The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Having survived a near-annihilation disaster caused by oxygen deprivation, Yu Qing became even more determined to leverage the power of Tianqing City to build a layer of security for Wengshan. The air still seemed to linger with the suffocating despair; every breath was a painful reminder of that catastrophe.

Only by completely eliminating deadly external interference can primitive humans gain a precious respite in this last habitat and gradually restore their vitality and ability to reproduce.

However, when he shifted his focus from grand survival strategies to the specific issue of population reproduction, a cold and awkward reality confronted him: looking across the entire Wengshan area, it seemed that he was the only healthy adult male capable of taking on the role of "reproductive agent."

This realization was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, making his scalp tingle instantly.

This means that, in addition to being a protector, he now bears an additional responsibility he never imagined and was extremely unwilling to face—the core of the clan's reproduction.

This realization left him feeling a sense of absurdity and suffocation. His gaze, burdened with a heavy weight, was compelled to turn to the women around him.

First and foremost, of course, are Daya and Xiaoya, who are currently by his side and are the most familiar to him. Although these twin sisters have experienced the troubles of "bacterial replacement" and their mental state fluctuates, making them seem dazed and ignorant, they are physically healthy and have a certain dependence on and trust in him.

Yu Qing tried to convince himself that this was for the future of the tribe, a necessary responsibility, not driven by desire.

Indeed, in this era where humanoids can perfectly replace many human functions, natural reproduction no longer seems to be an indispensable characteristic, but for primitive humans, it is the foundation for maintaining bloodlines and civilization.

So he began his clumsy and ridiculous "courtship" attempts, which even he found laughable. The process was extremely agonizing for him, with each step feeling like he was trampling on some kind of bottom line within himself.

For this reason, Yu Qing meticulously planned a "romantic" dinner, and he specially instructed Dong Hao to prepare exquisite food.

He invited Daya and Xiaoya to dinner, trying to create a warm and special atmosphere. The table was covered with a clean cloth, adorned with rare fresh flowers, and even had a few flickering candles lit, with soft music playing in the air.

However, the two sisters couldn't understand the meaning behind all of this. Xiaoya became extremely interested in the flickering candlelight, clapping her hands excitedly and trying to grab the dancing flame, almost setting the exquisite embroidered tablecloth on fire. Yuqing was so frightened that he quickly moved the candlestick away.

Da Ya, on the other hand, was more interested in the exquisite presentation of the food. Instead of using cutlery, she poked and prodded the meticulously crafted side dishes with her fingers, smashing the complete designs to pieces.

Then she looked up at Yu Qing with an innocent, silly smile: "Brother Qing, it looks so pretty! Look, doesn't it look like a cloud?" She held up the crumpled food scraps.

Throughout the dinner, Yu Qing's attempts to have heartwarming conversations about the future and growing up were interrupted by their childish behavior and naive words.

In the end, dinner ended with the two sisters almost fighting over the last cute dessert. The dessert fell to the ground and shattered, and the two cried and made a scene.

Looking at the messy dining table and her sisters who were still giggling and completely clueless, Yu Qing felt powerless and self-loathing.

Unwilling to give up, Yu Qing tried the "stroll and chat under the stars" tactic again. After nightfall, he took Daya and Xiaoya to the highest viewing platform in Wengshan, pointed to the dazzling artificial starry sky, and tried to bring up topics about the inheritance of life and the hope for the future.

His tone was as gentle as possible, with a guiding tone. As a result, Xiaoya pointed to the carefully simulated starry sky and said, "It looks like a handful of sparkly candy has been sprinkled on it! Can I eat it?" She even stuck out her tongue and licked her lips.

Da Ya then began to worry inexplicably, clinging to Yu Qing's arm and asking, "Won't the stars fall down and hit us? Brother Qing, let's hide!"

When Yu Qing took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and tried to take their hands to convey a touch of tenderness between adult men and women, Xiao Ya recoiled as if burned, pouting and complaining, "Brother Qing's hands are so hot! It's uncomfortable!"

Seeing this, Da Ya immediately followed suit, dodging Yu Qing's touch. Yu Qing's hand hung awkwardly in mid-air, the cool night breeze chilling him to the bone.

Yu Qing even tried to cater to their preferences, rummaging through boxes and cabinets to find some introductory picture books for teenagers with basic physiological knowledge (Dong Hao went to great lengths to find them in an old archive), hoping to subtly guide them to understand the differences between men and women and the matter of reproduction.

