Downtown.
Area F32.
The huge display screen directly above the central square kept flickering because of a lack of power, and the number above stopped at 23:59.
The square was crowded and everyone looked up at the screen, waiting for the next beat of time.
Ning Fan stood in the crowd, seemingly calm.
But the clenched fist betrayed his inner nervousness.
On January 1 every year, the upper city chooses one of the best people from each of the districts of the lower city to enter the upper city.
This is the supreme honor for everyone in the lower city, and it is also the only chance to change one's life against heaven.
According to legend, there is warm sunshine, clear rivers and fresh air in the upper city.
Even the dogs in the city have clean and healthy food.
Many people do not believe this.
How can the dogs in the upper city be better off than the people in the lower city?
Finally, the screen bounced.
There's a name on it.
[sun Wenhui]
Ning Fan's fist loosened and his eyes dimmed a little.
The scene suddenly changed from quiet to noisy.
"Fuck! Who is this Sun Wenhui? Why should he? "
Beside him, a little fat man of the same age as Ning Fan showed dissatisfaction and pulled him: "Dafan, why not you?"
Why not me?
He he.
I want to know, too.
Ning Fan's eyes are still fixed on the screen.
In the selection exam a month ago, Ning Fan got full marks in all nine tests.
At that moment, even Ning Fan himself believed that there would be no one but him who could be chosen to go uptown this year.
But the dazzling name on the display screen seemed to mock his overreach, still flashing constantly.
"Dafan, I found out."
At this time, a small glasses squeezed up to Ning Fan from the crowd, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said unconvinced, "I heard that Sun Wenhui seems to have the blood of 1/32 Shangcheng people."
Seeing the appearance of Sun Wenhui's name, Ning Fan's face did not change.
I can hear small glasses say that it is for this reason that I lost the election.
Ning Fan smiled.
Some are helpless, and some are relieved.
"Dafan, are you all right?"
The little fat man thought Ning Fan was stimulated.
"it's okay."
Ning Fan shrugged his shoulders: "after all, we are not related to the people in the city, and we cannot compete with others and are not wronged."
"are those guys uptown out of their minds? Instead of choosing a top student of the pentathlon, did you choose a string of 1/32? "
Small glasses also complain for Ning Fan.
They know how hard Ning Fan has worked since he was a child.
But all the efforts were lost to the so-called 1/32 uptown bloodline.
They would have cursed a long time ago.
"it's all right, Dafan, not this year, just next year. Anyway, we're only eighteen, and there's plenty of time."
The little fat man comforted, "I don't believe it. There will be a hybrid to compete with you next year!" Your strength is here! "
"No."
Ning Fan smiled and said, "I'm not going to take the exam next year."
The little fat man and the little glasses were stunned.
"my mother can't afford to wait another year."
Ning Fan mumbled thoughtfully, "I'm going to be a walker."
...
On the way home, Ning Fan's smile has disappeared.
The streets are full of discussions about the results of the uptown selection.
The name Sun Wenhui is the biggest topic in F32 District today.
These sounds made him feel extremely harsh.
Back home, Ning Fan came to the bedside.
Mother is still in a coma.
In downtown, even breathing is fatal.
There is a harmful substance called miasma in the air of the lower city.
After absorbing miasma for a long time, the human body is like an unstable time bomb that may collapse one day.
The mother's body has already collapsed.
The reason why Ning Fan participates in the selection of Shangcheng is that once he is selected by Shangcheng, he will get the special medicine that will be distributed free of charge.
A specific drug for miasma.
"Mom, I'm sorry."
Ning Fan took his mother's dry hand and said, "I didn't make it."
"Mom, people in uptown seem to prefer people who have the same blood as them, even if it's only 1/32."
"in fact, I am not reconciled to it. In the whole F32 district, I was the only one who passed nine examinations with full marks, but I was eliminated."
"I'm going to be a walker. It's the only way to make money and buy you a cure."
"I know that being a walker means going to the wild, where. It's dangerous. "
"to be honest, I'm scared. I'm afraid I won't come back. If I really die outside, what should you do?"
"however, since there is still hope for you to recover, even if it is gambling, I will try it."
"Mom, I also want to. Let you touch my head and praise me as a sensible child. "
Ning Fan said a lot to his mother with red eyes until a glimmer of light came in from the window.
Finally, he rubbed his eyes, stood up and took the only gift his mother gave him when he was a child.
It was a broken sword like a burning stick, dark and full of cheap smell.
"Mom, I'm leaving."
Although he knew his mother would not respond, Ning Fan whispered goodbye: "wait for me to come back."
But just as he was about to go out, he suddenly noticed that a corner of a piece of paper was exposed under the edge of his mother's bed.
Ning Fan walked over curiously.
Is it.
Is it a letter that my mother wrote to herself when she was sober?
After pulling out this piece of paper, he was stunned by the title above.
Pedigree Test report
Ning Fan wondered that he could not remember when he had tested his bloodline.
But it does have his name written on it.
Detection target: Ning Fan.
Test results: non-Shangcheng blood.
Seeing here, Ning Fan smiles bitterly.
Of course he knows he doesn't have uptown blood, otherwise...
How can it be eliminated by the upper city?
But when he tried to put this piece of paper away, he found that there was a handwritten note on the back: it did not belong to the downtown lineage.
At the back of this paragraph is a big question mark marked with a red pen.
Ning Fan stared at the question mark in shock.
It's not uptown. He's not surprised.
But it's not downtown blood...
Then I.
What is it?