The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chapter 45 The Face of Daytime

Gu She caused a ruckus outside Yu Qing's house all night, and no one at the inn stopped her because she hadn't violated Changlin's nighttime taboos. She didn't leave until dawn.

As soon as it was light, Yu Qing and his group opened the door and headed straight for the city center. They went wherever was lively.

Having already gained some initial understanding of Changlin yesterday, they were no longer surprised or puzzled by what was happening here.

In some places on the street, there were still traces of blood left from the fight last night, and the air was filled with an unmistakable mixture of various species' smells, but everyone was already used to it.

If you look up and see someone with horns on their head, don't look at them with disbelief. You might just turn around and bump into a bear-like creature.

Since some people started advocating for genetic freedom, the most taboo thing on Earth is no longer racial discrimination, but species discrimination. Basically, as long as the other person can speak a few words, in Changlin you have to treat them as a human being just like yourself.

Just now, Yu Qing made a deal with an eagle-man, buying his second-hand glasses.

Yu Qing tried it and indeed saw a tiny, yellow, striped speck of dust stuck to the mouth of a fly at the end of the street.

You might not believe it, but no matter how much humanity evolves and fragments, people can always find a universally accepted means of transaction and a medium of exchange.

Yu Qing was granted an RB loan by Sheng Tian and Sheng Di. The Eagle Man not only easily transferred several figures over, but also gave Yu Qing a zero in change.

Standing in front of a restaurant that called "Irresistible Gourmet Restaurant," Yu Qing hesitated for a moment, but still decided to go in and eat something.

His ancestors made a fortune by inventing "synthetic food," which inadvertently destroyed all agriculture and food industries on Earth. But now, some places have returned to their old ways, still slaughtering pigs and sheep and steaming buns.

Humans always start from the desire to get rid of all labor, rushing to be a hands-off manager, fulfilling their long-cherished wish of having everything handed to them.

So when synthetic foods appeared, people all over the world cheered, housewives were overjoyed and cried tears of happiness, and chefs threw their spoons into the river.

But one day people found themselves losing their connection to the world and becoming dispensable drifters. Ancient professions became highly sought-after, and even something as simple as braiding water chestnuts was something they were willing to do as long as someone appreciated it.

When Yu Qing and his group sat down in the shop, the owner, seeing the large group of people who had arrived, immediately came over with a beaming smile to greet them. However, upon seeing that only one person was actually eating, his smile instantly froze. Seeing this, Yu Qing smiled slightly and said:
"After I finish eating, I pack several portions of it exactly as they were."

The owner asked, "So what would you like to eat, and how many portions would you like to take away?"

Yu Qing said, "Just take those MD meat pies you guys wrote about, two of them, plus a drink. As for how many to pack... well, too many will spoil... so let's just have ten."

The shop owner asked in surprise, "How can food spoil these days?"

"Why doesn't it break? Did you put something here?"

"No. Shengdi Company produced a food storage container more than 30 years ago that can keep food fresh for up to 10 years."

"Using electricity?"

"No electricity needed. Just put it in the sun. They sell them right across the street."

Yu Qing said to Daji, "You and Yan'er go and buy ten or twenty of those boxes!"

Then he said to the boss, "I'll try it first. If you like, you can fill my box up."

After the boss served the MD meat patties, Yu Qing tasted them. Although they were definitely not as delicious as synthetic foods, they were still pretty good overall. He waved his hand and ordered 100 from the boss.

At this moment, Yao Dan nudged Yu Qing's foot from below. Yu Qing asked, "What's wrong?"

Yao Dan whispered in his ear, "This boss has a strange smell, and I think she has a tail growing out of her back." Yu Qing glanced at Chang'e and whispered, "Is there poison in this or is there something wrong with the ingredients?"

"My lord, I scanned it, and there's no poison. The ingredients are also fine."

Yu Qing laughed and said, "There's an old saying that goes, when you eat an egg, don't try to figure out which chicken's butt it came from."

Yao Dan said, "But thinking about it, it still feels a bit strange."

Yu Qing said, "Perhaps he is a humanoid girl who has undergone a transformation."

“My lord, that’s impossible. She has 34% human genes; she’s a living being.”

When Yu Qing finished his meal, packed his things, and was about to leave, the restaurant owner hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to tell you something. If I offend you, please don't blame me."

Yu Qing laughed and said, "It's alright. As long as it's for our own good, I'd be more than happy to do it."

The boss said, "Your attire is too conspicuous; you'll easily attract attention. It's fine during the day, but at night or after you leave the city, you might be surrounded and attacked."

Yu Qing had also noticed that their attire was somewhat out of place compared to the people around them, so he asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Your attire looks like it's from decades ago. People will definitely think you're from a remote area, haven't seen much of the world, and are therefore easy to bully. Plus, you're all carrying bags, so it's obvious you're here to shop. Who else would they target if not you?"

"That makes a lot of sense. The more conspicuous a place is, the more dangerous it is. Thank you for reminding me."

After leaving the shop, Yu Qing said to Daji, "Perfect timing! Didn't you say you wanted me to buy you a new dress? Let's all go and get a makeover today, a complete makeover!"

Daji and Furong walked ahead, searching for half a street before finally finding a large clothing store.

She ran back to Yu Qing and exclaimed dramatically, "Honey, this store is amazing! You just stand there, tell them what style and fabric you want, and they can deliver a perfectly fitting outfit in a minute!"

"So fast? That can't be right."

"Let's go over and see for ourselves."

Yu Qing followed Daji to the shop. As soon as he stepped onto the clothing selection counter, a holographic image of him wearing the recommended outfits was displayed in front of him. Moreover, there were eighteen images of him wearing eighteen different outfits.

Are these all currently popular styles?

The fitting room replied, "Yes. But each style is optimized for your body shape and face shape, and some random local textures and decorations are created to prevent any resemblance."

Yu Qing said to Chang'e and the others, "Give me five sets each, and I'll take two sets."

It took Chang'e and her friends more than an hour to choose the style, but all of their clothes were made from the raw materials to the finished product in less than half an hour.

When Yu Qing and the others left the shop, they had all changed into new clothes. Yu Qing simply wore a new coat over his old clothes because he couldn't throw away his air-conditioned undershirt. As for Chang'e and the others' old clothes, they were all thrown into the shop's melting vat and melted into water.

Yu Qing joked, "It's like a nouveau riche buying a bunch of new wives in the city."

Daji, Furong, and Yan'er were overjoyed with their new clothes, while Chang'e and Yaodan remained relatively calm. This reveals that humanoid figures from different eras were endowed with different attitudes towards life. This mirrors the trajectory of human development: earlier humans were more emotional, while later humans became too rational.

After changing into their new clothes, they looked much more coordinated on the street than before.

(End of this chapter)