Luo Zhi is not in love, and he is not ashamed to contact women. But he had an indescribable feeling about Liu Xuejuan in such a short period of time, and he felt very surprised. Her smile seems to have some meaning, her will be calm, she will be coquettish, and she will flash with the light of motherhood, which makes Luo Zhi's heart beat faster.

Of course, he can't say anything, even if he doesn't consider the confusing and suffocating environment outside, with Liu Xuejuan's age, it is very likely that she has a family, and any expression of her would be a blasphemy. Liu Xuejuan didn't seem to have so many scruples on her face and eyes, she chatted with him with a smile for a while, and was very good at taking care of people to massage his shoulders for a while, and she was always empathetic and rational and self-controlled. When I was renting my own house, there was a moment when both of them seemed to feel something, and they looked a little relieved, but then they were interrupted again.

Luo Zhi's heart was a little confused and a little panicked. He shook his head, he couldn't think about it. At this time, the relationship is likely to be influenced by the environment. Yes, Liu Xuejuan is an excellent woman, but if he were in normal times, he might not feel this way so quickly. Compared to survival, everything needs to be put on the back now.

When he got up in the morning, Luo Zhi tried his best to regain his senses. I also have to collect supplies. Then you need to send a signal, a signal with a large area of coverage, and you have to continue to look for people who are still there. The encounter between himself and Liu Xuejuan and Yu Guannan was all accidental, if there was anyone else, he couldn't always be lucky.

Luo Zhi had long thought about what information to follow and what lessons to learn from the past. He thought of Will ▪ Smith's film I Am Legend. It's also strange to say that his experience is very similar to Will in the movie. From being alone, to meeting a woman, and a child. But his situation is a little better than his, at least there are not so many virus-infected zombies outside threatening their lives. So far, all obstacles to survival should have happened, and there is nothing that cannot be explained except that people have disappeared. In the movie, in order to ensure survival, Will set up layers of security systems, and the last battle guns flew together. But in his city, where electricity is always on the line, and without any factory that has blown a large area around it to pieces, he can still conduct vaccine research day in and day out. The food supply is also abundant, which may be due to the superb hunting skills of him and his dog, but later scenes also show a rotten omelette at breakfast. In order to make Will brave and good at fighting, the movie sets his character as a soldier who conducts medical research. In short, this is a movie, and many conditions are preset for the sake of a simple plot and amazing pictures.

However, the situation is different now, but one thing is clear: Will uses the radio in the film to send signals around, hoping to find the survivors. This is also what the three of them need to do now. Radio is a signal that is much larger than the range that can be covered by the activities of three people, but it needs someone to receive it. It doesn't matter, if you can think of it, most of the people who are still alive can think of it.

The phone had no signal yesterday. Luo Zhi turned off the power, and when it was critical, this might be able to be used as a watch or a flashlight. But this is better than nothing, even in the shutdown state, the battery will not last long.

Cellular mobile networks use base stations scattered all over the place, and of course, when power goes out, the base stations are shut down. There is not much information to be transmitted, just announce your location and ask if there is still someone there, so there is no need for microwave communication that can load a lot of clear information, not to mention that microwaves also rely on relay stations to transmit. Similarly, satellite communications are not available, and although it covers the largest area, there are no ground control personnel, and the existing Iridium communications satellite system is definitely down. Short waves are the most suitable, as they can effectively transmit thousands of kilometers of distance by using the reflection of the ionosphere, all depending on the power of transmission. However, the ionosphere is not completely stable, and although human activities have stopped now, meteorological and solar activities still affect the ionosphere. In order to disseminate information as widely as possible, long-wave radio stations should also consider that long-wave signals can propagate closer to the surface and bypass most obstacles.

