Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The road was bumpy, and the vehicle jolted as it moved forward, with dust swirling outside the windows. Even though Chu Ya was seated in an enclosed compartment, he could still smell the earthy scent.

His gaze swept over the rearview mirror, catching what seemed to be a small dark figure that had fallen, but when he turned to look out the back window, it was obscured by a thick cloud of dust.

"This area is at the edge of Aisara Special Zone; there's a lot of dust here. It gets much better just a bit further ahead. However, our inspection mission is already complete, and now we're heading back to Cloud Peak via Tutta Passage," said Colonel Gu, looking at Chu Ya with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Are you eager to get back?"

"It's okay," Chu Ya replied, turning back and leaning quietly against the seatback.

The convoy proceeded for a few hundred meters, and the road became damp. The dust outside the windows disappeared, and the view became clearer.

Chu Ya looked to the right, where a hazy range of mountains could be seen in the distance—presumably Keke Mountain. On the other side of the mountain lay Keke Town, the residential area of Aisara Special Zone.

"Cousin, aren't we going to Keke Town?"

"No."

Chu Ya asked curiously, "Father said we were supposed to inspect the entire Aisara Special Zone. Why not go to Keke Town?"

Colonel Gu responded nonchalantly, "We'd have to go around the mountain, and there's not enough time. We've already inspected the welfare home and the mine here. Can't the orphans and workers represent the depths of Aisara Special Zone?"

A pair of bright black eyes suddenly flashed in Chu Ya's mind, followed by a dirty face.

He remembered the dirty child wearing oversized winter clothes, shivering from the cold while singing loudly. And then standing in the playground, silently crying as two children were taken away, their faces filled with sorrow.

"By the way, why did you take those two kids?" Chu Ya asked.

Colonel Gu glanced at the information on his communication device. "They've entered the differentiation phase and are about to become sentinels or guides. They can't stay in the depths."

Chu Ya knew how precious sentinels and guides were, and Cloud Peak wouldn't allow them to remain in the depths. Still, he asked, "What about ordinary kids who haven't entered the differentiation phase? Could they be selected to go to Cloud Peak?"

"How could that be possible? Not only the welfare home, but everyone else in the depths who enters the differentiation phase is taken to Cloud Peak. It's just that other regions and cities are too far away, so Cloud Peak can only manage this area of Aisara Special Zone." Colonel Gu emphasized, "Only those who enter the differentiation phase."

Chu Ya pursed his lips and didn't ask any more questions.

The convoy continued moving forward. To the left, instead of open fields, there appeared a cluster of abandoned buildings. These buildings seemed structurally intact but bore the marks of weathering, appearing gloomy and gray, like a vast smear of asphalt.

As they approached, the streets between the buildings became visible, with cracked roads and toppled metal street lamps. Shops lined the streets, many with faded signs hanging outside, indicating that this place had once been a prosperous town.

But the town was now empty, surrounded by an endless stretch of barbed wire, enclosing the entire area.

"This used to be Mixin Town, later known as Mixin Death Town. There's a large landfill next to the town where waste from Cloud Peak and the depths is processed," Colonel Gu also observed in that direction.

"Mixin Death Town?" Chu Ya looked at the skull sign on the barbed wire, indicating no entry.

"You should know that before Morna existed, there was no distinction between the depths and Cloud Peak; everyone lived on the same continent," Colonel Gu pointed to the ground beneath their feet. "Right here."

Chu Ya said, "I know. The continent experienced a plague, killing many people and destroying the soil, making the crops inedible. Cloud Peak was built fifteen years ago as a floating city, with purified soil capable of growing food. So some people moved up there, and the remaining land became known as the depths."

"Yes, so the depths have become increasingly desolate," Colonel Gu nodded. "Twenty years ago, Mixin Town was bustling with people. Outside the town were pastures with countless horses. Further beyond were mountains and seas, leading to Linya City."

"Compared to Keke Town on the other side of the mountain?"

Colonel Gu shrugged. "Much better than Keke Town."

He looked at Chu Ya, his tone somewhat eerie. "Do you want to know why Mixin Town is off-limits? Why don't the people from Keke Town move here? These tall buildings are much better than the low houses in Keke Town."

Chu Ya felt uncomfortable with Colonel Gu's expression and tone but still asked, "Why?"