As a result, the two sisters were very interested in the pictures themselves, pointing at the simplified human anatomy diagrams and laughing. They pointed at each other's bodies and compared them with the pictures, completely unable to understand the reproductive meaning behind them. They even found the "naked people" very funny, like rag dolls without clothes.

Yu Qing blushed and tried to explain, but they began to imitate the actions in the picture, making all sorts of funny, strange, and completely out of place gestures, turning this serious "education" into another silly game, treating Yu Qing like a big kid playing with them.

After several attempts, Yu Qing finally realized that there was an insurmountable mental gap between him and Daya and Xiaoya.

Their minds are as if they have been frozen in a pure childhood stage, unable to understand or respond to the "love" he needs as the basis for reproduction, or even mature sexual attraction.

His efforts were like performing an ancient song and dance drama for two plants that needed sunlight and rain—not only futile and laughable, but also filled him with a profound sorrow.

In his frustration, he thought of Yu Xuan and Yu Lan—those relatively "normal" native human women who were hiding in the Third Paradise.

They were at least somewhat more mature and capable of simple communication, and during their brief time together, he had sensed a faint sense of kinship. Perhaps, there lay the hope?
He immediately ordered that all resources be used to relocate Yu Xuan and her group from the relatively harsh conditions of the Third Paradise back to Wengshan, where the facilities were more complete and the defenses were more robust.

However, when Yu Xuan, Yu Lan, and Dang Gui arrived at Wengshan, things took a completely different turn from what Yu Qing had anticipated.

He had initially thought he would have the opportunity to naturally connect with them and gradually develop feelings for them. However, he soon discovered that he couldn't find any opportunity to approach Yu Xuan or any of the other women alone.

He had no idea that after spending a few days in the Third Paradise being surrounded by people like an empress, coupled with the fact that she seemed to have experienced matters between men and women at a certain water source earlier, that vague understanding quickly swelled up in her heart.

Given Dang Gui's inherently selfish nature, she has now deeply controlled this small group. Yu Xuan, Yu Lan, and others follow Dang Gui around like stars around the moon, their eyes filled with awe and obedience.

Their eyes followed Dang Gui's every move closely, and they obeyed her every command as if she were their absolute core and leader.

Dangui, with her increasingly arrogant head held high, commanded with an almost instinctive political acumen, meticulously arranging the daily lives and activities of Yu Xuan and the others, while cleverly isolating them from any close contact with the outside world (especially Yu Qing). This meant that if Yu Qing wanted to get close to Yu Xuan and the others, he had to get past Dangui first. He had to obtain her approval, and perhaps... he might even need to "build a good relationship" with this woman who gave him a headache.

The thought of dealing with that domineering, controlling woman made Yu Qing feel nauseous.

In his eyes, Danggui possessed almost none of the gentleness, submissiveness, or wisdom he admired in traditional human women. Instead, she was full of the arrogant, domineering, and shrewd qualities he disliked, which were amplified by her sudden acquisition of power.

He wanted to be as far away from her as possible, but now he was taking the initiative to get close to her?

But the responsibility of procreation weighed on him like an invisible mountain, making it hard for him to breathe. Helpless, Yu Qing had no choice but to bite the bullet and try to have a "friendly" conversation with Dang Gui.

He made an excuse to invite Dang Gui to discuss "important matters concerning the future of the tribe," subtly hinting that he hoped to have more "internal exchanges" with Yu Xuan and others to enhance understanding.

Dang Gui maintained a composed demeanor, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, her tone neither warm nor cold, carrying a condescending scrutiny.

She responded vaguely with some clumsy, pretentious phrases she had just learned, implying that it would be better for Yu Qing to communicate with her directly if he had any ideas, as she could make decisions about the sisters' affairs.

As she spoke, she even made some actions that Yu Qing found utterly repulsive. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Yu Qing's wrist, pulling him forcefully into her arms with a vulgar and blatantly suggestive smile on her face.

Yu Qing jerked his hand back as if burned, a chill running down his spine. He thought to himself, "Even if humanity were to be wiped out like this, I would never have anything to do with a woman like her!"

