The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Haiyuan City, or rather, the land that was once Haiyuan City. There were no ruins, no screaming survivors, not even the mushroom cloud and radioactive fallout typically seen after a nuclear explosion. All that remained was a gigantic, speechless, bowl-shaped crater with edges resembling glass.

The pit walls were so smooth as if they had been scooped away mercilessly by a god with a giant ladle. The rocks and soil melted and vaporized under extreme temperature and pressure in an instant, and then cooled into a desolate glass plain that shimmered with an eerie light.

The center of the giant crater was bottomless, as if it led straight to hell. The air was filled with a peculiar smell, a mixture of ozone and ionized particles, but it was not pungent; it was simply an atmosphere of utter emptiness.

The skyscrapers, bustling traffic, and hundreds of thousands of vibrant lives of the past have all been transformed into elementary particles, dissipating in the energy storm without leaving a trace.

There were no cries of agony, for everything that could make a sound had been annihilated. Only the mournful whimpering of the wind as it swept across the vitreous surface, like the low weeping of ghosts.

This absolute silence and nothingness is more impactful to the soul than any bloody battlefield, silently proclaiming the annihilating power of antimatter weapons that transcends comprehension and operates on the level of rules.

Satellite images spread across the globe, and everyone who saw that huge "blank" felt a chilling cold—humanity has indeed never truly learned from the tragedies of history, and the button of destruction has always been within the reach of a madman.

At the Shengtian headquarters, Yu Qing stared at the death zone through a high-definition holographic observation screen, remaining silent for a long time.

Chang Sheng's insane attack not only destroyed the core of Dadian Jinghua, but also created a terrifying structural balance.

At least on the surface, no one dares to launch a decapitation-style attack on Shengtian again, because no one can bear the possibility of mutual destruction brought about by the next "Chang Sheng".

"Has the threat... been temporarily lifted?" Yu Qing murmured to himself, but there was no joy on his face, only endless exhaustion.

He recalled his earlier thought: after resolving the cloning crisis, he would withdraw from Shengtian's affairs and devote himself entirely to the task of restoring the original human race. Now, it seemed, was the right time.

He found Chang Sheng to hand over his work and hoped that Chang Sheng would not act impulsively after his departure and would stabilize the overall situation of Shengtian. However, the Chang Sheng he saw seemed to have lost all his energy overnight.

He sat in the shadows, his eyes vacant, all his former sharpness and decisiveness gone, leaving only a deathly indifference.

"You've come." Chang Sheng's voice was hoarse and flat. "Shengtian... I'm leaving him to you. I'm tired."

Yu Qing was taken aback: "Didn't you always dislike me interfering here? What, now that we need you, you want to wash your hands of this and run away..."

Chang Sheng simply shook his head slowly, his gaze unfocused: "Ya Shi is gone... Haiyuan City is gone... What's the point of all this fighting for?"

He waved his hand, as if to dispel some non-existent smoke. "You can leave now, Chairman. I don't want to deal with it anymore. Everything... doesn't matter anymore."

This dramatic reversal caught Yu Qing off guard. He had anticipated Chang Sheng's anger, paranoia, and even more extreme revenge, but he had not expected this utter despair and surrender.

With the loss of Chang Sheng as a pillar of support, Shengtian is likely to experience a huge power vacuum and turmoil.

After repeated attempts to persuade him failed, Yu Qing was extremely anxious but at a loss. He had no choice but to urgently summon Vice President Lin Miao—a veteran known for his steadiness and loyalty, but whose abilities and decisiveness were far inferior to Chang Sheng's.

"Lin Miao, during my absence, you will temporarily assume Chang Sheng's position and manage the company's daily affairs." Yu Qing's order carried an unquestionable determination. "Stabilize the situation, and prioritize conservatism and defense. Without my direct order, no major actions are permitted."

Lin Miao clearly felt immense pressure, but still nodded solemnly.

Having arranged Sheng Tian's affairs, Yu Qing, burdened with a heavy sense of urgency, immediately set off for Wengshan. He needed to quickly transfer Dang Gui, Yu Xuan, and the others, who were stranded in the perilous Third Paradise, to this relatively safe new base.

At this point, he could not hesitate, otherwise he would be forever trapped in the endless sea of ​​Sheng Tian's daily affairs.

It's time. Take advantage of this calm window of opportunity to quickly find the other people in the original human paradise and fulfill your long-cherished wish.

In response, Yu Qing not only urgently appointed Lin Miao to temporarily assume his post, but also dispatched two elite reconnaissance teams, which are heading to the Fifth and Seventh Amusement Parks respectively.

With a heavy heart, Yu Qing rushed to Wengshan without stopping.

