ID No. 019 - Chapter 2

Chen Yang quickly covered the string of numbers when the rest of the group saw the ID card. He shrank back with a look of terror on his face, “It has numbers and a portrait too. The picture is too realistic. It looks like they peeled off my face and plastered it on the card.”

Everyone, “…”

They averted their gaze as if they were avoiding the plague, but Chen Yang did not mind. He had achieved his goal and immediately kept the card.

This thing was a hot potato. He couldn’t let anyone know that his ID number had 3 digits, especially the fact that someone had transferred its ownership to him. At times like these, being special was not a good thing.

“Oh yeah. Did any of you have any weird experiences before coming here?” Zhang Yan said out of the blue. “Irrational behaviour, like suddenly doing something you would never do.”

All he received in response was a shake of heads.

Zhang Yan frowned and exchanged a subtle glance with Lin Yue, then sighed, “That’s unfortunate. Experiences like those could’ve been related to the mission.”

Chen Yang’s heart skipped a beat when he recalled the bread sample. He realised that he could only remember the putrid taste, but not the appearance of the salesperson. It was as if that part of his memory had been erased. His breathing hitched as a thought struck him, Did it have something to do with the mission? Has my stomach digested all of it?

The sky gradually darkened as the sun set below the horizon, the curtain of night enshrouding the deep sea in mystery. There was a constant sense of danger lurking nearby, ready to emerge at a moment’s notice.

The burning pain tormenting Chen Yang’s stomach disappeared at some point, as though it had vanished into thin air. He set his backpack on his leg, about to rummage around for something he could use when he heard movement beside him.

The young man had gotten up and was heading for the door, which immediately attracted the attention of the group. 

Zhang Yan gave him a friendly reminder, “It’s best not to act on your own.”

However, the young man paid no heed to him.

“You should get someone to go with you.” Zhang Yan spoke towards his departing figure, “If you go alone, we won’t know for sure if the person who returns is actually you.”

Lin Yue spoke up at this moment, her tone cold, “The first mission Zhang Yan and I took involved an evil spirit who was looking for a replacement body.”

A cold chill swept through the entire cabin, enveloping it in an instant.

Zhou Xiaoxiao, Huang Qing and Zhao Yuan remained silent. They were unsure of the identities of the crew, the ship’s captain, and the middle-aged man — who had urged them onto the boat. Moreover, there might even be ghosts on the ship.

The night had deepened and they were surrounded by the vast sea. There was nowhere to escape, so remaining in the cabin was the best option.

Da… Da…

As the tapping noise of crutches was about to reach the door, Chen Yang stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. “I’m going too.”

Upon exiting the cabin, the young man turned to face the sea, his thoughts unknown.

The season here was the same as in the real world. The wind howled in the chilly night. Chen Yang rubbed his face and spoke in a hushed voice, “Did you come out to pee, or…”

He halted and shut his mouth before swiftly turning his head towards the deck.

The wind carried the faint voices to Chen Yang’s ear and he listened with rapt attention.

“No outsider has ever visited Xiaoyin Island. What are you attracting tourists for?”

“I took one bet this time and just my fucking luck. This bunch is just staying for two days. Cheng-ge, you keep the money.”

“Da-Fu, it’s not about the money. We left the island to pick up some supplies. Seriously, you…” Cheng-ge sighed. “Since they’re already on the ship, there’s nothing we can do but bring them to the island. You talk to Old Madam Qi.”

“Okay!”

“You have to keep an eye on the tourists when we get on the island, especially that guy on crutches. Why would he come to the island when his leg’s like that?”

“Who knows how kids think nowadays. He was the one who wanted to come. One look and you can tell he’s an ignorant, spoiled brat. It’s none of our business if something really happens.”

“Even so, it would be best if nothing happened. Old Madam Qi has a kind heart and doesn’t want any trouble on the island.”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it.”

“Alright, let’s leave it at that. Go and rest. I’ll ask Xiao-Qi to take the night watch.”

The scent of cigarette smoke grew denser as time passed, its quality as poor as the boat it was smoked on.

They were coming over!

Chen Yang swept a quick glance around him, unable to find a hiding spot, he hastily backtracked to the cabin opening the door. Ignoring the questioning looks from the people already inside, he promptly shut the door as loudly as possible.

Sounds of heavy, urgent footsteps grew increasingly close. Da-Fu shouted, “Who’s that?”

Chen Yang shrank back, “Mister, it’s just me and my younger brother. We need to use the bathroom.”

