Memories surfaced vaguely, like a landscape emerging from behind a thick fog. The old man with the goatee recalled a day from long ago. Before the sky had turned completely dark, he and Diamonds had been sitting inside the dilapidated clinic, while the street outside was chopped into fragmented pieces by the shadows of hurried passersby. Diamonds’s lips moved, but the words falling into the old man’s ears were entirely muffled, like echoes vibrating underwater. He heard Diamonds say with a faint smile:
“The resistance group ‘Clepsydra’ needs a leader. Brother Hearts will play a much greater role than I ever could.”
“And what about you?”
The light, fractured by the iron iron bars of the window, filtered subtly into the clinic. The interior was gray and mottled with shadows, resembling an old photograph. Diamonds leaned back, a look of serene relief brushing across his brow:
“I will be like a soap bubble drifting with the wind, spending every day in happiness before I finally burst.”
Everything about that day remained indelibly branded into the depths of the goatee old man’s heart. But memories are like gossamer threads in the wind—suddenly, it snapped. He slowly came to his senses. Right now, he was standing before a clinic bed, facing Diamonds, who lay unconscious after being delivered here by Quicksand straight from the Blood Arena. Piercing copper needles into the acupoints and using a feeder to administer the Shengmai formula, the goatee old man operated with practiced efficiency, just as he had done for Diamonds countless times before.
Gradually, Diamonds’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
The goatee old man sighed. “You are missing so many internal organs. To have survived to this day is truly a miracle.”
Diamonds’s lips trembled. After a long pause, he squeezed out a dry, raspy voice. His words were like withered leaves, sounding as though they would shatter into pieces at the slightest breath of wind:
“Isn’t that all thanks to your miraculous healing hands, Doctor… You’re an expert at scooping out guts and making dried chicken.”
The goatee old man gave a couple of dry chuckles at his dark humor. “Your body was never meant to endure heavy strain. I saw it on the television—you are practically an empty shell of a man, yet you still ran off with ‘Clepsydra’ to participate in that nonsense life-and-death duel!”
Diamonds remained indifferent.
“Then again, it’s not like this hasn’t happened before. Bi Gan had his heart gouged out and managed to survive for quite a while. This old man is an expert, you know. I once authored a text called the Book of the Green Satchel. You better thank your lucky stars; if you had fallen into the hands of some quack doctor, you would have suffered a lot more.”
Having just woken up, Diamonds’s eyelids felt as heavy as waterlogged cloth. The scenery before him spun like a top. Suddenly, a jolt went through him, and he asked in a daze:
“The Book of the Green Satchel? Doctor… what era are you from? Do you have a grudge against someone named Cao?”
The goatee old man sneered. “A man of the 2nd century who has lived all the way until now. Are you only just thinking of prying into this old man’s past?”
Diamonds’s mind went blank. He slowly shifted his gaze to the brass nameplate resting on the consultation desk. Two characters were engraved there:
“Hua Tuo.”
Diamonds fell silent.
After a long while, he spoke. “A shared name, or the man himself?”
“Heh, feel free to guess.” The goatee old man stroked his beard, smiling genially. “Maybe it’s just a shared name. Or maybe it’s the man himself, who escaped from the death rows of Xuchang and found a secluded place to cultivate an elixir of immortality.”
“Living from the 2nd century AD all the way to the present day?”
The old man let out a smile from amidst his deep wrinkles. “Otherwise, how else do you think this old man managed to reach this era? I certainly don’t possess the time-jumping technology of the Chrono-Entropy Corporation.”
Diamonds suddenly burst into hearty laughter. The light from outside the window spilled over him, bright and radiant, as if it could melt his entire being. Once he had laughed his fill, he said:
“It seems every single one of us in the Lower District harbors a secret.”
As twilight crept in, the neon lights scattered like colorful ribbons of silk, illuminating the city’s winding pipes that resembled a coiled giant serpent. Diamonds walked out of the “Affordable Clinic” and spotted a youth in black clothing sitting on a small folding stool. His body was curled into a ball, and his gray eyes—resembling two pools of freezing water—stared blankly into the profound depths of the sky without a shred of emotion. It was Quicksand.
Seeing him emerge, Quicksand asked in a flat, unfluctuating tone, “Did you settle the bill?”
“I just woke up, and you’re already talking about money with me. That really hurts our relationship.”
“This directly concerns the nature of our relationship. If the medical fees are paid, you remain my black-hearted boss. If they aren’t settled, we are just strangers who happened to cross paths.”
