Global Film Emperor

Chapter 403 "Afterlife"
A soft popping sound came from the pan as the butter gradually melted and was absorbed by the steak. The aroma of rosemary evaporated into the air, making Parker's stomach grow even hungrier. He took a deep breath, inhaling the beef's flavor in the air, and watched the steak being taken out of the pan until it came to life on the cutting board and was finally placed on a plate.

Fifteen minutes later, all the dishes were ready. The Parker couple stood at the Nelson's door, carrying the dishes, and gently knocked. Even through the wall, they could hear the music and laughter coming from the next room.

"Lisa, how did you know I really wanted steak? Come on in! Hey Parker, I heard you weren't feeling well. How are you? Are you alright?"

After gene enhancement, the aging rate of humans is also slowed down. Although Nelson, who is now over 160 years old, has a full head of silver hair, his face is not overly aged, with only a few scars on his forehead.

His face was flushed; he had already drunk a lot of alcohol, and the smell of alcohol on his breath could be detected from a meter away. He wasn't too surprised to see Parker, but he showed appropriate concern, gently patted Parker's shoulder, and put his arm around him as they entered the small room.

Not only Mrs. Nelson was in the room, but also his children and nephews. Upon seeing the arrival of more guests, they hurriedly stood up to greet them, took the food from Lisa and Parker, and thanked them repeatedly.

Jazz music played in the room, which was somewhat dim after sunset, but candles were lit in every corner, adding a touch of warmth and romance to the dimness.

Under the golden candlelight, Nelson's smile was so sincere it was almost blinding, piercing Parker's heart. This scene seemed to transport Parker back in time to many years ago, leaving him dazed and standing there dumbfounded.

"Parker, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No... I'm just, I'm just a little hungry."

"Then hurry up and sit down, Jennifer. Look how hungry Parker is. By the way, where's Jason?"

"He hasn't finished class yet; he doesn't get home until after seven o'clock every day."

"Okay, we should be home soon. Let's eat first, but we should save something for the child."

After seating the Parkers, Nelson retied the tablecloth around his neck and served Parker a plate of beef stew in red wine, while inviting the others to join in with their cutlery.

The champagne appeared somewhat somber under the candlelight, its golden hue lost, and even the color altered its flavor. After drinking it, it lost its original sweetness, leaving only a bitter taste on the tongue.

At first, everyone chatted and laughed at the dinner table, telling interesting stories that they had shared with others hundreds of times, stories that were rarely seen in life. But slowly, when all the interesting stories were told and no more interesting topics could be found, everyone fell silent and began to focus on the food.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Nelson glanced at the clock, stood up alone, pressed down with his right palm to signal the others to sit down, and returned to his room in a quiet environment. He carefully combed his hair, straightened his shirt, and put on the suit that had been ironed and waiting for him. When he came out again, an old gentleman with a full head of silver hair was standing in front of them.

"Nelson, is it tonight?"

"Yes, Parker, you need to know that time waits for no one..."

When he sat down at the table again, everyone sprang into action, hurriedly packing their things, putting on their coats, and even the Parker couple went home to change into something presentable.

"call……"

When everything was ready, Mrs. Nelson was the first to blow out the candle in front of the window, followed by Nelson's daughter, nephews and nieces, who also extinguished the candles in the bedroom and kitchen.

"call……"

Finally, the Parkers extinguished the candles by the door, leaving only the candlelight on the dining table to provide that meager warmth...

Mrs. Nelson walked into the kitchen in the darkness, tremblingly carrying out the main course that Nelson had not yet eaten. She gently placed it in front of Nelson's table, kissed his forehead, and finally gazed lovingly at her husband.

“We’ve been together for 135 years… Your temper isn’t bad, but it’s not good either. You often complain to me, but you’ve never really lost your temper. You’ve never made a lot of money in your life, but you’re not a complete failure either. You’re frugal, but you can meet all my and the children’s reasonable requests. Nelson, you’re a good husband. In my heart, you’ve always been the most perfect husband. I’m proud to have supported you for half my life, and I will definitely tell our story to others.”