There is also the problem of modulation mode, the general medium and short wave radio stations use FM mode, which is the FM radio that people often listen to in the car. However, AM mode is also commonly used in aviation and navigation, where airplanes and ships have small receiving antennas that interfere with AM signals in the air and at sea. Although the emitting energy of this mode relies on shouting, it doesn't matter, if there are any survivors at sea, it will be worth the effort to call them out. In the air, there will probably be no planes in the air, Luo Zhi suddenly thought that he had not heard any movement in the direction of the airport since the accident, probably because for a short period of time after the people disappeared, the autopilot system could still control the plane to land. But those planes that are in the process of taking off and in the sky are difficult to say. Luo Zhi frowned and didn't continue to think about it.

Shortwave transmitting stations that require high power. It takes a lot of power to transmit signals, and it's too wasteful to transmit around the clock, so try to choose a specific time. Will does the same in the movie. But even then, power is a problem, and sending signals can be a long-term priority, and the right time is needed to contact the sender and receiver. Luo Zhi once turned on the radio on his car and mobile phone, but did not receive a meaningful signal, and all that came from the stereo was rustling background sound. It seems that there will be a large reserve of diesel. In the short term, long-wave radio transmission is not realistic, in addition to the need for more power and longer time for long-wave transmission, there are very few long-wave radio stations in China, probably only the timing center and the naval department.

There are only three of them at the moment, and any action must be together, and no one can afford to lose a companion. Luo Zhi told Liu Xuejuan what he thought, and Liu Xuejuan listened very quietly.

"Just look at what you should do, my child and I trust you." She used the phrase "me and the child", which made Luo Zhi feel a little embarrassed.

"Okay, then let's go find food and find other people." Luo Zhi said briefly.

The three of them were busy for a whole week, and half of the villa was filled with food, drinking water, fuel, medicines, library materials, daily necessities, and various tools for survival in the wild. They also traveled as far as the unit's live-fire training ground, where they found dozens of automatic rifles of various models and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Liu Xuejuan only carried a pistol, and joked that this thing was so heavy and scary, maybe she might hurt herself at any time. In fact, she has always behaved very cautiously, pinning her pistol to her waist almost everywhere, and the safety has been turned off. When she arrives in a strange place, she always takes out her gun as soon as possible, opens the insurance, and vigilantly observes the surrounding environment. She wasn't born an expert at survival in the wild, but she was growing up quickly. Luo Zhi watched her change and smiled himself.

I'm not a survival expert, and don't I also play the image of a big bodyguard?

That night, Liu Xuejuan carefully registered all kinds of collected items, and Luo Zhi was fiddling with a small radio station he found a few days ago. Yu Guannan came out of the bedroom and said softly to Liu Xuejuan: "Auntie, I miss my parents a little." There were two lines of tears on the child's little face, and it was obvious that he had just cried once. Luo Zhi's heart didn't have too much turmoil, it had been about ten days, he had thought about all kinds of things over and over again, the child's pain was certain, and he was almost powerless.

Liu Xuejuan said softly to the boy: "Is it okay for Auntie to watch cartoons with you?" ”

Yu Guannan nodded aggrievedly and sat down beside her. He has never dared to talk to Luo Zhi. These days, Luo Zhi always reveals an almost cold composure in his hard work, and he often holds a Type 95 automatic rifle in his hand. Although he always spoke to himself with a pleasant face, the child was still a little afraid of him.

Liu Xuejuan took out her mobile phone and turned on the power. Luo Zhi was just wondering where to find cartoons for the child to see, and then he understood that Liu Xuejuan had cartoons in her mobile phone, and it seemed that she must have children. Luo Zhi's heart tingled. A child who has lost his parents and a mother who has lost a child are sitting together at the moment and watching "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" on the mobile phone screen. The child's attention may be temporarily diverted by cartoons, and Liu Xuejuan's heart must be dripping blood at this time.

He turned his head and held back a tear that was about to overflow. He turned on the radio and searched all the frequency bands, all he picked up was a messy background sound. Luo Zhi did not feel discouraged, which in itself was destined to be a long-term thing. He had considered whether to let Yu Guannan say a few words when transmitting radio signals. But he hesitated, and let the child look for his parents in the aimless signals transmitted, if it was fruitless for a long time, it would be another harm to the child.

