The Encounter on the Avenue

 2210 AD, Scorching summer, Jinghua city.

Even on the outskirts of the city, the streets of Jinghua were perpetually crowded. Alex walked alone amidst the throng, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, his head slightly lowered, eyes wandering aimlessly at the ground, neither looking ahead nor colliding with anyone. He wore a blue checkered collar shirt, slightly worn-out black slim-fit trousers, and a pair of sky-blue slippers, giving him a casual and carefree look. Nevertheless, the unintentional release of his dangerous aura still attracted many glances from passing girls.

Today marked the 60th day of the distribution of the gaming equipment for "Destiny," and it was also the first official day of the game's launch, set to commence at noon. However, the current time indicated it was nine o'clock in the morning.

Although it was already the sixtieth day, there were still long lines of people at the nearest distribution point. Alex wasn't surprised to stop at the very back of the long line, the size of the crowd at the moment was nothing compared to the first month of the distribution of gaming devices. And it wasn't often that people had the patience to wait as long as he had today. He lifted his head, gazing at the blue and white sky, and at the center of the sky, there stretched a long trail—a white mark resembling a crack in the sky. Since it suddenly appeared in the sky a hundred years ago, it had sparked global turmoil and various speculations from countless pundits. However, as time passed, people's perception of this sky scar transitioned from initial astonishment to acceptance. Nowadays, when humans are born, they inevitably face a sky adorned with the long scar, while the pristine azure sky exists only in images left from a century ago.

"Hello, sir. Please provide your DNA sample." The receptionist greeted with a professional smile, but after a while, she received no response from the man in front of her. Alex's lips curled slightly as he meticulously admired the girl in front of him, who could easily be described as "a feast for the eyes." Admiring beautiful women was one of the greatest pleasures for all men, and he was no exception.

Under his unabashedly aggressive gaze, the girl, who usually dealt with all sorts of people with calm composure, began to feel her heart rate quicken. His eyes bore a dangerous depth, a knowing that it might be a bottomless abyss, yet she felt irresistibly drawn to it by a mysterious force, as if pulled and attracted beyond her control, wanting to sink...

A broken hair lay in Alex's palm, presented before the girl. As if awakening from a daze, she dared not meet his gaze, slightly flustered as she picked up the half hair in his hand. The brief contact between her fingers and his palm sent a subtle ripple through her heart.

"This is a dangerous man..." A voice in her heart warned her. Yet, her now erratic heartbeat refused to calm. She dared not raise her head, fidgeting with the device in her hand to conceal her slight unease. "What type of device do you need... a pendant or a wristband?"

Full immersion virtual gaming arose in the late 21st century, reaching its peak in the 22nd century. The virtual world connected by gaming helmets and gaming pods became another world and another half-life for humanity. In the 23rd century, virtual gaming finally saw a new breakthrough—the enigmatic "Destiny." Leaving aside everything else, just the gaming equipment alone was enough to astonish everyone. No longer were there bulky gaming helmets or pods; instead, there were small pendants that could be worn around the neck or wristbands worn on the wrist. Gaming no longer required cables, complicated operations, or even charging. According to official explanations, the devices came with enough built-in power to last over fifty years. The game device selects freely according to its preferences, and a person can only possess one game device, which is bound to their own DNA.

What's even more astonishing was that all gaming devices were distributed for free.

Alex tugged on the long, thin black thread around his neck, and the girl finally noticed the strange ornament hanging from his chest. It was jet black, with a long and peculiar shape, irregularly dotted with seven equally sized holes from top to bottom. Perhaps it was an illusion, but under the sunlight, she vaguely saw that each of the seven holes reflected an extremely faint light—a light of different colors, combined to resemble the seven colors of the sun.

"Sir, please... please wait a moment." The girl realized her second bout of losing composure, her expression and actions becoming increasingly unnatural. She placed her hair into the device, unconsciously memorizing the information displayed on the screen, before pressing the red button to complete the identity binding. Handing over a black wristband and an exquisite business card to Alex, she said, "Sir, here is your device. Please take care of it, and I wish you a pleasant gaming experience. This is my branch's service card. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time."

