The moment Wu Liang opened his eyes, there was only darkness like thick ink in front of him.
The cold that penetrated into the bone marrow and the inescapable feeling of suffocation came at the same time.
Vaguely seeing a faint yellow halo coming from the direction above his head, Wu Liang struggled a few times, his limbs gradually regained some strength, and he rushed towards the direction of the light with all his strength.
The moment he broke through the water, Wu Liang felt like he was in another world.
The cold wind in early winter carried a hint of coolness, silently mocking Wu Liang mercilessly.
Wu Liang used the last bit of strength in his body to swim to the lake. Looking at the unfamiliar scenery, he fell into confusion.
The place where you are should be a lake park. The park is very big and you can't see the edge at a glance. The paths along the lake are clean and tidy. The weather is cold and the night is deep. There are no pedestrians in the park. There are only orange lights and the paths along the lake. The weeping willow rustling on the side was accompanied by the shivering self.
Wu Liang could not remember exactly how he fell into the water, but Wu Liang was very sure that he had never seen the lake in front of him.
Wu Liang sat in the shelter of the path along the lake for a while, regained some strength, and quickly rummaged through his clothes inside and out, but did not find his mobile phone or even a coin.
Without a mobile phone, there was no way to call for help in the middle of the night.
Wu Liang reluctantly took off his clothes, wrung out the lake water, and then used his arms to circle the clothes and shake them hard for a while, and then put them on again.
It was freezing late at night in early winter, and half-dry clothes could not bring warmth to Wu Liang. Wu Liang took a breath of hot air into his palms, put his palms together, rubbed them vigorously, stood up and walked out of the park.
At this moment, I could only find a police station to seek help. Although I didn't have much time, at least I didn't want to die tonight, let alone be frozen to death. This kind of death was uncomfortable even thinking about it.
Lake Park seemed to be in the center of the city. After walking out of the park, Wu Liang saw a large number of bustling urban buildings.
The wide street was very quiet, with occasional cars passing by Wu Liang quickly.
In cities with many high-rise buildings, lights are still bright everywhere, and countless people are still working hard for themselves and their families.
The billboards on high-rise buildings are more eye-catching in the middle of the night, but Wu Liang's expression becomes more solemn as he walks on the broad streets.
The word Jicheng appears on countless billboards.
This city is obviously a first-tier city, but in Wu Liang's memory, there seems to be no big city named Jicheng in the motherland.
Where is this place
Why do you appear here
After walking for nearly an hour, Wu Liang finally confirmed one thing: this world is very similar to the earthly world he was in before, but there are some subtle differences. It is very likely that he has come to a parallel world, and this world The strange Jicheng was the capital in the world that I was once familiar with.
But in this case, as a black man who came here from the earth world, he has no household registration, no relatives, and no traces of previous activities. Not only is it useless to go to the police station, but even to the rescue station, he needs to provide his own information. Basic information is required to obtain assistance…
Wu Liang stopped and sat on the stone steps beside the road, quietly thinking about all the incredible things that had happened to him and where he should go.
The clothes on his body were gradually dried by the cold wind, and the familiar dull pain felt in his upper abdomen again. Wu Liang finally made up his mind.
Being lucky enough to come to this parallel world in the last short period of my life may be God's compensation for me. Since I am still alive, I should cherish it.
On such a cold night, I had to quickly find a small shop that was still open and go in to warm up.
Perhaps God heard Wu Liang's thoughts, and a strong aroma of coffee came, mixed with the sweet aroma of baked pastries.
Wu Liang turned around in surprise and looked to his side and back. A small coffee shop stood there quietly, suddenly emitting a warm orange halo.
The five large yellow characters of "Hope Cafe" on the signboard are even more brilliant.
It was clearly not there just now.
hope.
Wu Liang twitched his lips, stood up, patted the dust on his pants, and walked slowly towards the coffee house.
