Ren Yifei stayed in the cave until the signal to feed them sounded. He went outside and saw everyone holding wooden or fruit-shell bowls, lined up in neat rows, with no one cutting in line.
Ren Yifei walked at the back of the group. In front of him was a woman whose ear had been cut off in half. The wound didn't look like it was from an accident, and he couldn't help but wonder if such a form of punishment existed here.
"Brother Jiang, I heard you're not feeling well today?" A tall boy came up behind him, showing great concern for Ren Yifei.
Ren Yifei didn't know who this person was. He coughed twice and said, "I can still hold on."
"Brother Jiang, take care of yourself." The big man behind him suddenly grabbed his wrist and quickly drew a symbol with his fingertips.
Ren Yifei was taken aback. This seemed to be some kind of special hint, similar to the fish-shaped symbol used by players to communicate. However, he couldn't understand its meaning at all.
He used coughing to cover up his momentary daze.
The guy behind him also let go and continued laughing and joking.
What does this symbol mean? Why is it so secretive? Is it a clandestine communication signal? And what is his relationship with the child behind him who looks barely an adult?
Ren Yifei memorized this symbol, knowing he might need it someday.
The upgraded resume is better than before, but only to a limited extent. The introduction of the original owner is very general, and many parts still require guesswork.
Ren Yifei observed the entire environment without changing his expression.
The people around us were all from the same social class, which was evident from their clothing. They were all dressed in simple linen yellow, except for a very few people who wore stone-polished beaded necklaces around their necks and brightly colored flower wreaths on their wrists. There were hardly any bright colors to be seen.
Knowledge monopoly, control over the distribution of resources, and perhaps other factors. In short, it looks like a semi-primitive slave society with severe class stratification, where birth determines one's destiny.
Was the hierarchical system in primitive society already this distinct?
He was curious about what people from other social classes were like, as they reflected the highest level of material civilization in this era.
The long line began to move, until it reached the other side of the nest, which was also a circular space with rows of wooden tables in the middle and a row of cylindrical metal pipes around the perimeter.
Without a doubt, this is a restaurant.
Ren Yifei's pupils dilated slightly: "In terms of both design and craftsmanship, these metal pipes could not possibly be products of this era."
The workers automatically dispersed, with a dozen or so people lining up in front of each pipe.
The worker at the front stood in front of the pipe, placed his bowl at the pipe outlet, and a few seconds later, a square piece of something resembling luncheon meat was spat out and fell directly into the rough wooden bowl.
He left, and the next person who went up came up with the exact same thing, square and neat.
After receiving their meal, the workers sat down and began to eat, using a wooden fork to skewer the food and hold it up to eat. Ren Yifei took the same food, took a bite, and found it to be the texture of luncheon meat, a bit coarser, with a slightly salty taste.
Looking at this thing, Ren Yifei lowered his head, bit down, and swallowed it: yet another existence that was out of place in its living environment.
Lunch consisted of only one serving of luncheon meat, and it didn't taste very good. Ren Yifei ate a few bites before becoming numb to it. He saw that the others were also eating numbly, not enjoying it, but merely trying to survive.
Not far ahead, he saw a pregnant couple; the husband gave most of his food to his wife, keeping only a little for himself.
"Eat quickly, eat more." He was so hungry that his voice was trembling, but he still urged his wife to eat, his eyes looking expectantly at her round belly.
His wife didn't even look up, frantically stuffing food into her mouth.
Ren Yifei was quite surprised to learn that there were several such couples.
Suddenly, a lot of noise came from outside, and a man who was half a head taller than most people and had a ruddy complexion walked in.
He was dressed in a black, uniform-like outfit, with leather boots, a blue scarf around his neck, and a luminous blue gemstone ornament.
Ren Yifei blinked. Was a person from a feudal society infiltrated into a primitive society?
Wherever this man went, the local workers would stand up and dare not sit in their chairs to eat.
He was from a higher social class, as could be seen from his well-nourished face and refined clothes. Furthermore, his appearance was slightly different from theirs; he had a single horn on his forehead.
Could this be a marker of class distinction?
"Where is 03319?" The man's sharp gaze swept over the crowd, and the workers trembled as soon as he saw them.
They feared him and dared not disobey him: "Who is 03319?"
"It's the river!"
Countless eyes converged on Ren Yifei in the corner.
Ren Yifei, holding the bowl, took several seconds to realize: "This number... seems to be mine?"
"You're 03319? Come with me."
The person approached quickly, taking two steps at a time, and pulled out a handkerchief to cover their nose.
Ren Yifei didn't move; he was still thinking about how to react more appropriately.
To everyone's surprise, this man had a violent temper. He grabbed Ren Yifei by the chest, pulled him up, and the luncheon meat in Ren Yifei's hand fell to the ground: "Are you deaf?!"
He knew that classes existed in this world, but Ren Yifei was unaware of the strictness of this class system. He tentatively made a defiant gesture and pushed the man.
Unexpectedly, this was just a showy spearhead; it was pushed open with a gentle push, causing a collective gasp of surprise to rise from all around.
"How dare he push an adult?"
"He is committing a crime!"
The surrounding whispers made it seem as if he had committed some heinous crime, and the once kind 'Little Jiang' had turned into a monster. Their gazes towards Ren Yifei were filled with fear and disgust.
The embroidered pillow in front of me, which could be easily pushed away, was also angry—no, furious: "How dare you defy my law enforcement?"
"Someone come here!"
Soon, several more tall and burly 'superior people' arrived, all with horns on their foreheads, and surrounded them, asking, "What's going on?"
