"I'm sorry about your friend... Unfortunately, I only inherited part of the authority. Otherwise, I could have helped you find her."
The deep, hoarse voice from the old radio was as familiar as ever, but the intermittent wheezing sounded like he had sustained fresh injuries.
And that was not all.
Amid the noisy static, there also seemed to be a few more clinks and clangs of metal than before.
According to Yong, a lot had happened during the transfer of management authority over Shelter 79. Combined with the shelter's age and disrepair, the security systems in many rooms had malfunctioned.
Simply put, illegally entering unauthorized areas might trigger the alarm system and cause the doors to lock automatically.
Someone who had been missing for so long without any news was probably more dead than alive.
If they had not seen Si Si's forum post, they might actually have believed his nonsense.
"Let's put our friend aside for now... Are you really okay?" Sesame Paste asked softly, holding the radio.
"I'm fine... A few little rats got into the office. I've already dealt with them."
His strained voice carried more than a hint of insincerity.
After coughing twice, he suddenly seemed to realize something and spoke again.
"...Wait, what do you mean, put your friend aside for now? Did you hear what I just said? She may have already met with misfortune..."
"We heard you," said Wei Ba, who had remained silent until now. He put on a grief-stricken expression, and somehow even squeezed out a couple of tears. "We'll miss Si Si!"
"Me too!" Rou Rou raised a hand, though her expression was utterly serious.
She did not look like she was mourning. It looked more like she was making a vow.
Sesame Paste wore an exasperated, amused expression and