In December, Beijing's sky was leaden gray, and the misty drizzle hung like an endless veil of cold fog over the bare branches lining the streets.
The rain was not heavy, but it was dense and bone-chilling, carrying the dry cold of the north. It silently soaked pedestrians' shoulders and the pavement, plunging the entire world into a damp, gray haze.
Naga stood in the rain, wearing a sufficiently thick dark down jacket, its zipper pulled tightly up to her collar to ward off the biting cold. She wore durable jeans below and a pair of sneakers that looked capable of carrying her a long way.
Another day without work.
Although Amon had already given her financial assistance, the pride belonging to a Second Generation Dragon would not allow her to simply wallow in dependence.
"Ugh, where am I supposed to find a job and make money?" Naga exhaled a puff of white breath toward the gray sky.
She wandered aimlessly. After an unknown amount of time, a cluster of highly futuristic buildings suddenly crashed into her view. This was an area beyond the Fourth East Ring Road, adjacent to a canal branch leading to Tianjin Port.
Several glass-curtain-wall towers with stark, hard lines rose into the sky like enormous crystal obelisks, their exteriors flashing the logos of well-known technology companies.
A massive logistics park surrounded the towers. At the canal docks, gantry cranes swung their arms in orderly motions like steel beasts, unloading standard containers from cargo ships. Heavy trucks laden with goods streamed along the broad roads without end, presenting a scene of bustling activity.
The entire district resembled a precision instrument operating at peak efficiency, brimming with the force of capital and technology intertwined.
Naga gazed at the vast Technology Park, like a forest of steel, and