An Zhe’s body slightly tensed. The hour-long peace seemed to be just an illusion and the world was still a crisis for him as he glanced at Madam Lu.

Then he heard Madam Lu whisper, “Don’t be afraid.”

Madam Lu’s behaviour was unexpected. He initially thought she was a staunch supporter of the base’s rules but this didn’t seem to be the case.

An Zhe muttered, “You…”

Madam Lu smiled. “I won’t help you escape but I won’t hand you over for the time being.”

An Zhe wondered, “Why?”

“They always have many reasons to arrest a person.” Madam Lu looked away from the screen. She lowered her head and watered her rose bushes, crystal water drops rolling down the edge of the crimson petals, falling from the green leaves to the soil. “For example, they arrested my mother 40 years ago.”

An Zhe didn’t know what she wanted to say but she seemed to want to tell a story. He had met many people who wanted to tell him a story, as if everyone had some memorable past hidden in their hearts.

Therefore, he didn’t speak. He just listened quietly, the fragrance of roses surrounding them. Lily leaned down and plucked some petals, holding them in her hands before throwing them into the air. The petals fell down like rain, sprinkling on her hair and body. One petal fell on Madam Lu’ hair.

“In the four human bases, 23,371 agreed to the following declaration with zero votes of rejection:  I voluntarily dedicate my life to the fate of humanity, to accept genetic experiments and accept all forms of assisted reproduction to continue the cause of the human race’s struggle for survival.” Madam Lu repeated the Rose Declaration that An Zhe had heard from Lily in a very light tone. However, her voice seemed clearer and more cheerful than the little girl.

“This declaration was one with a prerequisite. It was on the premise of having basic human rights. They would accept genetic experiments and accept all forms of assisted reproduction. In addition, the initiator of the declaration reached a consensus with the bases that women would manage the women.”

Her fingers touched the soft edges of the rose. “However, that was almost 70 years ago. At that time, everything seemed hopeful. The future of humanity was in front of us. As long as we continued, things would turn out for the better. If I was one of the 23,000 women at the time, I would’ve agreed without hesitation. Everyone was sacrificing themselves and I would be willing to contribute as much as I could for the benefit of humanity.”