A man coughs heavily, his face pale, with deep wrinkles etched into his palms.
"Are you okay, sir?" a young adult asks with concern.Â
"Man, it's never gonna end. The pollution is so intense nowadays."
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It's the year 2099. Earth has turned brown under a massive cloud cover in the sky. The causes? Rampant illegal mining, war, and relentless industrialization. The government? As if they care about any of it. Money is all that matters to them. Corruption spreads like cancer, and young, innocent public servants are corrupted by greed, inheriting the ignorance of their predecessors. Women are seen merely as tools for bearing children, and the people? Just big, fat taxpayers.
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The young man continues to trudge through the desolate valley. The air is thick with smog, making each breath a struggle. Dead trees, their branches like skeletal hands, reach out from the ground, and the once vibrant soil is now a lifeless, cracked expanse. The sky, a perpetual twilight, casts an eerie glow on the landscape.
He's searching for a birthday present for his mother, hoping to find something, anything, that still holds a fragment of beauty in this decaying world. The weight of despair presses down on him, but his love for his mother fuels his resolve. He pushes forward, eyes scanning the barren wasteland, determined to find a gift that will bring a spark of joy to her weary heart.
Eventually, his steps falter. He looks at a rusty, abandoned house and realizes it was once the restaurant where he and his parents celebrated his 14th birthday.
"Well, how long has it been now?" the young man mutters. "I guess 17 years have passed."
He looks around the area again. Almost all the stalls have been abandoned by their previous owners, and a few have become shelters for homeless people. The sight of it all weighs heavily on him.
The memories of happier times haunt him as he continues his search through the decaying world. With a heavy heart, the man leaves that place, decide to starts heading back home.
On his way, he meets a girl selling soup from a cart. Despite the grim surroundings, her smile is warm and genuine.
"Hey there, care for some hot soup?" she asks cheerfully. "It's tough out here, but we have to keep going, right?"
The man nods, deciding he doesn't want to return home empty-handed. "I'll take two cups, please."
As she prepares the soup, she grumbles about the current government. "They've ruined everything, haven't they? All they care about is lining their pockets while we suffer down here." Taxes keep increasing, and the public order agency is out of control. They go after every cart seller, demanding money and calling it 'protection.' It's just extortion."
He listens quietly, responding simply by taking the soup. "Yeah."
She hands him the cups of soup, her expression softening. "Take care out there."
"Thanks," he replies, taking the soup and continuing his journey home.
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Not long after he takes the soup, a group of public order officers arrives, yelling at the food cart sellers. The situation quickly becomes chaotic as the officers begin to confiscate carts and demand bribes.
The girl's eyes widen in fear as she spots them.
"Goodbye!" she shouts to the young man, a fleeting smile on her face, before turning and running to escape the officers. "Hope we met again!"
The young man stands frozen, watching the chaos unfold. The officers shout and push the cart sellers, demanding bribes and confiscating their goods. The girl disappears into the shadows, the sound of her footsteps drowned out by the officers' harsh commands.
He grips the soup cups tightly, the warmth seeping through his fingers as the scene grows darker and more chaotic. The weight of the world presses down on him again, and he feels a deep sense of helplessness. The air is filled with shouts and the sounds of struggle, a stark reminder of the relentless oppression they all face.
And yet, despite the turmoil, he knows he must keep moving. With one last glance at the chaotic scene, he turns and walks away, the eerie glow of the sky casting long shadows over the desolate landscape.