Chapter 4: Survival Day

One week later, at Cangnan City No. 2 High School.

"Hey, do you see that person? Are they from our school? Why is there a cloth over their eyes?"

"They're wearing our school uniform, so they must be from here."

"They're holding a white cane. Looks like they're blind."

"Strange, I've never seen them before."

"Probably a new student in this year's freshman class?"

"Wow, even with the cloth over their eyes, they still look kind of handsome."

"But how are blind people supposed to attend classes? I don't think our school has any special needs classes."

"I'm not sure."

"..."

As expected, as soon as Lin Qiye walked through the school gates, he drew a lot of attention. But, for someone who had been through this countless times, Lin Qiye walked through the school's Maple Leaf Avenue, heading toward the teaching building without paying it much mind.

Thinking back, Lin Qiye had prepared himself for the inevitable ridicule. In many clichés from novels and TV shows, a scene like this would definitely attract some ignorant "school bullies" who'd mock him for being blind, setting the stage for some later "revenge" moment...

However, none of the troublemakers appeared. Instead, several students approached him with genuine concern, offering to help.

This left Lin Qiye feeling inexplicably disappointed.

It made sense, though. These were modern students who had completed nine years of compulsory education—there weren't many who'd act thoughtlessly. Even if some cliques existed, bullying a disabled person in this day and age would lead to public outrage. The culprits would be condemned and completely discredited.

Lin Qiye walked up the stairs, quickly finding his classroom, Class 2, Grade 2. He had spent a year in a special education school for his first year of high school, and now, transferring here, he was considered a mid-year transfer student.

From most movies and novels, transfer students were often portrayed as outcasts—isolated and tragic figures. After all, most social groups in high school had already formed by the time students entered sophomore year. If a student didn't make an effort to integrate, it was difficult to truly fit in.

Lin Qiye was well aware that he wasn't the kind of person who would go out of his way to make friends.

In fact, even if he had been in the same class as these people during his first year, with his naturally distant and unapproachable aura, he would likely still be sitting alone.

But being alone wasn't such a bad thing. At least for Lin Qiye, he enjoyed the solitude—no interruptions, peace of mind, and the ability to focus on his studies.

If he had to force himself to get along with others, he would probably refuse to do so.

Standing at the door of the classroom, Lin Qiye took a deep breath, steeled his nerves, and stepped inside.

The moment he entered, the noisy classroom went silent. The air grew suddenly still…

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Just as Lin Qiye was about to say something, the classroom erupted in a frenzy!

"You're Lin Qiye, right? Your seat is ready. It's right there."

"Lin Qiye, you can't see, right? Let me guide you to your seat."

"Hey, watch your step, there's stuff on the floor… someone, move your bag!"

"…"

Before Lin Qiye could react, several classmates rushed forward, carefully leading him to his seat. A tall boy even took his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

Surrounded by the crowd, Lin Qiye "safely" made his way to his desk.

Lin Qiye: …?

This wasn't quite how he had imagined things would go.

"Lin Qiye, I'm the class monitor, Jiang Qian. If you need anything, feel free to ask me," said a girl with a ponytail, thumping her chest proudly.

"I'm Li Yifei. If you want to go eat, just call me. I'll take you," the guy who helped him with the bag said with a smile.

"And I'm Wang Shao…"

"…"

A number of people gathered around him, enthusiastically introducing themselves.

For a moment, Lin Qiye was left bewildered.

To be honest, this wasn't at all what he had expected.

"Do you… know me?" Lin Qiye asked with a strange expression.

"The homeroom teacher told us about you," the class monitor, Jiang Qian, explained. "But what really left an impression on us was your aunt. She came in one day with a basket of boiled eggs and went around asking everyone to look out for you…"

A loud ringing sounded in Lin Qiye's mind, and he froze in place.

The words of the classmates around him grew muffled, but he couldn't hear them. His mind was consumed by the image of a middle-aged woman with a hunchback, holding a basket of freshly boiled eggs, earnestly asking the classmates to take care of him.

"Everyone, please take care of my nephew. His eyes aren't too good, and he's a bit cold-hearted, but once you get to know him, he's actually warm inside…"

"You young girl, you're really pretty. My nephew is handsome too, you're going to like him, I'm sure…"

"Qi Ye, this boy, he's just a little cold on the outside but warm inside. If you all get close, I'm sure you'll get along really well…"

"…"

At some point, the black cloth covering Lin Qiye's eyes began to feel damp.

"Aunt…" he murmured.

While everyone continued chattering, a female teacher walked in, holding a book in her arms. Upon seeing Lin Qiye sitting at the front, she first offered a few words of comfort and then introduced herself briefly before starting the lesson.

"Everyone, please turn to page ninety-one. Today we'll be talking about the history and challenges of modern Daxia…"

Because of Lin Qiye's arrival, the teacher skipped over the usual review process and dove straight into the material.

"A hundred years ago, there were over two hundred countries on Earth, spread across seven continents and four oceans. Each had its own distinct customs and cultures. Even in those days, before technology advanced, people could still take ships to visit other countries and experience the cultural collisions…"

"However, on March 9th, a mysterious fog suddenly appeared in Antarctica and spread at an astonishing speed. In just twenty-four hours, it had consumed almost 98% of the Earth's surface."

"The towering skyscrapers built by mankind, the ancient forests, the deep oceans… all of it was covered by the fog. Countless countries fell into the mist, vanishing without a trace."

"Yet, when this strange fog was about to invade the Daxia territory… it stopped."

"No one knows why, but it just did."

"For the past hundred years, countless theories and speculations have been put forward. Some say the fog is a living entity, and after devouring 98% of the Earth, it simply stopped because it had eaten enough. Others suggest that the unique magnetic field in Daxia's region blocked its spread. Still others believe it is due to the five thousand years of Daxia's history and cultural accumulation, which protected our land…"

"The composition of this fog is completely beyond human comprehension. No matter whether it's light, sound, radio waves, or other forms of detection, none of them can penetrate the fog. No one knows if the countries that were swallowed by it still exist…"

"Experts speculate that the chances of survival for those within the fog are extremely low, as any contact with the fog—whether inhaling it or having it touch the skin—is fatal."

"In the past century, Daxia has sent out numerous well-equipped exploration teams, but not a single one returned."

"Fifty years ago, our first satellite was successfully launched. From the images transmitted back from space, it was clear that the entire Earth had turned a dull gray-white, with only Daxia remaining untouched."

"Today, Daxia is like an isolated island on this planet, and we… are perhaps the last survivors on Earth."

"That's why March 9th, the day the fog appeared, is known as 'Survival Day.'"