Countdown 44:30:00, 3:30 a.m.
City No. 2, District 9.
On a small street in the city's lower districts, a young man in a gray suit strolled along with ease.
The standing water on the ground was like a mirror, reflecting his unhurried bearing.
There was none of the prosperity one might have imagined. Pooled water and garbage littered the streets, while the walls were covered in colorful graffiti of filthy curses and protest slogans.
Rather than the technological city one might have envisioned, it looked more like a slum.
Yet as the young man walked through it, he seemed to be strolling down the streets of Britain—casual, yet gentlemanly.
He stopped in front of a clothing store.
Inside, the proprietress, a woman in her thirties, sat with her legs crossed, engrossed in Inner World news on her transparent phone.
In fact, the Outer World also had many such inexplicable little clothing stores, forever selling outdated clothes with scarcely any customers.
You had no idea what income kept such stores alive, yet they never went out of business.
The owners did not seem to care whether they had customers or not.
But no one had likely expected these little shops to have hidden purposes.
And now, they had been brought into the Inner World as well.
The young man stepped into the shop, but the proprietress still did not react, as if she had no idea anyone had arrived.
Standing before the counter, he smiled as he tapped his fingers against the tabletop.
Behind that smile lay a sharp edge.
The proprietress looked up and hurriedly rose to her feet. Somewhat flustered, she said, "Boss He, sorry, I didn't notice you come in."
He Jinqiu smiled. "Don't be nervous yet. I have two pieces of news that need to be passed