The subway station is only about a kilometer away from the neighborhood where Xiao Xiao's home is located, but they need to pass through a bustling square. It is already late, but there are six or seven middle school students sitting in twos and threes on the railings at the edge of the square. They Their school uniforms were tied around their waists, some had dazzling white hair, some wore huge silver earrings, and some had their trouser legs rolled up high, revealing dense tattoos.
They shared cigarettes with each other and passed the wine bottles in their hands. When they saw Xiao Xiao and Yang Jia approaching, they all stopped joking and turned to look at them expressionlessly.
Xiao Xiao and Yang Jia didn't look directly into their eyes and walked slowly past them.
The teenagers in this city are full of anger. Even adults cannot look directly at them, otherwise it will easily lead to unnecessary fights.
After they walked away for a while, there was a sound of ridicule and whistles behind them, as if those people were announcing their victory.
Yang Jia walked out of the subway station with Xiao Xiao, who seemed to be a little lost, and followed him quietly, without trying to interrupt the turbulent fear and distortion in his heart.
It wasn't until she was far away from the angry and aggressive young people that she slowly took out a cigarette, lit it, and looked at Xiao Xiao gently.
Xiao Xiao, who does not smoke, saw the cigarette and subconsciously wanted to reach out, but Yang Jia, after lighting it, handed the cigarette over and stuffed it into his mouth.
The mint-flavored cigarette stimulated Xiao Xiao to cough, but his numb head seemed to turn again because of this.
"What on earth is this?"
"..."
His voice was hoarse and he asked unspecific questions.
"As you can see."
Yang Jia said softly: "We live in a living city, and its will is always watching us!"
"Some people say that we are pulled into this false and crazy world by a powerful, indescribable life. It has everything familiar in our memory, but its essence is alive."
"Some people also say that our world was invaded by this unknown life form, and it swallowed up our cities."
"Everyone believes in either theory and has found their own evidence, but we believe in the former, so we call ourselves strangers."
"At least, if we understand it this way, our hometown still exists, but we can't go back."
"..."
Xiao Xiao didn't understand why Yang Jia pointed out these two theories. In his opinion, no matter what the reason was, it changed this crazy and terrifying fact.
This city is alive...
How can a living being exist in the form of a living city?
"For some high-level life forms, it is possible to exist in any situation, but we can't understand it."
Yang Jia seemed to have guessed what he was thinking and said softly: "Of course, our goal now is just to learn to survive in such a city."
"Survive?"
Xiao Xiao was a little stimulated by these three words and felt ridiculous.
"How to survive?"
He even thought it was a bit absurd: "We are in a world full of monsters. Even the city we are in is just a monster..."
"Of course, suicide is not ruled out as an option."
Yang Jia smiled and said softly: "The gun is still in your hand. If you are willing to kill yourself or keep it for self-defense, that is a path you can freely choose."
This answer surprised Xiao Xiao, and he seemed to have thought about it carefully.
Yang Jia seemed to have waited seriously for a while. Seeing that Xiao Xiao did not try to shoot her in the head, a smile gradually appeared on her face and she nodded lightly: "It seems that you chose to live."
"Yes, live."
"Even if there is no reason to live, wanting to continue living is our most precious quality!"
"After all, as long as you live, you can always find reasons slowly."
"..."
"I really don't want to die..."
Xiao Xiao answered this question calmly, looking at Yang Jia, but also a little low: "But how should I live?"
He looked back at the group of truant middle school students and saw that they seemed to have surrounded a homeless man, beating him playfully and kicking his snakeskin bag containing his belongings around.
"This city is full of monsters, how can we survive?"
He picked up the pistol given by Yang Jia: "Can you rely on this? Can it work?"
"That's another question."
Yang Jia smiled and said: "As long as you decide to live, of course you have to work hard for this goal."
As she spoke, she had already turned around slightly and came to an old cash machine on the street. She looked at Xiao Xiao and said with a smile, "What's more, we can still think of ways to please 'him'?"
"Pleasing?"
Xiao Xiao couldn't believe it and looked at the city's tall and jagged buildings and the lights that looked like the deep sea.
"Yes."
