Free Web NovelChapter 586: Chapter 570: The Fart from the Upper City Has Arrived...
A solitary light illuminated the small room.
The fingertips of the independent journalist [Graveyard Tree] pounded furiously on the keyboard, the room filled with the cheap aroma of instant coffee and the metallic smell of overheated electronic devices.
The old, dust-covered monitor cast a blue glow on his bloodshot eyes, reflecting a morbid excitement.
He had no talent for Martial Arts, dropped out of the citizen exams, was born and raised in Zone 9, a thoroughbred Blank Person.
He had never killed anyone, had never even picked up a knife, yet his blade was not dull, for the keyboard controlled by his ten fingers was his knife.
Every word he typed was like a move of his blade, a bullet he fired into the enemy’s flesh and blood.
Ever since he met that person, he had been doing quite well over the years, and this time was no exception.
[Graveyard Tree] stared intently at the screen, his pupils reflecting the flickering words of an unfinished manuscript, boldly titled:
"Air Tax: The Fart of Upper City, the Shackles of Lower City"
"Is the air in Upper City sweet? Inhaling it brings longevity?"
He cracked his dry, chapped lips, his fingernails scraping the keyboard with a grating sound,
"Bullshit, the air exhaled by the lords of Upper City, filtered through the massive posterior of Upper City, if it has a smell, it can only be one - the smell of farts!"
"Of course, considering how well-fed and well-rested the lords of Upper City are, with healthier bodies, Old Tree must admit that scientifically, their farts would smell a bit fresher than the ones from us Lower City People."
[Graveyard Tree]’s writings were scathingly satirical, like a surgeon’s scalpel, peeling back the bloody facade of the recent propaganda from the Executive Government.
Yes, the Executive Government had been bombarding various TV channels, promoting how pure the air in Upper City was, how rich with "Life Factor", claiming a single breath would extend one’s life.
Then they announced the Upper City Council’s decision to open the "Air Circulation System", allowing the air from Upper City to flow into Lower City, so that the Lower City People could breathe the same air as the rest of the world.
Look how prettily it’s promoted.
Countless people in Lower City believed it, eagerly awaiting, with many even lining up in hospitals for "lung capacity expansion" surgeries.
Just so when the air from Upper City flows down, they could inhale a bit more each day, as if that way, they could truly live a little longer than others as advertised on TV.
Moreover, the Executive Government also suddenly showed great mercy, announcing the complete abolition of the Blank People system, planning to gradually record and update the profiles of all Blank People and grant them the sacred status of citizens.
Even though it was just the lowest F-grade citizenship, it still drew applause from countless Blank People, who spread the news and rushed to register in droves.
Oh, how mighty an F-grade citizen is, finally able to buy a plot for burial after death, and not be sent to the incinerator to be burned into ashes, released through the chimney into the air, eventually inhaled by others, taking advantage?!
This kind of thinking is utterly ignorant, how laughable, how pitiful, how detestable!
More detestable is the fact that [Graveyard Tree] himself was one of the ignorant ones a few years back until he met that person and was awakened to the enlightenment of thought. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Now he uses the keyboard as his knife, attempting to awaken more people.
The more [Graveyard Tree] thought about it, the angrier he got, furiously pounding the keyboard:
"The sky won’t drop a pie, and the lords of Upper City won’t give away their farts for nothing. When the lords allow the ox and horses to smell their fragrant farts, the ox and horses better use their brains to ponder if those farts will now have a charge?"
"Just think, 200 years ago, Upper City wanted to establish a lighting system, we forever lost the Sun, and what we got in return was tripled electricity bills."
"150 years ago, Upper City wanted to establish a water circulation system, we forever lost rainwater, even the taste of Neutralizing Agent lingered in our blood."
"70 years ago, Upper City wanted to help Lower City in a crop innovation plan, now every vegetable and every grain of meat on our plates bears the patented ridges from machines, and they’re more expensive."
"Now, Upper City wants to establish an air circulation system, under the pretense of sharing air, hehe—, they are clearly aiming to take away the last bit of free things we have left!!!"
No one knows if [Graveyard Tree] had gotten wind of the government’s plan in advance, or if he truly had eyes that could see through the facade, but he indeed predicted the Executive Government’s plan.
He furiously slammed the keyboard, breathing excitedly, with a ferocious expression, as if he were a soldier who had gone into a killing frenzy on the battlefield, roaring hoarsely:
"Wake up!"
"Upper City isn’t here to bestow air, on the contrary, Upper City is here to take it away!"
"Those respected citizens are already in the records, every breath they take is recorded and charged for, they can no longer escape."
"But the numerous Blank People, don’t be deceived, don’t go registering, your identity as a Blank Person is your last bit of freedom and dignity!"
"Is it worth trading your freedom to breathe while alive, just for the burial in earth, to be nibbled by rats and ants after death?"
[Graveyard Tree] was so angry, so immersed, that in his vision, he could almost see the terrifying scene of Upper City spreading its petals, blocking out the sky and sun, discharging gas.
In his eyes, what was being discharged wasn’t air, but transparent tubes falling down, like ventilator tubes in an ICU, inserted into the nostrils of every person in Lower City.
His eyes were filled with those terrifying images, so much that he didn’t notice the ash-covered camera nearby silently swiveling its lens.
minutes later.
[Graveyard Tree] finished the last punctuation mark with a chest full of indignation, his pack of cigarettes was exhausted, and he only had half a cigarette left between his index and middle fingers.
He took a deep drag, then carefully reviewed the draft twice, before clamping the cigarette in his mouth, moving his hand to the mouse, preparing to publish it.
At that moment, footsteps suddenly came from the hallway.
[Graveyard Tree] froze for a moment, the ash from the cigarette in his mouth breaking off midway.
[Graveyard Tree] felt a jolt in his heart, hurriedly jumping up from his chair, reaching to open the drawer, pulling out the gun hidden inside.
Due to the nature of his work, his residence was in a remote, dilapidated self-built house, where he lived alone, rarely going out, and no one ever came to see him.
Moreover, the footsteps in the hallway indicated more than one person, implying the friends coming for him weren’t just one.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
The knocking sounded.
[Graveyard Tree] held the gun in both hands, aiming dead at the door, silent, holding his breath and concentrating.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
There were three more knocks, followed by a cold and unfamiliar voice:
"I know you’re in there, open the door, I’ve already seen you, it’s not polite to point a gun at a guest, you know!"
[Graveyard Tree]’s heart chilled. He instinctively turned to look at the camera, just in time to see it mischievously nodding side to side at him.
......
