Chen Hao woke up just as dawn broke.
He touched the wound on his left arm; a patch of the bandage was wet and bleeding. He'd slept fitfully last night, his dreams filled with the sound of water and collapsing walls. He sat up and saw Susan leaning against the wall, wrapped tightly in a blanket, her eyes closed, but her fingers twitching occasionally, as if counting something. Carl was rummaging through his backpack in the corner, moving very quietly, afraid of disturbing others. Nana stood by the window, the indicator light flashing; he wondered if her phone was still on.
"It's time to go," Chen Hao said.
No one answered, but they all moved. Carl re-secured the toolbox, and Susan slowly stood up, taking a couple of steps while holding onto the wall. Nana turned around and scanned everyone. "Normal body temperature, slightly elevated heart rate. We recommend reducing the weight you're carrying."
"Who wouldn't want to walk quietly?" Chen Hao stuffed the map into his inner pocket. "The problem is, we can't throw things away."
They checked the supplies. The water purifier filter was still there, the batteries were intact, and although the outer layer of the clothes bag was wet, the inside was dry and could be replaced. The only thing damaged was Carl's shoes; the soles were cracked, and he walked with a limp.
"Wear my spare socks." Chen Hao pulled a pair of wrinkled black socks out of his bag. "Don't mind them, I haven't washed them."
"When have you ever washed them?" Karl took them, put them on his feet, and then barely managed to tie the worn-out shoes tighter.
The four of them lined up in a row, with Karl in front and Chen Hao at the rear. The exit was a gentle slope on the east side; the concrete slabs were still relatively intact, but the edges were starting to loosen. They went down one by one, stepping carefully.
The wind wasn't strong outside, and pieces of plastic and wood floated on the water. In the distance, a building was half-collapsed, its roof leaning into the water. Chen Hao pointed to a two-story building to the west, "That's it, less than two hundred meters away, but the middle is all puddles and rotten ground."
They walked along the crumbling wall, inching along its edges. The ground was cracked in many places, and in some places, each step would cause a slight sinking. Every five steps, Karl would tap the ground in front of him with his pliers to judge whether it could bear weight.
Halfway through, the passage was blocked by deep water. The surface was calm, but the bottom was obscured. Chen Hao crouched down, used pliers to probe the water, and pulled up a piece of heavily rusted steel bar.
“There’s something down there,” he said. “We can’t just walk straight ahead.”
He told the three to stop at the shore, then waded forward a few steps. The water was thigh-deep and icy cold. He used pliers to poke a few spots on the bottom, testing for any solid spots. Suddenly, he slipped and nearly fell, only managing to steady himself by bracing himself on a stone slab.
“There’s a hole here,” he shouted, turning around. “I’ll tie a rope, and you can come over one by one.”
The tow rope was tied around their waists, with the other end secured to a wall pillar by Carl. Chen Hao stood in the water as a fulcrum, while the others held onto the rope and slowly crossed. Susan walked the slowest, each step feeling like a countdown, with Nana supporting her, her arm firmly supporting her.
When it was Nana's turn, she had just taken a step when her right foot suddenly sank into the mud. Her body lurched, and the current immediately pushed her deeper. She tried to raise her hand to hold on, but the metal leg was too heavy for her to break free of.
Chen Hao rushed forward, grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her backward forcefully. Nana was dragged back and fell into the shallow water, splashing water everywhere.
“It’s stuck,” she said, a slight buzzing sound coming from her right knee joint. “It’s self-checking.”
Chen Hao sat in the water, panting, "You're heavier than me."
“High density.” Nana looked down at her legs. “0.3 liters of water in, it won’t affect her movement.”
"Then you can walk in front next time."
They rested for ten minutes, waiting for Nana to finish the drainage process. Then they continued on. The last section was a muddy slope; the rain-soaked soil was as soft as tofu, and a single step could sink halfway into your shoe. Susan was exhausted and had to stop after a few steps.
"I'll carry you." Chen Hao handed the backpack to Karl and turned around.
"Can you do it?" Susan asked.
"It has to be done, even if it's not feasible. We can't just let you get out of here."
He bent down, and Susan climbed on top of him. Her weight made his knees weak, but he didn't let go. He stopped to catch his breath every ten steps, muttering, "If only I were fatter, I could be a human cushion now."
Nana turned on her shoulder light, illuminating three meters ahead. The beam swept across the ground and spotted a noticeable depression. She immediately warned, "The left side has abnormal weight distribution; we recommend you detour."
They changed course to the right, hugging the edge of a cluster of collapsed tin shacks. Suddenly, a muffled thud came from afar, like an entire building collapsing, causing the water to ripple.
Susan gripped Chen Hao's clothes tightly. "Is it happening again?"
"No." Chen Hao looked up. "It was just a house that collapsed, it wasn't an earthquake."
"Sounds like it."
"It doesn't matter if it sounds like it, we're not down there anyway."
As they approached the small building, the stairwell was cluttered with debris—planks, sheet metal, broken chairs—all blocked by the water. The four of them worked together to move the debris, clearing a narrow passage.
Carl went up first and reached out to pull Susan along. Nana followed closely behind, her movements swift and efficient. Chen Hao was the last to step onto the second-floor floor; his legs gave way, and he sat down directly on the threshold.
The room was dry, and there was no water on the floor. The window faced south, and a pane of glass was missing, but the wind was light. The old table was still there, the metal cabinet stood upright, and there was no mold in the corners.
"We've arrived," Chen Hao said.
He sat down against the wall and pulled a map from his pocket. The corner of the paper was a little damp, but the writing was clear. He stared at the circle on the B7 storage unit for a long time.
Nana walked to the window and began scanning the outside environment. The indicator light continued to flash.
Carl opened the toolbox and checked the filter cartridge's seal. It was intact.
Susan wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and slowly slid down to sit in the corner. She closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became steady.
Chen Hao looked up at his watch: 6:17. The sky was beginning to lighten, the rain had stopped, and the water in the distance reflected a faint light.
He touched the wound on his left arm, and a little more blood seeped out.
"The medication needs to be changed."
At that moment, Nana suddenly turned around.
"Someone has been here."
Chen Hao looked up.
"What did you say?"
“There are two kinds of footprints on the floor,” Nana pointed near the door. “One is ours, and the other… smaller, with dents, like an old-fashioned military boot.”
Chen Hao stood up and walked to the door.
There were indeed marks on the ground; a clear trail of marks extended from the stairs, stopped in the center of the room, and then disappeared.
He squatted down and touched the ground with his fingers.
Where the dust was wiped away, a shallow scratch was revealed.
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