246 Postwar
◎Return to Area 103◎
Zhu Ning took a deep breath, it was the air of freedom.
She had just done something that seemed very satisfying. She broke free from the constraints of Prometheus and was forced to be an actor on a predetermined and arranged stage. She threw the script and went on strike.
From now on, she is considered an enemy of Prometheus. She has many enemies and doesn't mind having one more.
But it also means that she has lost the help of Prometheus, without the future predicted by the first generation Zhu Ning, and even without weapons and intelligence support. She will have to rely on herself and be responsible for every decision she makes.
She is free.
It doesn't matter what the future holds. A bad life doesn't need to be carefully planned. She can mess everything up and act according to her expectations. Any result is acceptable.
"Little angel."
The little robot wanted to run away, but was suddenly called out. Now he turned around stiffly and let out a stunned cry.
Zhu Ning asked, "Can I open your head?"
The little angel was stunned for a long time, and suddenly became shy, "After you finish reading it, can I leave?"
Zhu Ning felt like a bad guy who was threatening others, and nodded.
The little angel hesitated for a while, then raised its arms. Its chubby body made this move a little funny. It put its hands on both sides of its head, as if groping for a switch.
With a click, it opened the button and unscrewed its skull like a bottle cap. Perhaps this part was a bit private, so the little angel moved very slowly and lowered its head shyly to show Zhu Ning.
Its head was full of wires and mechanical gears buried inside, but in the very center lay a wriggling leech. The leech's body was very shriveled, probably because it had not eaten enough and was curled up sickly.
The leech seemed to have grown into the mechanical head. Zhu Ning suddenly wondered if the success of biomechanics was due to the abundance of similar creatures outside the wall. She and the little angel were also of the same kind.
Zhu Ning asked, "Can I touch it?"
The little angel cried out, and felt that Zhu Ning had no ill will towards it, so it lowered its head and turned it towards Zhu Ning to make it easier for her to feel around.
Zhu Ning's fingers probed into the inside of the skull. The little angel felt very wonderful. This was the first time someone touched its head. The leech in the center of its skull turned over comfortably, and it restrained the urge to rub against Zhu Ning's palm.
Zhu Ning did not find the Code of Wisdom in it, thinking that the robot that picked up garbage was too unimportant, but she found the production batch number in it. This robot was actually the 150,000th, proving that the number produced that year must have been more than this. There were at least 150,000 small robots scattered in every corner of the world.
The robots responsible for picking up garbage were just ordinary cleaning tools before the disaster. After the pollution outbreak, they combined with various different life forms and showed another performance. The garbage in Area 103 and the little angels we meet now, if they are classified according to human levels, they are not considered to be in the same category.
Zhu Ning suddenly felt that if she lived outside the wall in the future, she would definitely meet many little angels.
The types of creatures outside the wall were much more complicated than Zhu Ning had imagined. Zhu Ning was lucky and happened to encounter one that had no attack power. If she had accidentally walked into a polluted area, she should be running for her life now.
If Zhu Ning wanted to live outside the wall, she lacked a lot of knowledge. She didn't know what creatures were outside the wall, or how to avoid danger. She at least needed an experienced guide.
Secondly, she needed a car, which was an essential means of transportation for exploring outside the wall. Otherwise, it would be the end of the world if she walked that far.
Third, she needs food supplies, and she also needs to eat and drink normally in addition to pollutants.
I don’t know if there are any uninfected humans outside the wall, and if I do, how should I deal with this group of people?
Zhu Ning thought about it, calculated the supplies he needed, and made a clear list. He felt that he still needed to go back to Area 103 to ensure the safety of others first, and then prepare the supplies and set off.
Zhu Ning: "Okay, thank you."
The little angel blinked and put his head back on. He twisted his head crookedly and suddenly heard a bang. Zhu Ning had jumped into the river and disappeared like a fish after wagging his tail.
Zhu Ning really swam back along the same route.
…
District 103.
A huge crack split District 103 in half. Lights were already on in the distance. The highway was back in operation with traffic on it. Several surviving buildings in the distance were lit up, and some billboards were flashing.
Zhu Ning stood under the tall wall. She possessed Li Xin's mimicry ability. After she came ashore, she changed her face and it was impossible to tell who she was from the outside.
Zhu Ning stared into the distance for a long time. Over there was the wall that Song Zhizhang had formed before his death. The new wall was very tall, blocking Prometheus, and there were pale lines on the surface.
When Zhu Ning looked at the wall, it was as if he was looking at Song Zhizhang's tombstone. The thing that solidified after his death stood quietly, finally finding peace.
