"Much, how much?" Rey, whose ass had just left his seat, was still in shock.

"Money? Hahaha...... Hahahaha...... Hahaha...... Ahem...... cough cough ...... "When the young man heard the word money, he actually put his hands on his hips and looked up to the sky and laughed, as if money was the most ridiculous thing in the world, the most ridiculous thing. Who knows that happiness is extremely sad, and the laughter that is about to die triggers the cough that is about to die. The cough is also earth-shattering, the cough has changed from holding the waist with both hands to holding the ground with one hand, coughing both faces are red, and snot and tears are about to fall.

"You, are you alright?" Rey hurriedly got out of the car and helped the young man.

"Money...... cough cough ...... cough cough cough cough ...... "The young man seems to be allergic to the word money. "Ahem, ahem, ahem...... cough cough cough ...... Ahem...... Cough...... Money...... You actually asked me...... How much is ......" The cough subsided, and the young man gradually straightened up.

"We've all come this far, and you're still thinking about money!"

"Which step?" Rey's premonition grew stronger.

"Look there!" The young man pointed at him.

Not far away, the Spring Cake Building is brightly lit, and the huge tower-shaped building stands tall and disappears into the sky.

"It's not high there." The youth pointed to the spire.

As far as Rey could see, the night clouds were curling, and the part of the clouds could only be imagined.

After a while, we took the elevator up to the top floor. There was a narrow staircase with a large vermilion iron door at the end of the staircase. Push open the door and we can go up to the roof. The young man stared at Rey and said word for word.

And then. We'll jump from there! ”

"Hey, you ......" Rey had nothing to say, it turned out that some people's holy places refer to suicide people.

"Our bodies will pass through the clouds and shatter our bones." The youth laughed.

"You say, do people like us still need money?"

"Yes." Rey muttered.

"What do you say? We're all going to die, what do we need money for? Money is something that you don't bring with you when you are born, you don't bring it with you when you die, and even if you can bring it over, you can't spend it. The youth became excited.

"I ...... I didn't kill myself. ”

"You, what did you say? Aren't you going to the roof? ”

"I'll go to the roof, for, for something else."

"What? Spring Cake Building. The tallest building in the city and the only one that does not have a gravity alarm installed. On the roof of the building, the night breeze blows, the stars shine, and everything is silent, isn't it a good place to bury? The young man walked over and put his arm around Rey's shoulder, "Let's go, let's go, don't be embarrassed, it's a pity not to commit suicide in such a good place." Later, a gravity alarm device is installed here, and you will regret it too late. ”

What a tough word! Is there something wrong with this kid's brain?

"I, my crystal fell on the car." Rey hurriedly made up a reason to get rid of this neurotic youth.

"Crystals? Hahahahaha......ha

"You just sat in the back, did you touch what's in the saddle?" The young man looked at Rey playfully.

yes, there's something under the ass just now.

Rey ran to the car, fumbled in the seat, and slowly picked up a pile of debris.

In the twilight, under the streetlights, a pile of shiny fragments, flashing with purple light.

It's an identity crystal!!

Rey was stunned, identity crystals are the most important thing for people living in the 23rd century. To give up the identity crystal is to give up the whole life. Moreover, it is also an amethyst.

"Look." Rey said as he pulled out his crystal.

The young man looked at it, and Rey's quantum crystal emitted a faint blue light.

Identity crystals come in different colors. But both the Western and Eastern countries have invariably made the crystals of the Central Province purple. So amethyst is not only a status crystal, but also a status symbol. I don't know how many young men and women with ideals have flocked to amethyst.

"Look, I'm Sapphire. And you're an amethyst......"

"So, you should kill yourself."

There's nothing wrong with the logic!

