Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 496

As I took the express to Macau, I felt like there were hundreds of little people dancing on my nerves. I was going
to visit the Grand Theatre, where Sergei Polunin, my favourite ballet dancer, would dance his latest
choreography “Moon Embracing the Sun”. When I arrived at the Grand Theatre 25 minutes later, the majestic
complex took my breath away. It was like a crossbreed between the hotel Morpheus and Xiqu Centre, stretching
from the ground to a 400m height, 840m in width, and a total length of 660m. It was divided into five grand
theatres, which were equipped with VR pods and goggles to allow full immersion into the artistic experience.
Once you stepped into your pod and wore your goggles, you were transported onto the stage, where you’d be
dancing side by side with the characters. This was a technology never seen before, and invented right here in the
GBR in collaboration with the Japanese.
It was when I reached the exit that I was stopped by a young man. He had short, textured, ruffled hair, and small,
piercing eyes. He was of average height, and wore a clean-looking casual outfit - a white polo shirt and straight
dark pants.
“Excuse me, do you know the route to Shenzhen?” He hurriedly and anxiously asked.
“Yes, I do. Let me walk you to the train station. I happen to be going in the same direction.” I answered,
politely.
“Thanks a lot. I hope that I’m not of any inconvenience to you.” He smiled gratefully.
“Don’t mention it. The pleasure is all mine.” I replied. In the end, it didn't hurt to have a handsome companion
with whom to share the journey.
As we walked, I inquired: “May I know why you are going to Shenzhen?” He responded: “I’m on my way to
check out the Shenzhen Technology Fair! There are hundreds of AI, VR, gaming, software, hardware - you
name it, ground-breaking inventions presented by a galore of start-up and established companies. It’s one of the
fairs that spearheads the direction that technology will take for the next several years, and because of that, it
attracts millions of both local and international investors. For me, it’s one of the most exciting events of the year
so I am yearning to go!”
On the train, as we continued to chat, I asked him: “Excuse me, but I’ve just realized that I don’t know your
name.”
“Oh well, my name’s Nick. I’m from Hong Kong, and I am in my 3rd year of Robotic Engineering at the GBR
University. I’m looking to start my own AI company as soon as I complete my degree and I’m going to the fair
to get some inspirations and seek advice and suggestions.”
“Oh, I see, that is pretty cool! I’m from Beijing, which houses the Forbidden City and celebrated for its Peking
duck! Have you tried it?”
“I’m afraid not,” Nick grimaced. “I would not even go close to one of those. I’m actually vegetarian!”
“Oh! That takes strong will! I have great respect for vegetarians.”
“Why are you visiting the GBR?” Nick asked.
“Since my parents want to move our whole family here, I decided to come view and get the feel of it. In Beijing,
everyone’s so excited about this place, and constantly talking about it.”
“Nice!” Nick said. “I think that the GBR is a really exciting place to be in. It promises a full immersion into all
the best and latest technological innovations! For a tech fanatic like me, it’s definitely utopia.”
We arrived at the Fair forty minutes later. When I walked in, I was stunned by the sheer size of the area. The
seemingly endless number of booths and the elevated pass-ways left me astounded. I wandered to one of the
most sensational booths, where an automated self-reading book took me on a tour of the stall. Along the way, I
was greeted by a chorus of other varying books, all of them ready to tell me their stories. One in particular caught
my heart - before I had even spoken, it addressed me by my name, and said: “You will be the next governor of
the GBR. And remember one thing – “within ten years, you must build on new structures and invest in the
new generations, and then you will have established real progress.”
As I walked away, I could only wonder: ‘It seems that GBA is for me.’