Countdown: Humanity's struggle to survive against yesterday

A new day begins, and the world continues its cycle.

The most attention-grabbing thing that day was that an important multilingual document was updated on the "Yesterday's Survival Forum," which is rebuilt every day.

The text reads as follows: "Project Ouroboros"

Objective: To attempt to restore road traffic.

Core idea: Unite all those who can be united, use a relay approach to alleviate traffic congestion in stages, and build a virtual transportation network of "segmented closed loop + information relay".

1. Not pursuing displacement accumulation

As the world moves backward each day, every vehicle and pedestrian returns to its starting point. The traditional "departure-arrival" model becomes completely ineffective. Project Ouroboros acknowledges this, ceasing its attempt to defy the laws of physics, and instead breaks down each journey into "short-distance round trips that can be completed within a single day"...

2. Establish memory stations

A checkpoint is set up every 10 kilometers along major routes, with a group of volunteers stationed at each checkpoint. Volunteers take turns on duty, responsible for directing traffic and organizing evacuations. In case of special circumstances, a relay system can be implemented, with the previous checkpoint relaying road condition information, the number of stranded vehicles, and characteristics of people awaiting rescue to the next checkpoint, allowing the latter to prepare a traffic management plan in advance…

3. Information flow replaces people flow

True "passage" is no longer the movement of vehicles or people, but the relay of information and needs in advance. By utilizing yesterday's memory, the destination, urgency, and supplies carried are summarized in advance through the network to generate a task chain. This allows each station to know "which vehicles will pass through this section today" after the rollback, thus proactively avoiding or cooperating with the other vehicles.

Strive to ensure that the information has completed its entire journey before the person even moves...

4. Segmented closed-loop scheduling

Long-distance routes are divided into several independent closed loops, with all vehicles shared. Within each closed loop, vehicles operate on a daytime cycle of "early departure, midday convergence, and evening abandonment." Passengers or goods crossing loops undergo a "virtual transfer" at the border station—after information exchange, vehicles from the next closed loop depart from the starting point again…

5. Memory-guided right-of-way agreement

Based on the continuous memory of all humankind, establish a daily updated "priority access list"...

6. ..."

……

"That concludes the important announcement for this live stream... For more details, please follow the 'Yesterday's Survival Forum'."

On television, Chen Xiao's face was resolute, his eyes sharp as an eagle. After the routine press conference ended, his demeanor suddenly softened.

He looked at the camera, his tone full of pride:

"Here we thank Grandpa Jiang, the drivers from Greystone Town, and of course, we thank every citizen who has paid attention to this matter. In the most simple way, when global road traffic is facing a huge disaster, you have worked together to deliver an answer that belongs to China."

This emergency response plan originated in China and will be used worldwide.

The ouroboros ring closes every day, the chain of memory extends into eternity, and China will be immortal because of you...

……

Consciousness Day, February 25, 2047, the 25th day of the world's regression.

As usual, the KJ-9000 airborne early warning and control aircraft roared over Shanghai.

As the roar of the engines came from overhead, pedestrians on the street gradually began to ignore it. Some, however, would stand on the top floor of the building waving flags, waiting specifically for the planes to pass by.

The bustling residential area is slowly regaining its vibrancy. Some elderly people are playing with their children in the community square, and young people are also gradually leaving the community.

However, unusually, the door to apartment 2102 in building 7 was locked.

"Woof woof woof"

A snow-white Bichon Frise stood in front of the elevator door, barking wildly at the door of apartment 2102.

"Shut up, you damn dog..."

The dog owner is a pretty young woman in her early twenties named Lu Xue.

She is a student at Liming University. A year ago, her parents rented a house for her in the bustling residential area so that it would be more convenient for her to study.

"Woof woof woof..."

"Milk, be good, don't yell!"

Lu Xue tugged hard on the dog leash, pulling the uneasy "Milk" back with all her might. At the same time, she couldn't help but look up at the door of room 2102, her eyes full of regret.

