Liangqing City, the undisputed central hub of Yifeng Province, was not only where the province's politics, economy, and culture converged, but also one of the few ultra-prosperous cities on Dragon Country's vast map.
Skyscrapers pierced the heavens, major roads teemed with traffic day and night, and neon lights mingled with the warmth of everyday life, weaving the vibrant rhythm unique to a great metropolis.
Yet deep within this clamorous city lay a tranquil world utterly unlike the surrounding prosperity.
A low-density villa district sat quietly here, free of towering buildings that blocked the view.
Three-story detached villas, all alike, were scattered across the grounds. Their pale exterior walls were paired with lush greenery growing freely in the courtyards.
When the wind passed, leaves rustled softly, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of nature, as if all the noise of the outside world had been shut away.
The main entrance to the villa district was understated yet orderly, with two dark-gray guard booths standing symmetrically on either side of the gate.
Unlike the hunched, gray-templed elderly guards common in ordinary residential compounds,
the security personnel stationed here all wore crisp uniforms, stood straight as pines, and possessed sharp, focused gazes.
Every gesture revealed the efficiency of systematic professional training. From their very bearing as guards alone, one could glimpse the extraordinary nature of this place.
A plaque, simple in design yet imposing in presence, hung on the light-gray stone wall at the entrance to the villa district.
Against its white background, the heavy black characters reading "Yifeng Province Leaders' Family Compound" stood out strikingly, carrying an air of solemnity without the need for embellishment.
The residents of this area possessed special identities. Most of Yifeng Province's high-ranking officials
had their families living here, making it a residential area