"Because the whole town suffered from the plague, and almost everyone died... men, women, the elderly, and children. Those infected died in agony, their bodies rotting and oozing black fluid, limbs deformed, covered in tumors. The dead couldn't be buried, so they were piled up and burned in the central square. Their spirits haven't dispersed, hiding in the houses, crammed into the sewers. At night, you can hear their wails echoing through the ruins—"

"Enough," Chu Ya interrupted, feeling increasingly uneasy. "Cousin, you don't need to go into such detail."

Colonel Gu stared intently at Chu Ya and suddenly laughed. "Are you scared?"

"No, I just find it disgusting," Chu Ya said, unwilling to look at the hollow windows anymore, clenching his fists tightly.

"My dear cousin, you're still a child," Colonel Gu laughed even harder. "It's said that Mixin Town was the origin of the plague, which is why so many people died, and Mixin Town became the quarantined Mixin Death Town, serving as a landfill."

He pointed to the distance. "That's the landfill. Every day, aircraft bring waste here, which is compressed into metal blocks for manufacturing civilian machinery."

Chu Ya had heard these stories from his father before but still asked, "Even though the plague is long gone, could people in the depths be reinfected?"

"Well..." Colonel Gu tilted his head in thought. "Of course not. If you're worried, you can ask your uncle."

Chu Ya didn't say anything more, only silently gazing out the window.

Before coming, he had a conversation with his father, Chu Chengyu. After giving him some precautions, Chu Chengyu suddenly remarked, "Your mother and I used to live in Keke Town, at No. 75 Wushan Street. I never had the chance to visit it again. I wonder how that house is doing now..."

Unfortunately, he didn't get to visit Keke Town this time and only saw Mixin Death Town.

Half an hour later, the convoy stopped at a small square, and a towering metal building appeared outside the car windows. It was cylindrical and tower-like, with a dark exterior adorned with silver cloud patterns, its top disappearing into dense fog.

"Get out. We've arrived at Tutta Passage," said Colonel Gu.

Chu Ya got out of the car and followed the chatting senators into the tower. He had arrived in the depths late last night and immediately visited the mine, followed by the welfare home. The schedule was too rushed for him to observe his surroundings.

This small square was heavily guarded, with electrified fences surrounding it and armed soldiers guarding the entrance. Despite this, Chu Ya noticed, while examining an old window in one of the abandoned buildings, that someone had painted a message on the wall inside.

—Bastards from Cloud Peak, you can't escape hell!

The message, usually unnoticed, remained on the wall. Chu Ya discovered it while scrutinizing the ancient-looking window.

He quickly withdrew his gaze, pondering who might have left the message, and followed the others into Tutta.

Although called a tower, Tutta was essentially a large elevator connecting the depths and Cloud Peak, the only passage between the two besides aircraft.

Inside the tower, the left and right sides were designated for ascending and descending. As Chu Ya and his group walked to the ascending area, the military vehicles they had been riding in parked on the ascending cargo platform. Once they entered the passenger compartment, the elevator hummed softly and began to ascend rapidly.

"This Dean Liu has really made the welcome party lively and colorful. It's quite impressive."

"It's all for those thousand pounds of sweet potatoes. He sits in the Cloud Peak Resource Department every day, refusing to leave unless he gets what he wants. Seeing him gives me a headache. This time, he finally got what he wanted, and he's over the moon."

"He's not wrong, though. As a dean, he must ensure that the children are well-fed and clothed."

Amidst the chatter, Councilor Wu suddenly asked Chu Ya, who had been standing silently: "Little Chu, how do you feel about this inspection at the Abyss?"

Before Chu Ya could answer, he continued: "After you go back, you can write an article about the current situation of the children in the welfare home. Talk about how they are not only well-fed and clothed but also have a rich spiritual life, with televisions, entertainment rooms, books, and more. Once you're done, publish it in a journal. Oh, and the title should be... 'The Abyss as Seen Through the Eyes of a Twelve-Year-Old.'"

Others chimed in with laughter: "We'll look forward to reading your article, Master Chu."

Chu Ya smiled on the surface, but his inner feelings were complex and indistinct.

