The morning of October 22 marked Frost's Descent.
Xia City's temperature had already fallen below 10 degrees Celsius. The uniquely damp, chilling wind from the sea could pierce straight through people's coats and into their bones. Many of those weaving between high-rises on the moving walkways had changed into thick coats and scarves, but some still wore only thin trench coats or short skirts, striving to maintain their charm and composure in the cold wind.
Ronan was on the Thirteenth Floor of Shang Ding Building in Li Lan District, watching the scene outside the window.
More than a dozen floors of Shang Ding Building served as functional areas for the Xia City Branch, naturally those adjacent to or part of the Recycling Layer. Though it was not high enough up, the cold front treated everyone equally. He was standing in the corridor now, and the wind outside blew directly through the gaps in the windows, offering little warmth.
The closer it got to year's end, the tighter the Xia City Branch's daily budget became. Of course, as someone with massive personal debts, he had no right to complain.
"Boss Ronan, long time no see." Zhang Yingying, whom he had not seen for nearly twenty days, came up in the elevator and spotted Ronan at once. "Didn't you go see President Ouyang? Why did you come out so quickly? I thought you'd talk with him all morning."
With the weather so chilly, Zhang Yingying had unusually chosen warm-toned clothing. She wore a full set of pale yellow knitwear: a slightly fitted top, loose wide-legged pants, and a thick light-brown coat over them. There had originally been a light-gray knitted cardigan to match, but perhaps she had found it too bulky, so she simply tied it around her neck as a scarf.