The moment I opened the door of the coffee shop, a wave of heat with a strong aroma of coffee hit my face.
Wu Liang couldn't help but shiver in comfort, and quickly closed the door behind him.
Click.
There was a crisp sound of locks falling behind Wu Liang.
The door that had just been closed automatically locked.
Different from the coffee houses that Wu Liang was familiar with, here there is only one set of tables and chairs for guests to dine in, which are placed neatly in the center of the hall.
There was no clerk at the counter, and not a sound could be heard in the room.
Unmanned cafe
Wu Liang said hello, but when no one answered, he walked towards the kitchen.
After walking around in a circle, Wu Liang finally confirmed that there was indeed no other person in this cafe.
The best thing about this is that you don't have to negotiate with the store staff and you can rest in the warm coffee house for a night.
Wu Liang pulled open one of the two chairs in the center of the hall and sat on it. Only then did Wu Liang finally relax and lie on the table, his consciousness gradually blurring and he fell into a deep sleep.
Half asleep and half awake, Wu Liang appeared on a ground filled with silvery white light. The silvery white ground extended to infinity, with no boundaries visible.
A high-pitched voice said lightly above his head: "Wu Liang, you are finally here."
"Who are you? Do you know me?" Wu Liang was a little confused.
The high-pitched voice did not answer. After a moment of pause, he slowly said: "Unlike the world you live in that is full of hope and warmth, this world is constantly collapsing, hope becomes misty, and despair makes people irresistible. The world here is People are gradually becoming numb and cold-blooded, evil has been integrated into the bone marrow of countless people, and the collapse of the world order may be in the not-too-distant future."
Is this the case in this parallel world? Wu Liang felt a little regretful. He wanted to experience the beauty of this new world in his last days, but if what the voice said was true, perhaps all he could feel was disappointment and coldness.
"Despair is as vain as hope. The purpose of the Hope Cafe is to rekindle a lamp of hope for desperate people, and to rekindle the world that has gradually become indifferent and numb with the fire of hope. Wu Liang , would you like to take charge of the Hope Cafe?"
"It's so difficult to light a lamp of hope for desperate people. I don't have such lofty ambitions, and I don't think I have the ability." Wu Liang laughed at himself, "What's more, I am also a desperate person. But at the age of nineteen, I have not yet experienced many of the beautiful things in life, and I am about to die."
The voice said calmly: "Every time you help a desperate person rekindle their hope, you will be free from illness and injury for a month. If you continue to help desperate people, immortality will not be difficult."
A glimmer of light flashed in Wu Liang's eyes, and then he dimmed again, and said with a bitter smile: "If what you say is true, I will naturally do it, but I am like a rootless duckweed in this world, with nothing, how can I help those desperate people?"
"Collect specific emotions and turn them into hope coins to buy the supplies you need in the Hope Café Mall."
A specific emotion
Turn it into a hope coin
Can it be exchanged for supplies in the mall
Could this particular emotion be the gratitude of a desperate person
Wu Liang was a little moved and pondered: "How can I successfully help a desperate person?"
"After taking charge of the Hope Cafe, you can see the hope value of every desperate person who comes to the Hope Cafe. When the hope value rises to above 60%, the task will be considered successfully completed and you will receive one month's worth of hope. A life free from disease and injury.”
"Of course, depending on the task situation, Hope Coffee House may also release additional tasks. The additional tasks are not mandatory for you to complete, but if you complete them, you will receive additional rewards." The voice continued to add.
It sounds like it is achievable, and the opportunity to live a good life again, Wu Liang wants to fight for it with all his strength.
After everything the world has gone through, what is more precious than living in good health
"Okay, I am willing to take charge of the Hope Cafe." Wu Liang said firmly.
[I hope the coffee house system will start to be bound]
A burning tingling sensation came from his left wrist. Wu Liang broke into a cold sweat from the pain. He quickly woke up from his hazy sleep and looked at his left wrist.
