Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 1210: Chapter 922: Belated Arrival

”Ah, don’t be so indifferent.”

Luo Su shook his head helplessly, ”Can’t we be like we used to be?”

”Decades ago, you held the Book of Fate in your hands and watched Utopia’s last institution be erased from the pages, indifferent and silent. And now you come back with your old face and tell me, Yang Zi, we are companions, we have bonds... Who is truly indifferent, Luo Su?”

The elderly person countered, ”Allowing you to step into my home and sit across my table is the last courtesy I have left. Do you still expect more from me?”

In the silence, Luo Su said nothing. Huai Shi paused his actions, glanced at Luo Su, but Luo Su did not look at him, continuing to gaze at the old friend across from him.

”The past and the present are always different, Yang Zi, and the existence or non-existence of Utopia has never depended on the Book of Fate. No matter how loud my voice was, it would have been useless.”

He said, ”You should know that after the fall of the Heavenly Kingdom, the collapse of Utopia was already destined.”

”After all these years, what do you have to say now?” Yang Zi shook her head, ”It’s like an old lover wanting to reconcile, reaching out to an ex-wife, saying we can start over? You really live in a morning drama world, Luo Su.”

”It’s not too late, Yang Zi, at least we’re still alive.” Luo Su shook his head, ”As long as we exist for one more day, Utopia has the potential to be rebuilt, until then...”

”No, it’s already too late, Luo Su.”

Yang Zi interrupted him expressionlessly, telling him, ”You have already come too late.”

She said, ”A few years ago, I already passed away.”

In the quiet, Huai Shi became rigid.

Staring with wide, vacant eyes.

Before him, the old woman raised her hand, removing her face, revealing the countless gears and intricate structures hidden beneath her wrinkled visage.

As her pupils contracted and dilated, the camera hidden within her eye slowly adjusted its focus.

First the face, then the chin, cheekbones, and forehead... finally, the inside of the brain was a hollow space, only a device resembling a clockwork engine slowly turning.

”I am already dead, Luo Su.”

Beneath the steel, came the raspy voice: ”Don’t you understand?”

Huai Shi was in disbelief.

Unable to trust his own eyes.

Now he finally understood why Luo Su called her Utopia’s finest bionicist and mechanical scholar... she had flawlessly replicated herself, including the Source Fluctuation and Soul essence.

Even all the memories of the past...

Even after death, this humanoid tombstone remained.

Mocking the visitor from years past.

In a long silence, Luo Su lowered his gaze, hoarsely asking:

”...When did it happen?”

”Last year, in October.”

’Yang Zi’ sighed, ”Got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, tripped and had a cerebral hemorrhage, I guess it was just time, right? When you get old, that’s the kind of mess that happens.”

She reattached her face.

Removed the lid from the soup pot, telling the two guests, ”Eat, it’s ready.”

Huai Shi took a few bites, but could no longer focus on discerning whether what he ate was delicious or something else. He only heard Luo Su put down his chopsticks and ask again, ”Before she left...”

”Probably very sad.”

’The Elderly’ calmly replied, ”Just had a fight because her granddaughter wanted to study liberal arts, and before she passed, she was concerned about bringing the child back on the right path. Overpaid the apartment management fee, and thought the unused money should be saved, and the food in the fridge...”

”No, that’s not what I am asking.”

Luo Su was incredulous, ”Didn’t she... ever mention... mention us?”

”No.”

The old person resolutely answered, ”That’s ancient history, Luo Su, don’t think too highly of yourself, alright? Or do you think you’re more important than her children and grandchildren? Drop it, she talked about A Long more in those years before she died than she did about you.”

Luo Su grew more baffled, ”Who is A Long?”

The old person glanced at him coldly:

”A dog.”

Thus, Luo Su was left speechless.

”People are gone, why bother caring about these things, nothing can’t be gotten over.” ’Yang Zi’ said, ”We must learn to let go.”

But Luo Su did not give up, still staring intently at her, as if he could see something past within that mechanical face.

”Is it Yang Zi or who that’s saying this?”

”Just think of it as Yang Zi.” The old person remained calm, operating like a machine, coldly telling him, ”To someone like you now, it makes no difference.”

”...”

After a long while, Luo Su despondently withdrew his gaze, picking up his chopsticks again, yet hesitating, softly asking, ”In her last years, was she well?”

”Very fulfilled, but also very lonely.”

’Yang Zi’ replied, ”Children and grandchildren complete, the family thriving, such a life is a blessing for anyone. As for some regrets, they are no longer worth worrying about.

The only regret is not being able to attend her granddaughter’s wedding, otherwise, she wouldn’t have created me, right?

Perhaps in a few more years, I can power down.”

She raised her hand, serving rice to the two guests once more.

Following this, no one spoke. After dinner, the elderly person cleaned up the dishes, telling them, ”The bedroom on the first floor is ready, the bathroom’s on the right, feel free to use them.”

She paused, bowing said, ”Tonight, please rest well.”

The elderly person turned and left.