The young man showed no reaction to the words “younger brother”, as if he hadn’t heard it.

The middle-aged man turned and spoke in dialect to the bearded Cheng-ge. After being spoken to, the boat’s captain threw his cigarette butt into the sea and bellowed at Chen Yang, “Follow me!”

The bathroom was nothing but a simple and crude hole.

The middle-aged man stood guard outside while Chen Yang and the young man entered the bathroom together. Chen Yang’s gaze was wandering around the room when his eyes landed on the young man’s hand resting on the zipper of his pants. He spaced out for a moment. By the time he snapped out of it, he noticed the young man’s pants were still fastened and immediately went on alert, “What’s wrong? Did you notice something?”

The young man gritted his teeth and uttered firmly, “Turn around!”

Chen Yang, “…”

He wasn’t a mute; he could speak. His hoarse voice sounded stiff and unnatural, as if… He hadn’t spoken in a long time.

Chen Yang recollected himself and turned around in a fluster, “If you had come out alone, they would’ve been suspicious of your identity when you returned, even if you were still you. We’ve been thrown together as a group, so we have no way of verifying each other’s identity since we’re all complete strangers.”

The response came in the sound of a smooth and steady stream of water, indicative of its originator’s excellent vitality.

Chen Yang felt a slight urge to urinate and whistled to get the flow going. It was difficult to use the bathroom and it would be a while before they disembarked, he figured he might as well deal with it now.

The trickling of water behind him briefly paused before resuming once more, this time with a quickened pace.

Chen Yang went straight to business, “It’s Zhang Yan and Lin Yue’s second mission together. Though they had experienced a life-or-death situation in the previous one, they don’t seem to be all that close so it’s difficult to think of them as normal partners. Lin Yue seems to be wary of Zhang Yan, which shows that he might not be as reliable as he portrays himself to be. There is a possibility he’s deceiving us, which makes him the most dangerous person in the group. We need to be careful around him.”

“Lin Yue is cold and aloof. She can be difficult to converse with and is somewhat paranoid. It’s probably a result of the first mission, but we can choose to cooperate with her if the need ever rises.”

“Zhao Xiaoxiao seems to be a fairly calculative girl. She’s aware of her strengths and knows how to use them effectively. However, I have a feeling that she doesn’t know when to stop. Huang Qing is an irritable guy that is prone to anger. There’s a high likelihood that he will get into trouble due to his sharp tongue. Meanwhile, Zhao Yuan is the simplest of the group, as all his thoughts are written on…”

Chen Yang abruptly paused. His face paled and his body quivered as if doused with cold water. Though he had deemed this young man different from the rest, reason still dictated caution. Inexplicably, he found himself confiding his thoughts to him.

Why did I do that?

Chen Yang’s expression twisted into a mixture of confusion and unease, furrowing his brows and glancing at the young man who already tidied up his pants. He observed intently for a moment as he combed through his memory, but couldn’t recall anyone who resembled him. He wasn’t a classmate, nor his sister’s classmate, a neighbour’s son, or even an acquaintance from his time in the hospital.

Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the young man would never harm him.

It was a bad move to let his guard down around a stranger, but given the current situation, the others were even more dangerous.

The youth regarded Chen Yang’s cautious scrutiny with peculiar indifference. He grabbed his crutches and turned to leave when suddenly something was tugging at his clothes.

“Don’t leave yet. Wait for me.” Chen Yang happened to yank at the young man’s pocket.

A small white bottle fell out during his struggle and rolled to Chen Yang’s feet.

It was a medicine bottle, and by the sound of it, there wasn’t much left.

Chen Yang failed to catch onto the fact that the man’s aura turned cold at that moment. He was checking out the bottle he had picked up.

“So he’s taking medication, huh? Seems like the leg injury is pretty serious.”, Chen Yang thought.

When they returned to the cabin, Chen Yang clued in the rest of the group on the conversation he overheard earlier. He disclosed their destination was Xiaoyin Island, explaining the crew were local residents making a trip to purchase supplies. It was the middle-aged man’s idea to bring tourists to the island, but the one in charge on the island was Old Madam Qi.

“It looks like we’ll be spending two days on the island.” Zhang Yan remarked in a firm and measured manner, which helped ease the tension in the air, “The boat should be safe for the time being, provided no unexpected circumstances arise. We should rest while we can; who knows if there’s any chance for us to sleep when we get to the island?”

The temperature in the cabin seemed to drop, and the chill in the air seeped into the bones of those present.

Zhang Yan murmured softly, “There was something I forgot to mention: if you die here, then you die.”

