The moment I opened the car door, the heavy rain fell from the sky like thousands of silver threads. With a roar, the white rain and mist splashed up, like a misty white gauze.
Wang Mingming stepped into the water holding an umbrella, and dirt splashed on his knees.
Hanhan put on a thick mask and rubber shoes.
"This city..." Shang Qi raised his head: "Is it one of the areas with the worst black fog disease?"
The erected relief sheds were marked with dim red crosses. People queuing up to receive porridge had numb faces. The slumped buildings were like pale white tofu cubes, which seemed like two different worlds from the bustling city.
"Okay, adults, please give me some..." Seeing the neat clothes of Su Ming'an and the others, the thin and sallow people immediately came together and begged them for money.
"Hey, hey..." Han Han looked at their faces and screamed.
These people had black spots on their faces, necks, and palms. They didn't seem to realize that they could infect others. They swarmed toward several people like zombies, and their hands stained with black spots tried to grab a few people's arms.
Han Han subconsciously wanted to push them away, and Shang Qi and Wang Mingming were also frightened and turned pale.
"Uh-huh!"
A few bills flew by, reflected in the pale rain. People immediately changed their target and rushed towards the banknotes. Their posture was quite like dozens of ferocious beasts snatching hares, with ferocious faces and wild limbs dancing.
But they were once just ordinary residents, with stable jobs, small but warm houses, and exciting lives.
Poverty disease is the most terrible disease in the world. It will crush people's backbones, rob them of their good qualities, and leave them with nothing but money.
Su Mingan sprinkled the banknotes into the rain, and the wind blew them away, blowing away the vicious crowd. He held up an umbrella—a bright red umbrella.
In the black and white city, there is only one bright red umbrella. A pale hand under the umbrella.
The traffic lights changed, and amid the mist and rain, this bright red squeezed into people's black, white and gray umbrella cloth, like a drop of blood falling into the black river. The young man with black hair strode forward, and the heavy rain fell on his face along with the long slanting wind, washing away the dust on his face.
His eyes passed through the heavy rain and saw countless sheep prostrate in the city. The sheep huddled under the dilapidated eaves, shivering together, counting their tight money, waiting bitterly for the development of specific drugs, but never thought that some diseases were incurable and human nature suppressed them.
He held the bright red umbrella tightly and passed through the black and white, going deeper and deeper into the city, as if he was piercing the arteries of the city's heart one by one.
Only then did Wang Mingming, Han Han and Shang Qi react and immediately held up umbrellas and followed him.
"Su Xiaobai! Were you really just a high school student before? You know how to use money to lure them away." Wang Mingming looked at Su Ming'an with slight admiration.
"Yeah." Su Mingan walked forward.
"Su Xiaobai, I see you have a peach blossom cufflink? It's so beautiful. Where did you buy it?" Han Han saw Su Mingan's hand holding the umbrella at a glance. There was a peach blossom cufflink on the cuff.
Su Mingan lowered his head and took a look. These peach blossom cufflinks were given to him by Jamel Xiao. Xiao Jingsan said that this was "the unique symbol of Lord Angel". In order not to detract from Xiao Jingsan's favorability, Su Mingan did not take it off.
"Picked it up in the dark fog." Su Mingan said.
Han Han was stunned for a moment, with a smile on his face: "I originally thought you were the kind of academic who immerses himself in studying. Now I find out that you are also good at joking. Is this a gift from your girlfriend? You have to say that you are in the dark. Picked it up in the fog.”
Su Mingan didn't answer.
"This is what peach blossoms look like. There should be no real peach blossom trees in the world now." Wang Mingming came over, his eyes full of longing: "I heard that there were peach blossoms in the past, and we even had a peach blossom forest at that time. . Unlike now, most of what we see are fake peach blossoms made with chemicals, and the real peach blossom trees have died due to environmental pollution."
Wang Mingming had never seen the world before the black fog broke out.
It is said that many, many years ago, there were peach blossom trees all over the mountains and plains in this world, there were wilderness and mountain forests, and there were birds meeting each other and deer singing. There were beautiful white lilies and red roses, more beautiful in bloom than any make-believe game.