Diamonds sighed. “It’s settled. Otherwise, do you really think I could have walked out of that door under the old man’s watch?”
Only then did Quicksand stand up, open an umbrella, and obediently hold it over Diamonds’s side.
The two walked shoulder to shoulder toward the alley entrance. Not far away sat the dilapidated taxi they had arrived in. The residual glow of holographic advertisements saturated the streets, and acid rain struck the weathered buildings, creating a series of hollow echoes. This city, too, felt like an empty shell. Quicksand asked:
“Are you feeling better? What kind of illness did you actually suffer from earlier?”
Diamonds kept his hands in his pockets, looking straight ahead. “A cold.”
“Liar. Since when is a cold ever that severe?”
“You say it lightly, but over 600,000 people worldwide die from this disease every year.”
Quicksand immediately took two steps away. “Then stay away from me. Don’t pass your virus onto me.”
Despite his words, after walking a short distance, he stealthily sidled back. Noticing Diamonds walking unsteadily, he reached out to steady him by the arm. Diamonds’s face was slick with sweat, and his expression looked as wilted as a frostbitten leaf. Looking down at the hand holding his arm, he teased, “Is this what you call staying away from me?”
Quicksand replied, “This is a safe distance.”
They drove back to the Poker Bar. Along the way, frenzied crowds packed the streets and alleys. Their eyes were bloodshot as they sang at the top of their lungs. The news of the resistance group “Clepsydra” defeating the 2030 branch had already spread across the entire Lower District. People were tearing down the Corporation’s surveillance cameras one by one, smashing them onto the ground. Someone was using fluorescent paint to write slogans of victory on the walls. Children hurled glass bottles salvaged from the scrap yards against signs that read “Permanent Property of the Corporation.” The paper scraps from party poppers danced in the air like a heavy snowfall.
Following the collapse of the 2030 branch, the once-exploited slaves had finally reclaimed their freedom. The people of the Lower District no longer bore the crushing weight of their past. Through days and months of relentless struggle against the Corporation, the Lower District had finally welcomed a glimmer of dawn.
Upon returning to the bar, they found it overflowing with people. Patrons cheered in unison, clinking glasses as alcohol splashed through the air. Funk music blared from the jukebox, and people swayed their bodies, stamping the floorboards rhythmically like a drumbeat. Spotting the duo, Madame Spades greeted them with a warm smile:
“You’re back? If you have a moment, come help out in the kitchen. ‘Clepsydra’ is planning to hold a victory banquet.”
Quicksand bypassed the bar counter and headed into the kitchen. The patrons, buzzing like cicadas tossed into hot oil, clinked their glasses against Hearts, eagerly discussing the spectacular showdown in the Blood Arena. Hearts caught sight of Diamonds, parted his way through the crowd, and walked over with a smile:
“Diamonds, you’re here? Let’s go have a drink up on the terrace.”
The two headed up to the terrace. The rain had stopped. The holographic advertising screens flickered into static, their multicolored images twisting and bleeding away like melting candle wax. The city of steel and iron was drowned in waves of cheers, yet up here, they felt far removed from the clamor, disconnected from the world.
They sat down on a small sofa. Hearts poured himself a glass of 75-proof Sierra Silver tequila, but placed a simple glass of plain water in front of Diamonds.
Diamonds protested, “Brother, this isn’t fair. We agreed to have a drink together, yet you’re the only one enjoying it.”
“Haha, this liquor is 75% alcohol. Can your body handle it right now?”
Diamonds smiled faintly and stopped arguing. They stared silently at the cityscape. The ventilation exhaust let out a low, whistling howl, sounding like a distant blue whale roaring in the deep. After a long while, Diamonds said in a low voice, “Brother, I’m sorry.”
“What is there to apologize for?”
“During the life-and-death duel, I destroyed your limbs. Now your flesh-and-blood body can’t be restored.”
Hearts patted his shoulder. “What does that matter? Ever since I received these cybernetic prosthetics, I’ve long since grown used to them. Switching back to my original hands and feet actually makes me feel fragile.” Knowing that Hearts was intentionally comforting him, Diamonds let out a soft, wry smile.
They drank in silence for a moment before Hearts suddenly exhaled a cloud of white vapor into the air, sighing:
“We defeated the 2030 branch, which should make this a day of great rejoicing. Yet, there is still one matter weighing on my heart. A long time ago, a benefactor donated their organs to me. But no matter how much I inquire with the members of ‘Clepsydra’, Doctor Hua, or anyone else I know, I have never been able to find any trace of him.”
