Chapter 149

“Move the chandelier a bit to the south.”

“Center the flower stand more…”

…

On the afternoon of February 6, 3032, at Jinyuan Mall in Su City, Wang Mengying was giving instructions with focused precision.

At twenty-seven, Wang Mengying had already made a name for herself as a prominent entrepreneur in Changlong. Ever since Longxia began supporting land transfers, she had successively established a wheat farm, a watermelon base, a locust breeding facility, and a feed factory. After five years of hard work, she had built a solid reputation in the business world.

In January 3032, the latest air quality report from Shuilan revealed that global oxygen levels had dropped from 21% to 13%. After surveying the situation across the country, she decided to launch her fifth venture: an entertainment oxygen bar.

Back in the early 3000s, oxygen bars had briefly trended in Longxia. Traditional oxygen bars used pressure swing adsorption to filter air, but due to high costs and low demand, the trend quickly faded. Now, with oxygen stations becoming more widespread, entertainment-style oxygen bars were popping up all over the country.

Her new establishment, named Changlong Oxygen Bar, was located in the heart of Su City’s Jinyuan commercial district, occupying 500 square meters. It was designed as a public venue combining leisure, board games, and dining.

She invested three million yuan into the project—essentially all her savings from the past few years.

The bar was set to open on the 7th. She spent the entire day at the venue, only allowing herself to relax once she was sure everything was in perfect order.

At 9 p.m., Wang Dajun walked in carrying a large bag of boxed meals. “Still not done?”

“Almost,” Wang Mengying replied, standing up.

She handed out the meals to the workers and took one for herself, eating quietly in a corner. Wang Dajun noticed how much weight she had lost and said, “Don’t stress too much. Even if it doesn’t work out, you still have the feed factory.”

“It won’t fail,” Wang Mengying said firmly. Though she spoke with confidence, the toll of the past two weeks was written all over her thinner frame.

Knowing how stubborn she was, Wang Dajun didn’t push further. After chatting for a bit, Wang Mengying asked, “How’s Grandpa doing?”

In May two years ago, Wang Xuecai had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. At first, he would only forget things occasionally, but his memory had deteriorated over time. Now he lived in the village, cared for by Grandma and a live-in aide.

“He’s been staying home. Lately he’s been going on about wanting to go up the mountain to plant walnuts,” Wang Dajun said.

“Is he coming to the opening tomorrow?”

“Yeah, he’ll come with your uncle.”

…

At 10 p.m., Jinyuan Mall closed for the night. Wang Mengying and Wang Dajun headed home together. They weren’t locals of Su City, but two years ago, when housing prices dipped, they bought a three-bedroom apartment here. Grandpa and Grandma weren’t used to city living, so currently it was just the three of them in the apartment.

When they got home, Wang’s mother had already prepared dinner.

After eating, Wang Mengying forced herself to sleep.

The next morning, she headed to the store with her family.

Changlong County was under Su City’s jurisdiction and had been developing well in recent years. The Wang family had built up a solid network there. By the time she arrived at the store, many people had already sent over flower baskets. After exchanging pleasantries, they stayed to help create a lively atmosphere.

At 10 a.m., Wang Xuecai arrived with her uncle’s family.

He was dressed in a neat traditional Tang suit. Perhaps aware of the special occasion, he looked to be in high spirits. The Changlong Oxygen Bar was equipped with ten large oxygen machines, all ordered from Dongshan Technology’s Fengshan system, each costing 200,000 yuan.

With all ten machines running, the moment people stepped inside, they could feel the refreshing quality of the air.

Wang Mengying had set up the opening ceremony at the entrance. Soon, young men and women began trickling in.

“The air feels really nice.”

“Feels better than other oxygen bars.”

“The decor is so clean…”

…

The bar was decorated in a forest theme, and customers were quick to compliment the style.

“We just finished renovations. Everything’s made with eco-friendly materials, and we’ve installed ten large oxygen machines inside…” Wang Mengying explained the bar’s features. Most oxygen bars only had five machines. In terms of both decor and attention to detail, their bar was far superior.

By 10:50, the place was getting crowded. Supporters who had come to help tactfully gave up their seats. After some back-and-forth, they agreed to throw a celebration dinner another day.

“This place just opened?”

“Looks pretty nice.”

At 10:55, five young men and women walked in. Leading the group was a man around twenty-seven, wearing a new model of isolation suit. His hair was trimmed short and neat.

They took a large table, and Wang Mengying went over to take their order.

“Hello…”

She had just started speaking when the man looked at her in surprise. “Wang Mengying?”

“Zhao Shengbo?” Wang Mengying was taken aback.

The man was Zhao Shengbo, her college boyfriend. They had parted on bad terms after graduation due to disagreements over work and life plans.