After the black fog broke out, the environment became worse day by day. Nowadays, human beings can only see fictitious beauty on the Internet and Dream Patrol games, and see peach blossom trees and white lilies all over the mountains and fields, but they have never seen them in the real world. This makes people feel ironic that they can only find happiness virtually.
The world is becoming colder day by day, and the Internet has gradually replaced all emotions. Under the pressure of involution and living environment, people don’t like to laugh.
Wang Mingming has been interested in history since he was a child. He always felt that the era before the black fog broke out must have been a particularly beautiful and natural era. People can grow flowers and travel without being as dull and depressed as they are now.
"History." Su Mingan murmured.
History has been broken for hundreds of years, and people cannot trace the traces.
There are only a dozen years left in human books, the Internet, and the brain. It seems as if the history of mankind has only lasted for more than ten years, and the previous ones no longer exist.
Countless people have tried to trace further back in history, but have found nothing. If you search for terms such as "hundreds of years ago" and "history" on the Internet, you will only get an ERROR prompt. Su Ming'an has long realized that there must be something very important hidden in that era of erased history.
A thousand years ago, the alien king fell into a deep sleep and the old gods fell - what happened after that? Why do gods rule this world? Why did the black fog erupt?
Due to the increasing pressure of life and the crazy involution of the social environment, these questions have become jokes after dinner, and no one can follow them.
"Shua la la la" the raindrops fell one by one on the bright red umbrella surface, revealing the color of the umbrella surface like drops of bright red blood.
Wang Mingming looked at the desolation and barrenness of the city and said: "When I was very young, I once saw the appearance of a peach blossom tree in an illustrated book. But later, that book because it 'involved recording history' ’, it was looted by the Allied Forces and burned.”
"I was thinking at that time, I must try what peach blossom wine tastes like. The book said it would have a mellow taste and it must be delicious. And the starry sky... My father used to be an astronomy administrator. He would often look up at the stars, and he told me that the stars were bright blue and there were many beautiful constellations. But later, the planetarium was closed, and the gods no longer allowed people to look up at the stars."
Han Han asked in surprise: "Is the planetarium also closed?"
"Yes, this should be an oracle a few years ago. Since that oracle, tens of thousands of planetariums in the world have been closed." Wang Mingming smiled bitterly:
"Everyone is bowing their heads and spiraling wildly. Who else will look up at the stars?"
Su Mingan held an umbrella and walked forward.
He had already seen the destination of their search - it was a dilapidated and unfinished building. There were several awnings faintly supported on the rooftop, and dim star lights hung on the railings. The power had long been out.
It is said that there are clues related to the "Ark Project" in this building. Noel informed Su Mingan about this, otherwise it would be difficult to find out.
"Then as a staff member of the planetarium, has your father lost his job?" Han Han's voice sounded behind Su Ming'an.
"...No." Wang Mingming said.
"Huh? Isn't the planetarium blocked?" Han Han said in surprise.
The umbrella handle in Wang Mingming's hand was shaking, revealing that he was not calm. He approached the unfinished building and said:
"He worked until the last minute."
"The day the oracle came down, my dad knew that no one would be able to look up at the stars from now on. So he stayed in that planetarium until the last moment."
"He held my hand and asked me to remember the appearance of each star. He told me that even if everyone forgets their appearance and everyone forgets that there is a starry sky above human heads, I still want me to remember it. On."
"I was always afraid of the planetarium when I was a kid because I thought it was very dark. Until my dad asked me to remember the stars, I was still scared."
"Finally, the Holy Alliance troops broke in, took my dad away, and forcibly sealed the planetarium. My dad never came back because he violated the oracle. I watched him being taken away, and he kept shouting, ' Starry sky', 'starry sky'."
"That's when I suddenly wasn't afraid of the dark anymore."
"Because I understand that the human heart is much scarier than darkness."
After Wang Mingming finished speaking, everyone fell silent.
The rain pattered on the red umbrella, rolling down and forming a line. In the heavy rain, all the buildings in the world seemed to be blurred.
