Lu Li walked over to greet them, "Grandma, Aunt, why didn’t Uncle come?"

Aunt held up the new clothes in her hand and said, "He took your little sister shopping. He said before that gamma-ray burst or whatever happens, he wants to spend all the money, or else humans will go extinct and it’ll be worthless!"

She rambled on for quite a bit.

The gist was that now everyone knows money is about to become useless.

The apocalypse is nearing, so prices are skyrocketing every day.

Like how a pound of meat has risen to a hundred or so.

During this, Grandma chipped in a few words, stating that now many people can’t buy things even if they have money.

Lu Li could understand, just like Aunt said, once the apocalypse comes, money might not even be worth a piece of toilet paper. So naturally, everyone wants to splurge while they can still enjoy life, which has caused prices to soar.

Aunt and Grandma quieted down.

Lu Li curiously asked, "The whole world knows I can solve the gamma-ray burst. If I act, the apocalypse won’t come. Are they not planning to ask me to do it?"

Aunt paused while folding clothes, turned, and rolled her eyes, "Didn’t you already announce to the world that you’re not getting involved? Who would ask for your help now?"

Grandma explained in more detail, "I heard from your mom recently that you went to some alien place? While you were away from Earth, everyone was quite unwilling at first and didn’t want to die. But later, the leaders of countries came out to reassure people, saying they shouldn’t pressure you. They said your choice was caused by others, and some rational people analyzed and restored the events on some... some website, Tur... Tur... Twitter or something. In the end, most people understood why you weren’t willing to save the world anymore and stopped pressuring you."

Aunt unexpectedly added, "Twitter."

Huh?

Has the entire world understood me?

Lu Li was speechless, thinking to himself that he didn’t want their understanding now, he wanted them to desperately beg him to save the world.

Otherwise, if he stepped up to stop the gamma-ray burst on his own, it would seem like he’s slapping himself in the face.

He was slightly incredulous, while absent-mindedly chatting with Grandma and Aunt, he released energy to treat Grandma’s stroke sequela and, with heightened senses, scanned the world’s situation.

Wanting to see if things were truly as Grandma and Aunt described, that everyone had given up on "treatment."

His senses could now cover a radius of tens of millions of kilometers.

Naturally, he could take in the entire view of Earth.

...

Labor Road, lottery shop.

Normally in the morning, a betting shop shouldn’t have too many customers.

Perhaps because the apocalypse was approaching, many people even skipped work to gather in the shop.

At a glance, there were about a dozen people.

One balding middle-aged man sat at the cashier’s desk, chatting with the middle-aged woman shopkeeper.

Old man: "You once said an ancestor came to your shop, and I found it hard to believe. Only later, when you showed me the surveillance video, did I realize he came."

The shopkeeper adjusted her glasses, laughing: "Why would I lie to you about this kind of thing?"

The old man sighed: "It’s a pity I couldn’t witness the ancestor’s splendor with my own eyes. Truly a regret."

The shopkeeper replied: "I often saw him with a very beautiful girl nearby, so maybe you still have a chance to see him."

The old man chuckled helplessly: "Three days from now, the gamma-ray burst will arrive, and humanity will be extinct. How would I get the chance to see him?"

The shopkeeper casually put lottery scratch cards into a plastic box and said: "Isn’t the ancestor one of us from Huaxia? Maybe he’ll save us from disaster."

"Don’t count on it." A skinny young man watching the game at the computer chimed in: "The ancestor has been very clear that he won’t save the world, we’re just waiting for our fate."

"That’s right." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"The ancestor has publicly stated it, don’t hold your breath."

"Can’t really blame the ancestor for this, I read an article online—a really detailed analysis—about the conflicts between humans and the ancestor. At first, when we learned about the existence of a super-powered individual, it was because the Mexican Jalisco Group was wiped out by him when he took down criminals, and he was still globally wanted for that. Then the Morgan Clan, wanting his blood sample, exposed his identity to threaten him into submission. The ancestor wasn’t willing to be threatened, prepared to destroy the Morgan Clan, and even faced an attack from 30,000 mercenaries and 7,000 Old Ugly warriors, including an aircraft carrier battle group. Eventually, he revealed his identity, attracting global fear and isolation of his family and friends, then people learned about the gamma-ray burst, cyberbullied him, and attempted to assassinate his family and friends. Can you imagine, after all this, why would he want to save the world? I wouldn’t!"

"Yeah, I get his decision."

"Humanity is on the verge of extinction, can’t blame anyone, it’s the mess we made, and drove the savior away."

"It’s hopeless, we’re doomed, let’s stop pestering the ancestor."

Their opinions differed, but everyone seemed to be quite understanding, even displaying a sense of tranquility about the apocalypse.

In that instant, Earth’s humanity seemed completely at ease, indifferent to life and death.

The lottery shop’s dozen or so people were facing it with surprising calm.

Yet Lu Li, perceiving this scene, was utterly speechless.

Damn!

Would begging me one more time kill you?

If you don’t ask me, how would I avoid slapping myself in the face?

He was a bit skeptical, thinking this was just a coincidence, believing it couldn’t be like this worldwide.

Thus, Lu Li focused elsewhere, like a supermarket teeming with people.

...

In a large supermarket in Shanghai, it was packed with people, including some familiar faces.

"Oh, Aunt Lin, you even bought hairy crabs today? Normally, four from Taihu Lake cost about a hundred yuan, now with prices soaring, one costs a hundred and you bought ten? Still have enough for your pension?"

"What’s the use of money, the apocalypse is coming, once mankind is wiped out, can anyone even burn the leftover money for you?"

"Maybe the ancestor will save the world?"

"Keep dreaming, the ancestor has publicly stated to the world he won’t intervene. Are you still holding on to fantasies?"

"The old lady has a point, the ancestor definitely won’t intervene to save the world, with three days left, spend the money and enjoy life before we vanish."

"Hey, don’t grab that, I saw that steak first."

...

In a luxury store.

"Honey, are you really getting me a purse that costs ten thousand yuan? It’s too expensive."

"You’ve been with me through thick and thin for so many years, now that the world is ending, I want to make it up to you in the final moments."

"Honey, you’re the best. If there’s a next life, I still want to be your wife."

...

In an apartment.

"Sis, you’re all dolled up to see a lover, huh?"

"Stop talking nonsense. I’m dressing up for your brother-in-law. After being a frumpy housewife my whole life, I want him to see my beautiful side in these last few days."

...

Three thousand people!

Two hundred and ten thousand people!

Tens of millions!

In Lu Li’s "omniscient perspective," the whole of Earth, with its 192 countries and its eight billion people, seemed unbelievably harmonious, as if they weren’t affected by the impending apocalypse at all.

Everyone was eating, drinking, and appeared quite content.

It seemed like people had accepted the fate of "extinction."

Or rather, at this moment, the purpose of the eight billion people on Earth still alive was to await the gamma-ray burst to end the world.

Perhaps precisely because everyone knew this was inexorable, they became extremely indifferent, only wanting to enjoy life before the end.

No one hysterically blamed him for not saving the world anymore!

Nor did anyone express any desire for him to save the world!

If Lu Li had sensed this several days ago, he would have felt utterly gratified, then quietly saved the world.

Whether people were grateful or not wouldn’t have mattered to him at all at that time.

But at this moment, Lu Li felt utterly speechless—if you don’t ask me, do you really want me to slap myself in the face?