I write obituaries for the gods.

Chapter 2 Collapse

Lin Chen still remembers the scene when he first arrived in Yudu.

At that time, he didn't have much money, so he could only look for housing in the high-rise residential buildings outside the fourth or fifth ring road.

Rent in a place like Chengdu, where land is incredibly valuable, is truly expensive. If you're having trouble finding a job and also encounter a bad landlord, you'll probably be pushed straight to the brink of elimination...

So when he first came to "Residential Complex No. 148 Sunshine Pearl" to meet the landlord, he was apprehensive.

Unexpectedly, his landlord greeted him with a bowl of hot tea.

"An art student? Haha, you're going to run into some trouble finding a job in Yudu. These days everyone's cutting costs and increasing efficiency, doing things like AI painting... They can generate a picture in a second! How can you compete with that?"

"But Uncle, is AI also called art...?"

"Who cares about your art! What they want you to paint has nothing to do with art!"

Lin Chen still remembers staring defiantly at his landlord, while the unkempt middle-aged man just smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

"Alright! College student, you won't realize how difficult it is until you hit a wall. You can use the room for now. I'll rent it to you every three months at the annual rate, no deposit required."

"No deposit required?" Lin Chen was taken aback.

Lost in thought, a cup of hot tea was placed beside him. Lin Chen looked up and saw the landlady smiling gently at him.

"Young man, don't worry about staying here. We'll go through the platform's contract, we won't cheat you," she said softly. "It's not easy for a young man like you to come here in the rain to look for a job, do your best."

"Anyway, your ex-tenant didn't finish the job in three months and slunk back to his hometown, hahaha... Ouch, Huihui's mom, why did you hit me..."

"Give them some confidence," the wife chided playfully, then looked at Lin Chen with a gentle smile, "When shall we sign the contract?"

"Now! Sign the contract now!" Lin Chen's eyes lit up.

He was still not convinced by his landlord's words, thinking that he had studied for four years in college, so surely he shouldn't be unable to pay the rent.

Then, the rain poured cold water on him, telling him that his uncle was right.

He sent out resumes almost every day, but good companies didn't want him, and the companies that did want him were all offering predictable, dead-end jobs.

He could only send out resumes and work as a delivery driver to earn some money to save up for the rent later.

During those months when he was struggling to make ends meet, the rain poured down on his old raincoat and onto the security windows of his rented room, but Lin Chen never felt cold during those months.

The landlady would often call him to the next room for dinner, serve him meat, and offer him words of comfort and encouragement.

In return, Lin Chen would tutor Huihui, their daughter who was in junior high school, since he had nothing else to do in the evenings anyway.

It was only then that Lin Chen realized that his uncle had kept him around because of his college student status: he could tutor the kids! The money saved would be enough to cover the premium on the short-term rental.

But this little scheme didn't make Lin Chen feel like he was being tricked; on the contrary, it warmed his heart.

......

In the dimly lit room, Lin Chen walked to the dining table, placed the lunchbox in front of Huihui, and opened it for her.

The "Hard Man Meal" consists of a simple dish: a tea egg, a fried dough stick, and a steamed bun stuffed with processed meat.

Looking at Huihui, who seemed dazed, Lin Chen felt a heavy weight in his heart.

"I'm busy today, so just make do with this," he said softly. "I'll buy you some groceries tomorrow."

The little girl looked up and smiled at Lin Chen.

"It's okay, brother," she said softly, "I'll eat anything."

"You need to eat your fill. You're at an age where you're still growing," Lin Chen said softly. "Eat properly, be good."

The girl's smile made the flame in Lin Chen's heart burn even hotter. He recalled the news he had seen that morning, the arrogant expression on "Qingtian's" face, and the host's praise of him.

Then, he remembered the day it happened.

......

The day of the incident was Huihui's birthday, and the landlord couple planned to take her out to buy a gift and have a nice meal.