With the mentality of giving it a try, he randomly tapped a set of Morse code on the microphone. Luo Zhi had taught himself Morse code when he was in school, and after such a long time, he was afraid that his memory would not be clear, so he deliberately found a reference book in the library. Even so, he couldn't guarantee that his tapping was accurate, and he didn't expect to receive an immediate reply.

But after only a dozen seconds, there was a knocking sound mixed with the slightest sound in the headphones, which was also Morse code! Luo Zhi could hardly believe his ears, and he had goosebumps on his body. Someone is responding! It's a human tap, of course, and the meaning of this set of reply codes is very clear: "We are here, on the sea." (Here we are, at sea)

Luo Zhi's blood rushed to his brain in an instant, and he was a little dizzy when his blood rushed. He turned around and hugged Liu Xuejuan and Yu Guannan excitedly: "We found someone else!" We've found it! ”

Although Yu Guannan was a little scared of Luo Zhi's sudden enthusiasm, he was still shocked by this exciting news: "Is it Dad?" Is it Mom? ”

Liu Xuejuan looked at Luo Zhi with big eyes: "There was a response so soon?" Who is it? ”

"They say they're at sea!"

"At sea? Can this little radio station receive information from the sea? ”

"I modified the antenna, and also installed a power amplifier on it, and connected a generator to it, the power can cover about 100 kilometers, this is a short and medium wave signal, probably due to the cessation of human activities, reducing the interference and loss of the signal, and it was actually transmitted to the sea, and the reception is also very good." Luo Zhi spoke quickly due to excitement.

"But doesn't the sea absorb the signal?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as it's above the water level, the signal won't be absorbed, they can receive it."

Liu Xuejuan was also excited, but her performance was obviously under control, and she didn't dance like Luo Zhi. Luo Zhi was affected by her and quickly calmed down, but the blush on his face had not completely faded. If you find someone, you and your two companions won't be as lonely as before. Even without a familiar human society, an increase in companions is always a good thing.

So what's going on with Liu Xuejuan's performance? A few thoughts flashed through Luo Zhi's mind. Is it a worry? Or does her steady inner control control the outward performance? Could it be Stockholm Syndrome?

Luo Zhi shook his head secretly. No way. Stockholm syndrome is a long-term psychological crunch that does not form in about ten days. So what is it?

"You...... Not too happy? Luo Zhi asked in a tentative tone.

"No, of course I'm happy. Then ask who they are. Where at sea? ”

"yes, I'm a little overjoyed. Ha ha. ”

Luo Zhi put on the headphones, and the Morse code was still typing inside. He picked up the microphone and said as simply and clearly as possible: "We are in NanJing,China, where are you exactly?" (We're in Nanjing, China, where are you?) ）

There was a jumbled sound coming from the headphones, and it was not clear what it was, but it was definitely not the background. The signal is still too weak, the other party is on the ship, the antenna may be able to receive the signal he sends out more clearly, but the receiving ability of the antenna modified by himself is still too poor, and it is difficult to receive a complete and complex signal. Luo Zhi decided to use Morse code to communicate with the other party.

"We are in Nanjing, China, where are you?" In order to ensure the accuracy of the communication, Luo Zhi took out the reference book and tapped the microphone against it.

"We are in Shanghai, near Shanghai, Yangshan Port." After identifying it several times, Luo Zhi understood the other party's response.

"Are you on board? How many people are on board? ”

"It's an LNG ship, it's just the two of us on board, SOS!"

LNG carrier, near Yangshan Port. There were supposed to be foreigners on board, only two, and the others seemed to have disappeared as well. The message is very simple, Luo Zhi's excitement just now has passed. He needs to calm down and think. LNG is an abbreviation for liquefied natural gas, which is a large vessel that can transport enough LNG for the whole of Shanghai for a month at a time. There is a lot of high-tech equipment on board, and the crew will not be too small. With only two people left, it was impossible to get the ship into the port of berth. There is not much fuel on board at the moment, and such large carriers generally do not arrive at the port of destination too late, so they do not have too much redundant fuel. This way there will not be a guarantee of power supply for too long. Of course, holding out for another month or two may be achievable, but why don't these two land in lifeboats these days?