Alex extended his left hand, but hesitated to take it. The girl finally gathered the courage to raise her head, her gaze meeting his captivating eyes and that charming face. His response quickened her heartbeat once again. "Charms Jasmine Dream, the perfect blend of jasmine, rose, and lilac, exudes both warmth and freshness, with an elegant and gentle scent that is pure and intoxicating. Suitable for elegant and tender-hearted girls. Such girls are like angels bestowed upon the earth by God. I wonder if I have the honor to have her put this black shackle on me."

A faint blush appeared on the girl's tender cheeks, and she lowered her head, feeling at a loss. Charms Jasmine Dream was the name of her favorite perfume. Since she first smelled its fragrance, her unwavering affection for it had never waned.

Alex hadn't expected the girl to be so easily embarrassed, almost like a girl with little romantic experience. This only further stimulated his desire to tease her. His deep eyes were filled with a wicked smile as he watched the girl, with a hint of moisture in her delicate hands, put the black wristband on him. Even the simplest action was extended several times under the slight tremble of her slender fingers. Throughout the process, Alex enjoyed her charming expression.

Finally, the girl gathered all her courage and placed a thick piece of paper into his hand. "Sir, this... this is my personal phone number. If you have any questions about usage, you can... you can call me anytime..."

By the end of her words, her voice was as faint as a mosquito's. Even she couldn't believe that she, who rejected countless suitors every day, would voluntarily give her contact information to a man she met for the first time.

Alex touched the almost weightless wristband on his wrist, flashing the girl a smile that intoxicated her, then turned and left. The girl watched his retreating figure, lost in a trance as if under a spell.

Turning around a corner, Alex waved his hand, and the two pieces of paper he hadn't even glanced at turned into fluttering scraps of paper as if by magic. His expression remained unchanged as he walked steadily toward his residence... a place that could no longer be called "home."

In this era of rampant materialism, filled with filth and sin everywhere, that girl was as precious as a diamond in the sand. But... for him, who had possessed the most beautiful stars in the world, she was just a diamond.

Raising his wrist, Alex looked at the black wristband on his hand. Although he had learned most of its information from various sources, he still felt amazed when he first held it. Perhaps everyone would have the same doubts when they first received it. Could such a small, oddly-shaped, and lightweight device truly connect to the mythical world of "Destiny"?

Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps ahead. Just as he reached the corner, he nearly collided head-on with a figure turning the corner. Instinctively, he raised his left hand to block the way. In an instant, his palm touched something round and soft, so perfect that it made Alex's heart sway. His palm almost instinctively tightened for a moment before realizing what he had caught, then turned and ran.

"Ah—"

A scream, much louder than Alex had imagined, echoed behind him. He glanced back and saw the girl in the blue and white checkered skirt clutching her chest in panic, with the four people who were originally following her catching up with her.

All four of them were middle-aged, dressed in black suits and black leather shoes, with two of them wearing dark sunglasses, typical of bodyguards who were afraid of not being recognized. The four moved swiftly, and in no time they caught up to Alex. They were almost within arm's reach of him.

Ahead was an alley between two buildings. Alex turned into the alley, and the four men followed closely behind, but soon, they all stopped... Not because the alley was a dead end that blocked their target's retreat, but because the person they were chasing after had disappeared!

They watched him run into the alley, with barely half a second's difference in distance, making it impossible for him to disappear from their sight... Could he have flown away, or even turned invisible?

After standing dumbfounded for a while, they finally left amidst one of them saying, "Oops, could this be a diversion?"

High above, on the rooftop of a six-story building, Alex watched them leave, his face showing a pensive expression. He raised his left hand, a wicked smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, as if the soft and astonishing touch still lingered on his palm, and even a hint of the girl's intoxicating scent came through. "It seems that this little girl's identity is not as simple as it seems. If I were to harm your fragile heart, it would be my greatest sin... because, I did it on purpose."