The person behind the camera fell into a dilemma.
On one hand, he had indeed recognized Song Jia. On the other, he was unwilling to see the sacred rules broken. But as he hesitated, someone else came over to the screen and cried, "Oh, isn't that Song Jia? Open the door already... No, wait, don't open it yet. Let's clean up first."
About three more minutes passed before someone finally unlocked the villa's electronic gate. Song Jia pulled open the door, waved Zhang Heng over, and walked inside. Zhang Heng followed behind her.
The two crossed the villa's front yard. There was a small swimming pool there, though it was probably frozen most of the time and only usable during summer. There was also a Gundam assembled from old computers and all sorts of discarded parts. Behind the Gundam stood a two-story building.
Before they even entered, they heard a clattering commotion from inside. Someone shouted, "Hurry, hurry! Uh... stuff the newly bought magazines under the sofa! Whose shoes are these? Put them on the shoe rack!"
However, by the time Song Jia and Zhang Heng entered, everything had already returned to calm, with none of the earlier chaos remaining. Five young men sat in the first-floor living room, which they had turned into something between a workspace and gaming room. Each had a computer, along with several screens. It was clear that most of them came from well-off families—their shoes and clothes were all limited editions.
"Why are you here at this hour?" asked one of the boys, rising to his feet. He had a Beckham-style haircut and was presumably the owner of the villa.
"Is this an inconvenient time for you?" Song Jia asked as she sat down on a sofa to one side.
The boys' hearts instantly