DPM Chapter 75
Translated by Snowfall77
From the first day Ye Fan left, Wu Xingyun sent him a telegram at a fixed time every day. The soul of brevity, Wu Xingyun’s message was the same each time—“All is well here, you stay safe.”
Ye Fan’s initial messages back were full of nauseatingly sappy content. But after about ten days, when he’d crossed the forest and was at the outskirts of City C, his messages became much shorter. Wu Xingyun understood. Ye Fan had started to key himself up, getting ready for battle.
Fifteen days after their departure, Ye Fan and his thirty mutants succeeded in entering City C’s walls.
On that day, Wu Xingyun waited a long time. No message came though. Ye Fan must have joined the fight.
Not until the next day did Wu Xingyun learn from his protectors that a telegram had indeed come from Ye Fan around midnight. A short sentence: “Difficult situation, but manageable.”
Mind set at ease, Wu Xingyun began to wait for Ye Fan’s return. Occasionally, Wu Xingyun would go out on an excursion. When he did, a crowd of mutants followed him. When he went back home, a crowd of mutants stayed with him. Even Wu Xingyun’s clothes were nearly washed by them.
Finding it embarrassing, Wu Xingyun was too trepidatious to let the murderous Mowang help himself wash his clothes.
But future homicidal Mowang had no self-consciousness, readily saying: “Wu Yun, no need to fuss. I haven’t got anything else to do.”
“Wu Yun, if you become thin or unhappy, I’ll be in trouble when the boss gets back.”
Still, Wu Xingyun insisted on doing his own laundry, so while he washed and hung, more than a dozen mutants stood there, watching……
Since Ye Fan had many areas under his control, each section was managed by chosen staff. Therefore, there were very few things that needed a decision from Wu Xingyun. He spent his days mostly training and exchanging telegrams with Ye Fan.
One day a telegram was sent by Qinglong. The telegraph operator didn’t know how to handle it and choose ask Wu Xingyun.
Tian Long, one of Wu Xingyun’s protectors, brought the message over. Wu Xingyun read: “I have a friend from early days, called Ye Fan, who should be in your area. I don’t know his situation and would like to see him. Would that be possible?” The signature was “Qinglong.”
Looking at the telegraph carefully, Wu Xingyun thought that very few people would know to use the name ‘Ye Fan.’ Already, Ye Fan was referred to as Mozun, the Night Shard, or the boss. And almost no one knew his real name. ‘Ye Fan’ was exclusively Wu Xingyun’s.
A few moments of consideration, and Wu Xingyun said: “Ask him who he is.”
The reply was quite speedy. It stated that he was an desert base acquaintance of Ye Fan’s. His real name wasn’t convenient to reveal, but he’d helped with a divorce lawsuit alongside Ye Fan, and he had a tattoo of the Qinglong dragon.
Wu Xingyun was slightly surprised. He hadn’t foreseen that the famous Qinglong chieftain was—Dai Rong.
In turn, Wu Xingyun quickly sent a telegram to Ye Fan in City C.
By this time, Ye Fan had broken the lizards’ stranglehold on City C, and also found Commander Liu.
Thus Ye Fan finally had time to communicate with Wu Xingyun at length.
Upon entering City Ci, Ye Fan had been confronted with a horrible situation. It was like time had turned back to the Jurassic era, and they’d been fighting against enormous carnivorous dinosaurs. The monsters possessed high intelligence. That, combined with all the city’s buildings being practically destroyed and nasty lizard eggs everywhere, made for circumstances not unlike how their forest had been before they’d cleared it out.
When Ye Fan found the Liu Yi and his people, they went wild with joy, believing they’d finally been saved. Only to promptly learn from Ye Fan’s mouth that they’d long been abandoned.
On the spot, three soldiers who’d been surviving on pure willpower, unable to take the high and low between exultation and grief, suffered heart attacks and died.
Ye Fan planned on staying in City C for about a month. Both for the practice and to eradicate the lizards.
“Seeing the situation here,” Ye Fan told Wu Xingyun, “I’m glad I came when I did. A few more years with those lizards’ rapid breeding, I’m afraid they’d take over the whole world. By then we’d have no measures to take.”