Zhu Ning looked at it for a long time, as if in silent mourning, but she did not move to the corner to take a look. She lowered the brim of her hat and walked into the crowd.
Countless people passed by her, but she seemed homeless and had nowhere to go.
Zhu Ning didn't have a secondary brain or bracelet on him, nor did he have any chip to prove his identity. However, now it was post-disaster and many people's identification documents had disappeared.
There was a camera on the corner of the street, like an eye, and Prometheus didn't know if he could find her.
She guessed that the probability should not be high. As long as she changed her face fast enough, it would be difficult to be completely locked down.
The problem now is how she can find her companions. What happened to Shen Xing, Qiao Yefei and Lin Xiaofeng? Zhu Ning urgently wants to know their whereabouts. How long has it been since that day?
She walked into the convenience store. The first industry to recover after the war was the catering industry. It was winter now, and a few people bought hot noodle soup and sat by the window to eat. As soon as Zhu Ning entered, she was filled with the aroma.
She is hungry.
Human primitive instincts cannot be false, but unfortunately she only has the ability of mimicry and has no money on her. Zhu Ning sighed as she looked at the steaming soup pot.
A woman in the queue in front of me suddenly said, "Boss, I want to buy two, and the second one is for this young lady."
Zhu Ning was stunned. The person in front of her was probably only fifteen years old. Logically, she was considered Zhu Ning's sister. She smiled shyly at Zhu Ning, feeling a little embarrassed, and walked away with her own bowl of noodles.
The boss asked, "Do you want to take your noodles away or eat them here?"
Zhu Ning: "Eat here."
The boss didn't even look at her and handed the bowl of noodles over. There were people queuing behind Zhu Ning, and they seemed to be used to it. After the war, many people were displaced and there was massive unemployment. There were more poor people than before, and eating noodles was a luxury. Sometimes every bit of help counted.
Zhu Ning simply experienced the most instinctive kindness of strangers in this era.
A bowl of noodles in a convenience store only takes two mouthfuls, so rich people won't come in to spend money. This is all the poor can afford if they want to eat some human food. Eating human food has a strong psychological comfort effect, and that's what it means to be considered a human being.
Zhu Ning took the plastic bowl of noodles and felt that her palms were extremely hot. Her hands were cold, and holding the bowl of noodles was like holding a stove. The worldly atmosphere instantly spread over her, and her body became warm.
Zhu Ning couldn't find a seat, so he ate by the window. The convenience store window reached the ground, so he could see people passing by. There were cracks on the ground, but people were walking on the cracks, starting their new lives.
Human life is surprisingly tenacious. It has gotten back on its feet so quickly. It won't be long before the previous order is restored. Area 103 is slowly recovering.
Zhu Ning watched the people coming and going for a while. She had always wanted to be a nobody and didn't have any big dreams of saving the world, but for the first time she felt that this was not bad.
Zhu Ning finished his soup in silence and looked at the communication terminal next to him. It was considered a public telephone of this era and could also access the Internet, but required a card to use it.
Zhu Ning gently touched the surface of the terminal, and the network unfolded in front of her. The network in Area 103 had just been repaired not long ago, and many devices were still out of use.
Zhu Ning quickly went online and realized that twelve days had passed since that day, and Zhu Ning had missed a lot of things.
Area 103 won the victory and swallowed up the pollutants. The news of victory was immediately transmitted to other areas. Civilians in other areas learned the truth about how the world works, and large-scale riots and marches broke out many times, but they were restricted by Prometheus's deterrence and did not dare to resist collectively.
As long as Prometheus is immortal, it is impossible to overthrow the kingdom of God. Now there are airships of the kingdom of God parked outside the wall, and war can easily break out.
After Area 103 resumed operations, the first thing they did was to dismantle the weapons within the city walls and deprive Prometheus of control. This went smoothly and the media devoted a lot of space to reporting on it.
The second big news is that the underground of Area 103 has been completely purified, with zero pollution for the first time. This is the first time that humans have taken land away from pollutants.
The third piece of news is that many people are looking for Zhu Ning. Zhu Ning had made speculations before. Ordinary people's views on her are extremely polarized. Some people are afraid of her, some people worship her, and even a new religion has emerged saying that she is a god.
The faction seeking the devil and the faction seeking the true God are evenly matched.
Zhu Ning's wanted order has not been removed yet, and the bounty on her head has reached an astronomical level. On the other hand, some people are making statues and large posters of her, hanging them all over the walls, and some people are even worshipping her like a Buddha.
"Please wish me a good day."
Zhu Ning: “…”
She is not a koi fish, how can she bless you with success? This is a bit beyond the scope of her job. It would be better if you asked me to kill a pollutant.
