When Ban Xia made contact with other survivors last night, she was stunned. Before she could even feel joy, the voice on the channel shook the worldview she had built over many years.

Although her teacher had insisted she never give up on external communications, Ban Xia hadn’t held out much hope. Could there be a second person in this world?

As Ban Xia traveled alone through this vibrant ruined world, she didn’t believe it.

After losing contact last night, the girl even wondered if she had hallucinated. Perhaps she had never actually received signals from anyone else – she had just developed a split personality during her daily calls, her mind imagining a second person. Once the radio was off, there was no evidence that person had ever existed.

But when she made contact with him again tonight, it was as if Ban Xia had been struck hard on the head by a hammer named “surprise.” It left her dizzy, unable to speak for several seconds, with large tears falling down her face.

“CQ! CQ! CQ! This is BG4MXH! QSL?”

“Here! I’m here…”

Worried about frightening the other person away again, Ban Xia replied very cautiously this time.

“Um… this is BG4MXH, QTH Qinhuai District, Nanjing City, receiving your signal, your signal is 59+, OVER.”

She still couldn’t understand the other person’s reply.

Ban Xia hesitated with the microphone in hand, several times opening her mouth only to close it again.

She had never anticipated this situation – although she had made contact with someone else, she couldn’t understand what they were saying.

What was BG4MXH?

What was QTH?

What was 59?

“This is fellow station operator? Can you hear me? QSL?”

Seeing that she remained silent, the other person asked again.

“Re-receiving your signal! Your signal is 59+! OVER!”

Ban Xia thought quickly and mimicked their response.

“Received, this is BG4MXH, thank you for the 59 signal report, what is your call sign?”

“Call… call sign?”

“Your call sign. If you passed the amateur radio operator certification exam, they would have assigned you a call sign. For example, my call sign is BG4MXH. Making radio contact without a call sign is against regulations. Fellow operator, you should have a call sign. OVER.”

“Yes yes yes yes yes yes!” Ban Xia replied hastily, “My call sign is BG4MSR.”

Making one up on the spot.

“Received, BG4MSR.”

What a strange way for this conversation to develop.

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

The first contact between the last surviving humans on Earth, and the first topic of conversation was call signs.

“BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, are you experiencing any difficulties there? OVER.”

“Difficulties?” Ban Xia replied, “No difficulties at all, OVER.”

“That’s good.”

The other person breathed a sigh of relief.

“BG4MXH, this is BG4MSR, what’s your name? Where are you living now? How many people are with you?” Ban Xia learned quickly, already putting her made-up call sign to use, “Do you need food, fuel, or medicine? OVER.”

“Uh… BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, I’m in Qinhuai District, Nanjing City, how many people are with me… there are three people here, my parents and me, I don’t need food, fuel, or medicine, OVER.”

Qinhuai District, Nanjing City!

Ban Xia nearly jumped out of her chair as if springs had been installed in her bottom.

All these years, all these years! They had been living in the Qinhuai District! They were practically next door! Why hadn’t they run into each other in all these years?

“When can we meet?”

Ban Xia asked instinctively.

This confused the other person – moving to meet already?

Isn’t this progress too fast? Even online dating usually requires chatting for a few months before meeting!

“Should I come find you or will you come to me?” Ban Xia continued asking, “Is your location safe? How long do you need to prepare? Do you have enough dry rations? Do you have weapons and ammunition? Can you plan a route? Will you need to cross the river?”

The girl fired off questions like pouring beans.

The other person was silent for a long time before saying:

“BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, I have social anxiety, OVER.”

“You choose a meeting place!” Ban Xia ignored his response and continued on her own, “Choose a meeting time! I’m also in Qinhuai District, Nanjing City! I’m near Mu Xu Yuan Street! Choose a place we can both reach easily, the sooner the better!”

“Then… how about the intersection of Mu Xu Yuan Street and Zhongshan Men Street?”

As if possessed, the other person agreed.

Maybe he didn’t even know what he was thinking, just infected by this girl’s excitement and enthusiasm.

“Time!”

“Uh… tomorrow at six in the evening?”

“Good!”

“BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, could you give me your contact information? Phone number, WeChat ID, QQ number, anything to make it easier to contact? OVER.”

Phone number?

WeChat ID?

QQ number?

What were all these things?

Ban Xia was confused – why did they need contact information? Wouldn’t they just see each other when they got there?

“You don’t have a phone number or WeChat?”

“No.”

The other person fell into a long silence.

He had encountered a modern primitive on the frequency.

These days there were still people without phones, without WeChat, without QQ.

“BG4MSR, BG4MSR… then tell me what clothes you’ll be wearing tomorrow, any noticeable features, so I can find you, OVER.”

Without contact information, they had to choose a compromise.

“Okay, BG4MXH, I’ll be wearing blue jeans, a white shirt, my hair in a ponytail, carrying a black bag, oh and I have a mountain bike.”

“BG4MSR, this is BG4MXH, I’ve noted that down, see you tomorrow then, OVER.”

“See you tomorrow! Be safe! OVER!”

“73.”

“Seven… what does 73 mean?”

“73 means best wishes to you.”

“Good! 73! Best wishes to you!”

Ending the communication, Ban Xia put down the microphone, removed her headphones, leaned back in her chair, and took a deep breath while staring at the ceiling.

It felt like a dream.

She pinched her cheeks hard – it hurt, so not a dream.

Ban Xia stood up, pulled back the curtain in front of her, placed both hands on the desk, took a deep breath, and shouted at the night sky: “Ahhhhh! This is amazing! God, I thank your ancestors eight generations back! Thank your ancestors eight generations back!”

The girl’s voice carried far in the silent darkness of night.

Then she ran out of the room, not even taking time to put on shoes, sprinting barefoot down the stairs and into the flower bed beside the apartment building.

There was a small mound of earth there, with a small flower growing on it, and a small shovel stuck in the soil in front of the mound.

Ban Xia fell to her knees in front of the mound, panting, covered in sweat, hair disheveled. She giggled as she lifted her head, brushing the hair from her mouth: “Teacher, teacher, teacher! I have good news! I’ve finally found other people!”