Wandering aimlessly on the rundown streets, Luke Sin realized he hadn't really looked at these streets closely for a long time. The streets were full of pits and dust, with puddles left from a few days ago. Neon lights flashed all around, intertwining into chaotic, dazzling colors.<br><br>After the Red Moon Incident, humans who survived inside the tall city walls seemed to have split into two entirely different kinds. One was particularly busy, hastily striding along, too preoccupied to spare a glance. The other was particularly idle, sitting weakly by the street sides with a cloth spread before them, or a table set up, offering either wild vegetables, unknown meats, roughly sharpened tools, or ornaments scavenged from the ruins by hunters outside the city, along with unfamiliar technological items.<br><br>Many simply gathered in groups, smoking and whistling at women on the street. A lot of crazies were still outside. When the Walled City was first built, there was a time when even food was scarce. But perhaps because the population needing food abruptly reduced, lessening pressure on resources, or because the speed of rebuilding civilization exceeded everyone's expectations, in just thirty years, hunger or famine within the high city walls became rare...<br><br>Simply put, getting fed was not hard in the Walled City. The real challenge was figuring out how to live better!<br><br>These aimlessly wandering people on the streets were like that. They hadn't even obtained official status as residents of Satellite City No. 2 and couldn't attend technical schools or other schools. Hopes for living in the Main City were beyond reach for them. Thus, they gave up on all pursuits, not working, nor planning for tomorrow. They wandered the streets every day, blankly watching everything pass by, with empty gazes, thinking who-knows-what.<br><br>Luke Sin walked the streets, observing everyone. He looked for any dangerous individuals like that cafe employee in his memory. If he caught such a person, he could earn a lot of money and save many lives. His sister's figure would occasionally appear beside him. She might appear on high-rise buildings next to him, crawl across utility wires lazily over his head, or perch on some bald uncle's head. The siblings patrolled the streets diligently like this, but found nothing.<br><br>"This city is too big..." After wandering seven or eight streets, Luke Sin squatted by the street, smoking and eating lunch from a box. Summarizing his experiences, he thought, "Though the Walled City had a small population when first built, it's expanded rapidly these decades. The population in Satellite City No. 2 alone has reached over one million. Police complain daily about staff shortages. My random wanderings yielding nothing is actually pretty normal."<br><br>"Patrol some more times, and I'll definitely find something..." <br><br>After finishing lunch, Luke Sin patrolled a while longer before heading back to sleep and go to work the next day. He maintained this routine for a few days. However, this overly normal city disappointed Luke Sin, as no weird incidents happened. He worried, "If this city is too safe and doesn't need me, will Major Jane Chen take away my aid?" <br><br>However, what he didn't expect was that his other job encountered a problem first. <br><br>"Luke, don't come to work tomorrow," said the Director, half-bald but still meticulously combed, pushing a dismissal contract before Luke Sin. <br><br>"Why?" The Director's words startled Luke Sin, striking him as incomprehensible. His tenure hadn't even turned permanent, and he was already being dismissed. How could this be acceptable? Despite knowing that being laid off was normal in the post-Red Moon Incident world with its economic instability, especially given his desk job in an office, in contrast to working endlessly on docks or in factories - highly sought-after positions with fierce competition - Luke Sin never imagined it'd happen to him.<br><br>He had always worked diligently and without error, and even earned the Employee of the Month. The Honor Pennant still hung in his cubicle! Why would they dismiss him?<br><br>"You must understand, Luke," the Director said, forcing a smile and offering a cigarette, displaying smoke-stained teeth. "The company is struggling. We can't support too many employees in the same position. Compared to you, Luke Chang is just as competent, but his work ethic surpasses yours. Lately, you've been leaving early without a trace even before shifts end..."<br><br>"Luke Chang?" Luke Sin recalled the young man who had always treated him with a smiling face, asking how to handle work matters, and fell silent. He understood what the Director meant by leaving early. In reality, he didn't leave early, just didn't volunteer to overtime.<br><br>"Could you give me another chance, Director?" Luke Sin asked quietly, though he had more to say. <br><br>The Director showed a troubled expression. "You're a veteran employee, and I hate to let you go. But you know how it is here: one person per role. We can't afford idle hands. When capabilities are the same, attitude counts..."<br><br>Luke Sin tuned out after that, suspecting the insincerity. Upon leaving the Director's office, he found his belongings packed neatly in a box. Somehow, someone had been kind enough to do it.<br><br>"Luke Chang packed them - he couldn't wait to move into your spot," whispered Auntie Sunny with permed hair from the next cubicle. "Luke, I'm not criticizing, but you're too nice. I've warned you not to teach everyone everything. See? He took your job! And the kid's something else, dating the Director's daughter. You think he'd not get a job favor?"<br><br>Luke Sin silently looked at his Honor Pennant in the box, compassionately felt his gun in his backpack, but in the end, refrained from drawing it. Instead, he went downstairs, lit a cigarette, and paced thoughtfully. He remembered what Jane Chen had advised him earlier. If encountering trouble in life, follow these three suggestions: <br><br>First, call the police. Second, call her. Third, use the gun.)
