Chapter 01

It's raining!

The rain will stop soon.

Yìngyuè thought the rain this time was just light rain. The rain suddenly fell and wet the earth. A moment before, it was boiling, so there was absolutely no cloudiness. It just liked yesterday. In a few minutes, the rain would have stopped.

Yìngyuè's guess was wrong; the rain fell even more massive. The falling water droplets had soaked Yìngyuè's clothes.

I have to find shelter right now!

The girl was standing on the sidewalk of a reasonably large road. The width of the road was about thirteen meters. It was a two-way street. Each way comprises two lanes—each lane three meters wide. There was a dividing line in the middle of the street, which was one meter wide. On both sides of the road, there were sidewalks, each of which was two-and-a-half meters wide. Several vehicles were passing by on both sides of the road. But no one was on the sidewalk. At least, as far as yìngyuè's eyes could see, no one else was standing or walking on the sidewalk. Of course, when the rain fell like this, everyone would take shelter.

Yìngyuè sped up her pace. She walked, half running. With a backpack that was heavy enough, there was no way she could run at full speed. Luckily, after running a few dozen meters, to the left of yìngyuè was a public phone booth. The phone booth was not easy to notice because it was not on the sidewalk. It's on a plot of land on the left side of the road. The phone booth was about two meters from the sidewalk. Without thinking anymore, Yìngyuè ran toward the phone booth right away. She opens the door, then rushed inside.

The phone booth was eggplant colored. It was not transparent, so from the outside, we couldn't see the inside. Once inside, people would lock the door before starting to make calls. Then other people could not enter if there were already people inside. The phone booth measures one and a half meters by one and a half meters. Big enough for a phone booth. The phone booth in this city was usually blue or green. Sometimes it's red or black. But for eggplants like this, this was the first time Yìngyuè saw them. Yìngyuè was sure that it was a phone booth because it clearly said "Public Phone" on its roof. So it was impossible for Yìngyuè to enter a public restroom box accidentally, for example.

"Eh!"

As Yìngyuè walked into the box, someone shrieked. It turned out someone was inside. It was raining hard outside, so Yìngyuè couldn't come out again. Quickly she closed the door. Automatically her hand turned the lock button on the door handle. But the lock was broken.

"Sorry. It's raining. I have to take shelter."

Yìngyuè said to the man.

"It's all right," replied the man.

"I'm also taking shelter here," he smiled as he continued his words. Just like Yìngyuè, that person's clothes were already wet. Even though it wasn't as wet as Yìngyuè's clothes, it looked as though he had only entered here a minute or two before Yìngyuè.

Everyone considered the box measuring one and a half meters by one and a half meters wide for a public phone booth. Anyway, that did not apply to those two strangers standing close to each other. Under these conditions, they both agreed that the place was tiny.

The person who had been inside looking at Yìngyuè then said.

"Hopefully, the rain will stop soon."

He was a grown man. Yìngyuè had a little trouble guessing his age. From the look in his eyes, it seemed the person was over forty years old. But his face and figure looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. Yìngyuè herself was a very young girl who didn't have much experience, so it was only natural that she couldn't guess the stranger's age.

That man was wearing a shirt wrapped with a vest, complete with a tie. He did not wear a suit, which should be an integral part of the vest and pants he was wearing. Maybe because it was a hot day, so he wore no suits. Or perhaps he didn't enjoy wearing suits, so he only wore a shirt, tie, and vest. His shirt was bright yellow, while the tie was light green. He wore a vest and pants, which were dark blue. The man was about 165 centimeters tall. Not tall, but not short either.

"Do you live around here?" Yìngyuè tried to break the ice by asking a simple question.

That person seemed to daydream, so he didn't immediately answer Yìngyuè's question. 

Yìngyuè thought that person really didn't enjoy talking. A quiet person who didn't want to converse with other people, especially to a stranger.

"What are you asking?"

Suddenly that person spoke. He was weird. Yìngyuè felt this person might have autism or something like that. He was slow to respond to questions.

"Do you live around here?" Yìngyuè repeated her question.

Instead of answering, the person asked her back.

"Why are you guessing I live around here?"

Yìngyuè had not guessed. She just had asked that question to break the stiff atmosphere. But she still replied, "You don't have an umbrella, bag, or anything else. But your clothes are neat. 

