Most people live in a quiet state of despair. —By Thoreau

The moment Su Qin stepped out of the gate of the orphanage and entered society, he knew that he was no longer protected by some friendly people. Although a stable social environment allows all those who are willing to work hard to have enough to eat.

But he wanted much more than that.

Mediocre birth, mediocre upbringing, mediocre life, mediocre death. Every night that realizes such a future torments young people who are not willing to be mediocre. A wrong flight caused Su Qin, who was supposed to fly to Paris to take the photos needed for the next issue of the magazine, to come to Africa unexpectedly.

Wars, killings, and high commissions made him feel like he had never felt before. In this chaotic environment, he felt different for the first time. The transcendent intuition that was different from others was like an invisible apostle, telling Su Qin's ear where the bullets were about to fly from, and whether it was a jackal or a robber hiding in the grass ahead. Wild animals have a more perceptive sense than ordinary people, which makes them aware of the abnormality of youth. In the absence of hostility, they will not attack him on their own initiative, and will even treat him in an almost flattering manner.

This feeling of life and death in an instant but everything under control is more than poison. The product is even more addictive. He even forgot the curse of mediocrity for a while and threw himself into this war game as a spectator. But this was only self-deception after all, although Su Qin used a realist's stone heart to hide the throbbing in his heart. But the sights in front of him made him more and more aware of the fear of war and the evils of human nature.

The clash between ideals and reality makes him increasingly apathetic, even to the point of watching mobs massacre ordinary civilians and then enter the driver's village where no one has been spared to shoot a documentary.

But that's not what he really wants.

"Is Mr. Su a photographer?"

"Well, what's the matter?"

"I'd like to ask you to help me record some videos and post them online."

"Okay."

This was Su Qin's second contact with Heidi, although there was no lengthy discussion. But the two developed a crush on each other, looking at Heidi, who was in front of the camera and sincerely recounting the current situation of the refugee camp and asking the audience for help. Su Qin felt that something was slowly growing in his heart, but the form of realism that had been ingrained in the past still locked those emotions in his heart like a layer of rock shell.

"If she knew I was that kind of sideways battlefield photographer." Sighing and putting away the camera in his hand, looking at the smoke rising from the refugee camp, Su Qin felt that the thoughts in his heart became more and more contradictory. The conflict between the cold ideas he had adhered to in the past and the light of humanity around him made him particularly entangled.

Life in the refugee camp was hard but peaceful, which made Su Qin, who was already familiar with the smell of gunsmoke, feel a little uncomfortable. But whenever Heidi is seen running around with the imps in the refugee camp. Before he knew it, there would always be a smile on the corner of his mouth.

There are no bullets or blood flying here, but there is a lot of human beauty here. If it's all a dream, then I hope this dream never ends. In the past, young people who had been immersed in war and blood for too long cherished these warmths. But time never stops because of personal will, and soon the night before parting will come.

"The sunset in Africa is really beautiful." Looking at the sunset that was about to fall into the horizon, Heidi straightened her long windswept hair and said in an admiring tone.

"There's a lot of charm here, and if the weather is nice we can see the Milky Way in a while. Join lucky enough and even possible to see a meteor. Although the land is torn by war, it also retains its stunning natural beauty. Su Qin turned the camera to reflect the scene of burning clouds and sky light on the film.

"If those who are immersed in war are willing to stop and take a closer look at the scenery, perhaps they will no longer slaughter their fellow people like wild beasts." Sighing, Heidi said a little naïvely.

"Huh? If it works, that's my job. Raising the camera in his hand, Su Qin replied half-jokingly. Hearing the other party's slight smile, Heidi, who was already familiar with him, pretended to be angry and bent her elbow. In the midst of laughter, Su Qin had a completely different sadness in his heart. The longer he stayed with these naïve volunteers, the more disgusted he became with the work he was doing.

How nice it would be if my work really stopped the war.

This thought was like a seed that fell into a crack in the stone, no matter how many times Su Qin denied it in his heart, it finally sprouted a new green shoot. Looking at Heidi's smiling blue eyes, Su Qin made up his mind to work hard to change himself after completing the completion of this work, and strive to one day respond to the other party's hopeful eyes without being weak.

Heidi, who was not particularly healthy, was in a fuss for a while, and then lay on the grass wheezing. Looking up at the starlight slowly shining overhead, she sighed a little wistfully.

"I really envy you for flying all over the world in a profession like you, where you can meet many strange things and strange people."

"As long as you muster up the courage, the world is not really big." Sitting next to Heidi, Su Qin pinched a strand of her blonde hair and wrapped it around her fingers in small circles. Smooth strands of hair slid out of his hands in circles, as if heralding a mysterious future.

"Well, courage does matter. It was the first time I had been so far away from home, and I had rarely left that big house since I was a child. Until one time I saw a photo album at a friend's. ”

"Oh?"

"It was very bloody but very real, and for the first time I realized that war was not a picture of a few tens of inches of television screen, but a real humanitarian catastrophe." Heidi lowered her eyes, her tone becoming very heavy.

"So you came to Africa in one go?"

"yes, isn't it stupid." Smiling self-deprecatingly, Heidi raised her eyes and looked at Su Qin in confusion, as if hoping to get an answer from him.

"It's so stupid." Looking down into Heidi's eyes, the two of them got closer and closer.

"Ahem."

"Andy, what's the matter with you?" Rising to look at her companion with a red face, Heidi asked with feigned composure.

"There are a few children at the camp who are not feeling well, and I am not sure about pediatrics, so I have to come to you." Andy shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly.

"Are there too many people? I'll go right over. As soon as she heard that there was a sick person, Heidi immediately put aside her other emotions and ran anxiously to the tent that served as a makeshift hospital.

Andy, however, did not follow her as usual, but walked towards Su Qin with a sneer.

"It's better to be famous than to meet, I really didn't expect to meet you here."

"Oh, you are ......" Su Qin's heart moved, but his face did not move.

"It's sad, I'm a big fan of yours, maybe the title Mr. Blood reminds you of something." Andy said meaningfully. Hearing that nickname, Su Qin couldn't help but clench his fists. He had never hated that title so much as he did now.

"The first time we met, I didn't recognize you as the rumored robot-like cold, fearless, and cool Mr. Blood." Andy's tone was mocking, "If it weren't for Heidi's mention of that photo album, maybe I wouldn't really remember." ”

"It's not a good habit to eavesdrop on other people's conversations." Su Qin frowned, as if he understood something.

"Hmph, I'm too lazy to talk nonsense with you. Very well, you vulture. Stay away from Heidi in the future, she's not the girl you can mess with. The more Andy spoke, the more angry he became, and he couldn't help but stretch out his finger and point insultingly at Su Qin.

"I don't think it has anything to do with you." Slapping away the hand that was about to poke in front of him, Su Qin sneered and looked at Andy like an annoyed and angry defeated dog.

Soon, the quarrel evolved into the most straightforward form of communication between men - fists.

So the next day, under Heidi's dissatisfied glare, the two who were about to get on the bus and go to a nearby city shook hands helplessly. Perhaps out of the sense of fair play that young people have, Andy didn't say much in front of Heidi.

"Hmph, I'm not going to give up."

"Oh."

"That's how you react?"

"There will always be a few chirping sparrows around a good girl."

"Do you want to find fault again?"

"Guess?"

"Tsk, I'll clean you up when I go back."

"Huh."

At this time, the two young people did not know that what awaited them was a nightmare that they would remember for a lifetime.