frightfiction Chapter 144: A town where people are “powerless” to gather and a case full of doubts
Chapter 144: A town where people are “powerless” to gather and a case full of doubts
Qiao Risheng explained, "It's like this, Mayor Yan, we still have a few teachers waiting behind us, can you drive over to pick them up?"
"Okay, okay, no problem."
Yan Huaizhi and Yan Wu got on their bikes and asked them to sit in the back.
Yan Wu had gray hair on his temples and looked quite old. Everyone looked around and wanted to let someone else ride.
Hua Changle had ridden before, but her skills were average. The mountain road was very sloped, and she was afraid of dragging everyone in the car into a ditch, so she just said she was not good at riding.
Qiao Song stood up and said, "I can do it. Let me do it. Mayor Yan, you just sit down!"
Qiao Risheng also said: "Yes, Asong can do it, let him come, he will be fine."
Everyone then got into the car, started the car and drove back.
Hua Changle looked at Qiao Song who was driving in front of him and suddenly remembered something:
Piaolings have extremely long lifespans, and although they appear to be the age of the body they possess, their actual age is not necessarily that.
In other words, Qiao Song might be much older than Qiao Risheng!
No wonder! This means of transportation, which was gradually eliminated in the early stages of natural disasters, will also be eliminated.
Two cars picked up ten people and they all headed into the town together, with the director's car following behind.
Passing by the entrance of the town, Hua Changle noticed that there was only a weathered stone tablet on the side of the road, with four large characters engraved in dark red paint:
——Nostalgic wild town.
Yan Wu arranged for them to stay in a certain house. Yan Wu's family could accommodate two groups, Yan Huaizhi's family could accommodate two groups, and the deputy mayor Yan Chong's family could accommodate one group.
Qiao Risheng and Hua Xiange's group lived in Yan Wu's house, Lin Xuanyao and Nian Jingliu's group lived in Yan Huaizhi's house, and Liang Chengyu and his wife lived alone outside.
Everyone was thinking about the mission as they walked and looking around the entire town.
"Teachers, please take a rest. The villagers have prepared a welcoming banquet for you tonight. Please welcome the arrival of all the teachers and make our rural town shine!"
"Excuse me, Mayor Yan."
Everyone looked at each other and pulled the mayor aside: "Mayor Yan, you should know that we are here with a mission."
"I know. The teachers are here to help us investigate the case and hold the celebration! We will give them our full support!"
Hua Xiange said: "Could you trouble Mayor Yan to tell us about the case?"
Yan Wu nodded: "Okay, let's sit down and talk."
Everyone sat down. Yan Wu took a puff of his retro cigarette and slowly exhaled a cloud of white smoke:
"The case happened about sixty years ago, and I personally experienced this case."
"Our Huaixiangye Town was first built by a group of people who moved from the border of Jiuxu. They reclaimed the wasteland here and established Huaixiangye Town.
There are deep mountains and old forests here, and there are many wild beasts and exotic species on the mountains. The environment is relatively harsh, so it has always been very poor. Most of the people who come here to live are those who live in seclusion.
And some children.”
As he said this, Yan Wu's loving gaze fell on a few children who were peeking in the distance.
Hua Changle asked: "Mayor Yan, can I interrupt and ask what the children in this town are like?"
Shen Xiao beside her was stunned: "What do you mean?"
Yan Wu was also stunned for a moment, and then smiled bitterly:
"Did the teacher see that?"
Hua Changle nodded: "Well, I saw that the townspeople along the way were mostly older people and children, and most of these children were running around in groups.
It seems...like..."
orphan.
She didn't say these two words.
Yan Wu said: "You are not mistaken, there are many children in the town, but more than 90% of them were picked up by the townspeople, or abandoned by someone unknown and left at the entrance of our town.
They are all special children.”
Qiao Song's eyes flashed, and he said:
"They're all... 'powerless'?"
Everyone was stunned.
"Powerlessness" is a term that emerged during the period of natural disasters with the rise of superpowers.
It refers to people who are unable to awaken their superpowers, or whose superpowers are extremely weak and they are completely unable to advance.
The name of this type of people - "powerless" - destined them to have a low status and difficult situation in such an era.
It’s not that there are no “powerless” people who can succeed through their own efforts, but it’s really rare.
In ancient times, when both internal and external martial arts evolved into supernatural powers and science and supernatural powers were combined, "powerlessness" was an original sin.
Although there is protection from basic human rights laws, the phenomenon of abandonment due to “powerlessness” is still not uncommon, especially in poor areas.
[Oh my god, so many kids are like this? ]
[Isn't this too inhumane? Abandoning your own child?! ]
[It's cruel, but... it's forced by the times]
【Objectively speaking, it is very difficult if you don’t have any abilities.
How do you participate in training when you go to school? What should you do if you encounter dangers from alien species at any time and anywhere? How many job options are there? Even if some positions do not require superpowers, will the company choose the powerless instead of the superpowered?
In the context of realistic considerations, the abandonment of children by distressed families should not be condemned, but the system of our entire society needs to be changed. However, this is not something that can be done overnight, we need time, but the time of natural disasters is precious. 】
[…I understand. Save your words: I can’t help it.]
[Thank you, I understand now]
Yan Wu continued, “It is difficult for these children to survive normally in the outside world.
We tried to send them to schools outside, but they were easily bullied and had difficulty keeping up with the curriculum. In the end, they all stayed in the town and helped the town grow and buy groceries for a living.”
“I am one of them.
This town outside of this world raised me, who could not be contained by the world."
No one spoke for a long time.
[…Family, I’ll go search and donate some stuff]
【Add me (raise your hand)】
"Speaking of what happened back then, I can only say it was very bizarre."
"Just... two days after that celebration, the first child went missing.
The villagers were extremely anxious at the time and couldn't find the person anywhere, so they reported the case directly.
But after three days of searching, before they could even search deep into the mountains, the child appeared in the town again, and was left at the door of a family.
After checking, the child had no injuries at all.
When asked, the child knew nothing and just said he had taken a nap. "
“When I heard the adults talking about it, I was curious, but then the same thing happened again and again, and everyone started to panic.
But it is even more bizarre that every child was returned safely.”
"Later, I suffered the same experience."
Nian Jingliu couldn't help but ask, "Mayor Yan, could you please tell me the details of what happened at that time?"
Yan Wu smiled bitterly and said, "What can I say? All the missing children said they were just sleeping, and of course I was the same.
I felt that I was sleeping very deeply, and when I opened my eyes, a lot of people surrounded me, saying that I had been missing and had returned.
Oh, one thing. "
Yan Wu paused for a moment and said with a puzzled look:
"I have a very deep impression. I remember that when I fell asleep, I felt someone was next to me and it was very warm."
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It's time for a holiday, hahaha! I'll see if I can write one more chapter to give you guys an update, it's been a while since I last updated!
I also want to advance the plot as quickly as possible and reveal the foreshadowing hehe~
(Chat, severe convective weather has been quite severe in many places recently, please pay attention to travel safety~)