Yang Jiadao: "As living beings, everything we see every day, including those who play various roles, is part of this city."
"This city sometimes gets sick, breeds aberrant creatures that are prone to disasters, or is affected by other mysterious wills, which affects the city and the 'people' in it."
"And 'he' needs us to help him solve these problems."
"As long as we are willing to exercise his will and help him treat his illness, then we can gain his goodwill."
"His malice will make it difficult for us to move forward in this city, with monsters everywhere, but his kindness will allow us to have everything."
Xiao Xiao followed her and looked at the cash machine in front of him.
There are many signs of beatings and exaggerated graffiti on the old cash machine. The camera on it scans you like an eye.
He waited for two seconds and suddenly saw the picture on the cash machine flashing as fast as the power was unstable. Soon, the dark red back and the messy lines were intertwined and reorganized to form a piece of text.
[Name: Xiao Xiao]
[Age: 21 years old]
[Contract: Low Level]
[Points: 30]
【……】
Xiao Xiao was a little surprised and raised his head suddenly: "What is this?"
"It's the city's kindness to you."
Yang Jia chuckled and said: "Maliciousness cannot be measured, but goodwill can be calculated."
"You just killed a rat man for this city... Well, you shot the last shot, so it can be considered as your solution."
"...So I gained his goodwill, and this goodwill is usually reflected in the form of points."
"Until these points are exhausted, you will usually no longer feel the hostility of this city. In this case, everyone you meet around you will continue to play their roles..."
"...You can even pretend that your life hasn't changed."
"..."
Xiao Xiao felt a little ridiculous for a moment and wanted to ask how he could live in a group of humans who were all monsters on the outside and pretend that nothing had happened.
But when the words came to his lips, he suddenly closed his mouth again: Did he know what they were underneath their appearance before?
"You'll be fine once you get used to it."
Faced with his hesitation, Yang Jia acted very relaxed, helped Xiao Xiao click on the cash machine, and said: "Go home and have a good sleep."
"Remember this point, this is the most important thing for us."
"Tomorrow, I will arrange for more professional people to teach you how to use these points to strengthen yourself."
"But I hope you're well prepared."
"..."
She turned her head, looked at Xiao Xiao seriously, and said: "In this city, the only way we can survive is to solve his problems and treat the city's diseases."
"But I have to say that some things are really scary. Neither you nor I can guarantee that we can survive in front of such nightmare-like monsters in the future."
"That's why if you just chose to shoot yourself in the head, I wouldn't stop you."
"For us, living is no easier than shooting ourselves."
"..."
In the cash machine, a dark red card surface was spit out, with a texture and feel like flesh and blood tissue.
Xiao Xiao took it in his hand and stood at the entrance of the subway station, watching Yang Jia's figure slowly disappear into the dim light of the street lamp. After a long time, he slowly turned around and walked back home.
When he came to the dark and deep alley, he looked up.
When he just walked out of the alley with Yang Jia, he didn't feel anything special.
But now that I came back, it felt like I was walking into a huge mouth.
The three vicious dogs in the neighbor's yard looked at me faintly, as if there were will-o'-the-wisps flashing in their eyes.
The old record player behind the white curtains on the second floor was making a hoarse scream, like a painful soul struggling in hell.
At the end of the alley, a butcher wearing an apron splattered with blood was standing three meters tall. He held a chainsaw stained with flesh and blood in his arms and stared at the prey on the meat rack.
Xiao Xiao stood in the middle of the alley, letting countless cold eyes and strange feelings intertwined with him, feeling the substantial fear penetrate into his heart, but he remained silent for a long time.
He just stood silently in the darkness, without saying a word, just a stubborn existence.
I have been struggling with fear and pain for four years, lingering in a small bedroom.
I endured countless torments, endured countless nightmares, exercised my concentration, and forced myself to adapt to normal thinking under this huge pressure.
All this is done just to return to this world.
But now, I finally did it, and I can finally step out of the house and walk on the street normally.
But the world has been stolen?
At this moment, a flame of annoyance suddenly rose in Xiao Xiao's heart. Facing the huge and crawling city in front of him, he felt the urge to return his world...
...but after a long time, he just lowered his head and slowly walked towards his bedroom.
