Countdown: Humanity's struggle to survive against yesterday

Chapter 70 A Farewell Ceremony of Emotion

Everyone rushed to Meng Jinzhen's farewell ceremony late at night.

I thought there wouldn't be many people around 2 a.m.

However, when the Huitian Group arrived, they found that it was the most lively time.

On an open area along the border, tens of thousands of people were divided into several circles, each with a large bonfire in the center, where they sang, danced, drank, and roasted meat.

The emotional farewell ceremony originated in European countries.

Its core is to cope with the psychological impact of daily changes in interpersonal relationships, such as a partner becoming younger, a deceased elderly person coming back to life, or a child returning to the womb.

The initial activities were very simple, involving a local community or some neighbors.

At the end of each day, people have a standard farewell conversation with those around them, thanking them for their company that day and acknowledging that tomorrow is the first time they will meet each other, much like a prayer.

Later, the rituals became more elaborate, such as writing a letter that would never be sent, exchanging a small item that would disappear tomorrow, or a hug.

Later, when it spread globally, it evolved into public gatherings and large-scale events.

After the Huitian Group arrived, they blended into the crowd. Along the way, there were various free barbecues, snacks, drinks, ring toss games, performances, and so on, making it look just like a large temple fair.

Lu Xue was very excited the whole way, chattering non-stop.

"Brother Sun, I think this event is really great."

"What should I do?"

Lu Xue pointed to a stage and said, "Look over there, everyone can come up and speak, and everyone can freely express their feelings."

"And over there!"

Lu Xue then turned and pointed to a patch of grass, where hundreds of small tables and chairs, covered with white cloth and set with candlesticks and wine, were laid out.

"I heard that's a dating corner over there. Brother Sun, you could go give it a try. Maybe a girl will take a liking to you."

"Hey, I'll have to go later."

"Hehe, I'll go too, I've never been in a relationship before..." Lu Xue laughed.

Su Mian and Zhang Jimin walked side by side behind Sun Fumin and Lu Xue. Hearing their conversation, Zhang Jimin couldn't help but say contentedly, "It's truly a rare moment of relaxation!"

Su Mian nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Such large-scale events are packed with people, offer free food and drinks, and are filled with laughter. The atmosphere in the entire venue is exceptionally cheerful, and this atmosphere is easily contagious, making everyone feel happy without even realizing it.

Su Mian: "Old Zhang, this feeling is really amazing. There are many people in this world who only met today, but because the world has reversed and time has rolled back to today, they have met again. If we don't consider the destruction caused by the great disaster, this kind of plot is really romantic."

"I never expected you to have this thought too!"

Seeing Su Mian's rare smile and her talking about her children's aspirations that she would never normally mention, Zhang Jimin couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so surprising about that!" Su Mian didn't explain, but just laughed along. "I'm a woman too, you know. It's natural for me to yearn for love and affection."

"Oh, then why haven't you found one? With your looks and qualifications, you shouldn't lack male suitors!"

"Stop, let's not talk about this anymore..."

Lu Xue stopped smiling and looked helplessly at Zhang Jimin, who had a gossipy expression on his face.

"Old Zhang, do you remember the first time we met?"

"Weren't you on the plane?"

"Of course not!"

This surprised Zhang Jimin, who asked, "Oh, have we met before?"

"nature……"

Su Mian took a cup of milk tea from the roadside, took a sip, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

"I remember that amateur scientist who gave a lecture on Nanjing Road, constantly talking about the quantum realm..."

……

Jiang Ning and Chang Niankong were at the back of the procession; Zhou Yunci did not follow.

Jiang Ning and Chang Niankong each held a box of stinky tofu and ate as they walked.

Suddenly, Chang Niankong said, "Team Leader Jiang, may I ask a question?"

Jiang Ning took another skewer of grilled meat from the roadside, thanked him, and asked, "What are you asking about?"

Do you really believe that the world is regressing because of lack of sleep?

"This is just my guess!"

Jiang Ning took a bite of the meat and found it very fragrant and delicious, so he went back to join the queue.

Seeing this, Chang Niankong smiled helplessly and followed Jiang Ning back to queue up.

While waiting in line, Jiang Ning said, "My expertise is in the field of sleep. Although it may not be considered high-end, I've been deeply involved in it for several years. In the simplest terms, it's the field I'm most familiar with. If I were an astronomer or a physicist, I would probably guess in those two directions as well."

"Understood!" Chang Niankong nodded.

"It's like I realized that the Great Regression was not a coincidence, and with the global implementation of the 'Future Memory Bank' project, I thought that my greatest strength was memory, so I chose to go down the mountain."

Jiang Ning smiled faintly: "Right! Faced with the unknown, we always choose what we are best at, just like this barbecue vendor. His way of dealing with a major disaster is probably to keep selling barbecue."

After saying this, Chang Niankong gave Jiang Ning a deep look.

According to common sense, is selling barbecue skewers simply because one enjoys it?

Of course not. This might just be a survival skill, working from dawn till dusk before a major disaster, perhaps just for a few coins.

However, Jiang Ning said that this might be a person's way of coping with a major disaster.

Chang Niankong thought for a few seconds and then suddenly realized that he remembered a science fiction novel he had recently read. The novel was about how everyone in the world was trapped on the same day and would experience a cycle every day.

That novel has recently become a popular work, and many of the scenes depicted in it are just like those in the present day, leading people to jokingly say that it's a novel coming to life.

In that novel, when humanity experiences death and immortality tens of thousands or even millions of times, the ultimate pursuit has become extreme.

Mathematicians invented their own mathematical language, and Go players also developed their own language; these are all examples of how individuals ultimately cope with disaster.

"Does Team Leader Jiang believe that humanity is incapable of saving itself? That we will be trapped in regression generation after generation, until we return to the primordial chaos..."

"No, not at all..."

Jiang Ning smiled and said, "I've never thought that far ahead. I just want my wife to be resurrected so I can spend the rest of my life with her again."

"Then why is Team Leader Jiang so eager to solve the problem of the Great Regression of the World?"

Chang Niankong had reviewed the information on all members of the Huitian Group before he arrived, and he was also aware of the conditions that Jiang Ning and the organization had discussed. Hearing Jiang Ning mention this, he couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him.

"It's not that I'm in a hurry to crack the code, it's just that there's no turning back now that the arrow has been released; I'm already in this predicament."

After Jiang Ning finished speaking, he chuckled to himself.

"Actually, I also want to stay out of trouble, but humans are social animals after all. After a month, I can no longer get off halfway."

Furthermore, being eager to crack the code doesn't mean I'll agree to immediately end the world regression after it's cracked tomorrow. I will still selfishly insist that the world regression must be ended only after my wife is resurrected.

Chang Niankong hadn't expected Jiang Ning to be so frank. After listening, he felt a mix of emotions, including a slight sense of admiration.

"Isn't Team Leader Jiang afraid of being abandoned after being used?"

Jiang Ning took another skewer of grilled meat, took a big bite, and said, "Scared? Of course I'm scared. But things have to be done..."

"Team Leader Jiang is truly righteous!" Chang Niankong bowed.

"Stop with the talk of righteousness," Jiang Ning said quietly, turning around. "There's only one skewer per person here, so grab one for me quickly!"