Paintings and Swords

Sitting in the moving off-road vehicle, He Ao held a hamburger in one hand, eating as he turned to look at the streets outside the window.

Winter City's district layout resembled a pyramid laid on its side. Each district was roughly long and narrow, arranged layer by layer.

The broadest "base" was Storm District, closest to the Storm Sea. Then came Aka District and Novitt District. Farthest from the Storm Sea, and the smallest "tip," was Cloud District.

The Fish Cake Bar He Ao had departed from lay in Storm District, near Aka District. The off-road vehicle had now passed through Aka District and entered Novitt District.

He had also bought a hamburger from a roadside burger shop for lunch.

After the off-road vehicle crossed some invisible boundary, the old residential buildings around it gave way to rows of orderly high-rises, while the roar of machinery rumbled endlessly between them.

Novitt District was the most "special" of Winter City's four districts. In theory, no one was supposed to live in Novitt District, and no residences had been designed there.

The entire district was Winter City's Industrial Area. United Industries' machines operated endlessly within those imposing buildings.

Several wide buses drove past He Ao's off-road vehicle. Tired people stood packed inside. Some noticed the vehicle and gave it a curious glance before quickly looking away.

The crowded cabins left them unable even to free a hand to fiddle with their wristbands. Many had earphones plugged into their ears, playing music or some audio livestream.

Some leaned against the crowd with their eyes tightly shut, seemingly already asleep.

Most employees in Novitt District lived in Aka District. They took United Industries' paid buses to the factories during working hours, then rode those same buses back to Aka District after work.

To fit