The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chapter 32 Horse Fall
After Yu Qing left the courtyard, the gate closed.

At this time, Chang'e and Yao Dan had not yet woken up from their unconsciousness, and only Daji stood anxiously by the stele, looking forward with anticipation.

Seeing that Yu Qing had come out safely, she rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

"Alright, it's nothing. A huge downpour is about to start, let's hurry and find a place to take shelter in Maluo. These two guys acted impulsively again, didn't they?"

"Yes, he was knocked unconscious and hasn't woken up yet, what should we do?"

"We'll each carry one and walk, what else can we do?"

Just as Yu Qing and his men were about to stop, the rain began to fall. They had no choice but to fly towards Ma Luo in the rain. The journey of twenty-odd miles only took a few minutes.

They didn't have time to choose a building right away, so when they saw the first building that looked somewhat decent, they went up to the roof and then walked down the stairwell.

However, they didn't intend to rush into any room; instead, they stayed on the steps below the stairwell on the top floor. They planned to wait out the rain until Chang'e and the others woke up, then find out Ma Luo's current situation before taking any further action.

Apart from the sound of rain, there seemed to be no other noise around. Yu Qing worried that this was another deserted city. The drastic decline in the Earth's population had already sent chills down his spine.

The existing modern facilities will also lose their updates and maintenance due to the decline in population, and will gradually fall into disuse and become ineffective.

But if humanity were to lose the nourishment and protection provided by these facilities, it would find itself unable to move an inch, and its condition would deteriorate day by day…

Now he's starting to worry that the second amusement park might also be an empty, abandoned park.

If that's the case, his journey will have been completely pointless.

Daji's words interrupted his thoughts. She pushed the stairwell door open a crack, peeked in for a moment, and said, "Darling, I just saw a figure!"

Yu Qing ran over, grabbed her hand, and asked, "Are you sure you're a shadow?"

Daji said, "I think... right."

Yu Qing peeked out through the crack in the door and saw that it was a huge storage space, with all sorts of things neatly arranged inside. "This is probably just a warehouse," he thought.

As for the figure Daji mentioned, it might just be a robot organizing items.

He pulled his head back and said, "You just love to make a fuss. Let's wait until Chang'e and the others wake up and then send them to check the situation."

Daji said, "Even if you only believe them, I can still go and inspect the area..."

Yu Qinggan quickly grabbed her hand, kissed her, and said, "I'm afraid that if you leave my side, no one will protect me. Besides, how can I let you go on such a dangerous mission..."

Just then, Yao Dan woke up behind her and said softly, "Yes, we can't let your precious darling take risks. Naturally, we should go and do such dangerous things."

Yu Qing smiled and said, "You're awake, my darling? Your sudden remark startled me. We've been waiting for you, and we haven't dared to move."

"Shall we wait until we do something dangerous?"

"No... I... I think you're capable..."

"Alright. I know you like to play both sides. I'm going to do something dangerous now. You can cuddle with your sweetheart for a bit while I'm back."

After saying that, Yao Dan slipped through the crack in the door.

While waiting for Yao Dan to return with the findings, Chang'e also woke up. Yu Qing said happily, "Great! You finally opened your eyes. Are you alright now?"

"It's alright. What happened when you screamed so loudly last night? Did we arrive at Maluo?"

"We've arrived at Malu. As for last night, nothing really happened..."

"Why are you screaming so pitifully if nothing's wrong?"

"Hey, why are you digging into this when I told you nothing happened? I was molested by the tomb guardian inside, are you satisfied now?"

Chang'e and Daji exclaimed in unison, "We are very satisfied!"

"You freak. Chang'e, go find Furong and the others, see where the tallest building in Maluo is, and whether they've arrived yet."

"Bring it here?"

"Here? The situation is unclear right now. If it's not safe enough there, you can bring us over. If it's better there, then come back and take us there."

Chang'e ran to the rooftop, then turned back to Yu Qing and said, "My lord, it's pouring rain outside. Do we really have to go now?"

Yu Qing laughed and said, "I forgot. Then turn your face away, Daji wants to get intimate with me."

The older sister stamped her foot and said, "You're talking nonsense! I didn't..."

