Chapter 93: Fading

Chen Ling was about to speak when Uncle Zhao, who was standing nearby, said in a deep voice, "Xiao Yi, can't you speak properly? After all, you and Ah Ling have been neighbors since childhood. How can you be so rude?"

Zhao Yi was reckless, but Uncle Zhao was smart. This scolding was directed at Zhao Yi, but it was also meant for Chen Ling. He knew his son wouldn't achieve much, had poor social skills, and had previously been at odds with Chen Ling. Now that Chen Ling was an Enforcer, he hoped Chen Ling would remember their childhood friendship and not hold a grudge against his son.

Although Chen Ling's previous life wasn't spent in official circles, he could still grasp such a simple implication. He quietly lowered his head, drank his soy milk, and said nothing.

Zhao Yi opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but Uncle Zhao's glare silenced him. Annoyed, he threw his backpack onto the nearby dining table and began to gnaw on a bun.

"Weren't you on night shift today? Why are you back so early?" Uncle Zhao asked.

"The factory shut down, what could I do?" Zhao Yi grew angrier at the mention of it. He growled, "They haven't even paid me for the past few days! I'm going to demand it tomorrow!"

Chen Ling's ears twitched, and he suddenly asked, "Uncle Zhao, what work is Xiao Yi doing now?"

"Him? He forges steel at the steel mill." Uncle Zhao glanced at Zhao Yi and continued, "This kid didn't study well and has no real skills, so I used my connections to get him a job at the steel mill. How much money can he make melting snow outside all day?"

Zhao Yi pouted, seemingly wanting to retort, but could only sullenly lower his head and remain silent. Uncle Zhao was indeed speaking the truth; a single day's pay at the steel mill was enough for Zhao Yi to melt snow for the Road Administration Bureau for several days. After all, odd jobs were never as useful as a formal, stable position.

Chen Ling nodded.

The Seven Districts had no shortage of factories. Beyond the streets where they lived, there were numerous factories that provided 70% of the employment in the Seven Districts. If Chen Ling hadn't become an Enforcer, he would likely have ended up in one of them.

"Do steel mills also shut down?" Chen Ling asked, puzzled.

"How should I know? All the raw materials at the factory have been moved out, there's nothing left. As soon as we showed up, they told us to get lost and refused to pay us. What the hell are those factory managers thinking?"

The more Zhao Yi thought about it, the angrier he became. He had finally found a stable job, and now it was gone again. Would he have to go back to melting snow?

"Raw materials were moved? Moved where?"

"Where else? Aurora City, of course."

"But there are no factories in Aurora City. What do they need raw materials for?" Uncle Zhao's face was also full of confusion.

"I don't know!"

Chen Ling thought for a moment but couldn't understand the logic. Was Aurora City planning to develop heavy industry too?

Chen Ling didn't understand these perplexing matters. After finishing his soy milk, he slowly stood up and smiled at Uncle Zhao. "Thank you, Uncle Zhao. I'll head back now..."

"Alright, take care."

Chen Ling left a few silver coins, pushed open the door, and exited, leaving Zhao Yi's complaints still echoing inside the room.

He crossed the street and reached his front door in a few steps. His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the door's corner; there were no signs of anyone having entered or exited. He took out his key and opened the door.

*Flicker—*

Chen Ling lit the kerosene lamp on the table, locked the door behind him, then stood on the table and began to feel around the beam above. Moments later, a token and a ring appeared in his palm.

"No signs of entry or exit at the door, yet the items were placed inside... Is this the level of the Saint of Thieves?" Chen Ling murmured to himself.

Chen Ling put the two items securely against his body, then raised his hand and extinguished the kerosene lamp on the table. The room plunged into darkness.

Meanwhile, in Aurora City.

On the bed, Chu Muyun's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes. In the enclosed bedroom, curtain-like window sheers gently swayed, as if an invisible breeze had lingered there. Beyond the sheers, the vast aurora silently surged across the sky.

Chu Muyun watched the aurora outside the window for a long time, then sat up from the bed, put on a white lab coat hanging on the wall, and pushed the door open. The harsh winter wind billowed his coat. Chu Muyun adjusted his glasses, their lenses reflecting the aurora and the silhouette of a lazy man perched on the eaves.

"Good observational skills. As expected of the Blood Slaughter path." The man subtly pulled down the brim of his baseball cap and chuckled, his silver, snake-shaped earrings swaying silently in the moonlight.

"Queen of Hearts," Chu Muyun said calmly, his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. "Is there a reason for your sudden visit, senior?"

"Don't call me 'senior,' it makes me sound old."

"I just finished a mission from above, and I was bored, so I decided to drop by for a chat," Bai Ye yawned. "After all, you're the first member to infiltrate Aurora City."

"Senior Bai Ye, just because you don't sleep doesn't mean others don't need to."

Chu Muyun replied seriously, "Lack of sleep can easily lead to depression and obesity, and it can also cause heart disease, diabetes, and..."

"The premise for humans getting sick is that they have to be human."

"...Are you mocking me?"

"Yes."

Seeing Chu Muyun's discomfited expression, Bai Ye laughed heartily, seemingly in a much better mood. "By the way, that newcomer you recommended is quite interesting."

"Six of Hearts?" Chu Muyun raised an eyebrow. "He's more than just interesting... If you provoke him, the whole world becomes interesting..."

"I've heard about him. A world-ending calamity in human skin," Bai Ye said thoughtfully, suddenly speaking with interest. "Tell me, what would happen if I suddenly stole his 'sanity'?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Muyun's expression changed. He frowned and stared at Bai Ye, seemingly trying to discern whether he was joking or truly harbored such a crazy idea.

"Don't look at me like that, I just said it casually." Seemingly unnerved by Chu Muyun's stare, Bai Ye shrugged. "You know I can control myself... at least for now."

"You'd better keep control, or else, stay far away from him."

"Alright, alright."

Bai Ye leaned casually against the eaves, looking up at the endless sea of aurora. Silence fell over the courtyard. After an unknown amount of time, he slowly spoke, "Seven of Spades, have you noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

Bai Ye raised his hand and pointed to the aurora stretching across the sky above them. "The aurora is fainter than before."