Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 294

The Mystery of Café Raspberry
Victoria Shanghai Academy, Chan, Alvyn - 9
BOOM! Fireworks shot through the sky like bullets.
It was the Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) grand opening. Ed was very excited.
Many years ago, the governments of Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau had promised a “country” that is
bigger than Switzerland, has more people than Canada, and has more business activities than Australia.
Importantly, it is very hi-tech - it will be built by very advanced robots.
Ed and the crowd were waiting impatiently for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Finally, the Chief Executive
appeared at the entrance, holding a pair of big red scissors. The crowd murmured as the Chief Executive cut
the ribbon. He announced “The Greater Bay Area is open.” Then the crowd, including Ed, dashed inside
with excitement.
Ed went into Café Raspberry, his all-time favourite café, expecting it to be very fancy and high-tech. To
his surprise, the café was very chaotic: plates were flying everywhere, and people were crowded around the
cashier throwing their food and shouting to the poor robot. Also, the café looked very funny: the chairs
were made of jagged rocks, the tables were unstable sponges, the building was plastic, and the floor was a
trampoline. “Maybe it’s the style.” He thought. He sat down and ordered his favourite dish, “pancake
hamburger”. After a while, a robot delivered the dish. Ed bit the hamburger and spit it out immediately
because the meat tasted like wax. He was suspicious that it was indeed wax. “Maybe that’s why the café is so
chaotic,” he thought, “people are complaining about the food! Maybe the construction robots are broken.”
Ed called the service hotline of GBA, but the line was busy. So, Ed decided to email instead.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am Ed Chan, an AI scientist.
I have noticed that the buildings throughout the GBA are very funny looking. I am suspicious that the
construction robots are coded incorrectly. I am happy to help fix it.
Best regards,
Professor Ed Chan
He immediately got a reply.
Dear ED CHAN,
Thank you for your email. Due to a large volume of inquiries, we will handle your email in around 30 days.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Sincerely,
GBA management office
134 1st street, GBA, China.
“Uugh!” Ed groaned, slapping the table like a lion hitting its prey. Suddenly, he heard a “Ding!” – a new
mail was waiting for him. It said:
“Do you want to know why everything looks funny in GBA? Meet us on 9-9-2032 at 19:45 on the dot in
front of your house. Don’t be late.