Next, Wu Xingyun informed Ye Fan about Dai Rong. Ye Fan was also rather startled at the news, but said: “Very good, have him come.”
A moment later another telegram came: “How about having him come after I’ve gotten back? I’m worried for your safety.”
Aghast at Ye Fan seeing every bush and tree as an enemy, Wu Xingyun shot back: “Why don’t you just lock me in a safe?”
To which Ye Fan could only express—
“My wife, I was wrong……”
“Honey, I’m nervous because I worry about you……”
“I will listen to you in everything……”
Towards the end of the conversation, Ye Fan added: “Yun, you won’t be able to guess what kind of person is still alive and in Liu Yi’s group.”
“Who is it?” Wu Xingyun asked. “Is it someone special?”
Ye Fan’s return message had a trace of wonder: “It’s a ten-year old child. Before the last days, he had albinism. I would have thought he’d die, yet he’s still alive. He’s Commander Liu’s son.”
After staring blankly for a second, Wu Xingyun immediately sent back: “What’s his name?”
“Liu Meng.” Ye Fan replied.
Wu Xingyun had never expected that he’d meet Liu Meng while in this time, or that Liu Meng would be a ten-year-old boy.
He marveled even more that a frail six-year-old child would survive the last days for four years.
“I intend to bring the survivors back.” Ye Fan went on. “Commander Liu heard you were in the special forces and wants to talk with you.”
Wu Xingyun could only respond: “I’d like to meet him too.”
From then on, Ye Fan’s daily telegrams resumed. He and ten other mutants were staying behind in City C to make sure the lizards were thoroughly eliminated, while the rest of his team would escort City C’s survivors back to Xi’an.
Half a month later, Wu Xingyun at last spotted the first group of mutants returning.
The mutants had left with Ye Fan in a state of complete readiness. Coming back though, they appeared a tattered mess. Still, their spirits were high.
Specially running to the city gate to greet them, Wu Xingyun watched City C’s ordinary survivors come in.
They were all practically a bag of bones. Those who had once been strong soldiers were a shadow of their former selves, looking more like beggars.
It wasn’t hard for Wu Xingyun to pick out Commander Liu from the group.
Four years ago, he’d seen from a distance the officer protecting the people of City C. Compared to the man from then, this Liu Yi seemed haggard and beaten.
By Liu Yi’s side was a child one meter tall, exceptionally beautiful, with skin that looked like it’d break if you touched it. Even if the hair falling over his shoulders was tangled, the white of it drew the eye. It’d be difficult for the ten-year-old Liu Meng to not attract attention. Although, perhaps because of the end times, suffering from food shortage and lack of rest, the child appeared physically underdeveloped, being only about the same size of a Federation six-year-old.
The returning mutants walked up to Wu Xingyun, greeting him.
Although City C’s survivors had already heard about Wu Xingyun, their bodies weren’t strong. They’d made a long difficult trek, and were weak and rather dispirited.
Only Liu Yi, using a crutch, shakily came up to Wu Xingyun.
Wu Xingyun noted that Liu Yi had an injury to his left leg, with a detectable putrid odor.
Liu Yi was extremely tall and thin, eyes deep-sunk in their sockets. Sizing Wu Xingyun up and down for a long time, Liu Yi eventually extended his hand: “You were special forces in our region?”
Saluting, Wu Xingyun gave Liu Yi the proper reply.
His hand slightly shaking, his throat wobbling, it appeared Liu Yi had a question to ask, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“You must be tired,” said Wu Xingyun, “Why don’t you rest tonight? We can talk tomorrow.”
Shaking his head while waving off those who tried to assist him, Liu Yi stared fixedly at Wu Xingyun: “I heard……I heard they left over three years ago. Is that really true?”
Wu Xingyun wasn’t sure how to answer. Liu Yi continued: “I don’t believe that Mozun, but you, you’re different. You were a soldier, special forces. When I look at you, I know what you are. So tell me, is it true?!”
Nodding, Wu Xingyun said: “Yes……It’s true.”
“Bullshit! You’re lying to me!” Liu Yi started coughing, his breath wheezing. Liu Meng hurried to his side to give support.
