The two walked side by side on the ancient mountain steps, with withered reed-like plants on both sides. The roar of construction machinery can still be heard from the distance. The once peaceful village has long been replaced by the hustle and bustle of modernity. .
The old monk said as he walked: "Obik was called Master Ayan by the people in the past. He lived in the darkness in this area a long time ago, but the comfortable and peaceful villages were slowly replaced by cities, and everywhere was full of... Without the lights, it is no longer suitable for Master Ayan to survive."
"Why didn't he leave?" This is Chiba Cheng's biggest doubt. According to Ida and Iryu, Obik may be an earthbound spirit, but Chiba Makoto doesn't think Obik has any unfulfilled wishes. On the contrary, it was as if he didn't want to leave here.
"Who knows," the old monk shook his head and sighed, "He himself also knew that this place was not suitable for his life, but he just didn't want to leave. From there, he moved there, and then moved there, and finally moved to the mountain. After the construction of the health park starts, I don’t know where it will be moved.”
The monk said, pointing to the town below, and 'marked' Obik's moving route map, which was in sync with the development of Hikono Town, but one was moving forward and the other was retreating. Now it has retreated to the mountain, but it is still You have to continue to retreat, not knowing where to stop before you retreat.
Chiba Makoto looked at the towns in the distance shrouded in the light of the setting sun, silent. The expansion of human cities will not stop, because more and more people are moving into cities, pursuing a happier and better life. For To meet the living and entertainment needs of these people, more buildings must be built.
While people are lamenting that forests have been replaced by steel and concrete, they are rushing into cities. As long as they stop entering cities and return to rural villages, cities will naturally stop expanding. Everyone understands this truth, but how many people will? What to do?
After a long while, Chiba Chengcai said: "If Obik doesn't want to leave here, he can integrate into human society like you. Why set up a stall at night to scare people? That will only attract TPC. Many people there will not tolerate aliens. Mixed among humans.”
The old monk was startled by Qianye Cheng's words, and then thought of those soul-eating eyes that seemed to have seen through him when he was at the ancient well.
Now that he had said it, the old civet cat relaxed and said: "I have tried to persuade him many times, but he is very stubborn and does not want to leave or integrate into human society. But this world is dominated by humans and they want to survive. , we must abide by human rules, he is like this... sigh!"
At the end, the old civet cat couldn't help but sigh, feeling very sad. Thinking about it, his so-called integration into human society was just to become an outsider, still separated from humans by a certain distance.
Moreover, the metropolitan security system developed by TPC records all the information of human beings from birth to death. When there is a person in the system who has lived for more than a hundred or even two hundred years, no matter how stupid he is, he will think there is something wrong. .
In a smart city, there is no privacy at all. Where you went, what you bought, where you bought it... all the information is recorded. Perhaps this is why the old civet cat lives on the edge of the town and is a foreigner. Reason.
While they were talking, the two of them had already climbed to the top of the hill, which was not too high. There was an old wooden temple, which was obviously where he lived.
Qianye Cheng looked up at the small temple, then at the construction machinery rumbling at work in the distance, and said, "What are you going to do in the future?"
There was no trace of sadness on the old civet cat's face, and he said with a smile: "They will keep this temple and prepare to develop this area into a tourist attraction. They said they would buy the temple at a high price and then hire me as the host."
"Then what happens in the future?" He looks like a sixty-year-old man, and he can live a stable life for at least twenty or thirty years. And this area has been developed into a health paradise. With people coming and going, it will definitely not be as quiet as before. , if you accidentally expose your tail, you will be in big trouble.
The smile on the old civet cat's face disappeared. He looked at the small temple he built with his own hands and lived in for a long time. After a while, he said helplessly: "Let's talk about it then."
Chiba Makoto didn’t know what to say. As he just said, this is a world dominated by humans. Only by following human rules can we survive. Obik is not the only one who has lost his home due to human activities. , and even many animals and plants are extinct or on the verge of extinction. How many people have paid attention to those endangered animals and plants?
So are humans happy living in cities that have swallowed up forests and villages? The fast pace of the city and the increasing pressure of life have made people living in reinforced concrete almost breathless. It is not easy for Obike and Lao Limao, but who can live easily?
Thinking about it, Chiba Cheng couldn't help but sigh deeply, but the old civet cat quickly regained his optimism and said: "The world will not wait for anyone, nor will it change because of one person. Life must continue. You can miss some of them, but more of them should look to the future.”
