"L-Let go of that lady!"
In a dimly lit alleyway, a thin, frail-looking teenage boy stood at the entrance, gripping half a broken brick in his hand. Several meters ahead, two men with garishly dyed hair and outlandish clothing had cornered a beautiful young woman against a wall. The front of her luxurious white fur coat, clearly expensive, had been completely torn open, revealing a black, low-cut sweater that was now crumpled and disheveled—its contrast against the darkness making the scene all the more striking.
The two men, who had been on the verge of assaulting the woman, were momentarily startled by the sudden interruption. But upon seeing who had arrived, they both broke into sneering laughter. If the newcomer had been a grown man, they might have hesitated, but the blue winter school uniform on him made it clear—
This was just a high school kid.
"Well, well! Where'd this little brat come from? You think you're some kind of hero, huh?"
One of the men scoffed, prompting the other to burst into laughter.
A moment later, a switchblade flicked open in the first man's hand. His expression darkened as he growled, "Piss off, kid! Go home and suck your mama's milk! I don't have time for your crap tonight—don't make me ruin your day."
Seeing the knife, the boy instinctively shivered and took half a step back. But even so, he clung tightly to the broken brick, refusing to leave.
"Oh? Got some guts, huh? So you wanna do this the hard way?"
The man with the knife hadn't expected the kid to stand his ground. His face twisted in irritation as he brandished the blade and strode toward him menacingly.
But just then, the boy suddenly looked past them and made a strange gesture with his left hand.
Both men reflexively turned their heads to check behind them—only to see nothing but the empty alley.
"Shit! He tricked us!"
The knife-wielding man was the quickest to react. Realizing he had fallen for a feint, he immediately dove to the side. A split second later, a brick whizzed past where his head had just been, the sharp rush of wind sending a chill down his spine. If that had hit him square on, his skull might have cracked open on the spot.
His companion wasn't as lucky. The brick, now descending in an arc, landed squarely on the top of his foot.
A sharp, agonizing pain shot through him—pain so intense it felt like his nerves were on fire. Clutching his foot, he jumped around in agony.
The moment the man's grip loosened, the beautiful woman seized her chance. Without even stopping to fix her clothes, she spun around and bolted.
At the same time, the boy who had thrown the brick also turned and ran, not even bothering to check whether she had escaped safely.
"Hey! You little shit, stop right there!"
Seeing the woman—his prize—escape and his companion injured, the knife-wielding man was furious. Without a second thought, he took off after the boy, determined to make him pay.
Even if he didn't kill the brat, he'd at least make sure he left a few broken bones behind.
But just then, the distant wail of police sirens echoed down the street beyond the alley.
The man's entire body tensed. Clenching his teeth in frustration, he shot one last glare at the fleeing boy before turning to help his injured companion limp deeper into the alleyway.
By now, the sun had set. But on the bustling pedestrian street of Shenhuo Road, the busiest commercial district in Shangshan City, the evening darkness did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the shoppers. Bright lights illuminated both storefronts and roadside stalls, keeping the city's daily hustle alive.
On a bench near a flowerbed designated for resting pedestrians, a teenage boy in a blue school uniform sat playing on his PSP handheld console. He adjusted his black-rimmed glasses occasionally, glancing up at his surroundings with a mildly exasperated look.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, the boy quickly saved his game, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and stood up.
Jogging toward him from a distance was another student in the same school uniform, panting heavily.
"Monk, sorry, sorry! Something came up on my way here…" The out-of-breath teenager came to a halt in front of the bespectacled boy, grinning sheepishly.
The one called "Monk" let out a long-suffering sigh, as though this was nothing new to him. Digging a finger into his ear, he muttered, "Forget it. This humble monk is used to it… Xu Mo, what happened this time?"
"Uh... you guess?" The boy named Xu Mo scratched his head and flashed a shy smile.
The boy with glasses was named He Shang. "Monk" was just his nickname. He was a hardcore otaku, his mind consumed with nothing but ACG-related topics all day. He had been Xu Mo's desk mate and best friend for over two years in high school. To put it bluntly, He Shang could probably guess if Xu Mo had farted, whether it was spicy or savory, just by him shifting his position. So, there were some things that didn't need any explanation.
