Bring the People's Gu'er Back to Life!

The truck tires scraped over the uneven ground with an unpleasant screech.

Gu Mian saw several trucks enter the street, but only one drove toward them.

Not far from his house, No. 98, the truck let out a piercing squeal as it braked to a stop.

Mr. Green was jolted awake by the screech. He sprang out of bed, first checking whether Gu Mian was still there. Only after confirming that Gu Mian was still in the house did he investigate what had woken him.

"What's going on?" He jumped out of bed and came to the doorway, standing beside Gu Mian as they peered outside.

But the earthen house's threshold was rather high, even taller than Mr. Green.

He had to take a few steps forward to reach it, grip the edge with both hands, then rise onto his toes and struggle to look outside.

At last, he saw the large truck parked not far away.

Just then, a man with skin so white he seemed to glow stepped out of the cab. He was Upper Class—that was the exclusive, noble complexion of the Upper Class.

The man held a stack of something in one hand. With obvious impatience, he shouted at the Lower Class people who were timidly gathered in a circle around him. "Get on! All of you, get on! Anyone who wants to show off their skills on the variety show, step right up!"

As he spoke, he fanned the air in front of his nose with his free hand, as if trying to dispel some foul stench.

"It's that variety show!" Mr. Green cried. "They've come here to recruit people for it!"

He then started scrambling up the tall threshold on all fours, hoping to climb over it.

Gu Mian watched him flail about. "You're