“I work nearby. Came here for a team dinner,” Zhao Shengbo said, introducing his colleagues. Then he looked at her with a complicated expression. “You work here?”

Wang Mengying glanced down at her outfit.

The new bar was short-staffed, so she was wearing the employee-issued protective suit, with a disposable apron over it.

Five years ago, she might have taken the opportunity to show off a little. But now, she didn’t feel the need. “Something like that,” she replied.

After taking their order, she moved on to other tables. Zhao Shengbo watched her walk away, his expression unreadable.

From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wang Mengying had been on her feet nonstop. By the end of the day, the bar had brought in 37,000 yuan in revenue, with 327 customers signing up for membership cards. It was a strong opening day.

“Feeling better now?” Wang Dajun teased from the side.

“Yeah,” Wang Mengying admitted, a little embarrassed. She had been preoccupied with the bar for days, and only now could she finally breathe easy.

After chatting for a bit, she asked, “Where’s Grandpa?”

“Went home.”

Grandpa and Grandma didn’t like staying in the city, but since today was special, they planned to stay for a week.

Wang Dajun went home to take care of them, while Wang Mengying stayed behind to sort out the accounts.

At 10 p.m., when she finally had a moment to check her phone, she saw five messages on Longxin.

2:02 p.m. – [Take a Chance] has requested to add you as a friend.

2:37 p.m. – [Take a Chance] has requested to add you as a friend: Please accept.

4:55 p.m. – [Take a Chance]…: ???

…

All five requests were from Zhao Shengbo. Wang Mengying deleted them without hesitation.

At that very moment, in a modest bedroom somewhere in Su City, Zhao Shengbo was repeatedly tapping on Wang Mengying’s profile picture.

He and Wang Mengying had both studied media at Su University. Ever since she deleted him, they hadn’t spoken in four years. He now worked at a media company. The pay wasn’t great, but the job had some prestige. He had assumed Wang Mengying had become a successful entrepreneur, but after today, it seemed like her life had only gone downhill.

After thinking it over, he decided to try chasing after Wang Mengying again. For one, she had a decent education. Second… well, while his own family was doing okay, they didn’t own a home in Su City. If Wang Mengying moved in with him, she could help with cleaning and cooking too.

He was a man of action. The next day, he went straight to the mall entrance to wait for a “chance encounter.”

Zhao Shengbo hadn’t waited long when a Benma SUV pulled up by the roadside. The car stopped, and Wang Mengying got out from the passenger seat. A middle-aged man was in the driver’s seat. The two exchanged a few words, and just as the car was about to leave, the driver’s window rolled down again.

The man said something to Wang Mengying, and she quickly opened the door. The two of them hurried off together.

Zhao Shengbo: !!!

He recognized the middle-aged man. He had seen him in the store yesterday giving orders. Must be the owner of the oxygen bar.

When Wang Mengying didn’t reappear, Zhao Shengbo hesitated, then walked into the mall. It was 9:30 a.m., and the oxygen bar staff were cleaning up inside.

He looked around the entrance and asked, “Is it just you guys here?”

One of the staff looked puzzled. “Are you looking for someone?”

“Wang Mengying isn’t here? I’m an old classmate of hers. She left something here yesterday.”

“Oh, Boss Wang? She called earlier. Said she had something to take care of today and won’t be coming in.”

“Boss Wang?”

“Yeah.”

…

Five minutes later, Zhao Shengbo walked out in a daze. After some subtle questioning, he found out that Wang Mengying was the owner of the place, and the middle-aged man was her father.

Still unwilling to give up, Zhao Shengbo dug out his old classmate directory.

He had deleted the class group chat before because it annoyed him. After searching for a while, he found a former classmate and asked, “Do you remember Wang Mengying? How’s she doing these days?”

“She’s doing great. Her family runs two factories…”

A wheat base, a locust farm, a feed plant, the Changlong Oxygen Bar… The classmate gave him a rundown of Wang Mengying’s situation, and the more Zhao Shengbo listened, the worse he felt.

At the end, the classmate added, “She’s pretty well-known in our group. Want me to send you her Longxin profile?”

“No need,” Zhao Shengbo replied with a twitch of his lips.

He couldn’t bring himself to admit that he’d tried adding Wang Mengying five times and got rejected every single time.

Standing by the roadside, Zhao Shengbo lit a cigarette and thought back to the brief moments he had shared with Wang Mengying. Honestly, they weren’t even officially dating back then. At most, they had eaten together in the cafeteria. Even when he asked her to a movie, she turned him down, saying she was too busy studying for exams.

Wang Mengying came from a rural family. He never said anything out loud, but deep down, he had always looked down on her. His reason for pursuing her was simple: someone from a poor background would be easier to control.

