone might notice them. While people were preoccupied, Mu Nan took out two small handheld fans from his space. However, covered in sweat and dust, the fans did little to alleviate the heat.
Soon, they heard Xu Ming calling for them. Qin Huai responded, "Over here! We're by the flower bed!"
A short while later, Xu Ming found them. "How are you? Are you hurt?"
Qin Huai replied, "No. What about the others?"
Xu Ming said, "They're over there. They're fine, just not fully recovered yet. I'll let them know to come over."
Their location was near the flower bed at the edge of the square, with a slightly higher wall behind them, providing some protection compared to lying in the middle of the square where they might be trampled by panicked people. Soon, the other three arrived, looking like they had just been dug up from the ground, their faces covered in dirt.
Unable to see the others' condition clearly, Qin Huai asked, "How are you? Any injuries?"
Mu Nan replied, "No, just a bit dazed from the shaking. Are you all okay?"
Jian Chu seemed to have inhaled quite a bit of dust, constantly wiping his nose and mouth. "We're okay. It's really a miracle we're alive. I'm worried about our home. With such a huge earthquake, our house might be gone." It was a pity because they still had some food left at home. If they had known, they wouldn't have been so frugal.
Jian Chu squinted in the direction of the previous night market and asked, "Can you still use your phones?"
Mu Nan replied, "It's getting closer to dawn, but we have a few hours left."
Jian Chu clarified, "I'm not asking about the time. Our phones are broken and won't turn on. I want to find something that can light up."
Mu Nan opened his backpack and handed over a small flashlight. "Here."
Jian Chu took it and immediately got up. Yu Zibai asked, "Where are you going?"
Jian Chu said, "Give me the bag. There were several stalls up ahead. I'm going to see if I can find anything useful." He was particularly concerned about the clothing stall and the self-heating pot stall.
Many people were still in shock from the earthquake. Those who could move immediately thought of checking on their homes, while those who couldn't were waiting for rescue. Jian Chu's immediate reaction to start searching for items surprised Mu Nan. He thought about his previous life, where at this point he was likely just coming down from the seventeenth floor, still shaken and anxious, waiting for arrangements, with no thought of searching for items. He was overwhelmed and exhausted, his legs weak from the escape.
Seeing Jian Chu quickly regain his composure, Mu Nan admired him. People like him would likely fare well even in the next life.
Yu Zibai also stood up, saying, "I'll go with you."
Jian Chu didn't insist otherwise and tossed two self-heating pots from his bag to Yu Zibai. "You watch over the things. I'm just going to check things out. There might not be much, and with so many people around, it's hard to spot anything. If I go quietly, others might not notice what I'm doing. If too many people show up, there might be conflicts, especially if the vendors are nearby."
Yu Zibai was unwilling to let Jian Chu go alone, fearing aftershocks or further dangers. He insisted they go together. Qin Huai agreed, "You two should go together. It's better that way." He then cleared out one of their backpacks and handed it to Jian Chu. "One bag each. Fill them up if you can."
Jian Chu nodded. "Alright, we'll wait here."
The two walked a few steps forward, their figures quickly disappearing into the thick dust. They could barely see the faint light of their small flashlight, which soon vanished into the dust cloud.
Mu Nan sighed, "He's really impressive."
Qin Huai said, "I hope you can be like him, making the best choices and decisions for yourself in a crisis, quickly adapting to the harshest conditions, and staying alive. That's the most important thing."
Mu Nan muttered, "It depends on whether it's about surviving alone or together."
Qin Huai touched Mu Nan's dirty face but said nothing. Mu Nan grew quiet for a moment before asking, "Should we help with the rescue? I think I heard someone calling for help."
Qin Huai looked at him, "Still dizzy?"
Mu Nan didn't force himself, "Yes, still dizzy and hot." His head was throbbing and he felt nauseous, so recovery wasn't immediate.
Qin Huai let Mu Nan lean on him. "Then rest a bit. This area of the square has fewer buildings, so injuries are likely from flying debris. The real need for rescue is probably in the residential areas. Let's rest and then check it out later."
Seeing Xu Ming silent, Mu Nan asked, "Do you need to contact your family?"
Xu Ming gave a silent smile and shook his head, not speaking. He leaned against the flower bed, still not fully recovered from the earthquake.
Mu Nan remained silent as well, staying close to Qin Huai despite the heat.
Qin Huai held Mu Nan's hand and wiped the dust from his face, but his own hands were even dirtier, making it worse. Qin Huai smiled, "Rest on me for a while. The days ahead might not be so calm."
Mu Nan had been anxious and unable to sleep well before the earthquake. After the exhausting ordeal, with things somewhat settled, he relaxed a bit and quickly fell asleep leaning against Qin Huai. After about an hour, he was woken by the sound of talking—Jian Chu and the others had returned.