“They wouldn’t abandon us……No, they wouldn’t……You’re deceiving me, you must be……I demand to go northwest, I have to go to Beijing! I’m going……” A hysterical glint shone from Liu Yi’s eyes.
Then, before Wu Xingyun could try to calm him down, another voice sounded behind Liu Yi.
“He’s not lying to you. Our people, those above us, did indeed leave the Earth in Noah’s Ark.”
Wu Xingyun and Liu Yu both raised their heads to look at the new speaker.
The man’s face was etched with hardships, his gaze calm, and he was still wearing his uniform from before the last days, carefully patched all over.
“Dai Rong?!” Wu Xingyun exclaimed.
Dai Rong inclined his head. When he’d found out that Ye Fan was the Night Shard, he’d immediately set out for City C. He hadn’t expected to encounter two other old acquaintances at the city gate.
Liu Yi assuredly recognized Dai Rong. They’d worked together for a time before the end days had come.
“You don’t believe him,” Dai Rong spoke gently, “Believe me……Things are no longer the way they were in the past. We’re no longer what we were.”
“They’re truly gone?”
“Yes.”
“Really……there’s really……nothing anymore?”
Liu Yi fell silent for a long time after those words. He’d continuously refused to believe Mozun. He’d agreed to come to Xi’an thinking that he would ask, just ask, if these things were true. Whether him holding his ground had been meaningless.
Even when he’d heard the words from Wu Xingyun’s mouth, when he’d seen Xi’an with his own eyes, Liu Yi still hadn’t believed.
But hearing it from an old comrade-in-arms, Liu Yi could deny it no longer.
For years he had held on. For nothing.
There was nothing.
His country, the ordinary people he’d protected, disappeared into thin air.
Every place was in ruins, the whole world completely overturned, and their sole hope had long since deserted the Earth.
Jurassic (geological period 205-140m years ago)
草木皆兵[cǎo mù jiē bīng]
Every bush and tree looks like an enemy — state of extreme nervousness
The grass and trees were thought to be the soldiers of the enemy; apprehend danger in every sound
mistake every bush and tree for an enemy
DPM Chapter 75
Translated by Snowfall77
From the first day Ye Fan left, Wu Xingyun sent him a telegram at a fixed time every day. The soul of brevity, Wu Xingyun’s message was the same each time—“All is well here, you stay safe.”
Ye Fan’s initial messages back were full of nauseatingly sappy content. But after about ten days, when he’d crossed the forest and was at the outskirts of City C, his messages became much shorter. Wu Xingyun understood. Ye Fan had started to key himself up, getting ready for battle.
Fifteen days after their departure, Ye Fan and his thirty mutants succeeded in entering City C’s walls.
On that day, Wu Xingyun waited a long time. No message came though. Ye Fan must have joined the fight.
Not until the next day did Wu Xingyun learn from his protectors that a telegram had indeed come from Ye Fan around midnight. A short sentence: “Difficult situation, but manageable.”
Mind set at ease, Wu Xingyun began to wait for Ye Fan’s return. Occasionally, Wu Xingyun would go out on an excursion. When he did, a crowd of mutants followed him. When he went back home, a crowd of mutants stayed with him. Even Wu Xingyun’s clothes were nearly washed by them.
Finding it embarrassing, Wu Xingyun was too trepidatious to let the murderous Mowang help himself wash his clothes.
But future homicidal Mowang had no self-consciousness, readily saying: “Wu Yun, no need to fuss. I haven’t got anything else to do.”
“Wu Yun, if you become thin or unhappy, I’ll be in trouble when the boss gets back.”
Still, Wu Xingyun insisted on doing his own laundry, so while he washed and hung, more than a dozen mutants stood there, watching……
Since Ye Fan had many areas under his control, each section was managed by chosen staff. Therefore, there were very few things that needed a decision from Wu Xingyun. He spent his days mostly training and exchanging telegrams with Ye Fan.
One day a telegram was sent by Qinglong. The telegraph operator didn’t know how to handle it and choose ask Wu Xingyun.
Tian Long, one of Wu Xingyun’s protectors, brought the message over. Wu Xingyun read: “I have a friend from early days, called Ye Fan, who should be in your area. I don’t know his situation and would like to see him. Would that be possible?” The signature was “Qinglong.”