"If you see Obik, please advise him not to be so stubborn anymore, go find a piece of pure land elsewhere, and continue living." The old civet cat said, clasping his hands and bowing slightly to Qianye Cheng. Ye Cheng hurriedly followed suit, and then saw the old monk walking back to his wooden house, waiting for the unknown fate to come.
Instead of leaving in a hurry, Chiba Cheng took out his camera and took a photo of this small temple, this wilderness, the construction machinery working on the edge of the town, and the long-abandoned ancient well. As the old civet cat said, the world will not wait, it will just keep moving forward.
The process of urbanization cannot be reversed. The only thing that can be done is to use photos to record the remaining scenery. When steel and concrete take over this place, at least there are still these photos to prove that this place was once a barren mountain with green trees and beautiful wild flowers. , insects, ants, birds and beasts living in it.
When I returned to the foot of the mountain, night fell. I rode my motorcycle and drove away from this wilderness waiting to be developed. I returned to the brightly lit town. I looked at the map and walked road by road, looking for the soba noodle stall.
There are very few dark places in human towns. Not long after, Chiba Makoto saw a pushcart noodle stall on a secluded road on the edge of the town. The surrounding area had just been built not long ago, and there were not many people living there, so this This area is still a bit dark compared to other places.
Chiba Cheng parked his motorcycle in front of the soba stall and shouted to Obik, who was lowering his head and playing with the condiments: "Hello, I want a bowl of ramen."
"Okay, guest, please wait a moment." Obik said, raising his head, and at first glance, he looked familiar. Then he thought of the only frightening failure case, and his expression suddenly changed. He waved his right hand, conjured a wand, and asked Said: "Why is it you again?"
"Repeat customers, aren't you welcome?" Chiba Cheng said, sitting on the stool, placing his hands on the table, and said, "A bowl of ramen, thank you!"
Obik hesitated for a few seconds, but then started making his best soba noodles. While working, he asked: "Are you really not afraid of me?"
Chiba Cheng did not answer, but instead talked about his experience in the afternoon, saying: "I met an old master on the mountain this afternoon. He told me your story. Master Ayan, why are you unwilling to leave?"
Obik's hands shaking the noodles trembled. He paused for two or three seconds before continuing, "Why should I leave? I have lived here for a long, long time. This is my home."
"But our home is no longer suitable for living. Wouldn't it be better to move to another place?" Chiba Cheng said, taking out a stack of photos from his backpack and placing them on the table one by one. "These are far away from the big cities," he said. In the countryside, the young people there never came back after leaving. In many villages there are only a few old people or even no one living there. It is very quiet and very dark at night, which is very suitable for..."
Obik threw the ramen into the pot, interrupted Chiba Makoto's introduction, and said, "But this is not home."
"..." Chiba Cheng stopped placing the photo, looked up at Obik, and said, "But he can live."
"I still like to stay here. If you go far away, you will never come back." Obik stirred the noodles quickly, letting them rotate in the boiling pot, then picked them up and put them in a bowl, skillfully Put the ingredients and sauces on it, and finally pick up the steaming bowl, place it in front of Chiba Makoto, and say with a smile: "Guest, your noodles are ready, please use it slowly."
Chiba Cheng sighed slightly, picked up the chopsticks and began to enjoy his dinner. With a smile on his face, Obik looked at the large bones of the guest with great satisfaction.
On a cold night, eating a bowl of hot noodle soup is simply a fairy-like enjoyment. Chiba Cheng finally picked up the bowl and drank the soup in one gulp. Then he let out a long sigh of satisfaction and put the bowl back on the table. , Obik took back the bowl and put it under the cart.
Chiba Cheng took out a banknote and put it into the money box on his right, and said: "You have attracted attention. I have seen stories about Obik on the radio and in newspapers. If you continue like this, you will really It will attract people from TPC, and then..."
"By then, everyone will remember me," Obik said with a nostalgic look on his face: "No one has called me Master Ayan for a long time, and not many people even remember me. The village has also become strange, what’s the difference between going to other places and here?”
"At least you can live!"
"I have lived so long that I have forgotten when I started living in this village. I have watched it grow bigger day by day, and the population increases day by day. Until now, it is becoming stranger every day," Ao Piccolo's eye circles were a little red: "This is my hometown, how can I leave, even if I die, I will die here."
