When Qing Chen left home, he was startled to find the door to Apartment 102 across from his standing open, its interior covered in dustproof plastic sheeting.
Inside, a group of workers was renovating the floors and walls. They were somewhat different from the workers he usually saw; they were neatly dressed, and the words "San Chi Decoration" were printed on the backs of their uniforms.
Qing Chen had never heard of a renovation company like that in the area.
He found a worker and asked, "What's going on?"
The worker glanced at him and smiled. "Someone's moving in."
Qing Chen casually asked again, "What about the owner? We're neighbors now, after all. I could say hello."
The worker replied, "No idea. We're just here to work. We don't know where the owner is."
Qing Chen found it strange.
Apartment 102 across the hall had been vacant for a long time. Why had new neighbors suddenly appeared?
And it was not just Apartment 102 across the hall. He could even hear activity upstairs.
Qing Chen went upstairs to take a look and discovered that Apartment 202 was being renovated as well.
What was going on? Two new households moving in at once? That was obviously abnormal.
Yet there were only movers around. Qing Chen had not seen the homeowners at all.
Outside the building, people were unloading furniture and everyday necessities from a truck.
The items had been meticulously sorted into cloth and paper storage bags: fragile items, books, clothing—there were all kinds.
Every box was also covered with a dustproof bag.
In an instant, he concluded that the new residents were either wealthy or influential.
He looked at the shabby old building behind him, then at this luxurious moving operation...
Rich people would move here? What kind of joke