[Hope the coffee house system is successfully bound]
The familiar voice rang in his ears again, Wu Liang's left wrist no longer felt unbearable pain, and a cloud pattern exuding a faint golden light appeared on Wu Liang's left wrist.
Wu Liang stretched out his right hand and gently touched the mark on his left wrist. Several lines of big words clearly appeared in his mind:
[The seventh owner of Hope Cafe]: Wu Liang
[Health]: 17 days of lingering
[Task]: None yet
[Materials]: None yet
[Hope Coin]: 0
[Mall]: Not open yet
Seeing that the mall was not open yet, Wu Liang asked: "Will the mall be opened when I have the Hope Coin?"
"Yes." The familiar system prompt sounded in Wu Liang's mind.
“How do I find and help desperate people?”
"People with a hope value below -90% will discover this place unknowingly and can't help but walk in."
"So this coffee shop does not exist in the real world? Then how do I get in and out of here?" Wu Liang asked doubtfully.
"As the owner of Hope Cafe, you only need to think about entering or leaving."
Wu Liang suddenly moved, and he was already standing in the lake park where he fell into the water last night.
At this time, it was already dawn and the sky was twilight.
The rising sun seems to have infinite power, jumping up from the horizon, gradually driving away the darkness, illuminating the whole world.
In the cold breeze, Wu Liang's eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyes stared directly at the bright sun without blinking.
As if being pierced by the sun, the young man's eyes were extremely bright, with tears faintly visible in his eyes.
The young man's eyes were filled with endless hope. Under the rising sun, his whole body seemed to be glowing.
On that day a month ago, the boy was alone in the hospital. After receiving the diagnosis certificate for terminal pancreatic cancer, he held back tears and kept repeating two simple sentences to himself.
It's okay, maybe the doctor will suddenly appear and tell myself apologetically that the report was wrong and that I'm fine.
Don't worry, maybe your pancreatic cancer is not serious and you will get better soon after surgery.
Until the report sheet was soaked with sweat from his palms, the boy didn't expect the words he was expecting, "It's okay, don't worry."
The doctor held the diagnosis certificate, with deep pity in his eyes, and told himself in embarrassment that surgery was no longer possible in the current situation, and he could only carry out conservative treatment with drugs...
The young man braced himself firmly, forced a dry smile to the doctor, and asked about the time he had left.
Probably less than two months.
In the final days, it will hurt.
Wu Liang changed his mind and returned to the coffee house.
Next, as long as you continue to help desperate people regain hope, you will always be free from illness and injury, and you can live again.
Wu Liang wants to live well.
After his mind was completely relaxed, he felt a strong sense of hunger, accompanied by bursts of dull pain in his upper abdomen, which was really unpleasant.
Wu Liang rubbed his growling stomach, stood up and walked to the counter, made himself a latte, took out a large plate of various pastries from the glass counter, and ate it hungrily.
After breakfast, Wu Liang looked carefully in the coffee house. After all, this is where he will live and work from now on.
Although the coffee shop is small, it is well-equipped, the kitchen is clean and tidy, the staff lounge is spacious and bright, and the layout is very warm.
Wu Liang lay on the big soft bed and yawned comfortably, wondering whether he should catch up on some sleep first. After all, it was only half past five in the morning, so desperate people would not appear at this time.
At this moment, the sound of the door opening came from the hall, and a man's deep voice came: "Is there anyone there?"
Someone comes to the door.
Wu Liang quickly stood up and walked to the hall with a warm smile.
A man who looked to be around 27 or 28 years old was standing in front of the counter. The man was handsome, but his face was haggard, his beard was black and green, his body was cold, and his brows were full of sorrow.
The moment he saw the man, Wu Liang received the mission issued by Hope Cafe in his mind.
[Novice Task] Help Chen Wei regain hope. (Hope value rises to above 60%)
Chen Wei’s current status:
Hope value: -96%
Warm reminder: When the hope value reaches -100%, people will commit suicide, leading to irreparable tragedy.