Chang'e laughed and said, "My lord has changed a lot overnight. Your face is rosy and your eyes are burning. Did you eat something very nourishing?"

Just as Yu Qing was about to defend himself, Yao Dan returned and interjected, "I also think my husband has eaten something behind our backs; he's gotten quite robust, and that signature seductive look in his eyes..."

"Stop! Don't jump to conclusions and condemn the evil. Tell me what you've discovered."

"Inside is a six-story mega-market, which looks very safe. But I don't understand why this kind of market, which disappeared more than a hundred years ago, has reappeared here now?"

"Perhaps this was left over from more than a hundred years ago."

"Impossible. I saw something whose purpose I didn't know, and its production date was April 2C28. And on the first floor, people were selecting goods..."

Upon hearing that there were people here, Yu Qing exclaimed in surprise, "Quickly, take me to see them!"

Yao Dan took Yu Qing's hand and said, "Husband, please calm down. The situation is not that simple. When I was on the first floor, those people initially kept their distance from me, but after they found out that I was just a humanoid beauty, they stopped paying attention to me."

"Perhaps they, like Professor Lu, dislike humanoid beauties."

"That's not it, my lord. Although these people look like humans, apart from their heads, they don't have human genes!"

Chang'e sighed, "Well! More monsters. According to current laws, they cannot be classified as human."

Yu Qing asked, "Then... will they... will they attack people?"

"It seems not. They're just trying to keep their distance from me."

Yu Qing muttered to himself, "Earth, what's wrong with you...?"

"What did you say, husband? Should we still go in?"

Yu Qing pondered for a moment and said, "We still have to go in. Ultimately, we can't avoid what has already happened or is happening on Earth."

However, everyone should remain vigilant and refrain from saying anything inappropriate once outside.

So, with Yao Dan leading the way, Daji to Yu Qing's left rear, and Chang'e to Yu Qing's right rear, the group entered the large shopping mall.

They were on the sixth floor, having encountered no one, not even a robot. None of them knew what the items sold on this floor were for. Yu Qing thought that perhaps they weren't even for human use. The situation was similar on the fifth floor; they were equally confused. However, on the fourth floor, Yu Qing saw a toy that looked like a dog, and he suddenly asked Chang'e, "By the way, where's our Erlang?"

Chang'e smiled and said, "Thank you for not forgetting it. It should be with Furong and the others."

A little while later they arrived on the third floor, where Yu Qing was surprised to find some ancient tableware. He asked, somewhat puzzled, "Aren't we all eating synthetic foods now? What's the point of having these tableware?"

Chang'e replied, "My lord, I've heard that many people have reverted to traditional diets. The reason isn't that synthetic foods are disliked, but rather that they were originally designed for purely human consumption. Now that their genes have been altered, so..."

Yao Dan said, "So it's out of place. You can't let a centaur, a werewolf, and a dog-man eat the same thing!"

Yu Qinggan quickly covered Yao Dan's mouth and said, "Didn't I tell you not to talk nonsense? As long as they don't attack us, don't provoke them. Do you know what kind of people are here now?"

Daji whispered, "Darling, what will you do then? If there's no synthetic food, what will you eat here?"

Yao Dan whispered in Yu Qing's ear, "Husband, you'll have to eat horse feed, wolf food, and dog food..."

Yu Qing smacked Yao Dan on the head and cursed, "I'm not going to eat you, you insolent little devil."

A short while later, they arrived at the second floor.

Here they discovered many interesting things, such as self-propelled boots that could automatically glide for 200 kilometers, and shield-type reinforced thermostatic suits.

This was something Yu Qing really wanted. He decided to buy some to take with him, so he had Daji put them in his backpack.

However, they encountered trouble when they went to the first floor. Because they couldn't pay, they were stopped inside by the service-oriented staff.

"What's going on? There haven't been any problems before..." Yu Qing asked.

Daji, Yaodan, and Chang'e all tried several times, but failed to complete the payment. The response was "Unrecognized payment system and currency".

"My buddy, have you ever heard of a time when payment systems and currencies are changed?"

"My lord, never."

"My lord, those things were manufactured by Shengdi Company. You currently only have a credit line from Shengtian Company. Is that the reason?"