Rey was in a mood. "You have an amethyst in your hand and enjoy the best hardware conditions in the Central Province, but what about me? Blue crystal meant that I had the meager salary, the highest taxes, and I was discriminated against at every turn. It is even discriminated against by some robots who think they are smart. Buy a cup of coffee, someone else 300 yuan, and me, 420! If you go to the hospital for gene therapy, you take the green channel and you can do it. And I, with all the people with colorful crystals in their hands, had to line up until dawn. Quantum car? You've already opened it, and I have to draw a lottery to buy it, and even if I do, I don't have the money to buy it. In the team, I went to work with the stars and the moon, and the stars and the moon only got off work, and other colleagues were promoted and made a fortune in a year, and I haven't turned regular for a year, am I easy? ”

“…… So, you should kill yourself even more......"

“…… I mean, I'm a sapphire guy who is living a good life, so what's there you can't think of with an amethyst in your hand? ”

As the night breeze blew, Rey realized that he was so excited that his eyes were moist.

"Then, since you're not going to commit suicide, what are you going to do on the roof of the Spring Cake Building?"

"I got an invitation to the Time Game Workshop and asked me to go to the roof of the Spring Cake Building to experience it."

"What?" The young man suddenly became excited.

"Why? Why! Two people who also want to go to the top of the building, why is there such a big gap between people? ”

"Hey, hey, don't get excited. What can you tell me, I am the security officer of our Lekou City Security Bureau. Rey grabbed the excited youth.

"Hmph. Although you are a security officer, don't try to regulate me. Today I am destined to commit suicide. Don't even try to stop me. ”

Suicide is set, it sounds awkward.

"I can stop as much as I can, but if I can't stop you, you'll die."

As soon as he finished speaking, Rey also felt that what he said was quite awkward.

"Don't try to stop it, you can't stop it."

"Then you at least tell me why?"

"Why am I going to kill myself, you see I smashed all the identity crystals. Do you know how strong amethyst is? ”

"Why be so resolute."

"Humph! The 23rd century is ridiculous. It's ridiculous. The young man turned to face Rey. You can't kill yourself if you want to. Suicide at home can cost your loved ones jail. I'm going to die, I'm sorry for my family, how can I bother them. When you go out to commit suicide, there are patrol robots on the streets and alleys, standing guard 24 hours a day, like a shadow. If you buy medicine and take it secretly, a dose of medicine will cost 3 million Great Wall coins. If Lao Tzu had 3 million, he would still commit suicide? In the case of jumping off a building, almost every building is equipped with a gravity alarm device, and if you want to jump off the building, you will be discovered and stunned by the alarm device, and then you will be subjected to endless labor reeducation. Finally, there is a building without an alarm. There is a light wind there, there is silence, and there is simply a stairway to heaven. But you thought it would be that simple? On the top floor of the building, in front of the stairs leading to the top, guarded a sturdy riot-proof robot. ”

"Robots?"

"Yes. This robot does not eat oil and salt, and does not eat soft and hard. Unless you can prove that you really put up your best mind, that you really don't want to live anymore, he will be able to let you go to the top of the building. And I'm not here for the first time. ”

"The result?"

"The result? I'm not standing in front of you in a good way. It means that I have failed. The young man said through gritted teeth.

"So this time you smashed your own crystal."

"Yes, this is the most extreme method I can think of, and this is the only way to prove that I really don't want to live."

"But ......"

"It's all like this, and you still want to stop me?" The young man snatched his crystal shard. "I'll do it this time!"

"Okay. You've said that, and I'm sure I can't stop you. At least tell me why you've come this far. ”

The young man was silent for a long time.

"Well, you're going to the top anyway. I met you on the last part of my life, and it can be regarded as a kind of fate. We went to take the elevator and it took about eight minutes to get from the first floor to the top floor, which is enough to tell you. ”

Eight minutes? It's so high!

Rey looked at the time, it was 7:56. The time of the game workshop is set at 8:10, so you must hurry.

"Let's go!" Rey grabbed the young man's arm and ran towards the building.

"Wow! If you can't stop it, urge me to die, do you still have a conscience? ”

Zhao Chun Cake is a celebrity.

He made his fortune by selling spring cakes, and every spring cake in his family is handmade. In today's era when there are many artificial intelligences like dogs and labor robots are everywhere, being able to insist on handmade is a time-consuming, laborious, oil-consuming, salt-consuming, laborious, and laborious chore.

