Chapter 1 - The red lights

The night of the new year, the whole city was abuzz. Every street was filled with cheers and laughter, except for one spot in the middle of the city.

The sound of heavy machinery downed the cheerful festive music and laughter.

Yu Zixin climbed up the scaffolding of the newly constructed building, inspecting a new load of cement that was being pulled up.

A hand holding a lit cigarette waved in front of his face. "Want one?"

Yu Zixin glanced at Song Hui, who was humming a soft song as he took a whiff.

Noticing him looking his way, the man offered his cigarette again.

"I don't smoke." Yu Zixin took out a piece of gum from his pocket and started to chew on it.

"Even that gum can't hide your nasty breath, boy... when was the last time you ate?"

Yu Zixin froze. 'When did I last eat...' he could not remember. His mind was in a constant haze.

The money he had reserved for his food had already run out a few days ago. During these rough days, he would usually go around to the restaurant to secretly pick up the leftover food on the table to eat. But last night, the restaurant owner noticed his action and chased him away.

It had been a day since he ate anything substantial. His stomach was aching slightly.

Yu Zixin ignored that pain and stood ramrod straight. "I ate."

A cloud of white cigarette smoke wafted over his face. Yu closed his eyes, waving it away.

"You're not that good at lying, tsk. I asked you not to send it all to your family. I can't have a worker collapsing under my supervision."

Yu Zixin's eyes slightly wavered. "I'm good and well." He breathed in the cold air to calm himself. Showing desperation would only increase the suspicion his supervisor held about him. "Old Song, you know me. I am very healthy."

He stood tall, enhancing his six-foot height. He towered over the middle-aged man. Looking down at him, he whispered, "It's not that big of a deal."

"Really?" Song Hui raised a brow.

"Really."

Song Hui sighed loudly. "Go home, kid."

Yu Zixin froze. This was the only job that accepted him. If he lost this too, his whole family might starve. "I won't collapse! I promise you I can work twice, no, thrice as hard. Don't throw me out... I'm very strong!" he shouted in desperation.

"Oh yeah? You're standing on the scaffolding on the thirteenth floor. Do you know what happens if you collapse? You die, Yunfeng. You might not value your life, but I do. And I also value my job. Any accident on the premise will impact us all. So, pack your bags and leave," the man snuffed the cigarette on the walls.

"Old Song..."

The middle-aged man took out his phone and typed something rapidly.

Soon Yu Zixin heard a small ding on his own phone. Looking at the notification, he had received twenty dollars.

"Happy New Year, take two days off."

"T-thank you... thank you so much. Please reduce that from my future salary." Yu Zixin bowed and left the construction site.

He was not the one to look at the gift horse in the teeth. Truth be told, he had been feeling tired all day. Lack of food was making it hard for him to concentrate. Since his boss was generous enough to give him an advance salary, he would not be rude to reject it.

Yu Zixin left the construction area walking through the crowd of people happily drinking and dancing. Looking at their happy faces, he felt a slight sense of envy. He never had the time or the money to enjoy his life like this.

'It's okay... I'll do all that after I get old. Right now, I just need to earn money...'

Right then, his phone rang.

He pulled it out of his pant pocket and struggled to work with the touchscreen. It had already shattered due to some minor accident at his construction site. He did not have the money to replace it so he dealt with it in his own way. Holding it in a special position, he connected the call.

"Hello?" Since the screen was shattered, he was not able to see who the caller was. "If this is another person with a personal loan, please stop. I don't have the time or energy to deal with you."

"Brother? It's me." A soft voice whispered into his ear.

Hearing this, he froze. "Hey little man, how are you? Why are you up so late? Is everything okay with Mum and Dad?"

"Mum and Dad are great. How are you, brother? Are you eating well?" the young kid's perky voice came from the other side of the line. Yu Zixin's brother, Lin Jing, was just eleven years old now in middle school.

Just listening to his cheerful voice, Yu Zixin felt like the sun had risen. His heart felt warm.

Yu Zixin glanced at the stall selling barbecue meat. "I ate barbecue meat with peanut sauce... it tasted delicious." He did not stop there. He walked past it, ignoring the tempting smell. "How was school?"

