The blue car moved forward through the torrential rain, its wheels jolting over the uneven, muddy road. Outside the window, the scenery of the small town swiftly passed by as they gradually left the urban area.
Wei Tianyang gazed out the not-so-clean car window, and amid the curtain of rain, he could see white high walls standing on the distant green wilderness.
Behind those high walls, towering skyscrapers pierced the clouds, their orange lights flickering at the edge of the sky. Although they were far on the horizon and rely a hardly noticeable backdrop in the grey expanse between sky and ground, they were enough to astonish Wei Tianyang.
How tall were those buildings?
Seeing Wei Tianyang looking spellbound, Yaha said, "Do you see? That's Yunzhou in Yin Country."
"Is that Yin Country?" asked Wei Tianyang, his gaze longingly fixed in the direction of Yin Country.
"Yes, we are now just 12 kiloters from the civilized world. Chicken Snake Country is still stuck in the mid-21st century, while the real 22nd century is beyond that wall," Yaha chuckled.
His right arm crossed behind Wei Tianyang's back, resting on his right shoulder, bringing his body closer in a very intimate manner.
"12 kiloters... but for us, it's an unreachable distance. That place is Heaven," said Yaha.
"Have you been to Yin Country before?" asked Wei Tianyang, and at the sa ti, he placed his left hand on Yaha's chest and pushed him away without rcy.
"Oh, how distant. Let put it this way, when I was still a normal person, because of work, I've been to Linghai City and Chu in Yin Country several tis."
"Their airport bathrooms are more luxurious than any five-star hotel I've ever visited; despite the crowds, everything is orderly. The security personnel didn't even carry any weapons, no armies could be seen on the streets, malls are built like amusent parks, people are busy with their own things, and one can walk down the street without worrying about being shot or robbed."
"Their apartnt buildings are all constructed above 100 floors, far from the ground level. Above the clouds, there are artificial satellites and large wind-sail reflectors that neutralize the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Each sky-high building is connected by bridges at the top, and between buildings, there are air tracks."
"Of course, you also don't have to worry about noise pollution because, without seeing it for yourself, you certainly wouldn't believe that Yin Country would install a separate layer of glass sound barrier outside the staircases... It doesn't block the sunlight, yet isolates the noise from the maglev trains, and you could watch trains full of passengers rushing by just four ters away without hearing a sound..."
As Yaha continued to describe, Wei Tianyang listened with yearning, that thin line between heaven and earth representing the world he profoundly longed for.
"But, Ishmael... just like I said earlier, that's a place we can never reach. Yin Country doesn't accept refugees, they have also closed registration for their citizen digital identity markers, and now, their policy is all exit, no entry," Yaha said.
"They don't accept immigrants? I heard that for just 1000 Civilian Coins, the people at the border could take you inside," Wei Tianyang said.
"Are those traffickers still using that trick to deceive people? Heh, the borders of Yin Country are all digitized now. Even if you climb the wall, without a digital identity marker, you'll be discovered imdiately and the border army will send you back. As for those smugglers who took your money, they'd run away long before helping you over the wall," Yaha laughed.
"That ans..." Wei Tianyang's heart sank.
"Just our bad luck in 'choosing' where we were born, wouldn't you say? Starbucks?" Yaha looked at Starbucks sitting in the passenger seat.
"Everyone has their own fate; no need to force it," Starbucks replied nonchalantly.
"You seem to take it pretty lightly, but our new friend here might not feel the sa," Yaha laughed.
Wei Tianyang stared at the border line until it was obscured by a short mountain and completely disappeared from his sight. His mother had told him that they were originally residents of Yin Country, but had abandoned their digital identities and crossed the border to Chicken Snake Country to avoid debts... His gambling-addicted father had ruined the entire family, and his mother should have left him long ago.
Yaha's car jolted in the heavy rain, like a small boat sailing in churning waves. They drove along the border line for several hours, during which they encountered the conservative faction's defeated army twice.
Yaha introduced Wei Tianyang to the overall situation of the current conflict. The civil war had erupted nine months ago, initiated by the radical faction, who had crossed the river boundary overnight and occupied a large part of Qiayang City by the river.
The conservative faction had been forced to fight hastily, and the first half year of the war was extrely tough. However, after that, rcenaries from the West joined the conflict, which stabilized the situation.
The radicals demanded complete independence, while the conservative faction, being a comprador regi, naturally did not want to sever ties with the West. If the radicals ca to power, all the Heavenly Falling Objects within the national borders would be seized by them, and all pharmaceutical companies would be expelled—sothing external forces could not accept.
Tiantai Pharmaceutical played the role of an agent, with its hidden financial backers providing the conservative faction with funds and personnel support. Hence, when the rcenaries entered the fray, the radical faction's advance was halted.
Now, the war had turned into a black hole devouring resources and lives, and neither Tiantai Pharmaceutical nor its supporters wished for the conflict to end.
Arms trading and the sourcing of dicine People constituted their main interests.
Furthermore, the overall technological level of Chicken Snake Country remained stagnant at the mid-21st century with neither a superpower special force nor nuclear weapons. The intensity and scale of destruction of this war were insignificant in the eyes of major nations, akin to a kindergarten brawl.
However, it was hard to say which side the citizens of Chicken Snake Country supported more, as they were all busy fleeing the country. Yin Country called for a ceasefire internationally but did not accept any refugees. The southern countries of East Continent were also teetering on the brink of collapse, unable to take care of themselves.
Currently, the only safe place in Chicken Snake Country was Kongse, a small city located close to Qiayang City.
The International Red Cross had set up a refugee camp there, and the United Council had also sent peacekeeping forces to control the area. Both factions' armies and rcenaries were forbidden from entering the zone.
Yaha's Pei Guode Hotel was located in Kongse, truly a gem of a location.
Wei Tianyang was indifferent to the war. Although he had grown up here, this place was not his holand, and the local military had left him with a very negative impression.
Perhaps, all militaries were like that.
The rain gradually stopped, and sparse buildings gradually appeared on the green plains. anwhile, on the road, so people could be seen dragging their families along.
The tires transitioned from a dirt road to a cent road, jolting the vehicle.
"Wow wow, be careful with the chassis. This old girl is about to fall apart; you need to be gentler," Yaha joked.
They had entered the territory of Kongse, and through the windshield, Wei Tianyang saw the grey city skyline ahead.
Along the road, peacekeeping troops wearing blue helts patrolled.
A sense of inexplicable security erged.
He leaned back into his seat, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and prepared to embrace a new Chapter of his life.
Reviews
All reviews (0)