Early in the morning, Xu Huo was heading out of the Surveillance Department again.
The sky outside was bright, but it might as well not have been. The overly elaborate buildings blocked the sky, and the severe pollution made it gloomy. It was raining, too, and fog hung in the air, making everything feel stifling.
Still, mornings were quieter than nights. The people out and about seemed relatively normal.
Carrying an umbrella from the Surveillance Department, Xu Huo ate a bowl of noodles by the roadside, then found a storefront with a "For Rent" sign and went inside.
A woman wearing heavy makeup was minding the shop. The cosmetics were probably poor quality, judging by the uneven patches on her face; when she rubbed them, powder flaked off. Dark circles ringed her eyes, and she kept yawning. She wasn't particularly welcoming to customers, and simply tossed him a worn-out booklet.
"The crossed-out places are already rented. Find one yourself. The prices are listed there."
The shadow wall dividing the East and West Districts ran north to south. It was roughly straight, and a river ran alongside it. The safe residential area Lin Guang had mentioned was by the river. The closer a place was to the river, the higher the rent; prices fell as you went in the opposite direction, and the surroundings gradually worsened.
In the end, Xu Huo rented a place not far from the shadow wall for a thousand a month, after haggling. Judging by the crude floor plan in the booklet, the place didn't look like much.
The landlord grabbed a ring of keys, climbed aboard an old, modified aircraft, and took him to see the place.
The West District's residential area was arranged like terraced fields, with many levels above and below one another. The