In the small restaurant whose storefront was blackened by smoke and fire, a few diners sat sparsely.<br><br>Lucas used his chopsticks to slowly pick at the Greens Pasta in front of him, while he glanced towards the counter inside the restaurant.<br><br>Behind the greasy glass cover of the counter hung two golden, oil-dripping roasted chickens. Their undulating lines were full of temptation; every inch was slick and shiny, as if the pores were exuding the most primal desire, teasing Lucas inch by inch, stirring the unstoppable impulse tormenting his heart and soul...<br><br>When was the last time he had eaten meat?<br><br>Lucas barely remembered the answer to that question.<br><br>Although many eateries sold some meat nowadays, the prices were outrageously high.<br><br>For instance, these two roasted chickens cost nearly seventy bucks each, and even a single chicken leg was twenty bucks...<br><br>Twenty bucks!<br><br>Normally, Lucas wouldn't even look at them, but now that he had earned a significant amount of money, he felt a bit inflated.<br><br>Thus, even though he kept telling himself not to think about these luxurious things, he couldn't suppress the urge inside him. This made him frequently glance at the glass cover, while the Greens Pasta in front of him seemed tasteless...<br><br>"Sigh..."<br><br>After more than ten minutes of inner struggle, Lucas gave up resisting.<br><br>He finally stood up slowly, moving stiffly towards the glass cover.<br><br>"Give me a chicken leg!"<br><br>He spoke with difficulty.<br><br>Then, to save face, he added, "A small one!"<br><br>"Sure..."<br><br>The owner behind the glass cover seemed to mock Lucas for finally succumbing to temptation and being defeated by the two aces he offered. Happily, he weighed the chicken leg on an oil-stained electronic scale and announced the price, "Seventeen fifty..."<br><br>Lucas returned to his seat with the chicken leg wrapped in grease paper, slowly immersed it into the Greens Pasta.<br><br>This way, the soup and noodles could absorb some of the juices.<br><br>...<br><br>...<br><br>Lucas took a full half-hour to finish this meal, then he walked out full of guilt.<br><br>He begrudgingly spent a coin to take a bus, swaying all the way to the Red Moon Elementary School on the east side of the city.<br><br>Seeing Lucas back so soon, the old guard in the security booth gave him a look but said nothing. He continued to read his newspaper while Lucas, familiar with the routine, entered the elementary school and arrived at the only classroom.<br><br>Peeking inside, he saw a dozen kids earnestly copying the Nine-Nine Multiplication Table from the blackboard.<br><br>Lucas looked around but didn't see Mr. Doe, wondering what he was up to.<br><br>After a moment of thought, he took out the thick paper bag he had stuffed into his coat and slipped it into the rusty mailbox.<br><br>After doing so, he glanced back, and seeing that the old guard wasn't paying attention, he plucked a handful of flowers and pressed them on top.<br><br>Then he sighed with relief, feeling lighter as he prepared to leave.<br><br>"Lucas!"<br><br>Suddenly, a gentle voice called from behind.<br><br>Lucas froze, pretending not to hear, and quickened his pace towards the gate.<br><br>"Lucas, stop!"<br><br>The voice behind was anxious and approached quickly.<br><br>Lucas immediately picked up speed, walking faster and faster, soon passing through the school gate.<br><br>"Mr. Sun, stop him..."<br><br>The voice shouted, but the old guard in the booth leisurely turned a page of his newspaper.<br><br>"Don't run..."<br><br>The voice grew more urgent.<br><br>But how could she catch up with Lucas? Soon the voice faded into the distance.<br><br>"Ouch..."<br><br>Just then, a cry of pain and the sound of a wheelchair hitting something rang out.<br><br>Startled, Lucas quickly turned around.<br><br>He saw Mr. Doe, sitting in the wheelchair, shouting "ouch" while patting the wheelchair to mimic the sound of a collision, smiling slightly as she looked at Lucas, appearing somewhat smug.<br><br>When their eyes met, Lucas conceded and couldn't flee anymore.<br><br>Mr. Doe then wheeled herself slowly to stand before Lucas, looking up at him.<br><br>Lucas could only look at her. Mr. Doe had a lovely oval face, soft hair tied in a neat ponytail, wore a pale yellow sweatshirt with a rolling cat printed on it, jeans, and clean sneakers. Compared to the dark tones of the world, she always seemed bright and warm.<br><br>"Are you bullying me because I walk on two wheels and can't outrun your two legs?"<br><br>Standing before Lucas, Mr. Doe gave him an annoyed glance, sounding a bit frustrated.<br><br>"No, no, I didn't hear you just now..."<br><br>Lucas awkwardly smiled, trying to explain, then moved to help push her wheelchair.<br><br>"So you're saying I'm not loud enough?"<br><br>Mr. Doe pulled Lucas's hand, bringing him back to her front, continuing to look up at him.<br><br>"No..."<br><br>Lucas scratched his head awkwardly, withdrawing his hand.<br><br>"Alright, enough of this. Did you bring me money again?"<br><br>Mr. Doe glanced back at the envelope and asked, "How much this time?"<br><br>"Not much..."<br><br>Lucas replied awkwardly, not wanting to discuss it directly.<br><br>"It’s only been a few days since you last brought money, and you brought so much last time. What’s going on?"<br><br>Mr. Doe's face turned serious, even stern, as she looked into Lucas's eyes and asked in a low voice:<br><br>"Did you do something bad?"<br><br>"…"<br><br>"Mm?"<br><br>Lucas realized why she was asking and quickly shook his head, explaining, "No, no..."<br><br>Mr. Doe looked at him with suspicion, examining him closely with a slightly shocked expression: "Are your kidneys still intact?"<br><br>"Of course they are, both of them!"<br><br>Lucas was taken aback and quickly responded, "I just recently found a part-time job, and the boss is very generous, offering a substantial allowance!"<br><br>Mr. Doe frowned: "Is your boss out of their mind to give you so much money?"<br><br>Lucas thought of Jane Chen's pretty head, which didn't look squeezed by a door, and could only shake his head. "No, really, you don't need to worry. I haven't done anything bad. The part-time job pays well and is very legitimate, with headquarters in the main city. My monthly base salary is over five thousand, with many additional allowances. What I brought is just a small part..."<br><br>Mr. Doe listened, surprised, and suddenly asked, "Did you join the Urban Fringe Explorers?"<br><br>Lucas quickly shook his head: "No, don't worry, it's very safe..."<br><br>He hesitated, wanting to tell Mr. Doe about this, but he remembered the documents forbade sharing details about the Environmental Hazards Unit to avoid unnecessary panic. Even those drawn into special contamination incidents without knowing were sometimes made to forget.<br><br>Mr. Doe seriously examined Lucas's face, looking for anything worrisome.<br><br>Finding nothing, she nodded slowly, saying, "I trust you. Never do anything bad..."<br><br>Lucas nodded: "Definitely not, I remember the words of the old dean!"<br><br>Mr. Doe was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright, then push me back!"<br><br>Lucas obediently moved behind her, pushing her wheelchair as they walked slowly back into the school. As they passed the guard booth, the old guard chuckled, turned his newspaper page again, and deliberately held it up, hiding his smile.)