The burly man lowered his head, continuing, “Perhaps he is no longer in this world, but at the very least, I wanted to express my gratitude to him.”
Diamonds listened in silence, gently swirling the water in his glass. After a moment, he said, “Why bother searching for his trail? As long as you carry on the cause of ‘Clepsydra’, he will be deeply comforted, wherever he is.”
Hearts smiled back. “You aren’t him. How can you decline someone else’s right to be thanked on their behalf?”
Diamonds merely smiled and remained silent.
On the round table sat a water tank. Inside, Duo Duo’s head slept soundly within the glowing blue nutrient solution, surrounded by fragrant flowers. This time, however, a fair-skinned cybernetic arm rested at the bottom of the tank. Hearts gazed at her with a look filled with profound affection; she was his treasure. He murmured, “When the world returns to normal, I want to take Duo Duo… and you, to visit that benefactor and thank him in person.”
Diamonds held his glass between his teeth. “Taking Duo Duo is fine, but why include me? What exactly is my role here? Am I your family’s pet puppy?”
“You’re mischievous and love to stir up trouble, so you’re more like an unaccomplished son.”
“Brother Hearts, please spare me. I treat you like a brother, but you treat me like a son.”
The two burst into hearty laughter, raising their glasses to clink them together. Countless lights intertwined in the distance, resembling a world crafted of colored glaze. Virtual fireworks erupted one after another across the digital billboards; it was a night destined for sleeplessness.
The clamor of voices echoed from the wooden stairs as patrons holding liquor bottles surged up, laughing together. Their smiling faces seemed to glow against the twilight. Someone shouted, “Boss Hearts! Why aren’t you joining us down here for a drink?” “Tonight, we drink until we drop!”
Quicksand, wearing a pink apron, also came up to the terrace carrying a tray. On it sat carved crystal rocks glasses filled with Manhattans, Bourbons, and Chartreuse. He moved deftly and expressionlessly, weaving his way through the guests. Madame Spades gracefully stepped onto the terrace as well, addressing the patrons in a soft, welcoming voice as she served the drinks. She announced, “Tonight, all drinks are on the house.”
The patrons cheered wildly, their voices rising one after another like sharp needles piercing the air. Female guests in sequined dresses began to dance, appearing like scattered stars falling to the floor. Madame Spades walked over to Diamonds and placed an old Polaroid camera into his hands. Diamonds looked up in surprise.
“We haven’t taken a photo together in a long time, have we? Tonight is a moment worth celebrating. Take a picture for everyone.”
Seeing this, Hearts quickly called the crowd together to assemble. Madame Spades was ushered into the center, while Quicksand had his head pushed down to force him into the lineup. The flash went off, capturing their smiles within the viewfinder, freezing that single instant of time forever. The boundless lights of the world served as their backdrop; they looked as though they were drifting through the Milky Way.
The photo ejected from the slot. Diamonds held it in his hand, his gaze softening as he studied it.
Fireworks burst in the sky above the terrace, their brilliant bursts appearing to pierce right through the gloom of the heavens. The people on the terrace moved like high-speed machines, singing and laughing as if they would never know exhaustion. Diamonds quietly stepped into the shadows and walked down the wooden stairs, leaving the cacophony behind him. No one noticed his departure.
Diamonds walked into his room. Amidst the silence, he picked up the photo frame from the nightstand and slipped the new photo inside. He wasn’t in the photograph, but his absence did not diminish the perfection of the atmosphere. His life was short, much like the morning dew. Yet though the dew vanishes, it returns again tomorrow. Even if he were no longer here, nothing would change—the Poker Bar would continue to welcome and bid farewell to its guests, “Clepsydra” would keep fighting for the future, and the joy of this very moment would remain indelibly branded into everyone’s memories, enduring forever.
Outside the window, another firework bloomed, its brilliant colors illuminating the smiling faces inside the photo frame. Diamonds picked up his medicine bottle, poured a few more pills into his mouth, and lay down on the bed, staring at the clock. The hands revolved systematically across its surface, like a traveler pacing up a Penrose stairs. He knew that some sicknesses were etched deep into the marrow of one’s bones—such as the yearning for eternal permanence, or the terror of one’s own fleeting existence.
But now, he was beyond cure. He simply closed his eyes, waiting for tomorrow’s sunlight to arrive and evaporate him like dew, leaving no trace behind.