Su Mingan stared at the peach blossom cufflinks on his cuffs and stroked them. He didn't know that what he regarded as ordinary things turned out to be treasures in the eyes of people in this world.
"Why do you have such expressions? I don't feel sad anymore." Wang Mingming looked at the expressions of several people and laughed. He has big eyes and a clear smile. He patted his chest and said loudly:
"Maybe one day in the future, the gods will disappear, and then I can tell everyone with my head held high that there is a starry sky above our heads."
Han Han opened his mouth slightly, shocked by his bold words.
Shang Qi looked around, fearing that others would hear Wang Mingming's rebellious words.
"You're right." Su Mingan responded.
Wang Mingming was surprised and said: "Wow, Su Xiaobai, it turns out you can talk. You have been silent all this time. I thought you were a very cold academic master."
"I just want to say," Su Mingan said, "the gods will disappear. This society imprisoned by the gods, these walking dead people, will also return to normal. I will take you back to history and find the previous era."
Wang Mingming patted Su Ming'an on the shoulder and laughed loudly: "Hey! Su Xiaobai! You are indeed very funny and humorous. I like your personality!"
He didn't believe what a teenage high school student could do, but at least they all had dreams.
As long as you have dreams, you are not dead yet. As long as you still have expectations in your heart, you won't become the walking zombie you hate most.
In this way, Wang Mingming felt very happy.
Already...very happy.
They hugged themselves, resisting the coldness of the rainstorm, and walked upstairs step by step. Sneezing and shivering, my young heart still hopes to see the stars one day.
…
Heating filled the bright bar, various wine glasses were gleaming with gilt color, and on the high platform, violinists and pianists played refreshing tunes.
"Bang."
The ice ball fell into the wine glass, reflecting the light.
The white fingers rested on the rim of the transparent wine glass, and the warm light passed through them, as if they were burning with fire.
"The burning moon. No. 1 Dream Patroller, this is the best wine here. Look at this ice ball with a faint blue light, reflected in the magma-like light, against the golden wine liquid, doesn't it look like A moon in wine?" Bivis held his chin, his blue pupils reflecting the golden light of the wine. His face turned slightly red from the warmth and the aroma of wine, making him look even more handsome.
He smiled, and the white-haired beauties on both sides bowed slightly, pushing the wine glass in front of Ying, showing their graceful posture.
However, the blind man looked at her with a charming look, and Ying looked down at the paper information in his hand, not even bothering to give him a look.
There were several high-ranking people standing beside him. They are Duke Ezekiel of the Lero Empire, Prince Christina of the Ascent Kingdom, General Bai Jun of the Grand Duchy of Jose, Evelin, a member of the coalition government, Shangqing of the Ministry of Urban Protection, and Professor Tang of Beiqing University. spring. They are all waiting for Shadow's review.
The waiters extend beyond the bar. Dozens of VIP cars were parked on the street, waiting for Ying.
In places where the film cannot be seen, there are countless communications going on urgently, quickly forging information, changing passwords, and transferring websites, creating a perfect place for information review.
"I've finished reading the information." Ying put the information on the table.
Beavis drank wine and looked at Ying.
"Nine years ago, Su Wensheng's mother secretly destroyed the special medicine for black fog disease, which caused the research process to stagnate. Tens of millions of black fog patients were affected by it." Ying rubbed his chin: "This is the information you told me."
"Yes." Beavis nodded.
"But Su Wensheng's file was not affected. He still took the college entrance examination normally. Even he himself did not know that his mother had committed a serious crime." Ying said.
"Su Wensheng's mother was once the most famous occultist in Ubang and made indelible contributions. We hope that her sins can end in her generation and will not harm future generations. This was decided after discussion by the parliament that year. Results," Beavis said.
Shadow frowned.
…It doesn’t look fake.
He knew that these people must have fabricated a lot of information to fool him, but this part about Su Wensheng's mother was not false. A Du did find out the case nine years ago.
Thinking of Su Ming'an's mother's birdlike appearance, Ying felt that it was too normal.
"I want to see information about Su Wensheng's mother." Ying said, "Since she is the most famous occultist, she should have an office, a laboratory or something like that. Take me to see it."
(End of chapter)