In his mind's eye, he saw the trembling lips of a miner: "...I know that working in the factory is already better than most people's situations, so I don't have any other requests... but if we could just have enough food, that would be even better..."

He also recalled the dirty child from the welfare home, whose nose was red from the cold and eyes swollen from crying.

Before leaving, his father, Chu Chengyu, had given him some meaningful advice, telling him to observe and think deeply once he arrived at the Abyss.

But after coming here, he still couldn't grasp its true nature.

.

Shen Juanjuan was being dragged by the collar by a welfare home supervisor, his toes barely touching the ground as he shuffled across the playground, clutching tightly to his metal box.

A passing laborer greeted the supervisor and asked, "What's wrong with this kid?"

"The gate wasn't closed, and he sneaked out."

Shen Juanjuan lifted his head to defend himself: "I didn't sneak out; I just ran out and then ran back in and out again."

"Do you still want to argue? The rules have been stated countless times: no leaving the welfare home without permission, regardless of how you do it." The supervisor scolded.

Shen Juanjuan dared not retort further but felt resentful inside, so he lowered his head and rolled his eyes at the ground.

The supervisor continued to the laborer: "Don't let his size fool you; he's a repeat offender. Every supervisor knows him. He admits his mistakes faster than anyone else, has the thickest skin, and doesn't fear any punishment. He'll commit the same offense right after being punished."

Unable to resist, Shen Juanjuan defended himself again: "That's not true; I'm scared. If you don't let me eat, I'm scared."

"Fine, then you won't eat lunch today."

Across from the dormitory building stood a three-story teaching building, with two small classes on the ground floor. As the supervisor dragged Shen Juanjuan into the corridor, students from the small classes rushed out to follow behind.

"Juanjuan, Juanjuan." A few kids from his dormitory called out worriedly, but fell silent when the supervisor turned to look.

Knowing he wouldn't get lunch, Shen Juanjuan lost the will to walk, hanging his head and body, allowing the supervisor to drag him along the smooth floor.

The punishment room was in the far corner of the ground floor. The supervisor tried to open the door but couldn't, so he pushed it roughly.

Shen Juanjuan, with his head down, said listlessly: "There's a stick at the top of the door; you need to remove it to lock me in."

The supervisor looked up and found the latch indeed at the top.

The punishment room was a small, empty space. After opening the door, Shen Juanjuan walked in and squatted in a familiar corner.

The supervisor stared at him for a few seconds before saying coldly: "Because you violated the rules, you'll be confined until lunchtime. You'll be released in two hours for lunch."

"Oh." Shen Juanjuan responded, then realized something and his eyes lit up: "Lunch? Can I have lunch?"

The supervisor ignored him, closing the door. Shen Juanjuan rushed to the door, pressing his mouth against the gap: "Can I have lunch? Am I allowed to have lunch?"

The supervisor remained silent, but the kids following behind chirped: "Yes, yes, you can have lunch. We heard it too."

"Move along, everyone. Anyone who stays here will join him in confinement." The supervisor began to shoo them away.

Knowing he could have lunch, Shen Juanjuan regained his spirit, sat back in his corner, and opened the metal box.

Inside the box were items he had hurriedly collected before being caught. He organized the wrappers, spoons, and small bottles, then started counting marbles.

"One-two-three-one... one-two-three-one..."

Shen Juanjuan counted several times, finally realizing he was missing a 'two' and a 'three.'

Feeling dejected, he stared at the box for a while before getting up, moving the only stool to the wall under the small window, standing on it, and looking outside through the iron bars.

From there, he could see the road outside the welfare home. He planned to sneak out again after his punishment to find the marbles where he had fallen.

Thinking of this, he naturally remembered that person—the handsome and kind boy from Cloud Peak.

Shen Juanjuan feared not the supervisors but the older students in the welfare home.

The older students would snatch good things from the younger ones, beat them, and threaten them not to tell the supervisors.

Though such older students were rare, most ignored them. No one had ever shared food or given him a belt.

Shen Juanjuan reached into his pocket and pulled out a long, narrow tie.

He had never seen such fine, smooth fabric with beautiful patterns. He gently touched it with his fingers, then pressed it against his face, feeling its softness. Finally, he hung it around his neck, wrapping it several times.

The silk tie, cool against his skin, made Shen Juanjuan feel warm all over.