As Jian Chu had guessed, the vendors had fled in panic during the quake, leaving their stalls in disarray. Some stalls were buried under debris, while others were scattered. Jian Chu carefully used the flashlight to search through the stalls, stuffing items into the bag without much regard for cleanliness, and only focusing on potentially useful finds.
They were lucky to find two boxes of self-heating pots scattered on the ground. Jian Chu wanted to search more, but fearing their actions might attract attention, they quickly gathered the items and hid them nearby. After clearing the bags, they planned to search again. Such opportunities to gather supplies on the spot were rare, so every little bit counted.
After two trips, more people started to react similarly, looking to salvage useful items. As the number of searchers increased, Jian Chu and his group decided to stop and return to Qin Huai.
Mu Nan had already folded and organized the clothes they collected, mostly summer clothes, which were lightweight and didn't take up much space. However, the self-heating pots were bulky. They collected two boxes, and each box contained eight pots, making it difficult to fit them all in one bag.
Fortunately, Yu Zibai had anticipated this and wrapped the excess items in a cloth from a previous stall, making them easier to carry and less noticeable.
By around three o'clock, the sky was slightly brightening, allowing them to see people at least ten steps away. They prepared to return to their neighborhood to check the situation.
Qin Huai and Mu Nan, who had towels, kept their mouths and noses covered to avoid inhaling too much dust. Xu Ming and the others removed their clothes, shook off the dust, and used them as makeshift masks, since they didn't mind their own smell. They changed into clothes salvaged from the debris.
The situation in the square was significantly better. Once they reached the street, they saw that the road had cracked open, and without paying attention, one could easily fall in. They didn't know how deep the cracks were or if anyone had fallen in. With the small flashlight, they couldn't see clearly.
As they approached the residential area, the tragic cries grew louder. The few who had felt somewhat relieved after finding some food now felt heavy-hearted again. Three of the seven buildings in their residential complex had collapsed, and one of the remaining buildings had been crushed by the falling debris from the collapsed buildings. Another building was split in half and looked like it might fall soon. Only two buildings remained intact, one of which was the one where Mu Nan and the others lived.
It was said that their building was among the first batch constructed after the rebuilding, and since it was among the first, it had to pass higher-level inspections, so the materials used were very solid. However, many people dismissed this as mere rumors, thinking that all buildings had to pass inspection regardless of the batch. Now, seeing that only the first batch buildings had survived, it seemed that the rumors from back then were confirmed.
Of course, it wasn't just these two buildings that were still standing. Nearby neighborhoods also had undamaged buildings, but the majority had collapsed. They still didn't know the situation outside, and apart from the self-organized rescue teams within the neighborhood, no one had come to help them in the several hours that had passed.
The first to be mobilized were the community committees. The committee was only two stories high, so it was relatively easy to clear. Many supplies, like generators and gasoline, were stored there. In the pitch-black conditions, rescue efforts were severely hindered, so they prioritized clearing out the supplies from the committee to get the generators running and restore some lighting to the neighborhood.
However, the neighborhood could no longer be considered a neighborhood. If it weren't for the fact that their familiar building was still standing, they wouldn't even recognize the place they were walking on. The area was covered in towering piles of rubble, and beneath these ruins, countless lives awaited rescue or had already become cold, broken bodies.
Seeing this scene, Jian Chu, who had always been calm and composed, turned away and vomited. Despite being mentally prepared for what they would see, the hellish scene in front of him was overwhelming, and he felt a cold shiver at the thought of how close they came to being trapped underneath.
Xu Ming seemed slightly stronger, possibly due to his medical background, which gave him better psychological resilience than most. Yu Zibai's face was ashen and pale, and he appeared to be struggling to hold back his emotions, his eyes red as he looked at the piles of debris.
Qin Huai instinctively hugged Mu Nan and gently patted his back, worried that Mu Nan might not be able to handle the sight as Jian Chu had. To his surprise, Mu Nan only had slightly reddened eyes and whispered, "Brother, I'm fine. I've seen these scenes in my dreams."
Qin Huai, heartbroken, held Mu Nan tightly, afraid to ask if he had been accompanied by anyone in those nightmares.
They rested at the crossroads for a while. As the sky grew lighter and the sun was about to rise, they dragged their heavy feet into the neighborhood. Along the way, some people were sitting or lying on the ground, covered in grime. It was hard to distinguish between blood, sweat, and dirt. Some were huddled together, clearly survivors of the disaster, while others appeared dazed, still not fully recovered from the earthquake. Some seemed unable to withstand the shock and were curled up, trembling uncontrollably.
As they moved further in, they found a cleared area where bodies were laid out on the ground. The bodies were covered with curtains that had been pulled from the rubble. Some had white, exposed arms, others had missing limbs. The flesh that had lost its feet hung loosely over the exposed bones, showing how these bodies had been dragged out from the ruins.
