The subway station is only about one kilometer away from the block where Xiao Xiao’s family is located, but there are a bustling square in the middle. It’s not too early, but there are six or seven middle school students in groups of three or three on the railings on the edge of the square. They tied their school uniforms around their waists, some dyed their dazzling white hair, some wearing huge silver earrings, and some rolled up their legs high, revealing dense tattoos.

They shared cigarettes with each other and passed the bottle of wine in their hands. When they saw Xiao Xiao and Yang Jia coming, they stopped and chatted, turning their heads to look at them expressionlessly.

Xiao Xiao and Yang Jia didn't look directly at them and slowly walked past them.

The teenagers in this city are full of anger. Even adults cannot look at them directly, otherwise it will easily cause unnecessary struggles.

After they walked away for a while, there was a sound of ridicule and whistle behind them, and the people seemed to be proclaiming their victory.

Yang Jia walked out of the subway station with Xiao Xiao, who seemed to be a little lost, and followed him quietly without trying to interrupt the surging fear and distortion in his heart.

It was not until she was far away from the angry and aggressive young man that she slowly took out a cigarette and lit it, and looked at Xiao Xiao gently.

Xiao Xiao, who was not smoking, subconsciously wanted to reach out when he saw the cigarette, but after Yang Jia lit it, he handed the cigarette over and stuffed it into his mouth.

The mint-flavored cigarette stimulated Xiao Xiao coughed, but his numb head seemed to turn again.

"What the hell is this?"

“…”

He croaked and asked questions that were not specific.

"Just as you see."

Yang Jia whispered: "We live in a living city, and its will is always watching us!"

"Some people say that we are pulled into this false and crazy world by a powerful, indescribable life, which has everything we are familiar with in our memory, but is essentially alive."

"Some people also say that our world was invaded by this unknown living being, which swallowed our city."

"We believe in any statement and have found their own evidence, but we believe in the former, so we call ourselves a foreigner."

"At least, if we understand this way, our hometown still exists, but we just can't go back."

“…”

Xiao Xiao didn't understand why Yang Jia pointed out these two theories. In his opinion, no matter which reason it was, it changed this crazy and terrifying fact.

This city is alive...

How could there be a kind of living body that exists in the situation of a living city?

"For some high-level living beings, it is possible to exist under any situation, but we can't understand it."

Yang Jia seemed to guess what he was thinking and said softly: "Of course, our current goal is just to learn to live in such a city."

"Living?"

Xiao Xiao was a little stimulated by these three words and felt it was ridiculous.

"How to survive?"

He even felt a little absurd: "We are in a world full of monsters. Even the city we are in is just a monster..."

"Of course, suicide is not ruled out."

Yang Jia smiled and said softly: "The gun is still in your hands. If you are willing to kill yourself or keep yourself safe, that is the way you can choose freely."

This answer surprised Xiao Xiao, and it seemed that he had thought about it seriously.

Yang Jia seemed to wait for a while, and when she saw that Xiao Xiao did not try to shoot him in the head, a smile gradually appeared on her face and nodded gently: "It seems that you have chosen to live."

"Yes, live."

"Even if we don't have any reason to live, we want to continue to live is our most precious quality!"

"After all, as long as you are alive, you can always find reasons slowly."

“…”

"I really don't want to die..."

Xiao Xiao answered this question calmly, looked at Yang Jia, but he was also a little low: "But how should I live?"

He turned around and looked at the group of middle school students who were truant, and saw that they seemed to be surrounding a homeless man, jokingly beating him, kicking him around with his snakeskin bags he had in his home.

"This city is full of monsters, how can we live?"

He lifted up the pistol given by Yang Jia: "Does it depend on this? Can it work?"

"That's another problem."

Yang Jia smiled and said, "As long as you decide to live, of course you have to work hard for this goal."

As she spoke, she had already turned slightly and came to an old ATM on the street. She looked at Xiao Xiao and smiled and said, "What's more, can we find a way to please 'him'?"

"Pleasy?"

Xiao Xiao was incredible and looked at the tall and uneven buildings of the city and the lights like the deep sea.

"Yes."

Yang Jia said: "As a living body, everything we see usually, including those who play various roles, is part of this city."

"This city sometimes gets sick, breeding some aberrant creatures that are prone to disasters, or are affected by other mysterious wills, which affects the city and the 'people' in the city."

"And 'him' needs us to help him solve these problems."

"As long as we are willing to exercise his will and help him cure his illness, we can get his goodwill."

"His malice will make us unable to move in this city, with monsters everywhere, and its kindness will allow us to have everything."

Xiao Xiao followed her and looked at the ATM in front of him.

There are many marks of being knocked on the old ATMs and exaggerated graffiti. The cameras on them scan themselves like eyes.

He waited for two seconds and suddenly saw the picture on the ATM, flashing rapidly like the power is unstable. Soon, the dark red back and the messy lines intertwined and reorganized, forming a piece of text.

【Name: Xiao Xiao】

【Age: 21 years old】

【Contract: Low level】

【Points: 30】

【…】

Xiao Xiao was a little surprised and raised his head violently: "What is this?"

"It's the city's kindness to you."

Yang Jia chuckled softly and said, "Malicious intention cannot be measured, but good intention can be calculated."

"Just just now you solved a rat man for this city... Well, in the end you made a shot, so it was yours."

"...so he gained his kindness, and this kindness is usually reflected in the form of points."

"Until these points are consumed, you usually no longer feel the hostility of the city. In this way, everyone you meet will continue to play their roles..."

“…You can even pretend that your life hasn’t changed.”

“…”

Xiao Xiao felt a little ridiculous for a moment and wanted to ask how to live in a group of humans who are monsters as if nothing had happened.

But when he spoke, he suddenly shut up again: Did he know what they looked like before?

"It's good to get used to it."

Faced with his desire to speak, Yang Jia acted very relaxed. She helped Xiao Xiao click on the ATM and said, "Go home and have a good sleep."

"Remember this point, this is the most important thing for us."

"Tomorrow, I will arrange for more professionals to teach you how to use these points to strengthen yourself."

"But I hope you are ready."

“…”

She turned her head, looked at Xiao Xiao seriously, and said, "In this city, the only way we can live is to solve his problems and cure the disease in this city."

"But I have to say that some things are really scary. No matter you or me, I can guarantee that I can survive in the face of this kind of nightmarish monster in the future."

"This is also the reason why I won't stop you if you just chose to shoot yourself in the head."

"It's no easier for us to be alive than shooting ourselves."

“…”

A dark red card surface was spit out from the ATM, with a texture and touch like flesh and blood tissue.

Xiao Xiao held it in his hand and stood at the entrance of the subway station. He watched Yang Jia's figure slowly disappear into the hazy light of the street lights. After a long time, he slowly turned around and walked towards home.

When he came to the dark and deep alley, he looked up.

When he just walked out of the alley with Yang Jia, he didn't have a special feeling yet.

But now when I come back, I feel like I am about to walk into a huge mouth.

The three evil dogs in the next yard seemed to have ghost fires flashing in their eyes, looking at themselves faintly.

The old record machine behind the white curtains on the second floor is making hoarse screams, like a painful soul struggling in hell.
To be continued...