"What should we do next?" Qin Zhongquan immediately asked Gary after the two of them entered an alley.
"Just follow me." Gary walked in front, scanning the ground with his eyes. He quickly found a manhole cover that had already shown signs of corrosion. He flipped it open and used the exoskeleton's built-in searchlight to illuminate the ladder leading to the darkness below. "I studied the history of the community when I was in college." Gary said as he climbed. "During the early to middle period of the community, pragmatism was prevalent. The core themes of all the buildings built in that era were similar - rational, too rational - I think you can see now that the structures here are not much different from those on Mars and the asteroid belt. To be honest, I really admire those idealistic leaders in ancient times. If it weren't for that small group of people who withstood the complex and contradictory social opinions, perhaps the large-scale migration of the solar system would not have happened, and humans would still be struggling to survive on the small piece of land on Earth."
"Do you think ideals are higher than reality? If you can't even get enough food the next day, can people still think about such a mysterious thing as ideals?" Qin Zhongquan bent down and followed Gary to crawl in the narrow maintenance passage. The oxygen content in the air here was very low, to the point where an exoskeleton was needed to supplement it.
"It depends on the situation! After all, ideals don't necessarily have to be grand things, for example... remember to go straight ahead!" Gary went around a branch road leading diagonally downwards.
"For example?" Qin Zhongquan did as he was told.
"Like you. I remember you had that kind of life before."
"Me?" Qin Zhongquan was multitasking, reminiscing for a moment before continuing, "Those days were tough, but I planned what I would do for the next six months, even if I might die of thirst or starvation within a week. Could that be what you're calling an ideal?"
"Of course not," Gary's voice came quickly. "An ideal must be a clear goal. A plan is only part of the ideal. Have you ever read online novels? They're just that kind of cheesy garbage."
Qin Zhongquan shook his head: "No, I never have enough time to watch this kind of thing."
"As long as you read the beginning and the end of those novels, you will know what they are about. If you want to touch people's hearts and make readers willingly pay for them, it is nothing more than wealth, power, beauty, and - love. Unfortunately, there is no ending in reality," said Gary.
"What do you mean?" Qin Zhongquan asked puzzledly.
Gary was silent for a long time before he answered: "Your ideal must not be your ending."
Qin Zhongquan continued to crawl forward when he suddenly felt his body lighten and he fell into a downward pipe. As he fell, he found that the pipe was getting wider and wider, the walls were getting smoother, and a soft light appeared in front of him.
After a while, the two met again in the crystal clear fresh water. Their bodies, which were hot due to tension and panic, gradually cooled down, and were replaced by curiosity.
"We're here!" Gary said underwater.
"But how are we going to get back?" Qin Zhongquan tried hard not to sink.
"There's always a way." Gary turned around and looked around. "Look, there must be a solution within seven steps."
"Where?"
"Sink to the bottom. There's an inspection ladder nearby."
Upon hearing this, Qin Zhongquan stopped his meaningless flapping of his arms.
Over half an hour later, the two climbed to the top of the pool, only then could they see the entire place clearly. The vast, empty space was shrouded in a white mist from the rising water vapor, making the distance seem both endless and endless. Countless cylindrical pools stood one upon another, surrounded by countless bridges and inclined ladders like tangled vines. Slogans were spray-painted on the outer walls of the cylinders, and even after such a long period of neglect, the red characters were still clearly legible.
"Do you recognize those words?" Qin Zhongquan asked.
"Cooling pool - 017, and safety is the first priority in production, maintain hygiene, etc...." Gary walked carefully on the metal bridge, holding the half-person-high guardrail, looking left and right.
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