Huai Shi and Luo Su exchanged a glance, then said nothing more.

There was nothing left to say.

It was only when Huai Shi opened his eyes from the sofa in the middle of the night and saw the light in the bedroom still on, but he didn’t know if Luo Su was already asleep.

But what about upstairs?

In the dimness, he gazed at the ceiling, almost as if some hopeful voyeur was trying to peek through the walls at a beauty.

But upstairs it was utterly silent.

Quiet and desolate, like every grave.

Just arrogantly silent.

Letting the time slip away.

The person is gone.

No matter how beautiful the words or how strong the determination, nothing can reverse such a result.

Look, you were full of spirit, you were determined, you confidently embarked on your own path, but you have arrived too late, everything is already too late.

Because humans will die, after all.

Can’t wait any longer for your good news...

”Damn it...”

Huai Shi silently sighed and closed his eyes.

.

The next morning, after breakfast, Caogene Yang Zi saw the two to the door.

”Then, I wish you both a safe journey.”

She calmly bid farewell and looked at Huai Shi one last time, ”And good luck to you, young man.”

Only at this moment did she display a liveliness that machines do not possess, with a benevolent smile... perhaps, this was the blessing left by Ms. Yangzi before her death?

Huai Shi froze for a moment and solemnly nodded.

Luo Su reached out and took his luggage from her hand, finally asking, ”Not going to the park today? How about joining us?”

”No need to go today.”

Yang Zi smiled and replied, ”Dragon Gallbladder is a rather careless child. As long as I appear occasionally, she won’t suspect. Once married and with kids in the future, my passing won’t be too hard for them, right?

Luo Su, have a safe journey too. At your age, you should learn to give the young more opportunities.”

”Then...”

Luo Su nodded, as if wanting to say something, but then he stumbled, finally laughing and giving his old friend a strong hug, ”Take care...”

”Take care.”

Yang Zi stood at the door, smiling, watching them leave.

For a long time, until they disappeared from sight.

Calmly, she turned around, went back inside the house, and closed the room.

She walked through the silent living room to water the plants, took out the clothes she had thrown into the dryer in the morning, calmly ironed and hung them up, and finally, after finishing the day’s planned work, she returned to the sofa.

Just like that, she sat in silence.

There were no other movements.

Only occasionally, the sound of horns from the road outside, with the sun slowly rising through the sky, tracing across, sunlight illuminating the dancing dust, rising and falling before her eyes.

The solitude and silence swallowed everything.

For a long, long time, as if it had lasted for thousands of years.

Her eyes blinked once, after a long while, again.

Only after making sure there were no abnormalities, finally, she heaved a long sigh of relief.

Weakly, she slumped on the sofa, reached out, and scratched her itchy scalp.

Finally satisfied with her scratching, she fetched a bottle of beer from the fridge, tilted her head back, and gulped it down, finally letting out a long breath.

”Phew, almost didn’t pull it off, luckily I thought quickly...” she complained helplessly, ”I just knew nothing good comes with Luo Su’s visits, why do these troublesome things always find me...”

Thankfully, they’ve finally been coaxed away.

Now I can finally relax!

Having rid herself of the troublemaker, she must celebrate properly!

She hummed a tune, fetched a new can of beer, turned on the TV, and started watching a variety show, laughing heartily along with the host.

Until the door suddenly opened.

An old man who should have already left returned, hastily walking back in.

She froze on the sofa.

”Sorry, I forgot my razor... you see, it’s easy to forget things now.”

Luo Su came out of the bathroom, and upon seeing this scene, paused, then marveled, ”It can replicate this perfectly? This must be intelligence, really amazing.”

”...Uh, yes, yes.”

Yang Zi nodded with difficulty, her movements became identical to yesterday’s, fluent yet stiff, ”Perfectly replicating the creator’s life is one of my functions.”

”Then I interrupted.”

Luo Su waved goodbye, considerately closing the door for her.

For a long, long time.

Yang Zi remained dazed, finding it hard to believe: did she just fool him again? That was close!

She drank her beer stiffly, feeling her startled heart still pounding.

But she felt as if that guy hadn’t left, perhaps still outside the door, waiting for her to slip up.

No, made paranoid by Luo Su, the Old Turtle, she gulped down the beer, deciding to first shelter at her granddaughter’s place for a while before returning.

But when she grasped her bag and opened the door, her smile froze on her face.

Outside the door, the visitors who had been waiting for a long time gave bright smiles in unison.

”Hello, we’re from the Ivory Tower Elderly Companionship Group!”

The service providers from Tanbo showed a standard smile, enthusiastic and considerate, ”A gentleman named Luo Su has ordered the highest level companionship service for an entire year for you, including cleaning, organizing, three meals a day, and regular companionship... Is now a convenient time for you? Shall we start?”

Silence.

In the long silence, the old lady tilted her head, trembling hand lighting the cigarette at the corner of her mouth.

She took a deep breath.

Tears glistened at the corner of her eyes.

”Luo Su, you bastard...”