What's even more exaggerated is that Zhao Chun Cake got an ancient recipe out of nowhere, and the aroma of making spring cakes is said to make robots who only refuel and don't eat fall into a fight.

As a result, the craze for spring cakes swept through the city of Lekou and became a famous delicacy throughout the Central Province.

Zhao Chun Cake recruited disciples, trained strictly, and insisted on hand-making, and Zhao's Chun Cake direct stores soon spread throughout the land of China.

Zhao Chuncake not only became a celebrity, but also a wealthy man. howl enough to spend 2.5 billion Great Wall coins to build a splendid building in his hometown Lekou City, the Spring Cake Building.

At 1,145 meters tall, this tower-shaped building is second only to the Monkey King Tree in the Imperial Capital and the Sky Throne in the Great Pineapple City of the Western Federation among all the buildings in the world today.

However, one day 10 years ago, Zhao Chuncake suddenly disappeared and was never heard from. This incident, which caused a sensation in most parts of the world, was finally closed after half a year of investigation.

Zhao's Spring Cake Group has experienced a brutal power struggle and gradually stabilized, and the taste of Spring Cake is still the same. However, according to the description of many diners who are a little older and have some spare money, there seems to be a trace of taste missing.

But Rey definitely can't taste it, he is so poor that he can't afford to consume sky-high spring cakes. Ten years ago, Rey had never tasted the taste of spring cakes.

Moreover, Rey never had the idea of buying a spring cake to try it.

However, the young man who was determined to commit suicide seemed to have such thoughts.

The young man who had just walked through the door of the building was staring at the steaming, fragrant spring cakes with a longing look.

"Do you want spring cakes?" A girl in a straight uniform makes a pleasant voice.

“…… How, how to sell? The youth hesitated.

"These are the signature spring cakes, two 3,000 Great Wall coins." The girl smiled.

"Hey...... Are you still in the mood to buy pancakes? "Rey didn't know what was going on in the head of a man who was ready to commit suicide.

"Hmm......" The young man's wandering eyes suddenly became firm, as if he had made a great determination. Let's have two signature spring cakes. ”

The young man quickly took out two from the dining table and strode away.

"He checks out!" The voice of the young man came.

Rey was caught off guard and saw the girl's smiling face facing him, "Hello, sir, two spring cakes are 3,000 Great Wall coins." If you are not a local, you will not be able to verify your years of employment and collect your cross-border GST at the minimum 5%. A total of 3,150 Great Wall Coins. ”

Oh, my God!

3150 Great Wall Coins! That's half a month's salary. It is half a year of direct drinking water, three packs of energy-supply pills, the right to use milk for two months, and a blind date opportunity with an Oriental girl.

Rey looked around, and the hall was full of people. The aristocrats who ate and the quasi-aristocrats who bought cakes were bustling, and the bastard boy was drowned in the sea of people, and there was no trace of him.

"Sir?" The girl looked strangely at Rey, who was clutching the crystal.

“…… To give. ”

Rey felt his heart bleed.

It's 8:01 a.m., and it can't be delayed any longer.

"Thank you for your patronage." The girl handed back the Rey crystal, the blue crystal was wet, and I didn't know if it was sweat or tears.

"Hmm." Rey grabbed the crystal and looked around the hall.

There are elevators on three sides, which side did that bastard go on?

Left? Rightward? Look forward?

Rey heard the wind coming from the elevator and the sea of people.

"Here!" The young man stood at the elevator entrance on the right and beckoned to Rey, who was about to check one by one.

Attaboy!

Rey walked through the crowd in three steps and two steps.

The elevator arrived.

The young man slipped into the elevator and pressed the button on the top floor. Rey also rushed forward in stride.

The young man stood in the corner of the elevator, chewing the spring cake in his hand carefully, looking very cherished, and not a single piece of scum fell.

The elevator doors closed.

Rey stood in the middle of the elevator, bent over, panting, staring at the young man viciously. I saw that the young man had his eyes slightly closed, with a smile on his face, and he enjoyed the taste of spring cakes very much.

