After a brief breakfast, Ed made up for the fatigue accumulated through the night with an hour of sleep. When he woke, he was back to full energy.
As he stepped out of the apartment building, pedestrians crowded the streets, greeting one another. Christmas decorations filled every street and alley; Christmas trees were adorned with gold and silver ribbons, candy canes, apples, small gifts, and more. Everything looked as peaceful as it had in the past.
With his mask removed, Ed looked like a genuinely ordinary citizen. He greeted his landlord, left the remote neighborhood, and headed to a paper newspaper office in the city center to begin a new day of work.
This newspaper office had existed for quite a long time, but it had few employees—only a dozen or so. It specialized in providing printed newspapers and periodicals for elderly people.
Though the services offered by the internet were convenient and fast, there were always elderly people who cherished the past and stubbornly relied on newspapers for news.
Ed sorted through the countless news reports, selecting stories and articles that older readers enjoyed. The day passed quietly and uneventfully.
Night fell. White crystal flakes drifted down from the sky, red neon lights glimmered beside the streets, and reindeer dolls endlessly played "The First Noel." People wore happy, contented smiles.
Ed watched the scene in a slight daze. Ever since news of defeat had come from the front lines, this city had become the City of Sin.
The sight filled him with emotion. Perhaps his actions over the past several days had truly intimidated those criminals. He would have to work even harder in the days ahead. He would uphold justice in this city.
After weaving through streets and alleys and returning to the isolated apartment, Ed had just