Looking at the telegraph carefully, Wu Xingyun thought that very few people would know to use the name ‘Ye Fan.’ Already, Ye Fan was referred to as Mozun, the Night Shard, or the boss. And almost no one knew his real name. ‘Ye Fan’ was exclusively Wu Xingyun’s.
A few moments of consideration, and Wu Xingyun said: “Ask him who he is.”
The reply was quite speedy. It stated that he was an desert base acquaintance of Ye Fan’s. His real name wasn’t convenient to reveal, but he’d helped with a divorce lawsuit alongside Ye Fan, and he had a tattoo of the Qinglong dragon.
Wu Xingyun was slightly surprised. He hadn’t foreseen that the famous Qinglong chieftain was—Dai Rong.
In turn, Wu Xingyun quickly sent a telegram to Ye Fan in City C.
By this time, Ye Fan had broken the lizards’ stranglehold on City C, and also found Commander Liu.
Thus Ye Fan finally had time to communicate with Wu Xingyun at length.
Upon entering City Ci, Ye Fan had been confronted with a horrible situation. It was like time had turned back to the Jurassic era, and they’d been fighting against enormous carnivorous dinosaurs. The monsters possessed high intelligence. That, combined with all the city’s buildings being practically destroyed and nasty lizard eggs everywhere, made for circumstances not unlike how their forest had been before they’d cleared it out.
When Ye Fan found the Liu Yi and his people, they went wild with joy, believing they’d finally been saved. Only to promptly learn from Ye Fan’s mouth that they’d long been abandoned.
On the spot, three soldiers who’d been surviving on pure willpower, unable to take the high and low between exultation and grief, suffered heart attacks and died.
Ye Fan planned on staying in City C for about a month. Both for the practice and to eradicate the lizards.
“Seeing the situation here,” Ye Fan told Wu Xingyun, “I’m glad I came when I did. A few more years with those lizards’ rapid breeding, I’m afraid they’d take over the whole world. By then we’d have no measures to take.”
Next, Wu Xingyun informed Ye Fan about Dai Rong. Ye Fan was also rather startled at the news, but said: “Very good, have him come.”
A moment later another telegram came: “How about having him come after I’ve gotten back? I’m worried for your safety.”
Aghast at Ye Fan seeing every bush and tree as an enemy, Wu Xingyun shot back: “Why don’t you just lock me in a safe?”
To which Ye Fan could only express—
“My wife, I was wrong……”
“Honey, I’m nervous because I worry about you……”
“I will listen to you in everything……”
Towards the end of the conversation, Ye Fan added: “Yun, you won’t be able to guess what kind of person is still alive and in Liu Yi’s group.”
“Who is it?” Wu Xingyun asked. “Is it someone special?”
Ye Fan’s return message had a trace of wonder: “It’s a ten-year old child. Before the last days, he had albinism. I would have thought he’d die, yet he’s still alive. He’s Commander Liu’s son.”
After staring blankly for a second, Wu Xingyun immediately sent back: “What’s his name?”
“Liu Meng.” Ye Fan replied.
Wu Xingyun had never expected that he’d meet Liu Meng while in this time, or that Liu Meng would be a ten-year-old boy.
He marveled even more that a frail six-year-old child would survive the last days for four years.
“I intend to bring the survivors back.” Ye Fan went on. “Commander Liu heard you were in the special forces and wants to talk with you.”
Wu Xingyun could only respond: “I’d like to meet him too.”
From then on, Ye Fan’s daily telegrams resumed. He and ten other mutants were staying behind in City C to make sure the lizards were thoroughly eliminated, while the rest of his team would escort City C’s survivors back to Xi’an.
Half a month later, Wu Xingyun at last spotted the first group of mutants returning.
The mutants had left with Ye Fan in a state of complete readiness. Coming back though, they appeared a tattered mess. Still, their spirits were high.
Specially running to the city gate to greet them, Wu Xingyun watched City C’s ordinary survivors come in.
They were all practically a bag of bones. Those who had once been strong soldiers were a shadow of their former selves, looking more like beggars.