The room was instantly filled with apprehension.

Zhou Xiaoxiao, who stood the closest to Zhang Yan, screamed and clutched his arm with a quivering hand, “What… what do you mean?”

Zhang Yan’s arm throbbed with pain and annoyance briefly flickered across his face, “I meant it literally.”

By now, the air in the cabin was deathly still and a deep sense of dread enveloped them. The wind howled as it squeezed through the cracks in the planks, muffling Zhou Xiaoxiao’s sobs. She was seasick and retched as she wept.

Lin Yue crossed her arms and seemed to be asleep, but her irregular breathing gave her away. Meanwhile, Zhang Yan closed his eyes to rest.

Huang Qing swore as he clutched his overgrown bangs, while Zhao Yuan muttered the names of various gods with his hands in prayer.

Chen Yang stared at the kerosene lamp hanging on the wall, as the collective plea for survival echoed in his ears. Amidst the fear and unease he felt, there was also a newfound sense of determination, energising his very being.

Although none of the friends he made at the hospital were by his side, he was not alone. He had a clear goal in mind, providing him with fulfilment and diluting the loneliness he felt.

Chen Yang looked in the direction of the young man sitting who, judging by the steady drawn-out breaths, was sleeping soundly.

His gaze shifted downward to the crutches resting on his legs, toying with the idea of using it as a weapon. They looked expensive, robust, and had adjustable length. These crutches are something that could be used as effective means of self-defence.

During his time at the rehabilitation centre he grew accustomed to sleeping early in the evening and remaining awake into the night, leaving him feeling refreshed despite the late hours.

Dear sister in Heaven, please bless and protect your brother.

The boat started to slow down in the wee hours of the night. Chen Yang softly called out to wake everyone up.

Bang!

The wooden door of the cabin had been kicked open, it was accompanied by the coarse shout of the middle-aged man, “Wake up! The boat is about to reach shore!”

They exited the room and walked onto the deck.

The figure in the distance gradually took form and became clearer as the ship advanced.

A small island stood tall in the darkness of night, coldly observing the new arrivals approaching its shore.

The boat docked shortly after and its passengers disembarked.

Once again, the young man brushed off Zhang Yan’s offer of assistance, and Chen Yang ended up aiding him by himself.

Chen Yang stood 180cm tall and had a slender build. It was challenging for him to lift the young man due to the latter’s towering height and sturdy frame. After he ensured the young man stood stable, he whispered under his breath, “Why’d you refuse Zhang Yan’s help?”

It was a little premature to act defensively towards Zhang Yan, considering they were still maintaining a facade of cordiality.

The young man remained silent. His deep black eyes reflecting the dawning sky, while the captain continued to issue orders to his crew as he smoked a cigarette.

Chen Yang refrained from pressing further and watched as the crew unloaded bundles of cargo off the ship. They carefully placed them down on the sandy beach, the scent of sweat permeating the air as they worked.

Zhou Xiaoxiao asked innocently, “What is it? It’s cream in colour. There are some words on the sacks. Can you guys see it? Ugh, it smells terrible.”

Zhao Yuan pinched his nose and said, “It smells familiar, but I can’t pinpoint where from.”

Huang Qing mocked them, “You idiots, can’t you tell it’s fertiliser?”

Before Zhao Yuan could retort, Zhou Xiaoxiao tilted her head and asked Zhang Yan, “What do you use fertiliser for?”

Zhang Yan, “…”

Others, “…”

Huang Qing looked at her as if she was a moron and chuckled, “To eat.”

Chen Yang scanned the sacks and remarked, “All of it is fertiliser. Every bit of it.”

The atmosphere instantly turned eerie as everyone watched as the bags of fertiliser pile up like a mountain, with the crew still unloading.

Chen Yang silently counted the sacks of fertiliser, though he wasn’t sure if the information would be useful.

The young man beside him suddenly lifted his head.

This subtle movement put Chen Yang on high alert, immediately turning his head to see what caught the young man’s attention, “Did you see something?”

He remained silent, and Chen Yang still couldn’t discern anything. However, a thudding sound seemed to emanate from nowhere, growing louder by the moment. His voice quivered as he declared, “Someone’s coming!”

The rest of the group looked over at his warning and was met with the sight of the indistinct, pitch-black void.

“Who’s here?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t see anyone. Don’t scare me like that.”

“Fuck’s sake. There’s no one…” Huang Qing suddenly stopped mid-curse and his face paled.

Everyone went silent.

A sea of people were making their way over.