Su Mo stared at the sumptuous food in front of him, gradually falling into memories.
When he was eight years old, he and his grandfather still lived within the high walls. In his memories, the area behind those walls consisted of newly built luxurious houses and a beautiful environment, with even the air feeling fresh.
However, one day, his grandfather secretly sold all of their assets and fled from behind the high walls. The reason was simple: they had somehow offended someone, as there were often people lingering around and spying on them near their home.
With his parents already deceased due to a car accident, his grandfather had been deeply troubled by the matter and had grown increasingly concerned about strange occurrences over the years. To prevent any further trouble, they had fled.
They finally settled here, established various properties, and came to this restaurant every year on Su Mo's birthday.
As for the so-called high walls, they were barriers separating the rich from the commoners, and they had been in place for over a hundred years. Two hundred years ago, the world had witnessed a devastating nuclear war, resulting in mass casualties, and the land, air, and oceans being contaminated by radiation.
By the war's end, the nations, after enduring so much suffering, had finally realized that there were no true victors in war. So, they shook hands and made peace, establishing a loose federal system to address and resolve conflicts between countries.
The primary goal was to refuse war explicitly and embrace peace. Any conflicts that could be resolved through dialogue were not to involve violence. If not, alternative methods, including virtual game competitions, were used for resolution.
Thus, the gaming industry in this world had thrived.
However, the shadow of the war was not so easily cast off. Even though the world had achieved peace, all nations were working hard to address environmental issues. Yet, lingering radiation remained like an incurable sore, troubling everyone.
Radiation levels in all wild animals and marine life, including seafood, exceeded safe levels, making them essentially inedible.
Fortunately, there had been a significant breakthrough in artificial synthesis technology. Starch could be mass-produced artificially, and livestock, such as pigs, ducks, cows, and sheep, could be rapidly cultivated using hormones.
Regarding vegetables, hydroponic cultivation was the norm, but because green plants absorbed pollution, pollution-free freshwater cultivation was necessary.
This led to a situation where ordinary people couldn't afford the products.
Everyone had entered the era of consuming meat, and meat products were the most affordable option. Pollution-free vegetables and artificially uncontaminated ingredients became the most premium options.
Additionally, with the arrival of lasting peace, the wealth gap had widened, resulting in the emergence of numerous wealthy individuals and financial magnates in every country.
The conflict between different social classes became increasingly serious.
To prevent unnecessary conflicts and significantly reduce anxiety, jealousy, violence, and crime, the wealthy and financial magnates established high walls in the city centers. They lived within the high walls, enjoying the best the world had to offer. They rarely left the high walls unless absolutely necessary.
As for the commoners outside, they usually refrained from entering the high walls unless there was a special reason. This arrangement significantly eased the tensions between the two extreme classes.
However, it also resulted in a technological divide between them, with the high walls lagging behind by an entire era.
The presence of the high walls served a dual purpose, not only restraining the activities of both parties but also acting as a form of self-restraint for the financial magnates, strictly prohibiting them from exploiting the commoners at will.
The government also provided extensive welfare to the outside commoners, offering free education. Nevertheless, the quality of education varied significantly, directly influencing future development.
In this era, every person received a job assignment. Due to technological advancements, labor-intensive jobs had been largely replaced by machinery and artificial intelligence. Most jobs were relatively easy, paid well enough to support oneself, and even left a little surplus. However, getting rich was practically impossible.
Since most people worked a fixed number of hours a day and couldn't find other jobs after work, there were too few opportunities for part-time work.
With the abundance of technological products in this world, the surplus money was hardly enough to cover expenses.
People who had finished their work had nothing to do, so as to prevent them from wandering the streets and becoming potential sources of unrest, all nations vigorously promoted various forms of entertainment, including gaming.
...
At this moment, there was a roaring engine noise!
Boom!
Three rather decent second-hand sports cars arrived, with one performing a stylish drift before stopping gracefully at the entrance of Zhao's Restaurant.
Subsequently, a young man with explosively styled hair, dyed in a shiny golden color, emerged from one of the cars. He threw a few banknotes to the nearby parking attendant.
"Take good care of my car; it can't afford to be scratched!"
"Sure!"
After speaking, the young man entered Zhao's Restaurant with a group of friends.
"Big Brother Zhang, you've made a great choice with this restaurant. It's definitely the best one around here. Once the nearby university finishes classes, my girlfriend will definitely be pleased."
"Alright, boss!"
Zhang Wu exclaimed.
"It's here, it's here."
Uncle Zhao approached with a smile.
"I heard your restaurant serves fantastic food. I'm waiting for my girlfriend; do you have any delicious dishes here?"
"Beef, lamb, pork, hamburgers, fried chicken, sea fish – we have it all!"
After listening, Zhang Wu smacked his lips and said with a dissatisfied tone, "Why is it all meat? People are getting fat from all this. I want some vegetables."
"Oh, we don't have that stuff here."
Uncle Zhao responded with a smile.
At this moment, Zhang Wu noticed the food on Su Mo's table and his eyes lit up. He said, "Aren't those vegetables right there?"
"Um, those were pre-ordered by others a long time ago, and there's none left."
"Such a letdown. Every dish is meat. What about the others?"
"Oh, dear, there's no such thing here."
Uncle Zhao replied.
At this point, Zhang Wu unexpectedly glanced at Su Mo and found it strange that he was daydreaming with such a delicious meal before him.
Afterward, he found a place to sit down.
Not long after, a stylishly dressed female student entered. She sweetly called out, "Zhang Ge."
"Ah, Xiaowen, you finally made it. I've been waiting for you for half a day."
Zhang Wu stood up, in a cheerful mood, and pulled the girl to sit beside him.
"You just got out of school, right? I came over right away."
Xiaowen said with a bit of complaint.
"I know, Sister. Look at this table filled with delicious food waiting for you. Come on, tell me what you want to eat, and I'll serve you."
"Oh, why is it meat every day? I've nearly become fat. I want some vegetables."
Xiaowen complained unhappily.
"Oh, I know how good vegetables are, but the problem is, they're too scarce and expensive."
Zhang Wu quickly explained.
"Really? But there are people over there eating vegetables, right?"
"That's something someone ordered a long time ago, not really available now. Be good and listen; I'll get them for you next time."
"No, I want to eat vegetables. You said you're doing so well over here, and you can handle everything. Why is it that others can eat what they want, and I can't?"
Xiaowen threw her chopsticks to the side, turned her face away, and seemed very angry.
The nearby friends were taken aback and looked at their big brother; they knew their sister-in-law had a bad temper but hadn't expected her to make their big brother lose face in public.