The leaders of City A looked grim.
"pH0? What's the difference between that and concentrated acid falling from the sky? Impossible! There's no way such acid rain could form!"
"Not to mention the whole world experiencing acid rain together, that's utter nonsense!"
"This is probably just someone deliberately spreading alarmist rumors."
But there are also people who are genuinely worried.
"Then how do you explain the sky? How do you explain the sounds coming down from the sky?"
Those who were talking nonsense were immediately rendered speechless.
If it's some kind of high technology, why haven't they heard of it at all? There's no way such terrifying high technology exists.
"I heard that this canopy can only be seen in City A. Once you leave City A, even if you take just one step outside, you can no longer see or hear it."
If you can't see it, you can say there might be some kind of barrier in the air that uses the principle of light propagation, but how do you explain not being able to hear it?
It's too bizarre; it can't be explained by common sense.
If this inexplicable celestial phenomenon has already occurred, then the appearance of acid rain, which is also inexplicable by common sense, doesn't seem impossible.
Suddenly someone said, "Whether what Tianmu said is true or not, we'll know by seeing if our city experiences acid rain tonight."
Everyone fell silent. Yes, City A did experience acid rain in the 1980s due to the large-scale burning of coal, but the situation gradually improved after economic restructuring and vigorous environmental protection. There has been no acid rain for more than 20 years, and the monitoring system has not issued any alarms.
Therefore, in theory, acid rain should not occur tonight.
Conversely, if acid rain does occur tonight, it will prove that what the sky said is true.
Everyone looked at the mayor.
The mayor, his face grim, looked at the horrific scenes unfolding in the sky and said in a deep voice, "Investigate the origin of this sky. Issue a notice to all citizens of City A: prepare yourselves. After dark, close your doors and windows and do not go out. The entire city must remain silent."
At this point, he added, "Immediately arrange for people to go to the townships to inspect, and relocate anyone whose home is not equipped to withstand acid rain."
"Take inventory of all the equipment and materials in the city that have corrosion resistance."
"All underground passages, underground shopping malls, and large venues must immediately cease operations, be taken over, and be prepared to receive people seeking refuge inside."
"All schools, factories, and businesses will suspend classes and operations in the afternoon to evacuate personnel. All transportation will be suspended after 5 p.m.
One order after another was issued from the mayor's mouth, and people quickly wrote them down.
Finally, the mayor said, "That's all for now. For the rest, we'll convene a meeting of experts to discuss how to combat acid rain and its subsequent effects."
This serious and prepared demeanor clearly indicates that they are taking what Tianmu said seriously.
Some people seemed about to speak but then stopped themselves.
The mayor said, "If everything is fake, it's all for nothing. But if what Tianmu said is true, the more we do, the more lives we might save."
"Get to work, time is running out."
Everyone answered in unison, "Yes!"
Meanwhile, the images on the sky continued, and "Wei Zi's" voice continued: [This acid rain almost destroyed most of human society, and every acid rain in the apocalypse brought terrible losses: crop failures, water pollution, road destruction, house collapses, mass extinctions of plants and animals, and countless deaths.]
[Those who survived also perished tragically, losing their shelter, lacking food, water, and medicine, and succumbing to various illnesses caused by acid rain. In just six months, the population lost over 95%.]
The scene in the sky grew increasingly dark and cruel. The city's skyscrapers were unrecognizable, and only a few steel bars remained of the iconic Twin Towers, making it look particularly tragic.
The bridge across the river has long since collapsed into the water, and the surface is covered with fish, shrimp, and even mutilated human corpses.
The ground was littered with ruins and garbage, and corpses were everywhere. The survivors were wearing tattered raincoats, heavy tarpaulins, and various forms of protective clothing. Their exposed skin was red, swollen, and ulcerated, and their eyes were numb and vacant as they searched for food that was almost impossible to find in the ruins.
If they find a little food, they can't wait to eat it, and then their esophagus is burned through by the acidic substance on it, causing them to scream in pain. Or they fight each other to the death, and some even kill and eat human flesh.
"vomit!"
"vomit!"
The people below were so disgusted by what they saw that they wanted to vomit.
It was lunchtime, and some people had just eaten while others were eating. The attack swept across the area, and sounds of nausea and vomiting could be heard everywhere, from the streets and alleys to inside and outside houses.
Then came the angry outburst: "What is this?! Who made this video?! It's so malicious!"
"How could they eat people! Don't they know about prions?"
"You know what, when you're really desperate, you don't care about viruses anymore."
"Doesn't our country have a lot of grain reserves? Even if the fields fail to yield a harvest, we won't run out of food immediately, right?"
"Didn't you see? The roads are corroded by acid rain, the bridges are broken, the cars are probably all damaged, and oh, not many people have died. Even if there is grain, it can't be transported over. And who knows if the granaries have been damaged by acid rain?"
"No, surely there's something that can withstand acid rain, right? Isn't sulfuric acid still stored in glass bottles?"
The scene suddenly shifted to another location, but for some reason, the image quality suddenly dropped several degrees, and the picture became somewhat blurry. However, it was still possible to see that it was a house built with strange materials.
[Some people were lucky enough to obtain highly corrosion-resistant materials and build themselves shelters.]
The scene then shifts to what appears to be an underground location, where people in white coats are busy working.
Six months after the apocalypse, scientists finally developed acid-resistant coatings, crops, and medicines. However, by this time, the population had plummeted, machinery was destroyed, raw materials were scarce, and productivity had drastically declined. Even so, acid rain shelters were still painstakingly built.
Upon seeing this, people breathed a sigh of relief.
It's good that we can get back on our feet. Although we suffered a devastating blow, there is still hope for the future, isn't there?