"This lowly commoner dares to defy me!" Enraged by being pushed away by Ren Yifei, the superior man kicked Ren Yifei's arm.
Jiang was a sickly beauty, and Ren Yifei was a complete weakling. He was kicked and stumbled, falling to the ground. The area where he was kicked quickly became red and swollen. It didn't hurt much, but it looked rather gruesome.
The workers were trembling with fear, their bodies covered in cold sweat.
Ren Yifei clenched his fists, but remained unusually calm: It seems that the social hierarchy in this world is very strict. I wonder what the original owner did to offend someone.
"Get up! Stop pretending to be dead!" the newcomer sneered.
Because of his physical condition, Jiang was never an impulsive person. He was more like a strategist, preferring to plan carefully before acting. The push he made just now was Ren Yifei's probing action, but to the world, it was an act of 'impulse'.
Therefore, he did not resist any further and was taken away by these people.
Before leaving the cafeteria, Ren Yifei looked back once.
Those people still didn't dare sit down, nor did they dare look in their direction. The big boy who had been drawing mysterious symbols with him earlier cautiously hid behind someone, his hand holding the bowl trembling slightly. And the food that had fallen to the ground at his previous spot had been snatched away by two men.
Those were two men whose wives were pregnant. They were wolfing down the leftover food, which was rough and tasteless, but their faces showed happiness and contentment.
Even if they go hungry themselves, they still try their best to nourish the pregnant woman. There must be a reason, and a reason that everyone here knows.
"Ant nest?" He recalled the suggestion once again.
The ant-nest-like structure, the worker ants-like creatures, and the tiny size all point to this keyword.
Ants are super-individual life forms. The term "super-individual" refers to organisms like ants and bees that have a special social nature.
They work together to nurture, labor, and fight back, often acting as a unified whole.
In addition, they are clearly divided internally, with each level representing a part of an individual's body.
On the surface, the queen ant enjoys supreme power and is responsible for reproducing offspring to continue the species. Other ants, especially worker ants and soldier ants, are responsible for feeding the queen, raising the children, and protecting the nest; they are purely altruistic.
From a human perspective, they can't understand because genes are selfish; everyone wants to pass on their own share. They would instinctively think, "Why should I inherit your genes instead of mine?"
Humans are inherently difficult to be altruistic. In life, truly kind people and those who sacrifice for others have, to some extent, far surpassed their animalistic nature.
The human world is made up of different individuals, each with its own ideas and vying for resources, thus leading to constant conflict. The world of ants, however, is quite different.
The queen ant and male ant represent reproduction and birth; they are the reproductive organs of an individual. The worker ants and soldier ants work all day to help the colony continue; they are the limbs and brain of an individual.
Ants and bees, as a whole colony, are like individuals, cooperating and advancing together. Therefore, they are called superindividuals.
However, the presence of many pregnant couples in the crowd indicates that the people here also possess the ability to reproduce.
If we assume that the social system in this instance is like that of ants, then humans, who have the ability to reproduce individually, have entered an 'ant colony' that does not have the ability to reproduce individually.
Can the altruism of worker ants and soldier ants still be maintained?
"What are you doing?" Ren Yifei was pushed, which interrupted his thoughts. The high-ranking human behind him cursed and swore, seemingly still bothered by the resistance he had just received.
Ant." Ren Yifei lowered his head; he had never tried such a role before.
To oppose the entire social system and overthrow it, they were given only seven days.
Pushed by those behind them, they left the black tower.
The plants on both sides gradually grew denser, tall and thick, reaching past their heads. The rustling of the wind through the gaps in the trees filled their ears, and the water droplets on the tips of the leaves hit their heads, feeling cool and refreshing.
When Ren Yifei looked back again, he could only see a sliver of black through the layers of branches and leaves.
In-depth exploration
Puzzle Games
Puzzle game
Novel Forum
eBook
New books added to the library
Earth Online
Mo Xiang Tong Xiu Novel Merchandise
Guardian
Novel Subscription
The Bunny Pulling Cotton Candy Novel Merchandise
"What are you looking at?" The superior human pointed a long spear at Ren Yifei and spoke rudely.
Seeing that no one was around, Ren Yifei had a feeling. He roughly knew why this person had called him out, but he didn't say anything. He just obediently walked towards a secluded place, leaving a trail of footprints on the damp sand.
Finally, they arrived at a very, very remote place, at the edge of a swamp, where strange plants grew and a few small boat-like floating leaves drifted by. It was a bit cold and a bit gloomy.
There was movement behind him. His eyes held a murderous gleam, and he thrust his spear without hesitation toward Ren Yifei's back.
The wind that was generated blew against Ren Yifei's skin. He reacted immediately and dodged the moment the other party made a move. He turned around, gripped his spear, and pulled the man over with him.
He had already discovered that this big guy only looked powerful; in reality, he was a complete fool. Sure enough, when Ren Yifei pulled him along, the man couldn't stop in time and stumbled forward two steps, already close to the edge of the swamp.
Taking advantage of his weakness, Ren Yifei kicked the unsteady man, sending him crashing into the swamp with a scream. In his struggle, half his body was encased in mud.
Ren Yifei took the spear and examined it carefully. He found that the craftsmanship was actually quite good, and it even had beautiful decorative patterns.
"Save me." The once arrogant superior human was now powerless to break free of the swamp and was crying in fear. He could no longer utter those words that carried such a matter-of-fact and commanding tone.
Author's Note: Afei: Beg me.