Nelson simply smiled gently, patted his wife's hand lightly, and finally, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, sat down at the head of the table, crossed his hands to support his chin, and closed his eyes.

“My Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Lead us into temptation, and deliver us from evil. For to you are the truth, the power, and the glory, now and forever. May we meet in the kingdom of heaven, and serve you at your side, and be joyful and well all the time.”

"Amen..."

He began to eat his main course, displaying impeccable manners under the watchful eyes of everyone. The sweetness of the bread seemed to waft around everyone's noses. He would occasionally pause to take a sip of champagne before continuing to eat methodically until his plate was empty.

He closed his eyes, savoring the last taste of life, exhaling sweet, warm breaths from his white beard, and finally let out a long sigh.

"Um……"

His daughter took the hat from him and put it on himself, and he blew out the last candle in the room...

In the darkness, the sobs were no longer concealed.

"dad……"

"Salina, I have no regrets. I believe you feel the same way. Let's go."

He walked in front, followed by the crowd. They got into their respective cars, then gathered together again, and drove off into the distance under the watchful eyes of passersby.

"Fake!"

The figure, carrying a shoulder bag, ran to the entrance of the residential area, covered in water and with a bruised and swollen face. As the convoy drove away, he began to run desperately, eventually only able to see the taillights of the last vehicle in the convoy.

Anger made him slam his schoolbag to the ground and vent his anger on the nearby trash can, punching and kicking it, leaving one fresh "wound" after another.

In the end, all he could do was lean against the trash can he had hurt, slowly sit down, and burst into tears, burying his face in his hands.

……

The crowded masses squeezed pieces of land together, creating homes for them to live in between their chests and backs. In this city that was destined to block out the sunlight, only a type of low-rise building was allowed to hide in the darkness, even staining itself with a kind of unsettling yet alluring black.

One convoy of cars after another gathered and then left again in the near future. Nelson and his group could only wait patiently in their cars until the vehicles in front of them drove a short distance ahead. About an hour later, they finally stopped in front of the small building.

Everyone got off the bus, entered the building, took a number, found the room indicated on the number plate, entered, and waited again.

Unlike the black exterior walls, the interior was a stark white, so white that it was difficult to spot a piece of paper stuck to the wall. Everyone took their seats until a man dressed in a white robe, wearing a mask and gloves, fully protected, pushed a cart into the room.

"Nelson Steffer?"

"Yes."

"ID or driver's license, bank card."

After confirming that it was indeed him, the man placed the POS machine in front of Nelson, who entered the password. Once confirmed, the man put the POS machine away, pushed the cart into a small room with glass walls, and began to test some liquid of unknown origin.

"Take off your coat and come in."

At this moment, Nelson was like a well-behaved child, silently taking off his coat, handing it to his daughter, and letting her hang it on the hanger next to him before slowly walking into the room.

"Sir... what should I do?"

"Roll up your sleeves above your elbows. I need to prepare some other things. You have about two minutes to say goodbye to your family. Once I've finished here, just lie in bed and leave the rest to me. Don't leave this room."

Nelson, like a child terrified of being scolded by his teacher, shrank his neck slightly, nodded, and quickly folded his sleeves until the blue veins beneath his fair skin were revealed.

Confirming that the glass of water on the man's cart was for him, he tremblingly took it, took a sip, and stood in front of the thick glass, unsure of what to do.

"Dad...dad!"

Microphones and speakers were set up both inside and outside the room, like bank windows. His daughter, Sabella, banged on the glass and shouted, which made him grin in a way that was not unsightly, but extremely awkward.

“Sabera, take care of Mom, okay? Be strong, I…I’m fine, and I’ll be fine soon. Um…Parker, my wife, could you please look after her for me? I…I still have some savings, Jennifer will give them to you later. Thank you, Parker. And Lisa, when you get home and see Jason, remember to tell him…tell him…Grandpa Nelson loves him very much, it’s just a pity he can’t tutor him anymore. I…God.”