The night before, when they parted, Huihui leaned close to Lin Chen's ear and whispered something to him with a grin:

"Brother, I'll secretly bring you some good stuff from the island! Isn't that game unavailable for physical purchase? I heard that store has some..."

"No need, no need. Just buy yourself a birthday present. Didn't you always want that 'Skybreaker' figure? That's quite expensive. It's not appropriate to buy something else." Lin Chen quickly said.

Huihui is a fan of Qingtian. She grew up watching movies starring Qingtian and has always had a good impression of this demigod with immense strength.

"It's okay, I enjoy watching you play games," Huihui smiled happily. "I knew that's what I wanted!"

"This is about to give us away..."

"It's okay! Mom likes you a lot anyway!"

"You can't just say things like that..."

Huihui's smile was so sweet that Lin Chen could only sigh helplessly, feeling a warm glow in his heart.

Unbeknownst to him, this simple family of three had become his fireplace in the rainy city, dispelling the chill brought by the incessant rain.

"..."

The next day, Lin Chen received a call from the police station while he was making deliveries.

"Hello, is this Huihui's brother, Mr. Lin? It's urgent. You need to come here immediately. This girl needs you. The address is..."

"Come over here first... She only knows your phone number..."

Lin Chen couldn't remember how many red lights he had run that day. When he arrived at the scene, the first thing he saw was a scene that looked like the end of the world:

The Iron Horn Bridge, which spanned the sea, had broken off at its edge, the jagged crack resembling the tusks of a giant elephant, plunging into the dark and turbulent ocean. The broken steel cables swayed in the howling wind, constantly striking the bridge with dull "thump! thump! thump" sounds, like a recurring death knell.

Through the gray fog on the sea, Lin Chen saw colorful fragments: some were fragments of the bridge, and the rest were all kinds of private cars. The fragments floated on the waves, like small rafts used by Vikings to bury the dead.

Anxiety grew in Lin Chen's heart. He ran quickly to the makeshift tent by the roadside and frantically searched for the girl who had been smiling at him the night before.

He walked through the wails and cries that rose and fell from the tents, and finally found Huihui in the center of the makeshift camp.

But Huihui wasn't the only one standing there.

There is also "擎天".

This was the first time Lin Chen had seen a "demigod" so closely.

"...Ask questions in an orderly manner, don't waste time."

Optimus Prime stood there, surrounded by reporters, the fine water droplets on his gray armor reflecting their flashes.

Huihui was being held in the arms of the demigod she worshipped, her face covered in water, her expression blank.

"Hey! You..."

Lin Chen instinctively reached out, but was grabbed by a hand.

"Kid, don't be impulsive."

Lin Chen turned around and saw a man who looked like an investigator sizing him up with narrowed eyes.

The man was dressed in a suit with a black trench coat over it, looking like a bat with its wings folded.

He took out his identification from inside his coat and showed it to Lin Chen.

"Jiang Zhengge, head of the Rapid Response Section One of the Rain City Anomaly Management Bureau," the man's voice was hoarse and weathered, "Are you that girl's brother?"

As soon as he spoke, Lin Chen recognized the voice: it was the person who had called him.

"I'm her tenant," Lin Chen replied. "Where are her parents? Why are they calling me?"

"He died; he fell into the sea."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen felt a buzzing in his mind, and he suddenly realized that it had actually been raining heavily today.

"Dead...?" Lin Chen murmured.

"It's very difficult for anyone in a car to survive falling into the sea from this height," the man said, lighting a cigarette. "The poor girl was crying after being rescued. We asked her if she had any relatives she could contact, and she shook her head. Then she gave us your phone number."

"No...that's not right..." Lin Chen murmured, "Why? Why was Huihui saved, but Uncle and Auntie weren't? This...this can't be...this..."

His words caught in his throat as he saw a faint, cold glint in Jiang Zhengge's eyes.

"Look over there yourself," Jiang Zhengge said, pointing to Qingtian, who was being interviewed not far away.

......