The Strange Tower, an unknown city.
Everything in the city gave Wen Xishu an overwhelming sense of dissonance.
Enveloped in that dissonance, the sky above wherever Wen Xishu stood always seemed somewhat gloomy.
Yet beneath that gloomy sky, everything was a little... bizarre.
Wen Xishu walked through the city, planning to take the shortest route to find Horn, the boy in the wheelchair, but as luck would have it, his route took him through the city's red-light district.
The place delivered an enormous visual shock. The world that unfolded before his eyes looked something like this-
The peeling sign for "Beauty Wellness SPA" had been edged in gold, and a burly man in a pink nurse's uniform pushed open the glass door.
He had a thermos of goji berry tea tucked under his arm and a lace headdress perched crookedly on his buzz cut. In a broadcaster's voice, he called across the street, "Reno! Your number 68 masseur's been stealing the hair-growth oil again!"
The "Blue Moon Wellness Club," converted from a hair salon, had an illuminated acrylic sign. Its revolving glass door reflected a security guard in fishnet stockings-
A bearded middle-aged man who was stuffing the hem of his cheongsam into his belt. The white socks on his calves had been pulled up from ankle height into thigh-high territory.
The adult store next door had a creative window display-a silicone doll modeled after a muscular hunk wore a Hello Kitty apron and held a foam board reading "Buy two, get one free."
The owner squatted in the doorway, touching up an inflatable doll's makeup. When he looked up, his false eyelashes nearly jabbed a patrol officer in the chin. "Officer, this one's realism definitely exceeds the civil registry's standards."
Wen Xishu was awestruck, but it wasn't over yet.