"How's it going for you? Please slow down, I'm a newbie. ”

"People are missing here, and we're worried. The ship has more than 200,000 cubic meters of LNG, and if there is a leak or other accident, the consequences are unimaginable. ”

Luo Zhi didn't expect that these two people didn't leave the ship because they didn't want to leave their posts without permission, which made him respect them.

"As far as we know, there are almost no people in a large area around Nanjing, we are the ones left, and you are the first people we contacted. Have you contacted anyone else? ”

"No, we have been on radio for 10 days, but we have long since stopped directing and are now at our daily scheduled broadcast time. God willing, we got in touch with you. How many people do you have? Where exactly? ”

Luo Zhi hesitated slightly, he thought of Liu Xuejuan's expression. Rationally, there are indeed certain risks. Who is the other party? It is irrational to expose one's position, one's companions, in the absence of millions of other people as a social background. He did not answer the other party's question directly.

"You need to go ashore immediately, it's not safe on board. Do you have a portable radio? ”

"Yes, but the power is low. We weren't sure we would be able to contact you once we got ashore. ”

"Directional launch maybe, you can make a simple directional antenna. Once ashore, you can go anywhere you can find the power amplifier. You're in danger there, and you must get out of there right away. ”

The other party was silent, apparently discussing what to do. Luo Zhi also discussed it with Liu Xuejuan. It's better to get closer to each other, and it's always good to have more people. You can not expose Liu Xuejuan and Yu Guannan first, give each other the coordinates of an intermediate location, and Luo Zhi will go there to meet them, and then move the camera. Considering that the three of them could not be separated too far, they decided that if the other party agreed, the three of them would pack as much supplies as possible and drive to the agreed place together, find a suitable shelter first, and then Luo Zhi would go to meet each other alone.

The other party still did not respond, and the sound in the headphones of the radio station changed from a slight sound to a background sound. Luo Zhi decided to take the initiative to contact them, and there was no point in waiting for the other party's decision.

"Can you hear me?"

The other party was silent for a while, and a response came from the earphones.

"I'm sorry, we can't decide. We have our responsibilities. Besides, we don't know what the situation is on your side. ”

It seems that the other party also has some scruples. Without the security of society, individual people or small groups will become nervous and suspicious. But it can also prove that the other side is not so dangerous, and even if there is any danger, it comes from the need for self-defense. This is not outer space, and only ten days have passed since the disappearance of people, and communication between independent individuals is not too restricted by mutual suspicion. On Earth, humans should still be able to communicate with each other.

The other party told them where they were, how many people they were, which didn't feel like a trap. Who would set a trap against their own kind in the current situation? But if he let himself go to the other party's ship to contact them, Luo Zhi was not very willing. LNG is extremely dangerous, and Luo Zhi has seen a documentary that clearly states that if the liquefied natural gas on a giant LNG ship explodes, the yield can be equivalent to 60 nuclear bombs. Of course, there isn't enough oxygen in the surrounding air, and even if an explosion occurs, it won't really be that powerful. But for an individual, a small accident is fatal enough. He decided to give it another try.

"You can go to the middle spot, you can pick the coordinates of the location, and I will go there to meet you. But first, you need to leave the ship immediately. ”

This time, the other party was not silent and immediately replied.

"Okay, we're not familiar with geography, you come to designate the location, and we'll go there to find you."

It seems that it coincides, and the psychological situation of the other party is similar to that of the three people on his side.

But more research is needed to take all possibilities into account.