Daji quickly said, "No, no. Shengtian Company's loan was actually fully disbursed..."

Yu Qing said, "So you're saying there's interest whether you use it or not, right? You're all colluding with Shengtian Company to swindle me!"

Daji protested, "It wasn't me, it was Shengtian..."

"Alright, alright, whatever, it's all my ancestors' money anyway. Now help me figure out why my money isn't working here."

Chang'e spent a long time communicating with the humanoid woman, then turned to Yu Qing dejectedly and said, "It refuses to exchange information with me. This garbage produced by Shengdi Company!"

Yu Qing laughed and said, "I understand. Shengtian and Shengdi are mortal enemies, so they don't cooperate with each other. I think I should be the one your two companies are vying for. Let me give it a try."

So, Yu Qing walked up to the humanoid woman, looked into her eyes, and said, "I think I might not have the ability to pay..."

The humanoid girl glanced at him, her body trembled slightly, and she hurriedly said, "Dear Mr. Yu, Shengdi Company is willing to provide you with 6 million RB worth of consumer goods. Would you be willing to accept it?"

"I'm willing to accept. But your company is too stingy; it seems your information isn't as up-to-date as Shengtian Company's."

The humanoid woman replied, "Yes, sir, we do not have your updated information, so we cannot grant you a larger quota. Please understand."

"How much are those boots and that thermostat suit? I'd like to pay for them."

"Okay, sir. That's 178,000 RB in total. Do you agree to pay?"

"Payment agreed."

"Okay, sir, payment complete. You can take those items now."

Yu Qing turned to Daji and the others and said, "Don't be upset when I tell you this, Shengdi Company didn't lie to me about the credit limit, they told me directly that it was a loan."

At this moment, Yu Qing suddenly had a whim and patted the humanoid girl on the shoulder, saying, "If I buy you too, is that alright?"

The humanoid beauty smiled and said, "Of course, sir, I would be honored. Without the gender module, it's 560 million RB, and with the gender module, it's 700 million RB. Which one would you like?"

Yu Qing almost laughed when he saw Daji and the others looking so uneasy. He deliberately pondered for a moment and said to the humanoid Shu, "It's too expensive. 560 million for a genderless one? I thought I could buy a complete beauty."

“I am a complete humanoid, sir. I agree to sell to you at a discounted price of 560 million.”

Yu Qing had only meant it as a joke, but she had taken it all in, so he quickly said, "I'm sorry, I don't really like the way you look."

The humanoid woman said, "Sir, I haven't been sculpted yet. I can reshape me according to your preferences."

"This this…"

"Sir, you said you wanted to buy me, and I have already agreed to your request."

Yu Qing was speechless for a moment. He also secretly wanted to buy one of the humanoid beauties from Shengdi, which would compensate for some of the shortcomings of Shengtian's humanoid beauties. However, if the two conflicted, it would certainly be difficult to resolve.

He could only say, "I'm sorry, I haven't thought about it yet. I'll make a decision later, okay?"

"Okay, sir. I'll contact you later."

Yu Qing waved to Daji and the others, then fled downstairs as if escaping.

Daji and the others were clearly unhappy that Yu Qing wanted to buy another scenic spot, and they all followed behind him with their heads down.

Yu Qing pretended to be angry and said, "I was just joking with that humanoid girl. Do you want to rebel? If you keep this up, I'll replace you all with Shengdi!"

Yao Dan quickly came over and took his hand, saying, "We're just a little jealous, don't be angry."

Daji also took his other hand and said, "Look how good we are, darling, don't make trouble for yourself anymore, okay?"

Chang'e was slow, so she had to hug him from behind and push him forward, saying, "My lord, let's get to the Second Paradise as soon as possible, and please don't cause any trouble."

"Have you all finished talking? I already find the three of you troublesome enough, I don't have the energy to bring in another one. Let me make this clear, if anyone gives me a long face again, I'll sell them out."

Daji laughed and said, "We can't sell them."

"If I can't sell them, can't I keep them for myself?"

Yao Dan smiled and said, "That will work."

Chang'e said, "We're sorry to trouble you, my lord, we've stuck to you."

(End of this chapter)