They didn't realize that they had completely become immersed in the people in the video, and their emotions rose and fell with the changes in the video content.
But then, the video took a sharp turn for the worse.
However, by this time the government had changed several times, and the army had been wiped out in disaster relief efforts. The decline of the state apparatus directly led to repeated power struggles in the shelters.
[Some shelters were destroyed in conflict, others became privately owned, and the rules of the shelters were entirely set by individuals and specific forces, resulting in severe exploitation and oppression of the lower classes.]
The survivors found no peace; evil flourished, and humans turned on each other. Especially as researchers fell one after another, humanity veered deeper into the abyss of extinction…
In the sky, people fell one by one, shelters were destroyed by war, and people lost their shelter, exposed to acid rain once again, howling in despair, and finally becoming pools of fresh flesh and blood between heaven and earth.
These scenes, like heavy waves, crashed against people's hearts, turning their faces pale and causing them to involuntarily retreat, as if trying to avoid these cruel images.
"No, how could this be?"
"This is humanity's last refuge. What's the point of fighting? If we fight to the end, we'll all die together!"
"Damn it, what era are we living in? Still fighting for power and influence? Does winning mean sleeping in a luxurious bed or eating a Manchu Han Imperial Feast? The quality of life is still the same."
[However, in this global despair, there is one exception: a city that can withstand the most terrible acid rain. There, you can even find farms with herds of cattle and sheep, aquaculture areas with crystal-clear water, snowmelt from the mountains, flowers that never fade, factories, workshops, hospitals, schools, and even amusement parks...]
The last paragraph is accompanied by images that are not real scenes, but rather like pictures created by AI software. Each frame is exceptionally bright and beautiful, like a fairy tale world, full of dreamlike quality, which stands in stark contrast to the tragic and bleak apocalypse depicted earlier.
People were stunned.
"Let alone the apocalypse, even in this peaceful and prosperous world, I would want to live in a place like this."
"So where exactly is this place? Tell me clearly!"
People opened their eyes wide and strained their ears, trying to hear what was coming next, but—
The woman paused, then the despicable woman named Wei Zi said in a light voice, "[To find out the specifics of this acid-resistant city, please like and share to support us. We'll answer your questions in the next video.]"
people!!!
"Ugh! Can't you just finish what you're saying?"
"Don't keep people in suspense like that!"
"Is this video just an advertisement for this place? Could it be a tourist attraction somewhere?"
"To promote this place by talking about the end of the world and such, isn't that going too far?"
Amidst the discussions, several helicopters were seen flying back and forth beneath the sky, seemingly shining lights on it as if they were studying it. However, they were too far away to see what they were actually studying.
Then, the sky gradually turned dark, and the four words "To be continued" appeared before disappearing completely.
People then discovered that small screens had appeared in front of them, seemingly miniature versions of the sky they had just seen, with icons for likes, dislikes, and sending flowers.
Someone tried clicking "like," and it actually worked—the screen disappeared. Someone else clicked "dislike," and the screen disappeared too.
Someone simply waved their hand and smashed the screen apart. The screen was gone and never reappeared.
The sky remained a clear blue, the clouds were high and the sun was shining brightly, as if nothing had ever happened.
If people hadn't taken photos and videos, they probably would have thought it was all an illusion.
Then people started discussing it again, and all sorts of photos and videos really exploded online, spreading like a plague to every corner and entering the sight of people all over the world.
Most people just think it's some kind of cutting-edge technology, special effects, or gimmick, while others believe it's just intimidation by some illegal organization.
Only a few people take it seriously, and among these people, the majority are from City A.
There's nothing we can do; this canopy just happens to be located in City A.
The people of City A witnessed the sky screen with their own eyes; the direct impact and shock were incomparable to any video recording.
Moreover, the video explicitly states that there will be acid rain in City A tonight. It's said with such certainty, and the timing is so close, so it wouldn't be difficult to make some preparations.
Most importantly, the municipal government actually sent out a notice to everyone!
"Holy crap! The town government sent me a warning text message! It told me to prepare drinking water, check the house, get as much tap water as possible, and keep the doors and windows tightly closed tonight!"
"The traffic safety bureau sent a text message saying that the entire road will be closed after 5 p.m.!"
"The village committee came directly to inspect our houses and said that none of them met the standards. They told us to tidy up our homes, bring good food and supplies, and gather at the village activity center before dark!"
"If we shut down our factory, the losses will be huge. Our factory manager will turn into a fire-breathing dragon!"
"My child's school sent me a message asking me to pick up my child!"
"Are you crazy? Is this for real? You can't be this frivolous!"
"If it doesn't rain acid tonight, will all the leaders of City A have to resign?"
Amidst the discussions, some quick-witted and alert individuals rushed to supermarkets and shops to engage in a shopping spree.
Some people search online for things that can prevent acid and corrosion, and then immediately go and buy them.
Some people felt unsafe because their windows couldn't be closed properly and their roofs leaked, so they immediately looked for something to repair them.
Some people are rushing to harvest the crops that are ready to be harvested in the fields.
Some people brought their parents and relatives to their homes, while others left their dilapidated rented rooms to stay with friends or in hotels.
Some people immediately drove away from City A, saying, "City A is not safe. Can't I just leave?"
Meanwhile, in places unknown to the public, people in high-risk areas have been quickly relocated to buildings that can withstand acid rain.
The fishing boats in the nearshore waters were urgently called back.
In some places, sirens blared loudly in the sky.
The more you prepare and the more you act, the more it feels like death is chasing you with its scythe.
Emotions spread, and gradually, people throughout the city became tense. Even those who hadn't taken it seriously began to feel uneasy, as if they were missing a protective shield if they didn't prepare something.