"It was super fun. We played and studied... Um, yeah..." his brother's voice started to get slightly awkward.

Yu Zixin's stride slowed down. "Did that Chu Wang bully you?"

Recently, Lin Jing had been hanging around with a thug-like kid who would glare at everyone. This had him worried a bit.

"No no! He is the sweetest person! When others made fun of me for not being able to pay the excursion fee, he fought with them for me... he is not a bad person, brother. He always helps me out. Don't always blame him."

Yu Zixin sighed loudly. "That's good..." he pulled away his phone and pressed the speaker button. "So where are they taking you this time?"

"To the city museum. I heard they have dinosaur bones~ isn't that cool? Have you seen dinosaurs before?"

"Oh, I've seen one alright. They are big and scary." After struggling with a phone for a while, he sent his brother the twenty dollars he got from his boss.

"Brother! Why did you send this much?"

"Go to that excursion."

"But..."

"No buts. Didn't you want to see the dinosaurs? They are super gigantic and awesome. Don't worry, your brother earns a lot of money. I'm very vital to my office," he said, looking at the ground dejectedly.

His family did not know about his situation. He had made sure to hide it well, but his mum seemed to have figured something. From then on, she had urged his little brother to request more money from him.

Yu Zixin did not want them to know that their beloved son was suffering, that their son's hands were covered in callouses from lifting bricks, from pulling heavy things up the building.

Sometimes a beautiful lie is better than a harsh truth.

His family was not that well off, to begin with. His father worked in the post office until he got into an unfortunate accident that left him crippled. His mother owned a small wonton stall that she would set up every morning. Every day she would wake up early in the morning and sleep late at night.

Yu Zixin wanted to relieve some of her burdens. He wanted her to rest well. He wanted his family to live well. So, he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness just for them.

Sighing, he peered up at the sky that was lit up with beautiful green and pink lights. "Dinosaurs are super cool... don't you want to see them?" he used his childlike voice to convince him.

"F-fine... but you must not send any more money. Brother, thank you."

Yu Zixin smiled nostalgically. When he was a young boy, his father had also shoved a roll of bills in secret in his hands and told him to go to his school outings. And now that roll fell on him.

'I have to earn a bit more money... should I take up another part-time job? I have four hours of sleep time. Maybe I can do some small jobs like distributing flyers...' he thought, spitting out the gum onto a piece of paper. He rolled it up and tossed it into the trash can down the balcony.

He touched his growling tummy. Tonight, like many other nights, he was going to fast. "What did you eat, little man?"

"Veg noodle soup. It was good. Brother must come home next new year. I learned to fold dumplings from Dad. I'll make you the best-looking dumplings in the world!"

"Oh, that's a promise then... I'll see you next new year..." he was not sure if he could make it. His work was demanding in ways like that. The construction company he worked for made sure to work their employees to their bones. He did not even get a weekend break. He worked all week with meager pay.

But this was the only actual job that actually took him in after he was blacklisted from everywhere thanks to her.

The familiar face of a haughty young woman flashed in front of his face. She was the reason he was like this, jobless and penniless.

Yu Zixin tightly closed his eyes, trying to forget about it. 'Don't think... don't think about it...' he concentrated his attention solely on his brother's cheerful voice.

His little brother chatted for a while and started to snore while still on call.

Smiling, Yu Zixin cut the call and pocketed his phone.

This small apartment complex was quite close to the construction site. It was a very old dingy apartment with fifty residents.

Yu Zixin climbed up the stairs to the fourth floor and entered his small one-room home. That was the reason that it was so undesirable and had a low rent compared to so many other similar apartments.

Somehow, a pigeon had entered his home through the open balcony and it was chewing on something.

He hurriedly chased it out and walked out onto the balcony, closing the door behind him.

It could hardly fit his body, but even so, he squeezed himself to get a bit of fresh air. The small apartment complex was already overcrowded with so many families living there. Getting a waft of fresh air without the scent of the neighbor's smoke or the neighbor aunt's curry was hard.

Late at night was the best time he could enjoy this peaceful time.