"Tch! I can't even be bothered to guess. It's probably the same old stuff. Either you're helping some kid get balloons off a tree, or guiding some lost old lady back home... Honestly, I'm telling you, you're not being 'helpful,' you're just meddling in things that aren't your business. How many people are still as foolish as you these days? The world's not what it used to be; people's hearts are no longer pure..."
Xu Mo lowered his gaze, smiling faintly. A brief trace of subtle sorrow flickered across his face, but he shook his head and pushed aside the jumbled thoughts, sighing, "Some things, you won't understand until you experience them yourself..."
"Fine, I can't argue with you." He Shang helplessly pressed his forehead. He knew Xu Mo well enough to understand that his words were probably wasted. "But as your best friend of many years, I still have to remind you: you're neither Superman nor Ultraman. There are things you just can't handle, and if you die trying, who's going to help me buy my action figures and watch new anime?"
"Just find yourself a girlfriend to accompany you. Once you go to college, will we still be able to hang out together?"
Xu Mo's grades weren't the best, but they were still much better than He Shang's, who had never managed to score double digits across his five subjects combined.
"I'm not interested in 3D girls... Of course, if she's as good as Lin Yijing from Class Three, I might reconsider."
"Lin Yijing? You really have guts..."
Lin Yijing was the acknowledged beauty of their high school. Because their classes were relatively close, Xu Mo had seen her up close a few times.
She was a girl who always seemed to carry a hint of melancholy, with long, silky hair that looked like flowing clouds. Unlike other girls, she didn't often tie her hair in a ponytail. Instead, she usually fixed it with simple pink or white hairpins, paired with large, dark eyes that seemed like they could release tears at any moment. She was like the real-life version of the female protagonist from a campus manga.
However, Lin Yijing's personality was quite low-key. Even classmates from her own class didn't seem to interact much with her. She deliberately avoided the many boys who approached her with ulterior motives. With the intervention of the "Flower Protection Squad" formed by the boys in Class Three, no one had successfully gotten close to her.
Because of this, Xu Mo could only express deep regret at He Shang's unrealistic fantasies.
"Enough about this. Come with me to buy some software." He Shang snorted and pulled Xu Mo into the crowded video game store without waiting for a response.
Inside the store, the spacious lobby was filled with game promotional posters depicting dark and intense atmospheres. Large LCD screens mounted on the walls repeated colorful promotional videos, while hundreds of customers crowded the game area, eagerly waiting for the release time of a new game. The bustling crowd formed a stark contrast to the quiet music section on the other side of the store, which only had a few scattered customers.
Seeing the long line that stretched for hundreds of meters, Xu Mo couldn't help but click his tongue. He nudged He Shang's back and said, "Monk, maybe we should just leave. This line is so long, we'll probably be here for at least an hour."
"No way! If it were another game, maybe I'd let it slide, but this game must be bought today. I plan on staying up all night to finish it! I've got coffee and Red Bull all set up..." He Shang's eyes gleamed as he stared intently at the promotional video on the TV, refusing to turn his head.
"Be careful, you might just die of exhaustion." Xu Mo muttered helplessly, confused. "Why are you so hyped up about this game? Did something special happen?"
Finally pulling his gaze away from the screen, He Shang looked at Xu Mo as if he were an alien. After a moment, he shook his finger and began his usual "game enlightenment" session for Xu Mo.
"Have you heard of the Mayan prophecy? According to Mayan civilization, on February 2, 2012, when the darkness of that day falls, dawn will never come again. That day will be the end of the world... But there's another theory that says after that day, Earth will go through purification and renewal, and humanity will enter a new era."
"Wait." Xu Mo wasn't interested in hearing the lengthy explanation. He waved his hand to interrupt, "This isn't important. I just want to know, what does this have to do with today?"
"Because today is February 2, 2012."
He Shang's words were shocking, and only then did Xu Mo suddenly remember the date. All the intense studying for the college entrance exam had made him forget the date entirely. If it weren't for the one day off each week, he probably wouldn't even remember what day it was.
"I see, so the game really is best enjoyed today for the atmosphere," Xu Mo scratched his head and smiled wryly. The life of a student preparing for exams was indeed a sorrowful one.
He Shang nodded eagerly in agreement with that idea, adjusting his glasses and his eyes shining with excitement. "What if tomorrow really is the apocalypse? Maybe us gamers will be the experts of the end of the world!"