The buyer ahead handed over a stack of banknotes. Once the money had been counted, the vendor behind the stall, who had just finished enjoying his cigarette, flicked the residue off his fingers and switched on the heat press. He made no effort to hide his quick, steady, precise handiwork from the handful of customers watching.
After a flurry of work, he was about to seal a photograph inside a laminated document.
While he was still busy, a hooded figure strolled over and, without even looking, gave the little bell beside the stall a muffled shake, clearly wanting to do business.
"Boss, I'm here-to collect my things. Here's the token. Number Five."
He handed over a token and struggled through the halting sentence. Only the final English words came out fluently. His accent was clearly foreign, drawing a few glances from nearby.
Especially that face beneath the hood: despite some makeup to alter his complexion, a closer look at his features and eye color made it clear that he was white.
Merely noticing this was enough to make something flicker in a few of the surrounding gazes.
"Sure, Number Five's order, right? Give me a moment. I'll find it for you."
The still-cheerful vendor checked the plastic token placed on his stall, then bent down and pulled out a waterproof bag. He unzipped it, revealing a dozen neatly stacked bundles of documents with colorful covers: passports,
ID cards, driver's licenses, and a few things that looked like employee IDs.
He rummaged around briefly, pulled out one bundle, and hefted it in his hand, just about to pass it over.
"Police! Don't move!"
With a sharp shout, Luo Wei swept aside her outdoor jacket, revealing the pistol at her waist while flashing her credentials in her left hand, all in one