Chapter 61 Similarities and Differences
The streets of the new student base are no different from those of other bases.
The buildings are made of blocks, the roads are paved, and vehicles and pedestrians come and go. People passing by are talking about whether the vegetable prices have gone up this morning.
It's as if only nature is different.
The roadside trees here are locust trees, and the wind is much cooler than at the North 1 Base.
There were already people waiting inside the gatehouse, including a soldier, the same one Qi An had met at the remote conference.
The soldier walked over and extended his hand to Qi An: "Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Qi, and thank you for coming from so far away!"
It's very late today, and you've been traveling all day. Let me take you to rest first. Work will begin tomorrow.
The soldier warmly shook hands with the rest of the squad, and finally nodded to Chen Xi.
Chen Xi restrained herself from looking at Qi An and left with her people.
Qi An didn't even look at him, and followed the officer surnamed Wu to his residence.
The building where I live was probably a hotel before the apocalypse, with interconnected corridors and room doors that looked like they had been copied and pasted together.
The rooms were all standard suites. Qi An's room was in the middle, and Professor Shi's room was next to hers. The guards had two rooms each, surrounding them on either side.
To ensure Qi An's safety, there were no other residents on this entire floor, but there were guards at the end of the corridor and at each entrance.
In addition to defense, the guards would also bring them food, guide them, and provide various other services.
The arrangements were meticulous and thoughtful, and the officers were also very considerate. They explained the location of the public area and the defense situation to them, and then arranged a time for the next morning before leaving.
The only "unthoughtful" thing was that Qi An's room was too big, with a living room and a bedroom inside.
This meant that she spent over an hour using a portable anti-eavesdropping detector to clean the entire house.
I wasn't too tired after a day of driving, but I was really exhausted after cleaning up Qi'an. I took a shower, ate a quick meal, crawled into bed, fiddled with my phone for a bit, and then went to sleep.
Both meals were quite sumptuous. Qi An, with a belly full of fragrant congee with preserved egg and lean pork, went downstairs at 9 a.m. sharp to meet the officer.
Today, the officers simply act as guides, leading them through the streets and alleys into a complex of buildings that resembles a hospital.
"This place is half a neuroscience institute and half a mental hospital. Gao Pingle often comes here to receive mental treatment and psychological counseling."
They also went straight to the main level.
This is a U-shaped corridor with no main hall. The rooms on both sides vary in size and mostly have glass doors.
The white-coated officer, who had been waiting for a long time, took over the officer's position and led them to the outside of the largest room.
The room was already considered a small hall, and because it had glass doors and several large windows facing south, the morning light shone through completely, making the entire small hall exceptionally spacious and bright.
The room was decorated with a warm-colored carpet and soft, colorful wallpaper, with every decoration exuding gentleness.
But the little boy in the room was like a stain in the light.
He was curled up on a beanbag chair in the corner, most of his body was in darkness, only his legs were out in the sunlight.
The flesh peeking out from his trouser legs was pale and soft, like dough that hadn't risen properly.
Before Qi An came, he knew that Gao Pingle was only 12 years old and had seen his photo, knowing that he was short.
But I didn't expect it to be so small!
When he heard the commotion outside, he turned his head slightly, glanced at them quickly, and then lowered his head again.
That expression was exactly like that of a timid little mouse!
Qi An was stunned for a long time, as were Professor Shi and Xiao Zhao.
Is this another "Qi An" in the world?
Qi An was glowing, a proud and beautiful white lynx, but this little boy looked like a white mouse in their laboratory that had been drugged and was waiting to be dissected, and he looked like he didn't have much time left!
"He's doing alright today. At least his surgical wound is healing well, and he hasn't had a fever in the last couple of days." Another doctor in a white coat strolled over; it was the same doctor Qi An had seen in the conference room.
This man's surname is Wang, and his given name is Wang Zhuoran. In reality, he has a Mediterranean beer belly, and his appearance is anything but outstanding.
However, Qi An still understood the meaning behind his words.
Gao Pingle has rickets and needs multiple surgeries in stages.
He had his last surgery two weeks ago, and his recovery is going well.
Gao Pingle also possesses a self-healing ability that surpasses that of ordinary people.
"This is Gao Pingle's mother, Ms. Zhou Wen, a senior purification specialist."
Besides Gao Pingle, who was curled up on the sofa reading a book, there was a middle-aged woman sitting next to him in the room.
Qi An had already read the information and knew that the woman was 36 years old this year.
Advanced enhanced individuals are generally resistant to aging, but this mother is not yet 40, yet her temples are already gray.
After seeing the people outside, she helped the boy straighten his trousers and corrected his posture, which might aggravate his wound and damage his eyes, before quickly going out to greet him.
Seeing her gentle movements and her kind yet worried expression, Qi An immediately felt a pang of envy and a sense of empathy.
She reached out her hand to Ye Wen and said softly, "Hello, I'm Qi An."
Zhou Wen looked surprised, then suspicious.
She also wondered if Qi An was in the same situation as her child, and even more so whether Qi An could really help her child.
Zhou Wen hesitated as she reached out her hand, then asked tentatively, "Hello, are you really also exposed to pollution during your fetal stage?"
Do you have absolutely no mental or physical problems?
Does nearly going insane from five years of imprisonment in the lab count? Qi An wondered.
Zhou Wen's somewhat cold suspicion made her smile fade slightly, but she still said, "I am. The professor behind me can prove my background."
Can I get to know him?
Zhou Wen felt that Qi An should first exchange information with her and talk in detail about the similarities and differences between them, but Qi An pushed open the door and went inside.
The little boy was really like a little mouse, suddenly tense up because of the stranger's approach, staring at Qi An with his big, somewhat frightening eyes.
Zhou Wen followed closely behind Qi An, seemingly ready to block her at any moment to protect the child.
Qi An stopped 3 meters away from the boy and whispered about how he and the boy were similar.
She briefly mentioned her background, then lowered her head, as if confiding her troubles:
"I can also sense those disgusting insects. Sometimes I dream that I'm floating in an endless darkness, and there are monsters with big eyes in the darkness!"
The boy's eyes widened even more, clearly showing surprise and agreement.
Qi An also clearly observed that she said, "I am very afraid of that darkness, that feeling as if my soul is not in my body."
Sometimes time and space are out of sync, and I don't even know where I am or what time it is.
I don't have a mom or dad. I was all alone when I was little. At night, I would hide under the covers, trembling. If I woke up in fear, there was no one to hold me.
The boy's sparse brows furrowed, and his gaze toward Qi An became even more focused.
Are we really sharing the same fear? Can you empathize with me and help me figure this out?
It was as if Qi An wasn't coming to help him, but rather she was asking the boy for help.
The boy involuntarily straightened up, still hesitant, but still reached out and touched Qi An's palm.
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