Chewing on the piece of tasteless gum, he peered up at the sky. Beautiful green lights swam around like ocean waves, waving and moving constantly. Scientists call this the aurora Borealis, short for aurora. It was a phenomenon formed when the solar flares of the sun hit the vulnerable part of our atmosphere.

This was not the north pole or the south pole. It was western Asia. As to why this was occurring here; it was because of the strong solar flare that happened a month ago.

They called it the gallium condition.

Such a beautiful sight, but it had such deadly consequences.

The climate of this entire world was thrown off the hilt. Rain, hail, and storms happened in the most unlikely of places. The Gobi desert was completely flooded. The once-dry land had already become a river. Similarly, the Amazon forest was going through a dry spell. Every single tree in there started to wilt and the animal habitat living in them escaped, causing a lot of havoc in the nearby cities.

The polar ice caps melted, causing huge waves of earthquakes and tsunamis that shook the entire earth.

Many died.

A worldwide red alert was issued to protect everyone from catastrophes.

Everyone panicked.

Some started to hoard food, and some even started to hide themselves in their homes.

That was a year ago.

Now things had calmed down.

The spots where the beautiful northern lights appeared vibrant had become a tourist attraction.

Many flocked to their small city to enjoy the beauty of the aurora.

Yu Zixin, 25-year-old male, was just a construction worker so even if the world ended, he had to get up and work the next day.

'I should be content with that. If I work hard, I can make a bit more money and join college again,' he thought, peering at the beautiful lights once again.

He placed his shattered phone back into his pocket and continued to admire the aurora. At least admiring this beautiful yet dangerous phenomenon did not cost him anything.

"Hey, do you have a smoke?" his neighbor who was by the balcony beside him glanced at him with his bushy brows raised. He was an old retiree who stayed all alone in his apartment.

"I don't." he smiled at him kindly.

"Well, go and get me one." the old man tossed a few bills his way and plopped down on a small wicker chair. He chewed on the end of the cigarette butt disgruntled.

His words were coarse, but his intentions were filled with kindness. Ever so often, he would give him money and help out with his meals.

Without this man's kindness, Yu Zixin would have starved to death a few times in his life.

"Do you need anything else, Mister Kijima?"

"No, just that..." the man walked into his house.

Yu Zixin changed out of his sweat-covered clothes and looked at himself in the mirror.

His body was toned from all the physical work he did all day. Moving up, he glanced at his face. His dark eyes were reflected in the mirror, looking all dull and lifeless. Sighing, he hurriedly covered them up with his hair.

Wearing his slightly torn hoodie, he walked out of his house. His neighbor Aunt May was dusting her carpet with difficulty.

Without a word, he went up to her and helped beat up the old rug until it was dust-free.

"I've made some curry. I'll bring you some later," she kindly grinned, rolling up her carpets.

Even though her curries were not the best, Yu Zixin couldn't refuse her kindness. "Thank you, Aunt May."

Yu Zixin did not wish to test the strength of his stomach.

He jumped down two steps at a time.

Walking down the familiar crowded street, his nose was assaulted with different smells from the small restaurant nearby. His already empty stomach growled loudly.

Gulping, he glanced at the half-finished bowl of noodles on one of the tables.

"It's you again! I told you not to come here!" the owner spotted him.

Yu Zixin lowered his head and walked away.

'Caustic waste curry is better than nothing...'

Thinking this, he walked into the small mini-mart. With a basket in hand, he directly walked over to the discount aisle. Here they would usually stack the about-to-expire goods. They were all half the price.

But today was his bad day. The discount aisle was empty. He emptily stared at the dusty shelves. His stomach growled loudly, making his situation much more tragic. 'It's curry today...' he thought, grimacing. He had a very strong medicine at home. After eating that curry, he planned on taking a tablet to help digest it.

He placed the empty basket on the floor and walked up to the cashier. "One pack of cigarettes, please."

"Which brand, sir?" the teenage girl at the counter smiling up asked him.

This was a new person. He had not met her before this. Usually, it was the old balding man, the owner of the shop, who would man the counter.

'I guess they hired someone new. That man was getting on in age...' Even as he thought that, there was a small regret in his mind.