"Don't worry, I will take care of Jennifer, but not for money, Nelson. If there really is a heaven, and you meet Wang Hui and his wife there, please tell them that Ziqing is doing well."

"Okay, I will definitely bring it. I'm counting on you all."

He spread the tear stains on his face with his wrinkled palms, trying to make them less noticeable, but the more he wiped, the more murky his face became. In the end, he could only hide in a corner, sobbing, and watch the man's actions.

"Preparations are complete. Come, sir, please lie down."

In an instant, Nelson aged considerably. He slowly climbed onto the bed, lay flat, and felt the cold temperature of the iron bed as the staff secured his limbs and head. Then, they connected his health bracelet to the computer, began disassembling the bracelet, and turned off the microphone that connected him to the outside world.

"Don't be nervous, Mr. Nelson. You'll feel an extremely strong sense of excitement shortly. This is a normal reaction, so don't panic. Please allow me to check your bracelet one last time to confirm your identity. Everything is correct. Mr. Nelson Stoffel, your weary and bitter life is over..."

"Welcome to the afterlife."

The needle was inserted into the arm; the man's technique was excellent, and the pain was minimal. He turned around, fiddled with the computer, and finally pressed Enter. The machine started running, and the adjusted liquid was quickly squeezed into Nelson's body.

"call……"

The liquid was icy cold. After entering his bloodstream, his arm stung instantly until he lost all feeling in it. Then, a feeling of intoxication surged into his head, and a strong sense of excitement stimulated him to keep clenching and spreading his toes.

Saliva began to flow rapidly, and at the same time, Nelson gradually lost control of his body. His mouth was wide open, he was breathing heavily, and his limbs were shaking wildly, slamming the iron bed with loud bangs...

He could sense that death was coming.

The man calmly watched all of this, then soaked a folded cotton handkerchief in disinfectant and gently placed it on Nelson's face to prevent his saliva from splashing.

Disinfectant foam was sprayed evenly on the inside of the glass. The glass cleaning squeegee, which resembled a Venetian blind, was pulled to wipe away Nelson's fingerprints on the inside. Then, the cart was pushed out of the small house, and the person sat on a small chair not far from the family seating area, watching the monitor and quietly waiting for Nelson's death.

Death is not a short process; on the contrary, it requires people to go through a process from panic to excitement, to extreme excitement, and finally to die of excitement.

Perhaps it could be very brief, brief enough to kill a living person in a minute, but the designers of the afterlife did not do that.

Perhaps considering the emotions of consumers, at least they should be allowed to experience the ultimate excitement and joy before they die, so that they don't feel that the money was wasted.

Nelson could feel his life and strength draining away; every minute felt like an exhausting hour of intense workout, yet this exhilarating sensation prevented him from stopping the trembling, eventually causing it to intensify. He wanted to cheer, even knowing it was his last candy before death, he wanted to praise its sweetness.

"I'm going to die...I'm going to die...I'm going to die! I'm going to die!"

Five minutes later, the shaking slowed down, and eventually, he stopped moving as if he had just lain down.

"I'm dying……"

"it's all over."

"That's right...that's exactly what I want..."

His last murmur ceased, and his family could not see whether his face was peaceful or ferocious; only a white handkerchief remained, collapsed in his mouth, forming a terrifying "basin."

"drop……"

The heart rate monitor showed a straight line. The man got up, asked Sabella for Nelson's suit and hat, went into the room, gently dressed Nelson, turned his back to the family, adjusted Nelson's appearance, placed the hat on his chest, closed the body bag, and opened Michael's shirt.

"Mr. Nelson can be taken home now. May Mr. Nelson stay by my father's side and enjoy joy and health every day."

"Amen..."

……

Nelson's body was incredibly heavy, heavier than Parker could have imagined. It took three grown men, including his nephew and Parker, a great deal of effort to lift it. Under the watchful eyes of passersby in the hall, they placed it into the coffin that had been prepared in advance on the pickup truck in the convoy.