Seeing this, Jian Chu, who had already vomited everything he could, couldn't help but dry heave again. Mu Nan turned his head away, unable to look, clutching his churning stomach and looking pale. In his previous life, he had adapted to such scenes gradually, becoming numb. Now, facing the same situation, even with prior mental preparation, he couldn't resist the physiological reaction.
Qin Huai quickly patted his back, "Don't hold it in if you need to vomit. It's okay."
Mu Nan shook his head and quickly left the area with Qin Huai. They saw some people who seemed to be returning from outside. A community worker in protective gear directed them to register their house number, family members, and whether everyone was accounted for. After registering, they were instructed to go to a temporary shelter at the Yunshang Supermarket.
Qin Huai asked, "What about the cooling center?"
The worker shook his head, "It collapsed. You should head over quickly, the sun is about to rise."
Since the building was not destroyed but could not be returned to, and the area below their building was cordoned off due to concerns about aftershocks causing further collapses, they followed the marked route to Yunshang Supermarket. With the extent of the collapse, they really couldn't tell the direction of the supermarket.
The Yunshang Supermarket itself had collapsed, though not lightly. However, because the nearby hotel, formerly a military guesthouse and now a temporary military dorm, housed the troops responsible for distributing supplies in their area, the military had first secured the supermarket. There was still plenty of goods inside, which could be vital resources for survival. Given the severe collapse of buildings in the area, they set up rescue tents and sunshades, occupying all usable spaces and roads.
Since the area was already under demolition and many residents had moved out, there were no concerns about finding dead bodies in the collapsed buildings that had not been cleared. Thus, this was the first temporary shelter.
When Qin Huai and the others arrived, military personnel registered them. Seeing that they were all male and uninjured, they were assigned to tents on the outer edge. The use of tents was planned according to families and injured individuals. Those with injuries would be placed in tents with medical staff, while those uninjured and likely to assist in rescue operations were given tents on the outer edge for easier access.
The group, holding their handwritten bed numbers, marveled at how quickly the military had organized everything. However, once they entered the tent, they realized that each tent housed at least thirty to forty people. These were large green canvas tents, and the so-called bed numbers were not actual beds but designated areas on the ground. Whether you lay directly on the ground or found something to cushion yourself with depended on what you had on hand.
In his previous life, Mu Nan had been assigned this way at the beginning, so he wasn't surprised at all. He found his designated number and sat down, feeling exhausted, dizzy, stifled, and hot. He was so worn out that he didn't even want to move once he sat down. Probably because there was no air conditioning during the day, and with so many people in one tent, it would be unbearable. Therefore, they had set up generators and brought in electricity, installing three large fans in each tent. The breeze from these fans made the air flow, which, while still hot, was at least not suffocating.
They didn't have much to arrange, so they just lay down on the ground. After experiencing such a terrifying earthquake, Jian Chu had been vomiting almost the entire way, and was completely exhausted. As soon as he closed his eyes, he wasn't sure if he had fallen asleep or just passed out from dizziness.
Qin Huai, however, was relatively clear-headed. Although Mu Nan's face was dirty, covered in grime and streaked with sweat, it was hard to make out his original complexion. The slightly furrowed brow indicated his discomfort, so Qin Huai gently rubbed his forehead with his fingertips and whispered, "We'll go home tonight. Just hang in there."
Mu Nan opened his eyes, shifted slightly toward Qin Huai, and replied softly, "I'm fine. I can manage." He had managed before in his previous life, so he was confident he could handle it this time too.
Qin Huai wiped the sweat from Mu Nan's forehead and said, "There's no need. We'll go home tonight. Trust me."
Since there were no aftershocks and the building hadn't collapsed, there was no need for them to endure these conditions outside. While blending in with the crowd might be advisable, some people would prefer to stay at home even if it meant no electricity or water. Staying outside was not better than being at home without power and water.
During the day, they could stay indoors, and at night, they could decide whether to engage in rescue work or search for supplies. Once they returned home, Mu Nan would not have to go downstairs. Based on the current arrangements, it seemed they planned to exchange labor for food. Qin Huai didn't want Mu Nan searching through the rubble for items. With most shops already looted and closed, the items buried in residential buildings were not crucial for them, and he preferred to avoid dealing with any corpses.
Seeing Qin Huai's decision, Mu Nan didn't object any further. He preferred staying at home rather than outside, not because he couldn't bear it, but because he didn't want Qin Huai to suffer outside. At least at home, they could use the air conditioner and ice blocks to cool down, and wouldn't have to sneak around for a drink of water. "Alright then, we'll sneak back home tonight."
Qin Huai smiled and said, "Close your eyes and get some sleep. When you wake up, it'll be dark."
Mu Nan obediently closed his eyes. After a while, he gradually relaxed his grip on Qin Huai's hand and fell into a deep sleep. Despite the heat, it was still more bearable than the exhaustion and fatigue he felt.