"Look at you, boy, like a dying man? I look like I'm going to die. Rey stared at the young man who had nothing to say.

"Well, it's delicious...... one spring cake has already been eaten, and the young man unhurriedly touched out the second one, "Go over...... I eat a lot...... Well, this house's spring cakes. ”

"Just you? Hey, hey. I paid for it. Leave me some! ”

"Huh?" The youth stopped.

"I won't eat you for nothing. As you can see, my crystal is a pile of shards. I had to make you pay. ”

"As a last resort? You don't look at how much it is, 3,000 yuan, am I easy, don't eat it. Rey said as he snatched the other spring cake.

Well, there's a missing mouth.

"Okay, anyway, I won't confiscate your fare, and this spring cake will be used as the fare." The young man said as he looked at Rey, who was about to open his mouth.

"Fare...... Well...... How can the fare be 1500, woo...... Delicious. Rey said indistinctly.

The transparent sightseeing elevator soars up in the twilight. The brightly lit streets, the bustling crowds, and the constant flow of vehicles are all shrinking.

"In the past, I used to eat this spring cake a lot." The young man continued, "My name is Jiang Ziqi, and I am from Shenye Village, Xijing City, Central Province. Graduated from Peony University in Dongfang City. After graduating, I worked as an engineer in a robot production company in Blue Lake City, with a starting salary of 180,000 Great Wall coins. ”

"Peony University? That's a top university. Rey looked at the scruffy young man in front of him.

"After five years of hard work, with my own solid skills, I have achieved the position of department head, with an annual salary of 500,000 Great Wall coins. And I was married to a beautiful girl. She is a native of Lekou City. ”

"500,000? Then you ......," Rey said and stopped.

"After two years of marriage, I came to Lekou City. Working in the robot distribution center, responsible for the maintenance and management of memory chips for service robots. At this time, the annual salary has risen to 600,000. My wife Lili and I bought a house in Lekou City and a quantum car. I am the pride of the whole village, and I remember how angry my parents were when I drove my wife back to Kamiha Village in a quantum car for the first time. I don't know how many parents have said to their children that you must be like Brother Ziqi, study hard, get into a good university, find a good job, marry a good daughter-in-law, and enter a big city. Ziqi said with burning eyes.

Rey looked at Ziqi standing in the corner of the elevator again, of medium height, with a small abdomen and heavy glasses. The hair looked like it hadn't been washed for more than ten years, and it was messy and messy. A gray blouse is so dirty that you can't tell what color it was. The jeans were stained one by one, and I don't know what kind of liquid stained them.

Peony University? Engineer? 600,000 annual salary?

Rey felt that the current Ziqi was just missing a rice can, otherwise, he would be a good hand wherever he knelt.

"Later, the family fell in the middle of the road?" Rey reluctantly swallowed the last bit of spring cake into his stomach.

"Blame me!" Ziqi's eyes were silently dim.

"Lili and I are so deafening. A year ago, my son was born. ”

"Hey, you have a son, so you still have to die? You're a man, you're so irresponsible? Rey became excited, "Looks like I'm going to have to stop you." ”

"It's because I'm a man that I have to die!" Ziqi also became excited.

The sightseeing elevator rushed into the clouds, and the dim light drowned in the thick sea of clouds.

"I used to have everything, money, house, car, status, virtuous wife, lovely son. Blame me! Ziqi punched the glass of the sightseeing elevator.

"Knock !!" There was a muffled sound.

"It hurts......" Ziqi rubbed his swollen joints.

"I'm not in the middle of the family, I do it all myself." Ziqi looked at the heavy clouds outside the window and continued, "There are three things that are the most mysterious in Lekou City, first, Zhao Chunbi, who suddenly disappeared eleven years ago. Second, the owner of the Time Game Workshop, and third, under the Daqing River in Nancheng District, the Birdman Market. ”

"Bird...... Birdman Market? "Rey, as a security officer of the Security Bureau who has worked in Lekou City for a year, has never heard of this market at all.

