The old man just turned around. The boy spoke up to here and had to give up. Even as they left, the old man was still muttering, “The time is coming.” An Zhe thought this phrase was familiar but he couldn’t remember where he heard it.

Then the boy took them to a slightly larger square room that was connected to three dark cave forks, like a heartland extending in all directions. The rugged walls were pasted with yellowed paper that contained the mine map and operating precautions. There was a small square table in the middle and two old sofas next to the table. The excessive moisture had eroded the leather of the sofa.

Lu Feng talked to the boy.

The boy’s name was Xi Bei. According to him, when the unprecedented disaster came, the mine collapsed. However, the radiation didn’t penetrate through the ground so some people inside survived and they continued to the present day. They would go to the nearby ruins to collect necessities of life and they would be killed and eaten by the monsters outside. He was his mother’s only child. In the beginning, there were dozens of people but now only he and his grandfather as well as several older uncles were left to depend on each other.

“I knew that everyone definitely hadn’t died, they must’ve built a new home somewhere. We just couldn’t find out. My grandfather previously said that when we found another exit out of the mine, the outside had changed and living people were gone.”

“The radio had no signal and there were monsters outside. We couldn’t go out and could only stay here, but we knew there must be others.” Xi Bei’s voice trembled with a bit of excitement as he took out a shabby, thin book from a small grid to the side.

“Two years ago, we found a car outside. Aside from a dead person in the car, there was this thing. That’s how I knew there are people outside. I… have been waiting for you. We… my companions have been searching and praying for rescue.” He looked at Lu Feng with hope in his eyes.”

Lu Feng’s voice was slightly lower as he said, “The base welcomes you.”

Meanwhile, An Zhe reached out for the thin booklet. The yellow steam lamp illuminated the cover and the title was ‘Base Monthly.’ These words touched some fragments of memories stored in his mind. This was a booklet distributed by the people of the base.

This booklet was produced in the distant human base and acquired by mercenaries or soldiers along with pornographic novels and weapon illustrations. It boarded an armoured vehicle leaving the base and after a long distance, it was left in the wilderness forever. Then the survivors in the desert took it out of the wreckage of the vehicle and kept it in the mind, knowing that it represented the distant human homeland.