Plague Doctor

On the night of the New year’s Eve, the big national tv event would start at 8 pm. Even though the rating slid as the years went by, many families still tuned into the show. Some through tv and others through the internet.

At the backstage where there was no camera, Phecda members patrolled the stage with the local security. This was not an actual live broadcast, there was a certain delay and some pre-recorded segments. This was to allow leeway for minor accidents. However, if a big tragedy happened, the event would crumble, and it would naturally cause serious consequences. A big stage like this was perfect for the Conqueror Worm so no one dared to let their guard down. Gu Jun had warned Phecda about this concern as well. Because of that, Xie Yiman would be absent from the event. Those attending the Phecda segment were members who had no participation in the Mutated Scale Disease.

“Nothing’s out of place backstage.” Lou Xiaoning reported to command central. She led a small unit of patrol. The backstage was huge and it was split into many different sections. The reporters and celebrities were extremely busy. Phecda members had sharper intuition than normal people. They were basically scanners for abnormal activities. Lou Xiaoning’s left eye looked around and told one of the newer members, Lv Zhidong, “Be on your guard.” Lv Zhidong was a member from the local Special Mobile Force. He just got promoted to join the Ancient Seal Department. He was a good fighter but lacked experience, a common problem with most of the new recruits. “Those bastards like to strike when you’re happiest so do not let your guard down until the event is officially over…”

…

Dances, songs, sketches, the program went smoothly. Some were naturally more exciting than the others. It was soon 9.30 pm. One of the highlights of the event that day was undeniably the appearance of the Phecda Members, in fact most of the audience tuned in for this reason only. With the host egging on the atmosphere, a team of 30 members walked onto the stage amidst thunderous applause. There were males and females. They all wore clean-cut uniforms. They said in unison. “Phecda wishes the whole country a happy Chinese New Year!”

All eyes were on them. Many youths felt their blood boil. At Eastern State City, Chen Jiahwa’s family was tuning in as well. Chen Jiahwa was naturally excited. A blast of energy coursed through his body. He would work extra hard during the training class! He would join Phecda, be a part of Special Mobile Force, to pay tribute to his idol, Gu Jun!

At Guang Ting City, Cai Zixuan’s family was also in front of the tv. His family was proud of him. To be honest, Cai Zixuan was far senior than any of the members who took the stage but his grandparents who did not grasp much of the situation sighed, wishing their grandson was as winning as these young people on the tv.

Cai Zixuan did not correct them. Certain details he wanted to keep away from his family. Instead he sighed, “May we all be blessed with longevity.”

…

Night fell at San Hai City. During the tragedy, many of Deng Ruotong’s friends passed away. Thankfully, her family was spared from the tragedy because they were away on a trip.

One day, she received a phone call from the legendary Gu Jun out of the blue. Gu Jun explained that he received a request from Shen Haoxuan to tell her about his crush. He wanted to wish her good luck at Shen Shi University… After the call ended, Deng Ruotong sighed. So many things… none of them were given the chance to tell each other. Shen Haoxuan did not have the chance to attend Shen Shi University but neither did Deng Ruotong. That was because she was selected to join Phecda University and would be joining the special training class soon.

When the memorial segment came on the tv, the living room was quiet. In fact, the whole city was quiet. The host made a live connection with people posted at San Hai City. Families for some of the frontline workers appeared on screen. One of them was He Feng’s family. Mrs. He had tears in her eyes. The seven-year-old Niu Niu struggled to keep her tears from falling when she said proudly, “My daddy is a hero.”

A blanket of melancholy settled over Deng Ruotong. Suddenly she stood up and walked back to her room. Ever since the epidemic, she had been avoiding her newly-minted book of graduation photos. But for some reason, she felt compelled to look through it that night. There were 45 people in her class. Their familiar faces stared at her. Everyone was smiling as if they could not wait to rush into their bright future.

Deng Ruotong’s fingers caressed their faces. Zhong Meihan was dead, Xiao Yirou was dead, Chen Shan was dead, Lee Tingting was dead… Shen Haoxuan was dead, Liu Hui was dead, Wang Wenyuan was dead, Zhang Zhiwei was dead… Of the graduating class, less than half of them remained. The epidemic had passed but at what cost…

“Everyone, happy Chinese New Year…” Deng Routong whispered to the smiling faces. “I promise to work hard on your behalf during the training.”

…

At Shen Hai City’s Wu family, things were busy since early morning. Both Wu Siyu’s parents and her aunt had a single daughter. Their extended family gravitated towards children so Wu Siyu’s grandparents, uncle and cousin arrived one after another. Gu Jun was welcomed as part of the family. Gu Jun showed respect to his seniors but in the presence of so many elders, a troubling thought kept bothering him… He wondered if he had any grandparents still alive. When he was young, his parents told him that they were the only family he had but now he could not be so sure. Back when he encountered them in the stone plaque, his parents said that they were born in a family of R’yleh worshippers… That meant he was part of a family tree. He couldn’t help but wonder if any branches of the tree were still present in this world.

His concern for the event’s safety also caused his nerves to be taut. The strange feeling made a return.

Everyone gathered around the tv to watch the show. When Phecda members took the stage, Kedou jumped up in cheer. But Gu Jun and Wu Siyu only cheered when the whole show was over. Nothing happened, everything went smoothly. They were unable to relax until the final program ended.

As the night went on, the elders slowly retired. Kedou slowly drifted away on the couch. She proclaimed that she would stay up until midnight to welcome in the new year but it was now only approaching 11 pm. As they reached the midnight countdown, Wu Siyu played the sound of firecrackers on her phone. Kedou’s eyes flitted blurrily. She was just in time for the countdown.

Wu Siyu announced loudly, “It’s finally new year! Time for angpao!” Once Kedou heard the term angpao, she jumped up from the couch. She went around the room, shouting, “Happy new year, thank you for the angpao!”

Mother and Father Wu laughed as they handed the red packet to their niece. Wu Siyu then lined up behind Kedou, “I hope you haven’t forgotten about me.”

Gu Jun laughed and joined in the festivities. “Happy new year!”

The credits rolled on screen. Gu Jun gave a real sigh of relief. He accepted the angpao from Wu Siyu’s parents and other seniors. He also gifted angpao of his own. He went on the internet and scrolled through the news… There were no accidents…

Despite the presence of many seniors, he could not help but pull Wu Siyu into his arms. He planted a kiss on her. They were friends and lovers. Before he said anything, Wu Siyu read his mind. She squeezed him back and her eyes shone softly, “Dirty-minded Jun, happy new year.”

“Happy New Year.” Gu Jun nodded with a smile. Everything was worth it, for this very moment, every pain that he suffered was worth it.

Faces of his friends crossed his mind. ‘Captain Xue, everyone… we’ve all achieved something here. Happy new year. May all of us have a life of bliss and longevity.’