"It's an underground market, and there's a plateau outside the southern city where the Daqing River flows, and most of the plateau is barren and barren. There are two willow trees just near the river. It looks like a big river during the day, but in the middle of the night, when the river recedes, a damp and muddy land will be exposed in the river near the willow trees, and there is a waterproof metal plate with a large wellhead on the ground, and after entering the password, the metal plate will pop open, and below it is an elevator, which will continue to go down, and finally you will reach a full kilometer long illuminated market. In the middle of the night, there are people from Lekou City, there are people from the imperial capital, people from Dongfang City, and people from Dagang City, in short, people from all over the country. ”

Rey was dumbfounded, unable to imagine.

"All kinds of uncommon products are traded here, such as the claws of the little fire dragon, the tail of the thunder monkey, and the teeth of the great sword beast. (The Little Fire Dragon, the Thunder Monkey, and the Great Sword Beast are all imaginary creatures that scientists in the 23rd century have cultivated with genetic technology, and are generally kept in captivity in the laboratory for research, and are rarely used for commercial purposes.) Even in the 23rd century, it is difficult for ordinary people to see these creatures. Here, you can eat rice fried with unicorn meat, grilled firebird wings, and sake brewed with real keel. Quantum pistols, laser daggers, and even private flying saucers can also be bought here. Of course, the biggest and most famous thing here is the casino. ”

"I don't know how everybody got in, but I only know the entrance to the big willow tree in the river. Late one night a year ago, I bought a password at a high price from a mysterious netizen. The water was very strong that night, it was very cold, and the river refused to recede, and I waited anxiously with nervous excitement. ”

The sightseeing elevator still shuttles through the sea of clouds, and everything downstairs has turned into an ethereal and hazy color.

Ziqi looked at the dark clouds outside the window and continued, "The cold river water finally receded, and I stepped on the muddy land, and the smell of the river was everywhere in the night wind. I still remember the first time I felt the chill on the human skin on the metal plate, like a huge block of ice, it was extremely cold. I entered the code nervously, and I remember that there was a dull moonlight overhead, and the estuary was desolate. ”

"The metal plate bounced open, and there was no bottom underneath, and I seemed to hear the devil calling inside. Come on, come on! Give me your soul. ”

"Fear can't resist curiosity, I had everything at that time, money, status, feelings! I'm happy with all this, but I'm gradually numb and always want to have a little more excitement in life. Alas...... I did everything by myself. Ziqi's face was gloomy.

"I ended up going to the market and it was the perfect experience, I had a delicious taste that I had never tasted before. I drank the liquor straight to my head, and of course, I was in for a gamble. One day and night, I left the Birdman Market, and I felt like I hadn't been so satisfied in a long time, and that time, I won 100,000 yuan. ”

Lakh? That's all your savings!

Rey meditated.

"Later, I became obsessed and made excuses to go to the Birdman Market every Saturday and Sunday. My son is very cute, very cute! Ziqi regretted it.

Lili gradually realized that something was wrong, but I didn't say anything. Since I was a child, a good student, and a good person, I was gradually dominated by gambling, and my gambling addiction penetrated into my blood, and my spinal cord was full of gambling. ”

"Start with one or two thousand, and gradually move up to a few thousand. The bustling people in the Birdman Market seem to have an endless supply of money. Finally, I also began to bet tens of thousands of dollars. Winning money at the beginning quickly goes in. Later, I lost a month's salary, so I lied to Lili that the salary was delayed. Later, I ......"

"You want to say, you've lost all your money? And then you can't live, so you want to commit suicide? Rey stared at Ziqi word by word and said, "Don't tell me it's like this!" You, a big man, lost all your money, patted your ass and left, what will happen to your family? What about your virtuous wife and lovely son? You are a coward, you are gone, your family is responsible for you, and your wife and children will continue to pay off gambling debts. And you, a coward, a scumbag, ended up with ease! What else is a good place to be buried? I think you're a piece of trash! If you have the ability, you can die to show me, see that I don't break your dog's legs! The more Rey spoke, the more excited he became, and the spitting stars were about to spray on Ziqi's face.