As the aircraft landed on the newly opened take-off and landing pad, the first thing that caught the eye was the new composite armor wall that rose from the ground around the core area, gleaming with a metallic luster, and the automatic defense facilities that could be seen at intervals on the wall.

The humanoid patrol team, dressed in uniform, marched past in neat steps, and everything appeared orderly and heavily guarded.

Having received the news, Yao Dan was already waiting there. Her eyes were filled with a sense of accomplishment in completing the mission.

"My lord is back!" Yao Dan stepped forward, his tone filled with the eagerness of reporting on his work. "According to the highest standards, the three outer lines of defense have been basically completed."

"Look, this is the newly deployed 'Soundbird' interception system, which can effectively defend against small to medium-sized air raids; the ground has dynamic sensing subsidence zones and crossfire networks; the protective walls use the latest radar-absorbing and shock-resistant materials, which can withstand continuous bombardment from conventional heavy weapons..."

Yao Dan introduced the area as if it were a familiar treasure, guiding Yu Qing up the patrol path along the protective wall. Beneath their feet was a sturdy alloy deck, in their ears was the soft hum of the automatic decoy cannons spinning, and before them lay lush, yet closely monitored, forests.

This defense system is enough to deter any traditional armed forces and prevent mutated beasts living deep in the mountains from crossing the line.

Yu Qing listened silently, but his gaze went beyond the high wall and landed in the direction of the blurred horizon in the distance—that was once Haiyuan City.

The image of that enormous, smooth, lifeless glass crater in the satellite image resurfaced uncontrollably in his mind. There was no smoke, no explosion, no resistance, only a complete and utter erasure at the level of established rules.

"...In addition to the underground bunkers and emergency evacuation routes we have deployed, the safety of Wengshan Base is absolutely top-notch in the current environment!" Yao Dan concluded, his tone filled with undeniable confidence.

Yu Qing slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at Yao Dan beside him. His face did not show any approval, but instead revealed a deep weariness and sorrow.

“Yao Dan,” his voice was calm, yet it struck Yao Dan’s heart like a heavy hammer, “You have done a great job. These facilities are very well-equipped and capable of dealing with most threats we can imagine.”

He paused for a moment, then raised his hand and pointed into the distance.

"But look at Haiyuan City. Two grams of antimatter, in an instant. No warning, no possibility of interception, not even leaving anything that can be called 'remains'. What difference is there between us and a piece of paper in the face of that kind of power?"

Yao Dan's sense of accomplishment froze instantly, then slowly faded, replaced by a paleness born of realization. He opened his mouth, but found himself unable to refute. The example of Haiyuan City was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing all his illusions about "absolute safety."

"There is no absolutely safe place on Earth."

Yu Qing's voice was deep and firm, "We built these not to seek an invincible fortress—that doesn't exist. We are simply trying to buy the people inside as much time as possible to react, a chance to survive, or... just some psychological comfort."

He patted the cold, hard railing of the wall. “True security doesn’t lie in how high the walls are or how sharp the weapons are. It lies in whether we can eliminate the root causes of the use of such destructive power, and whether we can preserve even the faintest spark of civilization before disaster strikes.”

Yao Dan fell into deep thought. She found it difficult to comprehend the unfathomable philosophy of survival and destruction behind this defensive line.

The inspection ended in a somber atmosphere. Yu Qing knew that the defense of Wengshan was necessary, but it also constantly reminded him of the extent to which the madness within humanity and the dark side of technology had developed.

He must quicken his pace and find a true path for the last of humanity before the next inescapable destruction descends—a path that may not lie in clinging to the past, but in continuing onward.

He now needs to wait quietly for the people he sent out to report back on the situation in the Fifth and Seventh Paradises before making any specific arrangements.

Heading towards the more distant Seventh Paradise, led by the experienced investigator "Rock," their stealth aircraft encountered a sudden, intense regional electromagnetic storm as they approached the Seventh Paradise's coordinates. All electronic equipment instantly malfunctioned, and the navigation system spun wildly.

They were forced to make an emergency landing in an unfamiliar valley filled with jagged rocks, and the aircraft was damaged.

“Boss, this storm doesn’t seem to have formed naturally,” the navigator said gravely, examining the smoking equipment. “There are strong signs of modulation, like… some kind of active defense system.”

Rock was alarmed and ordered the team to proceed on foot. Following the backup map, they trudged through the valley filled with eerie static fog.

Even more unsettling was the fact that their portable scanners, used to detect signs of life, consistently showed faint, elusive biosignals flickering around them, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, as if something was peering and following them through the fog, yet never revealing itself. The team members were on edge.

After several hours of nerve-wracking march, they finally reached the outer wall of the Seventh Paradise. Circling half of the wall, they discovered a large opening had been cut open. Looking inside, it was overgrown with thorns, seemingly devoid of any trace of human life or activity.