The house next door used to be lived by a couple; the husband's name was Jiang Ning, and the wife's name was Lin Wei.

When she moved here a year ago, it was a morning when she first met Lin Wei.

I was struggling to get out of the elevator with a box of books when I happened to run into Lin Wei, who was carrying an easel downstairs.

The two met at the elevator entrance, and thanks to Lin Wei's kind help, they got to know each other and eventually became friends.

However, no one could have imagined that this friendship would only last for a month.

Lin Wei's death was unexpected by everyone.

On March 16, 2046, he returned to his residence from school as usual. He was thinking about asking Lin Wei to go out with him when he saw a police car and an ambulance parked in the community.

As I walked home, I saw a crowd gathered at the entrance of Building 7, and several police officers had cordoned off the area in the flowerbed next door.

People around were talking about it, saying that someone had jumped off the building.

I still remember feeling excited and thrilled when I heard those words, until I saw Jiang Ning looking dazed in the flowerbed, and my heart skipped a beat.

Afterwards, the police came to question him multiple times, and each time he answered that he couldn't believe it, or that he couldn't believe Lin Wei would choose to jump off the building.

The neighborhood was abuzz with excitement over this incident for quite some time, and even property prices dropped by 10%.

Some people even whispered that Jiang Ning, who appeared gentle and polite, was actually a pervert who abused his wife in private, which drove her to suicide.

I don't believe these rumors at all.

In the past month of contact with Lin Wei, I have never heard Lin Wei complain about her husband. Every time I hear Jiang Ning call Lin Wei "Sister Wei", I can see the tenderness and doting in her eyes.

How could someone like that be a pervert?

However, after Lin Wei's death, he also cut off contact with Jiang Ning.

It wasn't out of fear; to be precise, after the police investigation, Jiang Ning has kept a low profile and rarely appears in public.

When they finally managed to meet, they found that the other person had become extremely unkempt, with a thick beard, greasy and long hair, and a strange smell, which was quite frightening.

Rumors are circulating in the neighborhood that Jiang Ning has gone mad.

After her parents, who lived abroad, learned about this, they advised her to move away from the bustling neighborhood.

But I don't know why?

I just don't want to leave...

I also tried to talk to Jiang Ning.

But suddenly I realized that there wasn't much to talk about.

Unwilling to move out and unsure of what to talk about, they lived in the bustling neighborhood for another six months until the world regressed.

After the world regressed for the first time, I excitedly opened the door and came to the door of room 2102, but after raising my hand, I hesitated for a while and ultimately did not knock.

In the past two days, the name "Jiang Ning" has been circulating widely online.

After Zhang Jimin's video went viral, he immediately recognized Grandpa Jiang as his neighbor's father when he heard about the "Spring Sleep" sleep research institute.

At that moment, I was really excited and eager to knock on the door, but just like before, I hesitated when I got to the door.

She didn't know what identity to use when facing Jiang Ning.

He claimed to be Lin Wei's friend, yet he did not attend Lin Wei's funeral.

If we're talking about neighbors, there hasn't been any mutual care or concern between them in the past six months.

This move, amidst the widespread online buzz, seems to have ulterior motives.

"Woof..."

Milk suddenly barked again, and the soft bark brought Lu Xue back to her senses. She wanted to pull the rope again, but then she realized that Milk wasn't barking at the door of room 2102, but at the elevator door.

"bite……"

The elevator doors opened, and four people were standing inside.

"Grandpa Jiang has arrived. This is Xiao Ning's floor..."

A warm voice came from inside the elevator, and then a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stepped out first.

The man saw Lu Xue, nodded, and smiled.

Upon seeing the man, Lu Xue quickly grabbed the Bichon Frise, who was trying to run into the elevator, and asked in surprise, "Are you Zhang Jimin?"

"Hey, you know me!" Zhang Jimin adjusted the frame of his glasses, not surprised at all.

Then, Lu Xue was surprised to see three people walk out of the elevator: Grandpa Jiang, Sun Fumin, and Jiang Yuan.