Zhu Ning continued to explore silently, as if they were not discussing herself. She found the internal network of the cleaning center and saw Shen Xingqiao's information. She was receiving treatment in Guangming Hospital.
Having found it, Zhu Ning withdrew his hand, threw the plastic bowl into the trash can, left the convenience store and walked towards the hospital.
The hospital had lax management, insufficient staff, and was in chaos, so Zhu Ning easily got in.
She looked at the time carefully and found that Ye Fei was not there. It seemed that he had gone to get medicine or handle some procedures. Zhu Ning put one hand on the door, opened the door lock, covered the camera screen, and slipped in quietly.
There was not just one person in the ward. The original room was temporarily divided into four spaces, all blocked by curtains, making it a bit crowded. Zhu Ning found Shen Xingqiao's position. She was on the bed against the wall.
Zhu Ning was sitting beside the bed. Shen Xingqiao had her eyes closed, a ventilator on her face, and tubes connected to her body that Zhu Ning couldn't understand. Her long curly hair drooped listlessly, and her breathing was very weak, like a sick cat.
After Zhu Ning sat down, his shadow gently fell on Shen Xingqiao. Shen Xingqiao was seriously injured in the abdomen, and blood was faintly seeping from the edge of the quilt. The bleeding had not stopped completely for such a long time.
Zhu Ning stretched out her hand. She did not have the memory of the first generation Zhu Ning, but the feelings were the same. She knew that Shen Xingqiao treated her very well. Even though she knew that the current Zhu Ning and the first generation might not be the same person, she still treated her as good as her own sister.
Zhu Ning touched Shen Xingqiao's hand. Her hand was very dry and there was a needle inserted on the back of her hand. Zhu Ning held her carefully.
Zhu Ning couldn't speak. She touched Shen Xingqiao's forehead, meaning to say, "I'm here, don't be afraid."
Zhu Ning sat by the bed until dawn. She heard other people's footsteps outside. Zhu Ning stood up suddenly, as if she was a thief and the original owner of the house had returned. She crawled behind the curtain of the bed next door.
Ye Fei came in with a washbasin and replaced Zhu Ning's position. He gently wiped Shen Xingqiao's face and said softly, "Zhu Ning is fine. She can live well wherever she is."
Zhu Ning was stunned. Ye Fei didn't know that there was someone standing behind him. He kept muttering to Shen Xingqiao that everything was fine outside now. Your mother is looking for you. I didn't dare to tell her where you are. The Spark Club went to provide disaster relief.
It was obviously all nonsense, but Zhu Ning listened very carefully behind the curtains and didn't miss a single word.
Zhu Ning did not move forward or take a single step beyond. She had made up her mind before she came here that this time she would go alone. She did not need any companions to die for her.
As soon as Zhu Ning contacts Ye Fei, Prometheus will immediately cause trouble.
The door of the ward was opened and other people came in one after another. While Ye Fei was not paying attention, Zhu Ning turned on his transparency ability and walked out with the crowd.
Ye Fei felt the curtain behind him shake. When he turned around, he saw the family member of the person in the next bed coming in with an insulated box. Ye Fei blinked, not knowing what he was thinking. He shook his head and continued to talk endlessly with Shen Xingqiao.
After Zhu Ning walked to the corridor, Ye Fei's voice was blocked by the ward door. She was still in a transparent state. No one could see her coming and going. She became a truly transparent person.
After that, Zhu Ning came to see Shen Xingqiao every day. She was careful enough and deliberately avoided the cameras, changing her face to a different person every day. She was very restrained and only sat by Shen Xingqiao's bed for an hour each time without making any sound.
She and Ye Fei have a good understanding of each other, and it is becoming increasingly rare to run into each other.
Today is the sixth day that Zhu Ning has been taking care of Shen Xingqiao. During this period, in addition to coming to the hospital every day, she has been keeping an eye out for suitable guides outside the wall and looking for Lin Xiaofeng, but strangely, she has not found any relevant clues about Lin Xiaofeng.
Lin Xiaofeng seemed to have disappeared out of thin air in this world, and no one knew where Song Zhizhang had hidden him. It was too difficult for Zhu Ning, a transparent person, to find another invisible person in the vast crowd.
After Song Zhizhang's death, Zhu Ning had to do many things herself, and she was swamped with trivial matters.
Today, Zhu Ning walked out of the ward and passed through the long corridor. There was a fire-proof external staircase on this side, and the camera had a blind spot. Zhu Ning often took this route.
As Zhu Ning pushed open the door, he smelled the scent of a woman's cigarette. Smoking is prohibited in the hospital, and people often smoke on the fire escape stairs, but the smell of cigarettes today was very special.