Helping the frail Mrs. Nelson and Sabella into the car, the convoy started moving. Parker glanced at Lisa in the driver's seat, then turned to look at the picture of Mr. Hea hanging at the entrance of the Asylum. He remained silent, lit a cigarette, stuck it out the window, where it glowed faintly in the breeze, and finally tossed it at the entrance of the Asylum.

……

"In my memory, Mr. Nelson was never a bitter and resentful person, even though I knew his situation was much more difficult than mine. In the more than twenty years I spent with him, he taught me a lot, although I didn't use most of it. But his character has influenced me to a great extent, and I must admit that."

"Time always works like this, allowing us to gradually accept the departure of relatives and friends. With Mr. Heya's help, we can accept the departure of even more relatives and friends. I don't know whether we should thank him or hate him for this."

"But because of this, we are also destined to accept our own death at some point in time, and to feel happy about its arrival, at least until you become a billionaire. As Mr. Hea said, living too long is not necessarily a good thing."

"He gave us the answer."

……

"Breaking news: Zambi Oderes Hea, a giant in the fields of life sciences, genetics, and medicine, and a great scientist known as the father of longevity genes, was found hanged in his home by his family at 9:00 a.m. this morning. He was 98 years old. Leaders from various countries have sent messages of condolence to his family, expressing that Mr. Hea's passing has shocked and saddened the world. Leaders from various countries have now flown to California to bid farewell to Mr. Hea."

The classroom was completely silent. Parker didn't know what expression he had on his face. No, he knew just by glancing at Lisa. Then, the students erupted in cheers.

"really?"

"Today is... today isn't April Fool's Day! Fuck! What's going on?!"

"How could this be? He was such an amazing person, my idol, how could he be dead? It must be fake! I need to investigate further, this can't be..."

Not only were the students taken aback, but even the teacher, who was in the middle of class, stopped writing. However, unlike the students, he did not show disbelief. He knew that anything could happen in this world.

So he glanced out the window to make sure the sun was still rising in the east, then looked at the clock to make sure time was still passing, sighed, picked up his pen again, and wrote the next question on the blackboard, even though he knew that for the rest of the day, or even longer, no one would be paying attention in class.

As the news spread, the entire planet was in an uproar. Even though life is tough these days, people know that it has nothing to do with Mr. Hea. On the contrary, it is because of his selfless dedication that the end of life can be extended.

People spontaneously held a memorial service in the city center square. As "radicals" in the school, Parker and his group could not possibly be absent, so they came, holding chrysanthemums, and observed a moment of silence amidst the crowds and the sharp honking of car horns.

On the screen on the exterior wall of the building next to the square, the latest investigation results of Mr. Hea’s death were being broadcast in real time. People who had placed their memorial items stood on the side of the street, watching the beautiful news anchor, choking up and reading out Mr. Hea’s last words.

"I am not a financier, so I don't understand what currency circulation represents."

“I’m not an entrepreneur, so I don’t know how much money can be made by exploiting labor.”

"I'm not an engineer, so I don't know how to design buildings to accommodate the most people in the smallest possible space."

“I am not a politician, so I don’t know how to get people to accept a series of repressive policies.”

"But I am human, and I am terrified by the rapidly rising prices, but I am powerless to do anything about it."

“But I am a human being. I know that life shouldn’t be just about work, but I can’t do anything about it.”

"But I am a human being, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a cramped and dark room, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"But I am a human being. I am willing to contribute to the development of the city, but I do not want to be just a number, a match, or a barrel of fuel. But I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do about it."

"Therefore I am a sinner, unable to bear laughter and joy, unable to bear the clear blue sky, unable to bear the flight of white doves."

"I would die for my ideals, so I ultimately died for my ideals, and I regretted it for the rest of my life."

"I am sure to fall into hell, but I will still look up to heaven and hope that my old friends will be happy and healthy."

For some reason, tears welled up and eventually fell. Everyone stared blankly at the screen, their mouths opening and closing, but they couldn't utter a single word.

