805 Future Part 2 (1/2)
In the blink of an eye, Gaius fell towards the future through thousands of years of history.
Amid the chaos, Ye Qingxuan could only catch a few fragmentary pieces.
”Asset mergers...””Age of data…””Breakthrough in polymer material…””Large Hadron Collider…””Human-machine revolution…”
In the end, the speed was so fast that he couldn't catch up, and he couldn't even make out fragments.
In just a moment, Gaius fell from the ancient palace and arrived in a pitch-black world.
Countless dark clouds shrouded the sky. A pungent smell lingered in the air, countless towering chimneys spewed thick smoke into the sky, and stinking torrential rains poured from the sky, landing on the ground after flowing along innumerable flashing giant trees.
But when he looked at it carefully, he discovered that the things propping up the sky and extending into the dark clouds were not giant trees, but shockingly tall buildings. From across the railing, the hurricane below blew in his face. Looking down, he was able to see dark clouds surging. The earth was covered in dense fog, and it couldn't be seen clearly.
The next moment, Gaius was no longer looking at it from a human perspective, and he gained an incredible field of vision which allowed him to overlook almost the entire region. He saw the land covered in steel beneath the heavy fog, and the countless buildings rising into the sky like forests. In the innumerable rooms that resembled pigeonholes, the deformed and hunchbacked slaves were slumbering.
And at the very top, above the clouds, in the gorgeous homes that could enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, the well-dressed nobles were partying, tasting the wines and delicacies that had long since disappeared from the earth.
”What... is this?” Gaius looked back, stunned, and saw Charles' smile. The smile seemed to be full of pity, and it also had the calmness of a high and mighty God.
”It is the world that you forged with your wishes.” He looked down at the heavens and the earth, answering Gaius' question. ”A 'wonderful future after capital freedom is achieved.” As he said so, he brought Gaius forward. He took a step, and the rumble from a workshop hit them in the face. In the pungent smell of chemicals, along the huge assembly line, countless man-made creations were moving fast, being assembled by the workers on both sides. The thin and withered workers who were hunched over in their narrow workstation possessed an indescribable calmness.
It seemed as if they had been assimilated by machinery.
More even had machinery implanted in parts of them.
”They are slave laborers, the people of the lowest class in the world. They work more than 18 hours a day in exchange for pay,” Charles introduced the place to him. ”It is a factory that processes filters. If filters are not installed, humans cannot even survive for three hours in the terrifying air outside.
”Tens of thousands of people work in the workshop. It operates 24 hours a day and never stops. There are hundreds of thousands of such workshops around the world, sustaining incredible prosperity.
”It's a pity that they don't really have any asset or freedom, as they have already sold the ownership of themselves to the workshop.
”They are the slave laborers of the lowest class, used as tools, and they have mastered no technology. They can only perform the jobs that have yet to be replaced by machines as of now and are not seen by others as human beings.
”And you… are over there. ” As he said so, he looked up at the highest point of the workshop, at the huge portrait located there. The man on the portrait was majestic and noble, like the one God had chosen.
When the monotonous ringtone rang, the mechanical assembly line came to an abrupt stop, and all the slave laborers got up in unison, lifted their heads, looked up at the portrait above, and began to sing songs of praises devoutly and uniformly.
They praised Gaius, the great leader of the revolution, and they praised the great head of state...
”You are the founder of the country's assets, known as the father of civilization, and you have been revered for thousands of years, becoming a true god. Countless people are striving to uphold your ideals.”
Gaius took a step back, staggering. ”It's not right...”
The next moment, they came to a huge and cold building. The emblem representing the Republic hung high on top, reflecting off a cold brilliance.
”Here is the branch of the Purge Management Committee, generally referred to as the Authority.” Charles opened the door for him. ”Would you like to go in and have a look? A child who drew graffiti on your portrait is on trial. The person who reported him to the Authority is his brother, that child over there. As a result, he received rewards and praise from the great leader.”
In the line of sight of Gaius, who was stunned, the child wearing a badge with Gaius on it on his chest was stepping on the red carpet, heading out of the Authority with his head held high and his chest puffed out, his gaze determined and calm.
”Do you want to talk to him?” Charles asked, reaching out and stopping the child. The child frowned and looked at them on the chest, and soon, his expression became one of disgust.
”Oh, I forgot, you didn't wear this.” Charles reached out and put two badges on Gaius and himself, gave a wave of his hand, and the distaste in the child's eyes disappeared.
”How can I help you, gentlemen? Ah, I know.” The child seemed to have expected it. He lifted his sleeves and wiped the badge on his chest. ”Please feel free to look at it, but don't dirty it.”
”I... ” Gaius looked at him, stunned, his lips moving, but until the child left impatiently, he could not say anything. ”It's just a badge... it's just a badge...”
”One must not dishonor authority. The sacred bourgeois revolution is the cornerstone for the establishment of the country. Even a holy emblem must not be defiled.”
Charles turned around. ”Let's go, sir, we still have a lot of places to visit. It seems that you have not gotten used to being a god.”
The memory after that had already fragmented under the huge impact.
Gorgeous palaces, soft anthems, celebrations... Mutated human bodies... Experiments... Surveillance... Reporting to the authorities... Acquisition... Asset change... Falls... Rises...
Ye Qingxuan could see Gaius roaring angrily at Charles, questioning Charles, defending himself. Then the future changed, once again becoming... even more difficult to understand.
In the wonderland that seemed like a kaleidoscope, the will of the weak would be worn away quickly.
In the end, only ruins were left.
Innumerable rays of vicious radiation were everywhere on the surface of the earth. Deformed humans crawled on the deserted ground, licking the mud greedily.
Amid the wreckage, Gaius' statue shattered, having fallen to the ground.
The majestic face was covered in dust.
Gaius fell to the ground, his hair hanging disheveled around him. He looked at the barren ground around him sluggishly, murmuring something, but even he himself could not make out his words. In the end, he turned madly, pouncing at Charles, tugging his collar.