Usually, with these neat clothes, at least people always carry something—either a bag or other items. So I thought you lived around here. "

Yìngyuè had not really thought that way when she had answered that question. She just said the first thing that had come to her mind.

"I see," the person answered while looking at Yìngyuè. Then he added.

"I live far from here. Regarding this outfit, I really like to dress like this. So it's just a habit. "

Yìngyuè nodded at the person's explanation.

"Have you live in this city long?" It seemed the atmosphere had dissolved, so Yìngyuè asked again.

"Last year, I moved to this city." The man answered.

Yìngyuè nodded again. Then she said.

"I just arrived three days ago. So today is the fourth day I am in this city. "

"Where did you live for these three days?" The man asked curiously. Looking at the backpack carried by Yìngyuè, everyone could guess the girl had no permanent place to stay while in this city.

"I live in a capsule hotel at the station," Yìngyuè answered straightforwardly.

"You are so brave," the man praised Yìngyuè. Then he continued, "when I was your age, I have never lived far from my parents."

"My parents had passed away," the girl replied flatly.

"Oh, sorry." Suddenly the man showed a guilty face after saying something about the parents.

"It is okay. Both of my parents passed away a long time ago. In fact, I had never seen my father because he died before I was born. I even forgot my mother's face because she died when I was only two years old."

Yìngyuè could see the man felt sorry for her. This young girl continued her words.

"I grew up moving around under the care of my relatives. They took turns taking care of me. 

Because of that, I never stay in any place for long. Always move according to where my relatives live."

"So, are you heading to the place of the relative who currently has a turn to take care of you?"

"Yes, I am!"

"These three days, you haven't found them?"

"It is not like that. I purposely took a walk around the city before meeting them. According to the schedule, it won't be until next week that I will arrive here. So I still have three more days before meeting them."

Yìngyuè realized many people admired any young girl who was brave enough to travel alone. During this journey, it was uncommon for her to hear people expressed their admiration.

This kid is so brave.

Maybe if she had the ability to read this man's mind, she would hear something like that.

After that, silence for about three minutes. That man and Yìngyuè were deep in their own thoughts. Yìngyuè suddenly asked.

"Have you come home from work?"

It was almost dusk. So it makes sense for Yìngyuè that the man is an office worker who had just finished work today.

"Ah," the man smiled and said.

"I haven't work for three months. Previously, I worked at a used bookstore. The bookstore is not big. It has only six employees, including me. Even then, I only work part-time. There are only two full-time workers. The remaining four people are part-time workers. Four months ago, the bookstore owner moved to another city to live with relatives there. He is old, and his health is not very good either. So, of course, we all understand."

That man stopped telling his story for a while. Yìngyuè guessed he was observing her reaction before continuing his story. Yìngyuè's expression indeed showed an interest in the man's narrative.

"He sold all the books he had to another used bookstore. This other one is quite large. The owner is an old friend of the owner of my bookstore. He said he would accept all employees to work in his place."

"Why didn't you move into that used bookstore," Yìngyuè asked.

"It is in another city, so I can't possibly work there. I feel comfortable staying here. I want to be here for a few more years."

"So during these three months, you haven't found any new job?"

"There have been several job offers. But I don't feel right yet. All offers are full-time jobs. I'm looking for a part-time job."

Yìngyuè found this man was weird. Most people wanted a full-time job. This person just wanted to be a part-time worker.

"The reason I moved to this city is to explore all corners of this city. As you know, this city has a long history of our civilization. So the part-time job gives me free time to explore this city.

Yìngyuè nodded at the explanation. This city is enormous. Lots of tourists came to this city to visit historical places.

Suddenly Yìngyuè realized that the rain had stopped. There was no reason for her to remain in this box. This man must have other business too.

"The rain has stopped," Yìngyuè said in a cheerful voice. "Thank you, sir," she opened the door and stepped out.

"I should be the one who feels grateful because you are here and willing to chat with me," said the man.

"See you, sir!"

After saying that, Yìngyuè waved at the man and then quickly walked away.

Yìngyuè felt hungry. She remembered she had not eaten lunch. Her intention now was to find the nearest station to eat and then take a rest. Almost all stations in this city were equipped with canteens and inns. Visitors from out of town had no trouble finding accommodation. Of course, the lodgings at the station were not luxurious. It just like a capsule hotel or a simple inn. However, such lodging was sufficient for most travelers who came to this city.