They desperately wanted to vent, but when they turned around, the police, who were on high alert, were watching them. Instantly, their desire was suppressed. This was the most unbearable moment for Parker. At that moment, he hesitated, took a step back, then another, and finally turned around and ran home.

……

“I have never hated myself so much, I am unusually angry at my own cowardice. Mr. Hea is right, I cannot die for my ideals, so I am also a sinner, or perhaps, at this moment, I am already dead.”

"I'm dead."

"I understand that in the future I will remain silent about everything. It is a painful ending, but it is my ending. I will become ordinary, graduate an ordinary student, work an ordinary job, retire at an ordinary age of 120, or maybe even longer. Just like that, as an ordinary person whose ideals will never be realized, I will die an ordinary and happy death."

"I will become a devout Christian, exchanging a lifetime of toil for the joy after death, and look forward to the view of heaven. Will it be beautiful? I think so, it will be. As for some things in this world, I'm sorry, I can't do anything about it anymore."

……

The city center was a full fourteen kilometers from Parker's home. He ran tirelessly until dusk, until he was exhausted, pale, and covered in sweat, like an old man on his deathbed, before finally pushing open the door to his house.

Surprisingly, the lights were off in the house. Candles were placed in the corners of the rooms to provide illumination, making the whole house unusually warm and cozy. The mother was busy in the kitchen, while the father sat at the table drinking alone. When Parker returned, he did not say anything.

"This is……"

"Parker, where have you been running around like a madman? Go take a shower, then dinner is ready."

"What is this going to do?"

"Go take a shower first, I'll tell you later, okay? I made your favorite tomato and beef brisket, and braised pork. Go take a shower now."

The mother pushed and shoved Parker into the bathroom with a look of disgust on her face. But as she closed the door, she leaned against the door, looked at the father, and gave him a complicated smile.

Parker was exhausted; even bending over to splash water in the bath was a challenge. He even fell asleep in the bathtub for a while, until the bathwater choked his nose, which revived him considerably.

He got up, changed his clothes and furniture. His parents were sitting at the table waiting for him. After he sat down, without much small talk, the three of them picked up their chopsticks and ate dinner quietly.

After strenuous exercise, people's appetites are not very good, and with something on his mind, he didn't eat much and was already full. However, he didn't leave the table immediately. Instead, he looked suspiciously at his parents who were chewing slowly and carefully, and finally asked them a question.

"Mom, what exactly happened?"

"I have three things to tell you today. First, your father and I are officially retiring starting today. Have some more to eat."

The beef brisket, simmered over low heat for a long time, was incredibly tender. My mother placed it in a bowl, and the fat shimmered with an alluring color under the light, whetting my appetite. Even after I'd eaten my fill, I still felt the urge to eat more.

Parker didn't say anything. He understood what retirement meant, of course, but he didn't need to worry too much about it. After paying into his pension for over sixty years, it was time for it to come in handy. Parker was just glad that the retirement age of 120 hadn't been implemented yet. He guessed that his parents would be among the last to retire at 90.

"What about the second one?"

“Your father and I discussed it and signed the house transfer agreement today. It might be demolished in a few months, and this place will become a residential community. We are very satisfied with the compensation plan.”

"Why is this happening so suddenly? I don't want to move..."

"It's just a temporary relocation. We'll come back once the community is completed. They compensated us with a property and a settlement of £1.2 million."

Today, £1.2 million is still an amount of wealth that many families would struggle for decades, or even a lifetime, to earn, let alone with a house included. This price is enough to entice Parker.

So he didn't say much, but looked regretfully at the detached house. It held so many happy memories, and knowing that it would be gone in a few months, a feeling of reluctance welled up in his heart.

People will always have some nostalgia for the past, but in the end they will still keep up with the pace of time and try to grasp the tail end of the future.

"Okay, what about third?"

"Dad and Mom are getting ready... getting ready to pass away."

"..."

(End of this chapter)