Luo Zhi replied to the other party: "Beijing time, tomorrow at 7:00 in the morning, we will contact again." I'll give you the coordinates of the location. Over and out. ”

Turning off the radio, Luo Zhi fell into a long thought. He was willing to talk to Liu Xuejuan, but she had already taken Yu Guannan to the bedroom. The little guy was very depressed because the other party on the radio call was not his parents, and he didn't even want to watch cartoons. Liu Xuejuan has been comforting him, and she should have been coaxing him to sleep at this time. Luo Zhi noticed that she had never said anything like "Mom and Dad will come to you" to her child, and she never gave her child empty expectations, but only soothed him with her gentle tone like soft water.

Back to things. Now that I've connected with other people, I can have two more companions. Even if I don't know what kind of people these two are, they are always people. Just ten days ago, they were working on a huge ship, with formal decent jobs. Just now, due to the restrictions of telecode communication, I can't ask too many questions, I don't know which boat they are on and what nationality they are. But the question of who is from this country, just like Liu Xuejuan asked him where he was from that day, actually has little meaning. If the two want to land on Chinese soil, they no longer need passports, visas, and no need to apply to anyone and wait for approval. We are all survivors of this catastrophe.

Luo Zhi is not a "good-natured" theorist, and like most people, he has seen a lot of bullying and cunning. But now, he preferred to believe that those two people were not bad people, and even if they were, they were just two bad people who scared the gods into nothingness. Moreover, bad people are often more psychologically fragile than others, and they are more afraid of accidents. If he was alone, even if he went to the ship in Yangshan Port to find them, he would not be afraid. But now that he has Liu Xuejuan and Yu Guannan by his side, he must be thoughtful and cautious in everything. He searched for a map and carefully researched the appropriate meeting place.

Liu Xuejuan walked out at this time and smiled at him: "The child has already slept." Luo Zhi's heart swelled with warmth, and he looked at her with an almost smirk: "With you here, this child is so lucky." ”

Liu Xuejuan bit her lip silently, but the smile on her face remained. Luo Zhi regretted his gaffe a little, so he hurriedly let her go to the sofa beside him and discussed the meeting place with her.

From here to Yangshan Port, the most convenient way is to take the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway, through Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou to Shanghai, and then through the Ring Expressway to the Donghai Bridge. But now they can't. There are so many cars in the Jiangsu and Shanghai strips that it's hard to imagine the situation on the highway, and after people disappear, countless cars will lose control and crash together. They have to find a path that can be driven by car. After a long period of research, they decided to take Provincial Highway 122, pass through Jurong, turn from the township road to Provincial Highway 340 in Chunjiang Town, bypass the prosperous area of Zhangjiagang from the north, and pass through Fushan Town from the east of Changshu along the sea to Taicang on the east side of Suzhou. It's very close to Shanghai, but considering that the other party is likely to be a foreigner and is not familiar with the geography and highway conditions here, the three of them need to walk a little more. Considering the various obstacles along the way, this stretch of the road can take up to two days. Then the agreed meeting time should be set for three days later, and they should arrive early and settle Liu Xuejuan and Yu Guannan first. The meeting took place at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in downtown Taicang, while Liu Xuejuan and Yu Guannan were at the Jinling Garden Hotel, five kilometers to the west. The reason why they all choose high-end hotels is that the facilities here are generally more complete. They marked the coordinates of latitude and longitude on the map.

Luo Zhi needs to bring two pistols to the meeting place. In fact, both were a little embarrassed by it. Meeting with the same kind of people who have been contacted with great difficulty, and going with deadly weapons, seems a bit of a villain's heart and unreasonable. But neither of them shied away from the wariness of this meeting. Society no longer exists, and no one knows what the two people who will meet will behave. The little psychological knowledge that the two of them have learned is completely useless, after all, this is an unprecedented situation, and it is important to be cautious. Liu Xuejuan took out two walkie-talkies at a long distance among the items collected. They agreed that if there was an emergency, Luo Zhi would press the intercom button three times in a row, and Liu Xuejuan would go to him with a gun.

The two decided to get up early tomorrow to pack their bags. The future unfolds for them, which will add to the joy of being a survival partner, but also a journey into the unknown.