He had been visiting this mini-mart for almost five years. If the owner had said a word, he was prepared to work even for a discounted price. After all, working in a mini-mart came with a lot of benefits. He would get to take home the expired goods. 'It's a missed opportunity.'

"Sir?"

"The cheapest one, please."

He took a careful look at her face.

The young woman was wearing an off-white top with a cute skirt that exposed her pale white legs. She had turned her back to him, facing the shelf behind her to pick out a small pack of cigarettes for him. Her small frame stood out to him.

Yu Zixin glanced down, making sure his hair covered his face.

"Ah, it's on the top shelf…" with her small frame, she was unable to reach the top shelf.

"Shall I…" he awkwardly whispered.

"No, I've got this," she jumped a bit to reach the product from the higher shelves. Panting, she placed it on the counter.

The woman's hair was slightly in disarray, and her small pale face was covered in a fine layer of sweat. "Is that all, sir?" her smiling eyes peered at him, causing his heart to pound loudly.

"Yeah," Yu Zixin looked away, making sure not to look at her inappropriately.

The cashier girl cast him a small smile. "I saw you looking at the empty discount aisle. Actually, I haven't gotten around to stacking that shelf yet. They all are in this basket." She pulled out a basket of bread and other perishable goods.

Looking at the countless bread and other box meals, he slightly got excited.

He picked out a pack of bread and placed it on the counter.

Yu Zixin watched as her delicate pink hand picked up her groceries. He hid his own hand in his sleeve, hiding his ugly dust-covered calloused palm.

"That will be ten dollars."

Yu Zixin happily paid and left the mini-mart. He excitedly took out the whole loaf of bread and sniffed it. His stomach excitedly lurched just at the thought of eating it.

But strangely, he noticed something weird.

'This pack of bread is not expired.'

Clenching his fist, he placed the bread in his bag again. He realized what had happened. That discount aisle was definitely sold out. But that girl took pity on him and sold him this fresh bread for half the price.

Yu Zixin got a tingly feeling in his heart.

Along the way, close to an alleyway, he heard the sound of conflict.

Like a meddlesome person he was, he poked his head in to take a look.

Inside, three men were surrounding a shorter woman. He was not able to get a clear view of her face.

"Hey! What are you guys doing!" he shouted, walking in briskly.

The three men looked at his tall stature and hesitated for a bit.

He pushed one guy out of the way and peered at the woman.

One look, and he was stunned. His soul was stolen right out of his body.

Right in front of him stood the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. She had the most beautiful silvery white hair that flowed down to her waist. The most striking feature of all was her beautiful gem-like blue eyes that looked dull and slightly lifeless. Looking down, he couldn't help but notice the skin-tight dress she was wearing that exaggerated her hourglass figure. Her hips were small. He could hold it with just one of his palms!

He slightly shook his head and stopped his mental admiration of her beauty. "Miss, are these people bothering you?"

The girl coldly looked up at him without a word.

"Yo man, she is ours. Go find your own target!" one of the men pulled at Yu Zixin's shoulders.

Yu Zixin glared back at them. "You better leave."

The woman glanced at the three men with her delicate brow raised haughtily. "Trash," she whispered in her ethereal voice.

The assailants were instantly enraged. "Bitch! Don't you dare look down on me!" one man in particular raised his hand up to hit her.

Yu Zixin dashed to her, ready to defend her, when all of a sudden, the man went flying!

He literally went flying and hit the wall.

The other two assailants looked at this, stunned.

She faced them now with a seductive smile on her cherry-like lips. "Trash, unrecyclable trash."

With one wave of her delicately pink hand, everyone just flew away and hit the wall like flies.

Yu Zixin did not know if he was dreaming or if this was all real.

Wiping his eyes, he peered at her enchanting figure once again.

The woman tossed a small gem at his face. "Hope you survive. If you do... maybe... just maybe, we might see each other in the future."

He looked down at the small gem. It looked more like a small uncut ruby. "Lady, I was only trying to help you. You don't need to repay..."

Looking up, he faced the empty alleyway.

The seductive woman was long gone.

She had disappeared.