Once Upon in Nanjing-Chapter 11 - 10 See You Tomorrow

Last night, when Ban Xia established contact with other survivors, she was shocked, and didn't even have time to feel joy—the voice from the radio channel shook her worldview that she had formed over many years.

Although the teacher had admonished her to never give up on reaching out, Ban Xia actually had no hope left—did a second person really exist in this world?

As Ban Xia walked alone through this vibrant world of ruins, she didn't believe it.

After communication was cut off last night, the girl even wondered if it was a hallucination. Perhaps she never really received signals from others. Was it just a product of her mind splitting from the daily broadcasts, hallucinating a second person—once the radio was off, there was no evidence to prove that the person really existed.

But tonight, making contact with him again, Ban Xia felt as though she was struck hard on the head with a hammer named "surprise," so hard that she became dizzy and lost her ability to speak for the following dozen seconds or so. She couldn't utter a word, with only tears falling down in large drops.

"CQ! CQ! CQ! This is BG4MXH! QSL?"

"I'm here...I'm here..."

Ban Xia was worried about scaring the other party off again, so she responded with extreme caution this time.

"Uh... this is BG4MXH, QTH Nanjing City, Qinhuai District, receiving your signal, your signal is 59+, OVER."

She still couldn't understand the response from the other party.

Ban Xia fumbled with the microphone, hesitating, opening her mouth to speak but then closing it.

She had never anticipated this current situation; even though she had contacted someone else, she didn't understand what the other person was saying.

What is BG4MXH?

What is QTH?

And what is 59?

"Friendly station? Can you hear me speaking? QSL?"

Seeing her silent, the other party asked again.

"Received... receiving your signal! Your signal is 59+! OVER!"

Ban Xia, acting on impulse, simply parroted what she had heard.

"Received, this is BG4MXH, thank you for the 59 signal report, may I ask what your callsign is?"

"Callsign?"

"Your callsign—if you passed the amateur radio operator examination, they would assign you a callsign, for example, my callsign is BG4MXH. It's against the rules to make radio contacts without a callsign. Friendly station, you should have a callsign, right? OVER."

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Ban Xia hastily replied, "My callsign is BG4MSR."

Just made it up on the spot.

"Received, BG4MSR."

This was a truly strange turn of conversation.

Ban Xia sat in the chair, holding the microphone, wearing headphones, staring blankly at the radio on the table, even forgetting to cry.

The last remaining humans were contacting each other for the first time, and the first topic of conversation turned out to be about callsigns.

"BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, are you experiencing any troubles over there? OVER."

"Trouble?" Ban Xia replied, "No trouble at all, OVER."

"That's good."

The other party was obviously relieved.

"BG4MXH, this is BG4MSR, may I ask your name? Where are you currently residing? How many people are with you?" Ban Xia learned quickly, using the made-up callsign like a pro, "Are you lacking food, fuel, or medicine? OVER."

"Um... BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, I'm in Nanjing City, Qinhuai District, how many people are with me... there are three of us, my parents and me, I don't lack food, fuel, or medicine, OVER."

Nanjing City, Qinhuai District!

Ban Xia almost bounced off her chair as if her butt had springs on it.

After so many years, they had actually been living in Qinhuai District! They were practically right under each other's noses! Why hadn't they encountered each other all these years?

"When can we meet?"

Ban Xia asked subconsciously.

This question seemed to confuse the other party—did she want to meet that badly?

Is this progress too fast? Isn't online love supposed to start with chatting for a few months first?

"Should I come to you or will you come to me?" Ban Xia continued to ask, "Is it safe where you are? How long do you need to prepare? Do you have enough dry food? Do you have weapons and ammunition? Is the route well-planned? Do we need to cross a river?"

The girl rattled off a string of questions in one breath.

The other party was silent for a long time before responding:

"BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, I have social anxiety, OVER."

"You choose a place to meet!" Ban Xia clearly ignored his response and spoke for herself, "Choose a time to meet! I'm also in Qinhuai District of Nanjing City! I'm here on Muxuyuan Street! Pick a place that's convenient for both of us, the sooner the better!"

"Then... how about the intersection between Muxuyuan Street and Zhongshan Gate Street?"

Like he was possessed, the other party actually agreed.

He probably didn't even know what he was thinking, just caught up in the girl's excitement and fervor.

"Time!"

"Uhh... how about tomorrow afternoon at six?"

"Great!"

"BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, could you please give me your contact information? Mobile number, WeChat ID, QQ number, anything for easier contact later? OVER."

Mobile number?

WeChat ID?

QQ number?

What are all these things?

Ban Xia was clueless, why do we need any contact information? Wouldn't we just meet when we get there?

"You don't have a mobile number or WeChat ID?"

"No."

The other party fell into silence for a long time.

He had actually encountered a modern primitive person on the channel.

Is there still someone these days without a mobile phone, WeChat, or QQ?

"BG4MSR, BG4MSR... then tell me what you will wear tomorrow, any notable features, so I can find you, OVER."

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Without contact information, the only choice was a compromise.

"Okay, BG4MXH, I will wear blue jeans, a white shirt, a ponytail braid, a black backpack, oh right, I also have a mountain bike."

"BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, I've noted it down, see you tomorrow, OVER."

"See you tomorrow! Be sure to stay safe! OVER!"

"73."

"7... May I ask what does 73 mean?"

"73 means 'best wishes to you.'"

"Great! 73! The best wishes to you!"

Ending the communication, Ban Xia put down the hand mic, took off her headphones, leaned back in her chair, and looked up at the ceiling to take a deep breath.

It's like a dream.

She pinched her cheek hard, it hurt, this wasn't a dream.

Ban Xia stood up, pulled back the curtain in front of her, propped her hands on the desk, took a deep breath, and shouted towards the night sky: "Ahhh—! Amazing—! Thank heavens and eight generations of ancestors—! Thank you eight generations of ancestors—!"

The girl's voice carried far into the silent, dark night.

Then she turned and ran out of the room, not even bothering to put on her shoes, running barefoot down the stairs, stepping into the flower bed beside the apartment building.

There was a small mound there with a little flower planted on it, and a small shovel stuck in the ground in front of the mound.

Ban Xia knelt down in front of the mound, panting, her face sweaty, her hair disheveled, and she chuckled as she lifted her head, spitting out the hair from her mouth: "Teacher, teacher, teacher! I have great news! I've finally found other survivors!"