As Lin Yi walked into the commercial pedestrian street, he noticed that the streamlined alloy buildings with their futuristic feel stood alongside deliberately preserved, antique-style upturned eaves. Together, they created a strange sense of time and space overlapping, as though the past and future of civilization had been forcibly stitched together in that moment.
He didn't find anything wrong with it, though. In fact, he thought it had a peculiar beauty.
He had only taken a few steps when a rich aroma—a blend of traditional spices and the fragrance of some unusual fungus—drew him to a roadside food stall.
The vendor was a hale and hearty old man, skillfully operating a semi-automated cooking arm as he prepared his signature dish: "Star Source Skewers."
They were a novel creation that combined traditional lamb skewers with an edible Source Energy mushroom that had a delightfully springy texture.
A queue of moderate length had formed in front of the stall.
"Old Zhang, that Source flavor's spot-on today! Business is booming!" a regular called out.
"Haha, that's thanks to the Cradle Project. Young people these days love trying new things, and they're willing to spend!"
Old Zhang replied cheerfully, never pausing as he handed the grilled skewers to a customer. "It's just that the price of these Source Energy Fluorescent Mushrooms is as erratic as their glow. It keeps flickering all over the place. The first few days after the subsidy comes through are fine, and the suppliers are reasonable, too. But just wait half a month. The price is sure to jump again! And our profit gets thinner right along with it."
Lin Yi ordered a skewer and tried it. The taste was unexpectedly good. The charred aroma of traditional charcoal grilling blended perfectly with the mushroom's unique sweetness, and its faint glow