About fifteen-minute walks, Yìngyuè found the station. In this city, there were several modes of public transportation. The most popular transportation mode is the subway. About three thousand subway stations spread over an area of ​​twenty-five thousand and six hundred square kilometers in this city. Besides, there were still three thousand subway stations in the small towns that surround this city.

Every day a lot of commuters from the surrounding area commute to this city. The large population in this city creates many social problems. Among those problems were the high unemployment rate and the never-ending trend of urbanization. One way of overcoming this problem is to develop new economic centers. The local government had made the subway stations the points of the recent economic network. Therefore, nowadays, almost every subway station here also had a mall and other facilities.

The station was not significant. Only serve one line. Even though the shopping area was only two levels, the contents were relatively complete. Apart from stalls selling daily necessities, there were children's playgrounds, restaurants, simple inns, and Yìngyuè's favorite place, the capsule hotel. Yìngyuè chose foods that were not too heavy. Foods that contain lots of coconut milk sometimes made her stomach felt uncomfortable. Absolutely not suitable for tourists or people who were traveling.

Yìngyuè ate quickly. It's 6.45 PM when Yìngyuè finished eating. Right away, she went to the capsule hotel area to get rested. It turned out there was no empty unit. There were only twelve units there. Currently, all units were occupied. Yìngyuè initially intended to try to stop by the modest inn just a few meters away. But she canceled it because she wanted to save money. 

She wanted to look for a capsule hotel in another station. This time she headed for the capsule hotel at a relatively large station that had more units.

Suddenly she remembered it was rush hour. Taking the subway during rush hour was really not a pleasant experience. Yìngyuè decided to just go up on the surface and explore the area to find if there were other capsule hotels around, although she knew the possibility was slight. If she did not find the place, she would come back here to catch the train when there were not too many passengers. By now, she had eaten, so it was fair to take a brief walk. Wasn't the goal for the week just to take a walk around?

It was already dark on the surface. With light steps, Yìngyuè walked out of the station. A full stomach had made her feel happy. After turning her head to the right and left, she realized the station was at an intersection. One road was the more significant road, which is enormous and busy; the other was a relatively minor road. The more significant road leads out of the city. Of course, it wasn't the main road to the next town. The major highway connecting this city with the next town was a few blocks away. Out of curiosity, Yìngyuè turned and walked down the relatively minor road.

During the few days here, Yìngyuè had recognized the rhythm of life in this city, more or less. At this hour, the streets on the outskirts of the city were quiet. It will be after eight or nine o'clock before it got busy again. So now it's silent on the road.

About five hundred paces walking, Yìngyuè witnessed something. An SUV suddenly stopped beside Yìngyuè. The car was dark blue. The windows glasses were so dark that Yìngyuè could not see what was going on inside. The car rocked as if there was a fight inside. Seconds later, the left rear door opened.

A woman tried to get out of the vehicle. Behind her, a man was holding her. He tried to prevent the woman from getting out of the car. The front left door opened, a man came out. Quickly he caught the woman's hand that was struggling to break free from the clutches of the man behind her. The hand of the man outside the car flew and hit the woman's face. After that, with both hands, he threw the woman back into the car. After slamming the car's rear door, the man at once got in through the vehicle's front door. Immediately the vehicle moved away from Yìngyuè.

Yìngyuè shocked and dumbfounded watching all that. She did not know what to do. What she just saw was like a movie scene that she sometimes watched on television. While her fear was rising in her mind, her body was stiff as a statue.

The car was traveling northward, away from Yìngyuè. But suddenly, after walking about two hundred meters, the vehicle stopped again. This time, the car didn't shake; a few seconds later, the car backed up. The fact that she was a witness terrified yìngyuè this time. Witnessing a crime was a dangerous thing. The criminals dislike witnesses who might cause difficulties for them. The car retreated rapidly. Two hundred meters was a short distance for a car. The car would soon be back here, and the criminals would get out of the vehicle to eliminate the witnesses who witnessed their crimes.

Yìngyuè started to panic. There was nobody she could ask for help. She looked at the surrounding place. This area was silent. With the backpack she carried, there was no way she could run fast. Leaving a bag was also not the right choice because many items could lead those people to identify her.