It wasn’t hard for Wu Xingyun to pick out Commander Liu from the group.
Four years ago, he’d seen from a distance the officer protecting the people of City C. Compared to the man from then, this Liu Yi seemed haggard and beaten.
By Liu Yi’s side was a child one meter tall, exceptionally beautiful, with skin that looked like it’d break if you touched it. Even if the hair falling over his shoulders was tangled, the white of it drew the eye. It’d be difficult for the ten-year-old Liu Meng to not attract attention. Although, perhaps because of the end times, suffering from food shortage and lack of rest, the child appeared physically underdeveloped, being only about the same size of a Federation six-year-old.
The returning mutants walked up to Wu Xingyun, greeting him.
Although City C’s survivors had already heard about Wu Xingyun, their bodies weren’t strong. They’d made a long difficult trek, and were weak and rather dispirited.
Only Liu Yi, using a crutch, shakily came up to Wu Xingyun.
Wu Xingyun noted that Liu Yi had an injury to his left leg, with a detectable putrid odor.
Liu Yi was extremely tall and thin, eyes deep-sunk in their sockets. Sizing Wu Xingyun up and down for a long time, Liu Yi eventually extended his hand: “You were special forces in our region?”
Saluting, Wu Xingyun gave Liu Yi the proper reply.
His hand slightly shaking, his throat wobbling, it appeared Liu Yi had a question to ask, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“You must be tired,” said Wu Xingyun, “Why don’t you rest tonight? We can talk tomorrow.”
Shaking his head while waving off those who tried to assist him, Liu Yi stared fixedly at Wu Xingyun: “I heard……I heard they left over three years ago. Is that really true?”
Wu Xingyun wasn’t sure how to answer. Liu Yi continued: “I don’t believe that Mozun, but you, you’re different. You were a soldier, special forces. When I look at you, I know what you are. So tell me, is it true?!”
Nodding, Wu Xingyun said: “Yes……It’s true.”
“Bullshit! You’re lying to me!” Liu Yi started coughing, his breath wheezing. Liu Meng hurried to his side to give support.
“They wouldn’t abandon us……No, they wouldn’t……You’re deceiving me, you must be……I demand to go northwest, I have to go to Beijing! I’m going……” A hysterical glint shone from Liu Yi’s eyes.
Then, before Wu Xingyun could try to calm him down, another voice sounded behind Liu Yi.
“He’s not lying to you. Our people, those above us, did indeed leave the Earth in Noah’s Ark.”
Wu Xingyun and Liu Yu both raised their heads to look at the new speaker.
The man’s face was etched with hardships, his gaze calm, and he was still wearing his uniform from before the last days, carefully patched all over.
“Dai Rong?!” Wu Xingyun exclaimed.
Dai Rong inclined his head. When he’d found out that Ye Fan was the Night Shard, he’d immediately set out for City C. He hadn’t expected to encounter two other old acquaintances at the city gate.
Liu Yi assuredly recognized Dai Rong. They’d worked together for a time before the end days had come.
“You don’t believe him,” Dai Rong spoke gently, “Believe me……Things are no longer the way they were in the past. We’re no longer what we were.”
“They’re truly gone?”
“Yes.”
“Really……there’s really……nothing anymore?”
Liu Yi fell silent for a long time after those words. He’d continuously refused to believe Mozun. He’d agreed to come to Xi’an thinking that he would ask, just ask, if these things were true. Whether him holding his ground had been meaningless.
Even when he’d heard the words from Wu Xingyun’s mouth, when he’d seen Xi’an with his own eyes, Liu Yi still hadn’t believed.
But hearing it from an old comrade-in-arms, Liu Yi could deny it no longer.
For years he had held on. For nothing.
There was nothing.
His country, the ordinary people he’d protected, disappeared into thin air.
Every place was in ruins, the whole world completely overturned, and their sole hope had long since deserted the Earth.
Jurassic (geological period 205-140m years ago)
草木皆兵[cǎo mù jiē bīng]
Every bush and tree looks like an enemy — state of extreme nervousness
The grass and trees were thought to be the soldiers of the enemy; apprehend danger in every sound
mistake every bush and tree for an enemy