This guy named Chen Wei... is too desperate...
This novice task is too difficult...
Wu Liang was speechless, the warm smile on his face deepened, and Chen Wei, who was afraid of being irritated, became even more desperate.
After seeing the smiling Wu Liang, the man reluctantly raised the corners of his mouth to reveal a dry smile, and said in a low voice: "Let's have a glass of Americano... iced Americano."
Wu Liang looked at the haggard Chen Wei and said with a smile, "Okay, please sit down and wait for a while."
"Warm reminder: A cup of warm sea salt caramel mocha can relieve people's despair, relax, and express their feelings." The familiar system prompt of Hope Coffee House sounded in Wu Liang's ears.
Sea salt caramel mocha? How to do it
Wu Liang was a little confused. Latte is just pouring some milk into coffee. It is not difficult to make it by yourself. However, he is not sure how to make sea salt caramel mocha. If he makes a cup of "death coffee", Chen Wei will drink it. It would be bad if the despair level explodes...
At this moment, a familiar prompt came into Wu Liang's mind again: "You have a barista skills training tutorial to review."
Wu Liang: “…”
Three minutes later, Wu Liang handed a cup of warm sea salt caramel mocha to Chen Wei, and said with a warm smile: "It's cold in the morning, and drinking iced American style will hurt your stomach. Why don't you warm up with a cup of sea salt caramel mocha first."
Chen Weili was stunned for a moment, nodded, took the coffee, pursed his lips and said, "Thank you."
Thank you from Chen Wei: +5
A reminder of Hope Cafe appeared in Wu Liang’s mind.
Wu Liang quickly checked whether there was any change in the Hope Coin.
[Hope Coin]: 50
really! The so-called specific emotion refers to the gratitude of a desperate person. 5 points of gratitude can be exchanged for 50 hope coins!
This also means that 1 point of gratitude is 10 hope coins!
Wu Liang quickly checked Chen Wei's current status. The hope value was still -96% and had not changed.
If he wasn't afraid that his excessive enthusiasm would irritate Chen Wei and cause irreversible consequences, Wu Liang would really like to provide Chen Wei with a full set of services and earn him eighteen hundred hope coins first.
After Chen Wei took the coffee, he didn't drink it. He just held the cup with both hands and sat there silently with his head down, not knowing what he was thinking.
Wu Liang could only pretend to wipe the counter, secretly observe Chen Wei's every move, and pray that the temporary barista training he had just completed in one minute was effective.
After a while, just when Wu Liang was about to wipe off the paint on the counter, Chen Wei finally took a sip of the coffee in his hand, and then looked up at Wu Liang.
Wu Liang's heart was in his throat, and he quickly opened his eyes, trying to see Chen Wei's expression carefully.
But the opportunity was fleeting.
Chen Wei then lowered his head and continued to drink the coffee in his hand.
Thank you value from Chen Wei: +1, +1, +1, +1, +1…
Seeing the constant thank yous from Chen Wei, Wu Liang finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that the coffee he made tastes good!
In just two minutes, Chen Wei drank all the coffee and seemed a little more energetic.
Wu Liang quickly checked his hope coins in his mind, and found that they had increased to 120 coins!
What surprised Wu Liang even more was that after drinking this cup of sea salt caramel mocha named by Hope Cafe, Chen Wei's hope level rebounded, and it had already become -92%!
This sea salt caramel mocha coffee is so amazing!
Wu Liangliang was secretly delighted and walked towards Chen Wei with a smile, hesitating in his mind whether to give Chen Wei a free refill or an extra cake.
Wu Liang had just walked up to Chen Wei, and before he could speak, he heard Chen Wei's deep words: "My girlfriend, I have given everything for her, but she is getting engaged to someone else today. "
The new book is released for the first time, so please collect and invest in it!
(End of chapter)