In his mind, even if Wang Mengying managed to succeed, at best she’d land a job paying over ten thousand a month. Reality, however, had turned out very different.

He recalled the car she had gotten out of—it was the latest Benma model, costing 1.2 million after taxes. His own family was well-off, but only middle class. There was no way they’d splurge on a car like that.

By 10:20, people were starting to arrive at the Changlong Oxygen Bar. He glanced at the sign. A place of this caliber and environment wouldn’t come cheap—no less than two million to set up.

Ten minutes later, Zhao Shengbo returned to his office, completely deflated.

Back when Wang Mengying was still a student, he had felt a sense of superiority because of his family background. Now, that superiority was gone. What remained was the shame and frustration of having his mask ripped off.

Wang Mengying hadn’t said a word, but he still felt humiliated.

Five years had passed, and between them now stood mountains impossible to cross.

…

While Zhao Shengbo was lost in his thoughts, Wang Mengying and Wang Dajun had returned home. An hour earlier, they had received a call from home—Wang Xuecai had suffered an episode.

At 10:35, the two of them opened the door and entered the house.

“I have to go back. I can’t stay here. I need to go back and plant walnuts.”

In the living room, Wang Xuecai was shouting to return to Changlong, his face flushed with urgency.

Wang Dajun hung up his coat and sighed with a headache, “We haven’t grown walnuts in years. There are no walnuts.”

Wang Xuecai’s brows shot up. “If we don’t grow walnuts in Changlong County, what else are we supposed to grow? Call the village, tell them to come to the county for a meeting.”

“The county magistrate has changed. You’re not the magistrate anymore.”

“If I’m not, are you?” Wang Xuecai shouted, slamming the door.

Wang Mengying watched from the side, heart aching. “Let’s go back now.”

She picked up a mask and protective suit and helped Wang Xuecai put them on.

“I’m not wearing that!” Wang Xuecai protested again.

“It’s required by the city. The pollution’s bad on the roads. They’re asking all residents to wear masks,” Wang Mengying coaxed.

“Really? The city said that?” Wang Xuecai asked, suspicious.

“Yes,” Wang Mengying nodded firmly.

With the city’s authority backing her up, Wang Xuecai finally quieted down. The drive from Su City to Changlong County was 170 kilometers. Along the way, Wang Xuecai asked about the walnut harvest, then dozed off, exhausted.

At 12:30, they arrived at the village. Wang Xuecai woke up.

“Why are we back?” he asked, looking around in confusion.

“You were making a fuss earlier, saying you had to come back,” Wang Dajun explained.

“Aren’t we having lunch at the oxygen bar? Why would I come back…” Wang Xuecai looked skeptical.

Wang Mengying and Wang Dajun: …

After all the commotion, Wang Xuecai and Grandma decided to stay in the village. Still worried, Wang Mengying hired a live-in caregiver before reluctantly returning to the city.

On March 28, the Shuilan Alliance announced that global algae had declined by 57% compared to five years ago. Global hypoxia had become a survival issue for all of humanity.

Previously, only the elderly and children wore oxygen masks. After the news broke, portable oxygen tanks became a daily necessity.

“We bought a home oxygen machine. You really can’t go without one anymore.”

“A whole nest of rats died in our neighborhood. First time I’ve seen rats suffocate from the air.”

“My kid’s had an upset stomach for days. His face is turning that high-altitude red.”

“Good thing animals can’t catch Hugua H1. Otherwise, life would be unbearable…”

…

Online, netizens were discussing the worsening oxygen crisis.

With the thinning oxygen, the most visible problem was animals dying outdoors. Some crops were also struggling to grow due to the lack of oxygen.

On March 30, to further address the issue of animal hypoxia, the government supplied indoor oxygen generators to zoos and animal rescue centers. In addition, Longxia issued three new grain policies.

All of them focused on conserving food.

Plants still had Vitality 01, but due to Global Hypoxia, yields under low-oxygen conditions were certainly lower than normal. No one knew when the oxygen crisis would pass, but as the saying went, “a full pantry brings peace of mind.” After the previous Food Crisis, cherishing food had become a global theme.

On May 17, Wang Mengying opened the second Changlong Oxygen Bar.

The Jin Yuan Oxygen Bar was already packed to capacity, and building on its success, the new Changlong Oxygen Bar expanded its floor space to a full 2,000 square meters. In addition to standard food and drink services, the second location added a children’s play area and an indoor movie zone. Since opening, it had been fully booked every single day.

Once again, Wang Mengying experienced the power of riding the wave. But rather than endlessly opening new stores, she still preferred the blue skies of a normal world.

In July 3032, as global temperatures soared, oxygen levels around the world thinned.

On July 13, the Shuilan Alliance convened a global summit, officially declaring the beginning of the Oxygen Depletion Era.