Lord Li stroked my head, soothed me, and patiently explained.

"Hua Qi, you know Kowloon is divided into three districts. The outermost is called the Ring City, the inner is called the Central City, and where we live is called Kowloon Inner City. Everyone thinks that the two inner districts are inhabited by humans, so why has no one ever left?"

I shook my head because I had no idea about these things.

Your family slowly begins to tell the truth about what happened in Kowloon City over the years.

"Those leaving were high-ranking officials. Those delivering food to the city were all robots. Not a single living person has ever entered the inner city of Kowloon, because there are no living people outside."

"Yes, but we can't let them in. The Ring City and the Central City are mainly used to grow food for us and produce things for us to use. There is no factory in the inner city except for the three buildings in the middle. There are no high-rise buildings because they keep the air absolutely clean.

"To prevent a virus that is fatal to humans from becoming a parasite on machines, turning them into zombie-like monsters."

"This virus started in the second year after Kowloon was built. This virus is very likely to have originated during a major transformation. Kowloon's top management realized this problem and surrounded the entire Kowloon with an iron wall."

"And now, those monsters have arrived. From the second year of the Great Change until now, in just a few decades, they've turned Earth into a hell. Of course, it's not just here in Kowloon, it's everywhere in the world."

"The remaining humans are also looking for a way out. The Sky Ladder is our only way out. Did you start by looking up at the sky? You see that black mass in the sky. That's not a black cloud, nor is it a giant creature. It's a space station built to deal with this crisis."

"This is our last trump card, but given Lady Qu's personality, she will definitely defend Kowloon City to the death before escaping. She might not even run away, but we have to survive. Kowloon City has nearly ten million people, but in the end, only a hundred thousand or even fewer can survive."

"You've heard what Old Man Hua has decided. I can't do anything about my old friend's personality. You've lived with him for over a decade, so you need to be mentally prepared."

Lord Li finished speaking, then drank a sip of water and took a breath. How did he manage to finish all these words in one breath?

But from Hua Qi's pale expression, it can be seen that Hua Qi has not yet recovered from his shock, and there are always countless horrible thoughts in his heart.

"Is the world about to end? Is Old Man Hua going to die? Why did it turn out like this? What exactly happened in the Great Change? What should I say to Lord Li? Is history also fake?"

Mr. Hua came out from the back room, waving his hands and shouting loudly, interrupting my thoughts for a moment.

"Li Xiang, your goods are good, every one of them is perfect, but can these machines really hold back these monsters?"

Just as he finished speaking, several Tai'a came out from the back room carrying a large box. It was something I had never seen before, and I had no idea what was inside it.

Lord Li patted his chest and said confidently.

"Don't worry. Their role during the great transformation has been very clear and they should be able to protect us. Lord Qu wouldn't allow us high-ranking officials to run faster than the people. So we're the last to retreat, so we need some trump cards to protect us. These old Tai'a weapons are completely useless."

Lord Li's words also indicate that he might not be able to leave in the end. Old Hua also understood the significance of Lord Li's actions, which was just a last-ditch effort.

“I hope it really works!”

Lord Li patted Mr. Hua's shoulder vigorously, with a happy smile on his face.

"Hahaha! You're still so pessimistic. I'm leaving first. You can talk to Hua Qi on your own."

After saying this, Lord Li led the team of Taia and slowly walked out of the pawnshop door.

After Lord Li left, I kept thinking about the deception that had lasted for more than ten years. I never imagined that Lord Qu, whom I had always respected, was the culprit who deceived us.

Qu not only deceived me, he deceived everyone in Kowloon City. However, this old man Hua actually said such stupid things about dying with the pawnshop.

For a moment, the atmosphere between me and Mr. Hua became very silent. I guess both of them felt guilty towards each other.

Hua Qi looked down at the floor he had been standing on for nearly a decade and was the first to break the silence.

"Mr. Hua, is everything Lord Li said true?"

When Mr. Hua heard me asking him the question, he knew that this was a very cruel fact, but it had come to this point and could no longer be concealed.

"That's right, Master Li is absolutely right. The reason I just said I would leave is also because I don't have a place, but you do."

I understand that the so-called quota refers to the people who are qualified to ride the ladder. From what Lord Li said just now, I found that I am the one who has the quota.

Hua Qi couldn't help but pound the table angrily and yelled loudly.

"I didn't ask you that! Who cares about an old man like you? Even if there was a spot, you wouldn't be able to leave! You're such a feudal-minded old man!"

Mr. Hua did not show any expression of blame in the face of my verbal abuse. If I had done that in the past, he would have definitely picked me up and beaten me up, but this time he showed a meaningful smile.

I really can't stand this kind of smile. It's an expression of complete liberation, like the open-minded look of a centenarian who knows his death is approaching.

I held back my tears and ran back to my room angrily.

"asshole!"

I didn't leave the room the whole day, and fell asleep in anxiety at night, quietly waiting for the arrival of a week.

On a quiet night, even the night sky was tinged with red. Even in my dream, I could still hear the sound of many insects crawling underground.