I chose the safe house, and the Human Alliance regretted it.

In the capital, the snow had not stopped and the city had become a white world.

Inside the small building, Chen Junjie stood by the window. The sounds penetrated the walls, the wind and snow, and entered his ears.

He didn't turn around, nor did his expression change at all.

I just listened quietly.

Dewey appeared at the door at some point, his face ashen.

"Prophet..." his voice was hoarse, "You know?"

Chen Junjie didn't turn around: "I heard you."

"They..." Dewey's voice trembled slightly.

"They're not crazy," Chen Junjie interrupted him, his voice calm. "They're just scared. So scared that they need a scapegoat. I can understand."

Dewey opened his mouth as if to say something, but his throat felt blocked.

Silent for a long time.

Dewey took a deep breath and finally revealed his purpose: "Prophet... the Alliance has made its decision."

"Tomorrow, a global referendum." Dewey's voice was hoarse. "All bases, all survivors, will vote to decide—whether to accept the catastrophe's terms."

After those words were spoken, the room remained quiet for a long time.

Chen Junjie finally turned around and said softly, "Do we still need to wait for the referendum results?"

Dewey was stunned.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Perhaps someone still remembers your kindness," but even he himself didn't believe it.

Those who once knelt at Chen Junjie's feet and shouted "Long live the Prophet" are now standing in the crowd shouting "Die, Prophet."

The voices were louder, there were more people, and the slogans were more synchronized.

Do we still need to wait for the referendum results?

Chen Junjie did not wait for his reply.

He turned around and looked out the window again.

"Tomorrow, I'll go to Jiangnan City first."

Dewey was taken aback: "Jiangnan City?"

"There are some things I need to explain," Chen Junjie said softly. "Then, I will go to the Kashgar Mountains myself."

Dewey's pupils contracted sharply: "You—"

The snow outside the window was falling heavier and heavier, a vast expanse of white, like a blank sheet of paper.

"Go."

Dewey stood there, motionless for a long time.

Then, he bowed deeply and turned to leave.

The door closed. The footsteps faded into the distance.

Chen Junjie stood alone by the window, gazing at the vast white world.

His hand rested lightly on the windowsill, the coolness of the glass reaching his fingertips.

"Prophet," he murmured, his voice as light as a feather falling on snow, "I've finished the play you made me act in."

Outside the window, the snow is still falling.

That night, in the underground living area of ​​the global base, a line of text suddenly lit up on all the electronic screens.

A line of cold, yet incredibly heavy red text—

"Tomorrow, a global referendum will be held. Should we sacrifice the life of Prophet Chen Junjie in exchange for thirty years of peace for humanity? All survivors, please vote through your respective base terminals before noon tomorrow."

"This resolution requires the consent of all survivors. If any one of them objects, this transaction is void!"

Below the screen, countless people looked up at that line of text. An eerie, suffocating silence fell over the various bases.

Then, someone spoke first:

"Great, we should have voted a long time ago."

"But why do we need everyone's consent?"

"That won't do. What if even one person objects? Wouldn't we all die together?"

"Anyone who dares to vote against it will be dire for us all!"

The sounds grew denser and more urgent.

They had just calmed down from the frenzy of "the prophet is dead" when they fell into panic over "what if someone objects".

"We need to find out who's against it!"

"Yes! We can't let them kill us!"

"Anyone who doesn't support trade is an enemy of all mankind!"

In the underground living quarters of major bases around the world, without official organization, a group of people spontaneously formed a "representative organization".

A man stood on the platform and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'll be representing the entire B area in tomorrow's vote. Everyone agrees to the deal, right? Raise your hand if you agree!"

A dark mass of arms rose up.

"Okay, it's settled then. I'll vote for you."

"I object!"

A thin young man pushed his way out of the crowd.

Everyone around turned their heads in unison.

"You object?" someone asked.

"I...I just feel that the prophet saved us..." The young man's voice trembled.

"He saved us, but now he's going to kill us! You want to die with him?"

"I don't--"

"If you object, you're refusing the deal. If the monsters rush in, we'll all die. Are you going to kill us all by yourself?"

No one gave him a chance to explain. Anger surged up like an avalanche.

"Very well, you can die now."

Since the arrival of the alien beasts, there has never been a bloodshed incident in the underground living areas of the various bases.

But today, that's changed.

The stench of blood filled the air from the first person to fall.

Nobody thought it was murder, nobody thought it was a crime.

In their minds, this is "removing obstacles".

It was a sacrifice that had to be made for "all of humanity".

Those who oppose it do not deserve to live to see tomorrow.

.......

Dragon Kingdom, six major bases.

The hundreds of thousands of people who had been rescued piecemeal by Chen Junjie and brought back to the six major bases fell silent.

The old man covered the girl's mouth to prevent her from making a sound.

The old man knew that if they dared to say no at this moment, neither of them would live to see tomorrow.

People go mad in their struggle to survive.

The door to the small building in the capital opened in the early hours of the next day.

Chen Junjie came out.

He didn't take anything with him, he was only wearing a black coat.

The snow is still falling.

On the city wall, the garrison and the superhumans saw him, their pupils dilating suddenly.

No one spoke up, and no one stopped him.

Because they all knew—he was going to his death.

Chen Junjie flew through the air.

Outside the city, several kilometers away, the eyes of countless strange beasts flickered like scarlet will-o'-the-wisps in the snow.

Chen Junjie stopped.

He stood on the open ground between the city wall and the beast tide, amidst the swirling snow, looking up at the sky.

The sky was gray, with only snow.

Endless snow.