"Do you know how many people can't marry a daughter-in-law?" Rey added in a whisper.

"You're right. I'm scum, I'm garbage. Now, it's too late to say anything. When all my savings were almost gone, I was in great pain. Lili was still gentle with me, but I was ashamed of her eyes. Every day I rack my brain and think about how I can make up for all the money I lost. Later, I thought there was only one way to go. ”

"Keep gambling?" Rey looked at Ziqi with contempt.

"That's right! I lost six million. That's all I have for the future. I was in a trance, and I was fired from the unit because I often lost my memory chip. I also have no financial resources. Come to think of it, only betting, only betting! Just win, just win, and I can win my future back. ”

"Failed, right?" Rey looked at Ziqi playfully.

"I mortgaged the property behind Lili's back and got 3.5 million. It's the middle of the night again, and I'm sitting on a red-hot sofa chair at the Birdman Market, staring intently at the spinning roulette wheel. That was the most nervous I was, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. The palms of your hands are all soaked. It's not just the palms of your hands. Tank tops, pants, the back of the neck are all wet. My chest was tight, I felt like it was getting harder and harder to breathe, the roulette wheel was slowing down, and I was about to stop! I felt like my heart was going to fly out of my throat. ”

"White. And finally, white! Ziqi's face flushed.

"Wheel. All the numbers on the plate are divided into three colors: red, black and white. Late that night, when I was waiting for the river to recede, I kept telling myself to bet on white, on white! But, in the end, while sitting on the fiery red couch next to the table, I made a foolish bet on red. The roulette wheel is stopped, white! I was ecstatic that everything was coming back, and I was about to hold my chips in my hand when a cold voice told me that you were betting on red. ”

"Can you understand how I felt?"

"You? Deserve! Rey spat out two words heavily.

The sightseeing elevator is about to break through the clouds, and the clouds have thinned out, and a little starlight has shone in.

"It was like I was struck by lightning all of a sudden. My head hurt so badly, my body was numb, and I felt chills all over my body in the warmth of the market. White! White! White! When I fell, all I had left was white! ”

"I fell asleep for twelve hours. When I woke up, my mind was still white! White, I washed white. All is gone......"

"Okay, that's enough. I've heard enough of your story. Rey approached Ziqi step by step.

"You coward. It's not that easy for you to die. Originally, I saw that your crystal was shattered. I thought you were desperate and didn't want to stop you. But, I didn't expect you to be such a good. Want to die? Hehe......" Rey laughed as he lifted Ziqi's collar, "I'm here today, you don't want to die!" Get out of here and pay for your mistakes with the rest of your life! ”

"You're wrong......" Ziqi's eyes glistened with tears under the heavy glasses.

"I made the last bet of my life......"

"A bet?"

"I'm gone, but I'm still alive!"

The sightseeing elevator finally broke through the sea of clouds, and the field of vision became incomparably broader, and the stars twinkled under the bright night.

"In a little more than a month, the house will be repossessed, my beautiful wife, my chubby son will be displaced, and the family will have no money to save up. I'm a man and I can't let this happen, so I made a bet with my life. ”

"Within ten days, as long as I can successfully commit suicide on the roof of the Spring Cake Building, my gambling debts will be written off." Two lines of tears flowed from Ziqi's eyes.

Rey slowly let go of his hands.

"I used to eat spring cakes. So at the end of my life, I want to try it too. Don't mind. Only here, only this building is possible. The killing is successful and does not affect the family. I've been here twice. The explosion-proof robots didn't let me pass, saying that I didn't have a good reason. This time, I secretly transferred the last bit of money from the crystal to Lili's crystal, and then smashed it with the most resolute heart. Ziqi said and felt out the purple shard.

"When I die, the money will go back to Lili's crystal, and the house will come back. They can finally live. I'm a rotten person...... I hope they are happy......" Ziqi leaned against the glass of the elevator.

The elevator stopped.

The night sky is exceptionally clear for more than 1,000 meters, and every star shines like a diamond set in the night.