Seeing Yu Qing dodging, Dang Gui not only didn't back down, but seemed to be aroused by some kind of conquering desire. She suddenly stood up and straddled the unsuspecting Yu Qing without saying a word. She pressed her hands on his shoulders and mumbled some vulgar dialect that he couldn't understand, which seemed to be from the Third Paradise. She twisted her body tightly against him.

Yu Qing was so angry that his face turned red. He pushed her away with all his might and practically scrambled away from the scene. He was filled with humiliation and anger and vowed never to see this terrible woman again.

This path was completely blocked. The urgency of reality whipped him like a lash, forcing him to change direction again and turn his attention back to Daya and Xiaoya, who, although "unromantic," were at least simple-minded and free of ulterior motives.

This time, he abandoned all unrealistic romantic fantasies and moral constraints, deciding to adopt a more direct, even somewhat "despicable," approach. He recalled some rudimentary knowledge about animal instinct-driven behavior that he had gleaned from old-fashioned materials.

He found some spices with unusual scents that were said to have aphrodisiac effects (he only told the sisters that they were new and fun incense), lit them in the room, and tried to create an ambiguous atmosphere.

He deliberately engaged in suggestive physical contact and touching with them while playing and frolicking, crossing the boundaries between siblings...

Although Daya and Xiaoya were mentally like children, their bodies were, after all, those of mature women. Under Yu Qing's deliberate yet clumsy "seduction" due to his guilt, they seemed to vaguely perceive some unusual physical reactions.

Unlike before, they no longer completely rejected physical intimacy. Instead, under Yu Qing's patient guidance and coaxing, they unwittingly and somewhat strangely engaged in sexual relations with him, as if playing a novel and somewhat odd "game."

Throughout the process, Yu Qing felt a sense of inner turmoil, a mixture of contempt for his own actions and a twisted sense of relief at sacrificing for his responsibilities.

Things seemed to have made "progress," and after a brief period of complex emotions (a mixture of intense guilt, deep helplessness, and a sliver of hope), Yu Qing began to anxiously await the outcome.

He closely monitored the physical changes of Daya and Xiaoya, secretly calculating the time, and every time he inquired about their diet and daily life, he carried an imperceptible tension.

One week, two weeks, one month... According to Donghao's daily observations and records, she was still acting as if nothing was wrong, eating, drinking, and playing as usual, with no signs of pregnancy whatsoever.

At first, Yu Qing still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking it was just bad timing, the sisters' health issues, or his own excessive anxiety. He suppressed his discomfort and disgust and repeated this agonizing "game" several more times, but the result remained the same: the sisters' abdomens remained flat.

However, he repeatedly and privately had his most trusted confidant, Donghao, conduct the most thorough possible examinations on the two sisters. The results were perplexing—their bodily functions were completely normal, their uteruses were in good condition, and theoretically they were fully physiologically capable of conceiving.

So, where exactly did the problem lie? A terrifying thought, like a poisoned ice pick, pierced Yu Qing's mind. He remembered his aunt's omnipresent "care," and the invisible guards' comprehensive "management" of his every move and every word.

They interfere with even the temperature of the water he drinks and a drop of tea on the ground. Would they really stand idly by while he tries to leave behind a direct descendant—an action that could greatly increase future "variables" and "emotional attachments" and even influence his final decision?

One chilling fact is almost certain: someone doesn't want him to have offspring. Someone is secretly and quietly doing something.

It's possible that colorless and odorless long-acting contraceptive drugs were added to their daily food and water; or it's possible that a special energy field was used to intervene at the microscopic level in his or the sisters' reproductive systems.

It's even possible that... while they were having sex, those unseen guards were lurking nearby, carrying out some kind of incredible, real-time "interception" at a technological level.

All his efforts, all his struggles and sacrifices, seemed so laughable and so futile in the face of a higher, more ruthless power.

He was not only unable to protect his people from external enemies, but he also could not fulfill the most basic, instinctual responsibility of reproduction on his own.

A profound sense of humiliation, a feeling of being completely manipulated and emasculated by an invisible hand, mixed with utter despair for the future of his people, surged like a tidal wave, almost shattering his will.

He stood alone in the empty, silent room, feeling so insignificant despite possessing power. He felt like a carefully manipulated puppet, all his struggles and sacrifices seemingly predetermined in some unseen, cold script.

The path for the continuation of primitive humanity was far more suffocating and arduous than he had imagined, even from the darkest perspective. (End of Chapter)