At that moment, Zhu Ning suddenly heard someone behind him say, "Where do you want to go?"
It was a very familiar voice. Zhu Ning slowly turned around. Huo Wenxi was leaning against the door. She was wearing a black coat, with long braids hanging in front of her chest and a pair of leather gloves. She had a cigarette in her mouth, and the red sparks flickered in the dark night.
Zhu Ning had a face that she had casually imitated that of a stranger, and normal people probably wouldn't be able to recognize her, but she knew it was impossible to escape Huo Wenxi's supernatural powers. The little witch had a terrifying intuition.
Zhu Ning remained silent, wondering if he should play dumb. Huo Wenxi, wearing a black eye mask, looked over with his other eye, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said calmly, "Do you have any money on you?"
Zhu Ning: “…”
Huo Wenxi didn't say anything like "I'm safe" or anything like that, he went straight to the point: Zhu Ning had no money.
The author has something to say:
At the end of the first volume, I will write a few chapters to explain the status of other supporting characters. If you feel bored or not interested, you can skip it and read the second volume directly~
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2023-05-06 16:10:18 and 2023-05-07 16:12:44~
Thanks to the little angels who threw the rocket launcher: Mo Ranshu~, Mero 1;
Thanks to the little angel who threw the grenade: 2 Jianghu wines;
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: 3 in the hall; 33130042, JK, Witty Xiulist, Lava Flask, Nuonuo is a pig, Cen, 47415758, Kuixin Wei San Zhu Ning Quickly Give Me a Dream, Jianghu Boiled Wine, Garfield Big Fat Cat and Jerry, liliko, UlA, What is the South Pavilion, Baozi Ya., Chen Jiuan, Y. 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: Who did she sell the account to again? 473 bottles; Love and Hate 140 bottles; Hehehe 100 bottles; Full Granary 97 bottles; Fruit Platter 70 bottles; Oasis, Starry Eyes, Sea Salt Orange Gummy Candy 66 bottles; Your Little Fatty @_@ 53 bottles; Ci Ling, Watching Lolita on the North Slope 50 bottles; Farewell 41 bottles; Life Needs Thinking 40 bottles; Yi 39 bottles; Pei Zhi 37 bottles; Jian 35 bottles; 29543023, Liu Chuanyu, UlA 30 bottles; Eat Delicious Drinks 25 bottles; Urge the Small Team Captain, Debby Chestnut, Liang Friend, 42114428, Xianyu Does Not Include Shipping, Jellyfish, A Ship Full of Clear Dreams Pressing the Star River, Guang Ye Aurora. , Douyue, 25866034, Shilu, Baozi 20 bottles; ruyi, Charlotte!, Dorayaki 19 bottles; Haizhongsha 18 bottles; ... 17 bottles; I am a little fool 14 bottles; Baiyan 13 bottles; Rennny, LILi, If the new moon is clear, Yuling, Tangli, White on the eaves, Hahaha, laughing, Deer are seen in the deep trees, Xiaorenjiu, Atypical big cake, I can't think of it, Xiaochayedan, Tea is only good after a hundred ways, Double Ten and Two, MOMO, Mo Ranshu~, Ruibin, Jiurao, 31257608, Xiao Peifei, Yuanqi Ayujiang, Wei Xinwei San Zhu Ning, Give me a dream quickly, Jiji 1900, Чao, Drinking and singing, There is something wrong with me, ..., 63770119, melody 10 bottles; Fayfay, Cute Since Childhood 9 bottles; Kiwi, 52785515, Awang, Han, Spring Topic, Chen Jiuan, Sunset Grapefruit, 46999703, Yusha, Black Cat, Sister Xin’s Dog, Pineapple No. 11 5 bottles; Meow Meow, Sweet, Who Called Me Mud, Garfield the Fat Cat and Jerry 3 bottles; zjzdoyouknow, It’s Late in the World. , -Wist Star, Don't Mind Your Own Business, Seventeen Is Not Soft, British Principal and German Boyfriend 2 bottles; Strawberry Sundae, Hongselulu, In, 22585760, Hee Hee, Jianghu Chuanqi, Don't Bow Your Head, Pick Up Money Without Money, Yuantou Will Go to Jail Immediately, Qingdao Huang Mama, 56524804, Qiqi, Ling, 56055579, Ah Xue, Pomelo is Delicious, Stephanie, An Baba, 50652716, Don't Take My Carrot, Cen, Hee Hee Ha Hee, Don't Bother Me Please, Open Your Mouth, Tongtong, Wang Duoduo Loves Reading, Yuesu vv, I Hate Spring to Death, Ah Man, Nih Wei Yu Xi, I Really Like Chinese Civilization 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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