In the future the human lifespan can be extended to three hundred years using Gene Extension, slowing down natural aging in cells.
The protagonist works in a bank and plans to steal the necessary five million yuan, since even twenty years of prison seems minor compared to the gains of Gene Extension.
The protagonist immediately steals the five million yuan and receives a call about his Gene Extension being made tomorrow.
[2] Paul Di Filippo, writing in the Locus Magazine, states that the short story is "short yet potent" and "almost cyberpunk in its depiction of a near-future where expensive longevity treatments, along with half a dozen other crazy trends, have created societal chaos."
"[3] Nicole Beck, writing in Strange Horizons, claims that since it is the only short story in To Hold Up the Sky to use first person, it is "not coincidentally [....] the most forgettable".