Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020 | Page 30

Fiction – Group 2
He pressed “food” on the panel and a variety of dishes and categories popped up on the
display panel. Then he asked us to choose. ‘Any volunteer?’ Lian was the first one to jump
at the opportunity. ‘Meeeeeee!’ he excitedly exclaimed. He pressed on a dish of spaghetti
and selected a bottle of coke for drink. Next, he confirmed the transaction, by scanning the
monitor of the wristband against the food kiosk display panel. A window appeared that gave
the confirmation of the order and payment. Prof. Zhang explained in a real scenario, the
kiosk would be connected to the underground food court where human staff would have the
food ready and deliver it personally to you at your location.
‘Guys, the best part is yet to come. I’m going to take you on a journey on the Hyperloop
to one of the most industrialized cities part of this zone: Shenzhen! Let’s go! We were
astonished when we got in the Hyperloop. Jerry’s mouth dropped wide open: ‘I love all these
high-tech stuff, especially the modern look of the carriages! I also love the neon lights on the
floor that change colour according to the environment, it adds flavour to the carriage! It’s so
cool!’ ‘There’s even a small screen placed at each window showing the current speed of the
train, along with a map which shows where you exactly are using global positioning,’ added
Prof. Zhang, gesturing to a small rectangle-shaped screen.
It was already sunset when we got to Shenzhen. ‘Welcome to the Silicon Valley of
China.’ Prof. Zhang pointed at the buildings that stood before us, looking very grand,
alike to the replica we saw before. ‘Here’s where you can find most of the GBA’s greatest
technology companies! Follow me.’ We walked along through the streets, admiring all the
glamour around us. There were lots of buildings, making all sorts of advanced technology
– from cell phones to human genomes! There were even buildings that produced quantum
computers which would operate the city transports, like the Hyperloop! ‘Woah, everything
here is so unbelievable! It’s another version of Cupertino!’ Lian stated. ‘Yeah, no wonder the
GBA has such modern cities and high-tech transport! Wow!’ Jerry exclaimed.
Soon, we were back in the semi-dark room which we started the tour in. ‘Our tour has
come to an end,’ Prof. Zhang concluded with a smile. ‘But don’t be fooled, your future is just
beginning!’
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