Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020 | Page 27

Hong Kong Young Writers Awards 2020 Future Adventures of the Greater Bay Area Singapore International School, Yap, Sierra – 10 The sun shines with all its might as if it is casting a spotlight on what is happening on the floating platform. Long queues are forming to board the floating train bound for Macau. Another crowd seems to be assembling next to the train compartment. This compartment, unlike others, is a big glass tank. A velvet rope separates the glass tank with the crowd, like what you would see at the Louvres Museum protecting the Mona Lisa. A Great White Shark fills the tank. The shark must be five meters long. What is unusual is that its dorsal fin is pierced with a diamond stud and looks like an ear stud on someone’s ear. The lower right side of the tank is pasted with a placard that reads: “The largest Great White Shark in the World fitted with the ‘Star of Africa’ – the Largest Diamond in the World.” The diamond is more that 3,000 carats and was found in 1905. The floating train is a World’s first. It is an eco-friendly train that runs on hydrogen. The train floats on water and links the Greater Bay Area. It is an initiative launched by the Chinese government to enhance trilateral relations, cultural cohesion and greater economic exchanges between Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The shark with the diamond display is an exhibit that will travel the route connecting the region as a promotion for its launch. The floating train and the exhibit are accompanied by an entourage of VIPs. They are prominent business people, film stars and most importantly, influencers. Sasha is among them. As the queues snake into its respective compartments, the crowd also begins to thin out. Three tuts of the horn signals compartment doors closing and the train begins to float above the water. Sasha is a world-renowned influencer. She has 15 million followers worldwide. Known for her beauty and her friendly personality, fans like to watch the display of her lifestyle. From the very high end to the very down-to-earth, she is loved all the same. Advertisers like to work with Sasha because, in addition to her fame, she is also a responsible person. Sasha is invited to present the Star of Africa at the Hope of Charity event in Macau. Also on the train is Martin. Martin is a smart 25-year-old man. He has never achieved much in his life. If not for his laziness, he could have accomplished much with his intelligence. The only thing that is endearing about Martin, is his love for his mother. His mother raised him single-handedly after his father left the family when Martin was just two years old. In his desperate attempt to find quick money for his sick mother, Martin is plotting the biggest heist of the decade. He intends to rob the diamond. Everyone is excited being onboard the floating train. The band is playing. Adults are popping champagne. Children are running around with poppers. Nobody expects the action that is about to happen. Martin takes advantage of the chaos as he creeps towards the shark tank compartment. Sasha instinctively feels something is amiss and heads towards the shark tank separately. Armed with the powerful Apple-branded smart glasses he is wearing, which are fitted with a laser cutting application that spits out high octane and high frequency sound waves too sharp for the human ear to hear, Martin leaps into action. Staring at the shark tank, he taps 88