Yìngyuè looked back. There was a building that looks quite old, standing there. Without wasting time, in a flash, she ran toward the building. After opening the door, Yìngyuè speedily rushed in. Yìngyuè was sure those people from inside the car had seen her running toward the building. Inside the building, there was not a single person. She was getting more and more panicked.

Is it an abandoned building? But the electricity is still on. So there must still be people in this building.

The building was still brightly lit. At least, on this ground floor, there were still signs of life. The electricity was still on.

Elevator! I have to get to the elevator!

Yìngyuè searched the elevator. She didn't have much time left. The car must have reached the place where she had been standing earlier. The criminals must have gotten out of the car, and now they were hunting for her.

Ah, that's the stairs over there!

Instead of the elevator, Yìngyuè found the stairs. For a moment, she considered whether to use the stairs. She abandoned the intention and returned to look for the elevator. After seeing the elevator, Yìngyuè quickly ran there.

There were four elevators there. In a hurry, Yìngyuè pressed the up and down button. The first elevator seemed to be out of service. The indicator at the top of the elevator didn't turn on. 

The second elevator was also off. The third elevator was on. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Yìngyuè instantly entered. She hurriedly pressed the top button on the elevator. She intended to go up to the top floor, which was the 12th floor. The fourth elevator also seemed to be off, although Yìngyuè wasn't sure. So at least she had to buy time by going to the top floor.

The elevator seemed to take a long time to close its doors. Yìngyuè heard some angry voices. 

The elevator doors finally closed, but Yìngyuè could still listen to the people outside screamed and yelling. The elevator door had closed, but it doesn't go up right away. If someone pressed the button, the elevator could still open. She was very pale this time.

Luckily, the elevator finally started moving up. From the faint shouting earlier, Yìngyuè concluded that the men were then looking for stairs and trying to catch up with Yìngyuè. They did not know Yìngyuè headed to which floor, so they would likely check every floor. This fact would be advantageous for Yìngyuè, as it would give her enough time to find a hiding place.

Gone up to the 12th floor took so long. Yìngyuè couldn't make sure the elevator was slow because it was old or it just her feelings. Each floor took approximately five seconds. So in one minute, Yìngyuè arrived on the 12th floor. Of course, the pursuers were still on the second or third floor. Every time they climbed one floor of the stairs, they had to check the elevator's front.

When the elevator finally opened on the 12th floor. Yìngyuè quickly put her backpack on the elevator floor. She laid it longitudinally, so part of the bag was outside the elevator and the other part still inside. She wanted to keep the elevator doors from closing, so the criminals couldn't go up using this elevator.

Yìngyuè looked out in all directions, trying to find another object that could replace her backpack as a wedge. Then suddenly, the indicator on the fourth elevator flashes. Yìngyuè could see that the fourth elevator was on the 10th floor.

For a few seconds, the indicator still showed the 10th floor. So the fourth elevator now must stop and open on the 10th floor. Anyone standing in front of that elevator must notice the third elevator stopped on the 12th floor. If they were the criminal who chased her, they must go straight up to the 12th floor. But the people on the 10th floor stopped there, did nothing. 

So, they were not the people who were chasing Yìngyuè.

Yìngyuè intended to ask for help from the person on the 10th floor. She was on the top floor, so the button in front of the elevator was only the down button. Pressing the down button also won't make the fourth elevator on the 10th floor went up to the 12th floor. The third elevator doors were still opened and probably won't go down unless someone downstairs wanted to go up. Yìngyuè grabbed her backpack that had been used to hold the elevator doors. Then she ran toward the stairs and down to the 10th floor.

Once she reached the 10th floor, she right away headed for the elevator. It was almost late because the fourth elevator was closing its door when Yìngyuè ran toward it. Arriving in front of the elevator, Yìngyuè pressed the down button and hoped that the elevator had not gone down, so it still had time to open again. As soon as the elevator opened, Yìngyuè shouted with joy and directly lunged into the elevator. There was a person inside. So this person was the one who previously stopped on the 10th floor.

The elevator doors closed. Yìngyuè and the person in the elevator made eye contact. Yìngyuè surprised to see this person. The person standing in front of her is the man she had previously chatted with at the phone booth.