Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 300: Chapter 290: Time’s Up

Out of her admiration for Mr. Hu, Tang Mo was eager to help in some way.

However, what she could do was extremely limited. Asking her to livestream was out of the question, so she could only help with small tasks within her abilities.

For instance, she provided some nutrients for Mumu and gave Bo Niou little treats as a reward.

Three days before Rule Day, Mr. Hu finally made a move. However, he still didn’t say anything specific during the livestream, instead appearing very dejected.

Everyone had grown accustomed to this gentle, masked man who spoke in a stiff and monotonous voice, as if reading from a textbook. Now, even though they couldn’t see his expression, his listless movements and occasional sighs and blank stares caught their attention.

"What’s wrong, Keeper?"

"Yeah, did you run into some trouble?"

"Don’t tell me your stream location was discovered! You have to protect yourself!"

One by one, viewers typed their concerns onto the screen. They all genuinely wished for the well-being of the Keeper, Bo Niou, and Mumu.

"Rule Day is coming."

Hu Bin said, carefully wiping each of Mumu’s leaves.

"I saved Bo Niou and Mumu from the Euthanasia Room. They were this close to leaving this world... but it seems I can’t protect them anymore."

Mr. Hu’s words were delivered without any particular emotion, but the once-lively chat screen instantly fell silent.

That’s right. Rule Day was here again.

Animals and plants were forbidden to exist in this world. This was a rule they had all established themselves.

But things were different now. They had developed special feelings for the dog and the little plant they had watched grow up before their very eyes.

Could they still be their executioners?

They watched them every day without fail, formed fan clubs, and rejoiced at every small change. They even called themselves the pets’ doting mothers. With the day to decide their fate fast approaching, could they really bring themselves to make them disappear with their own hands?

’Am I really that cruel?’

Everyone asked themselves this question. They watched Bo Niou playing with its ball, completely carefree, and saw Mumu, which had grown its first bud under their watchful eyes and was about to bloom. Their feelings were a complicated mess.

Mumu was going to bloom. No one had expected that.

Tang Mo was the first person to have seen Mumu. Back then, it was just a tiny sprout. Now, the thriving little tree had grown to be half her height, its branches bearing a flower bud.

Mr. Hu had been overjoyed. He was so cautious that whenever Bo Niou got near Mumu, he would stare at the dog nervously. This made Bo Niou feel extremely wronged, as if it were no longer everyone’s little darling, and it grew sullen day by day.

Bo Niou’s gloominess made the viewers’ hearts ache. They thought the dog had sensed what was coming, that it knew its judgment on Rule Day was fast approaching.

This made everyone feel even more guilty.

Beyond that, Mr. Hu did nothing more. He simply went about his daily routine: caring for Bo Niou and Mumu, and educating the audience about other animals in the world, like a walking encyclopedia of the animal kingdom.

"Is this really going to work?" Xiao Fei asked Mr. Hu, worried.

Bo Niou was his best and most irreplaceable companion. He was the one most worried about Rule Day, and the one who most desperately hoped the rules could be changed.

With so many people watching the stream now, they had thought Mr. Hu would make some kind of inflammatory speech at the end to convince people to change their votes.

But Mr. Hu had done nothing of the sort.

"This is enough. Haven’t you noticed that fewer people are posting live comments recently? But the number of viewers hasn’t dropped; in fact, it’s been growing."

"It means people are thinking. You have to give them time. Sometimes, doing too much is counterproductive."

Tang Mo completely agreed with Mr. Hu. Giving people time to think for themselves was far more effective than trying to guilt-trip them.

The elderly people who had come with Hu Bin were, of course, not part of the audience. At first, Tang Mo had worried they might report Mr. Hu.

But after a few days passed peacefully, Tang Mo understood. In their eyes, the livestream was only fighting for the right of plants and animals to exist in the world, something that didn’t affect their own interests. Reporting him could potentially implicate them as well, so naturally, they wouldn’t do something so mutually destructive.

The day before Rule Day, the single flower bud on Mumu looked ready to open. It was beautiful, on the very verge of blooming, and Tang Mo could faintly see different colors within it. She had never seen such a flower before.

On the final day, Mr. Hu livestreamed as usual. The number of viewers continued to climb, but the number of comments dwindled. Everyone was watching in silence.

At the very end of the livestream that night, Mr. Hu stood between Mumu and Bo Niou and gave a deep bow to the screen.

"A human’s life is long, but theirs is so short. They are with us for just a part of our journey, but we are with them for their entire lives. Thank you all for your companionship during this time. Thank you."

After saying this, Mr. Hu ended the livestream, removed his mask, and sat on the sofa, speechless for a long time.

He had done all he could. Now, it was up to fate. Whether he succeeded or failed would all come down to tomorrow.

The Rule Day vote could be completed on one’s home system.

At 8:00 AM on the morning of Rule Day, the system would automatically display the voting page. Only after casting their vote could users continue to use the system.

Thus, for everyone accustomed to the system, the first thing they did upon waking was to vote.

Tang Mo set her alarm for 8:00 AM. The voting page was simple, but there were many questions—100 in total. The only possible answers to each question were "yes" or "no."

The questions covered topics like plants, animals, and labor. There were even questions about service protocols for Synthetics, system-related issues, and even the basic necessities of life—food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

Tang Mo went through the questions one by one, checked her answers, and quickly hit "Submit."

All questions on the ballot were mandatory. There was only one chance; once submitted, it could not be changed.

The voting period ended at noon. The new rules would take effect at midnight, at the very beginning of the new day, at which point they would be published to everyone’s system.

Until the results were announced, no one knew the outcome of the vote. Everyone was waiting for the final judgment.

Just as Tang Mo finished submitting her ballot, a piercing alarm suddenly blared from Mr. Hu’s room.

Tang Mo rushed out of her room to see Mr. Hu standing in the living room, a panicked look on his face as he held Mumu in his arms.

"It’s over. It’s all over," he said. "The hidden IP address has been discovered. We have nowhere left to hide."