This small room has a bed against one wall, with a nightstand next to it and a nightlight on top. A small desk sits in the corner diagonally opposite the door, but it lacks a lamp or stool. A long window opens on the wall facing the door, dimming the room from outside light, but it's adequate. There's also an LED light on the ceiling, which, combined with the bright yellow shade, adds a warm touch to the room.
The room was about twelve square meters, quite large for a large city. Accustomed to large houses, Jiang Ling felt a little cramped, but she quickly adapted. Smaller bedrooms were better; even emperors of the past slept in small rooms. She wasn't particularly interested in large houses; a house without a sense of life couldn't be considered a home.
The suitcase didn't hold much: a set of bedding, some clothes and socks from before the war, an electric kettle, and a desk lamp. The lockers in the room were more than enough to hold all of it, with plenty of room for future collections. It didn't take long to tidy up the room. Jiang Ling, still the same efficient Jiang Youwei, rolled up her clothes and stuffed them into the locker.
In the quiet room again, Jiang Ling sat on the made bed and returned to her idle state. Now, she could finally think about her future plans.
"Let me think about what I haven't done yet—work, systems, notes, the outside world, and finding a partner?" She suddenly hoped to find someone to spend her life with, but considering her physical condition, this goal seemed difficult to achieve. She quickly gave up, at least for the time being.
"There's no need to rush about work. I don't even feel hungry. I've only eaten two slices of sausage since I woke up. Since I'm not starving to death, why should I work? As for the system, I don't know how to use it. Although the message in the dream told me to use it more, there was no hint at all. Could it be that I really have to use the exhaustive method?" She tried the light spot that she hadn't paid attention to for a long time, and a bright yellow number "115" popped up, with eight lines of incomprehensible numbers and consumption below the number.
"Let's take it slow. It's okay to leave this system alone. As for the outside world, although I really want to take a look, that's the land I saved. Just thinking about touring my own land makes my heart surge! But now I don't know anything about the outside world. If someone runs away and can't come back, what will happen to his family?" She envied the orphans in a certain vegetable software. One person eats and the whole family is not hungry. No one will worry about them no matter how they run away.
Sometimes having too many choices can be painful.
"It seems that there will be no impact in the short term. The only thing left is this notebook!" She finally focused her energy on the notebook on the desk.
"Jiang Ling! I'm going to work!" Huang Yun knocked on her door.
"I see. Where's Dad?"
"She doesn't have to go to school anymore and will stay home with you."
"Ah?" Then there was the sound of the door closing outside.
"Two weeks ago, Wenjia said he found an organization, and then he helped report our family's situation. I don't have to go to elementary school anymore!" Jiang Wenwen's voice came from the balcony. She is now addicted to video games.
After this episode, Jiang Ling began to look through the notebook in the light coming in from outside.
He turned to the first page: "Today is May 16th, the third night after the end of the nuclear war. I, I actually don't know why I'm writing these words. Maybe it's just because I found a can of ink in the ruins. Well, actually, I borrowed it from your neighbor. Yes, I borrowed it! I don't know what happened to your body. When I dug you out of the rubble, you had already turned back into human form. Uh, forgive me! You looked like you were asleep. The three of us could only take the bags we prepared and find a relatively intact building. I later learned that it was your home. You saved me again, and I don't know how to repay you. However, you may not need my repayment. Since you can share that power with me, you certainly don't want me to be your servant all day long, right? Ahem, let's stop here today. I don't have the night vision ability like your mother. It's too dark outside."
"So this guy started his dream of becoming a martial arts hero around this time?"
Page 2: "Today is May 17th. I went underground. They were surprised by my presence; they thought the surface was uninhabitable. It's just that I was so radioactive that they thought I was going to die. So I couldn't get in, but they gave me something. With that, I can help them."
From the third page onwards, it's essentially a daily account of observations and combat. About a week after the battle, the underground administrators began organizing personnel to explore the outside world. If the diary's account is true, then Li Wenjia would be hailed as a "hero." Is it the times that create heroes, or do heroes create the times? Jiang Ling believes it's the people who create heroes.
The notes also documented some of the mutants' weaknesses and countermeasures. According to Li Wenjia, these methods were gathered from his discussions with those courageous search teams. However, he didn't seem to have summarized them well, constantly using words like "listen," "wait," "there," and "here" to describe these methods, much like Chinese chefs preferring to use "appropriate amounts" to describe the addition of seasonings. Perhaps the only thing this guy had a say in was how to deal with the dogs: "Any anti-tank weapon with a 12mm caliber or higher will do, just hitting the heads of those 'sharp-toothed beasts' will be enough; if you're accurate, a 7mm rifle will also work for their eyes." This guy seemed to be a member of the Beggars' Sect, and in a sense, he was.
The diary records a total of twenty-six days, though one entry seems to have been torn out. This mysteriously lost entry may have contained confidential information, as his mood clearly improved in the subsequent entries. At the end of the diary, the handwriting was already faint and illegible, and the last sentence was written in charcoal: "I am ready. Now, as the 'strong', I will fight for every 'weak'!"
After reading, Jiang Ling inserted the unsuccessful letter into the last page and closed the notebook. She removed the pen from the title page and put it in her inner pocket. She sealed the notebook in a sealed bag, removing as much air as possible, and then placed it safely in the drawer of her desk.
“I hope everyone can face the future with hope!” she planned to quote one of the lines; she had now found her goal.
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