They entered cautiously and found the interior relatively well-preserved, though covered in a thick layer of dust. Unfinished, rotten food was even left on the dining table in the living area, and personal belongings were scattered everywhere.

Clearly, the residents were suddenly removed at some point, or rather... the evacuation was carried out in an orderly and rapid manner.

“Captain Rock, look at this.” A team member found a strangely styled metal badge on the ground, not the standard Seventh Paradise badge, with a twisted snake pattern engraved on it.

Just as they were trying to retrieve the badges, the entire park's electrical system suddenly started up on its own, and the air circulation system activated, emitting a sharp, distorted audio noise that seemed to be a mixture of countless wails and cold laughter. After lasting for more than ten seconds, it stopped abruptly and returned to deathly silence.

All the team members were startled by the sudden noise, their hair standing on end.

Ultimately, they confirmed that Seventh Paradise was a ghost town, with its residents nowhere to be found.

But those strange electromagnetic storms, unknown badges... all point to one conclusion: the "emptiness" of the Seventh Paradise is not simply abandonment, but a mystery shrouded in mist and full of unknown dangers.

Meanwhile, the team heading to Fifth Paradise, led by the astute reconnaissance expert "Nightingale," faces an equally arduous journey.

While crossing a desert marked as a "radioactive fallout zone," they encountered a rare, massive sandstorm that reduced visibility to less than five meters. The team was briefly separated and it took a great deal of time and effort to regroup.

When they finally reached the observation point outside the Fifth Paradise after a long and arduous journey, they found that the outer shell of the Fifth Paradise was still intact, and the decoy knife they carried could not open it. They had no choice but to report the situation to Yu Qing.

This reminded Yu Qing of the virtual spear, and he immediately sent someone to deliver it to it again.

They finally cut a large hole in the outer shell and were about to go in one by one when they were suddenly swept by a stream of dark liquid, and then their path was blocked by some metal objects.

It turned out that someone inside had already discovered their actions and was lying in wait, watching them. Seeing that they wanted to break in, they came to stop them.

Nightingale instructed the language expert to speak to the people inside, using the Siro language they understood:
"We were sent by Shengtian to help you! We mean you no harm! Please let us in!"

But only a deathly silence responded from within.

Despite repeated calls, the people inside ignored the calls, and some even peered out from the nearby trees before quickly hiding.

After a day and a night of stalemate, Nightingale decided to force his way in. He ordered the engineer-humanoid companions to push aside the obstacles and released stun grenades in all directions before leading his squad into the area.

They had barely entered when they were met with several sharpened metal spears and homemade crossbows. Another man was wielding an outdated particle gun…

The nightingale looked at them with a mixture of amusement and sorrow. Less than two hundred years had passed, and they had already reverted to a primitive society…

The two men and seven women were all emaciated, their eyes filled with fear, wariness, and a hint of desperate madness. They were barely clothed and, like frightened wild beasts, were trying to fight the intruders to the death.

The language expert then explained his purpose to them again in Silo.

“How…how did we know?” The leader, a man named “Old Chen,” asked in a trembling voice in Xiluo. One of his arms was in a sling made of a simple cloth, and blood was seeping through it.

Nightingale immediately realized that these people would have difficulty understanding their purpose. She slowly lowered her weapon, displayed the food and medicine she had brought, and explained in the softest voice she could muster:
"We were sent by someone just like you... to help you..."

After a long and distrustful communication, they finally managed to understand that the visitor was well-intentioned and that someone in another paradise, like them, wanted to integrate with them and go to a place more suitable for survival.

The nightingale asked, "How many of you... are left?"

“We…we only have this left,” a young woman named Xiaoya sobbed.

Nightingale successfully established initial trust, but when he relayed the confirmed information "There are still two men and seven women in the Fifth Paradise" back to Yu Qing, he added an encrypted note to his report:
“The survivors are in extremely fragile mental condition, and communication is very difficult. This place is not suitable for long-term stay, and we need to be transferred as soon as possible, but the transfer process may not be smooth and we may be misunderstood by them.”

When Yu Qing received these two reports, one filled with joy and the other with sorrow, at Wengshan, he felt not the joy of finding survivors, but a deeper chill.

The eerie ghost town of the Seventh Paradise, the degeneration of the survivors of the Fifth Paradise... The plight of primitive humans is far more complex than just population decline.

Three men and twelve women—this last spark was not only faint, but also shrouded in an unknown and hostile shadow. Chang Sheng could give up in despair, but Yu Qing could not.

Yu Qing closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the cool, pristine air of Wengshan. Chang Sheng's abandonment of his post, Sheng Tian's heavy burden, the near-despair of the primitive human condition... all the pressure converged on his shoulders.

No matter how difficult, he had to keep going. For these last fifteen people, for the original meaning of the name "humanity." (End of Chapter)