Martin pushed open the car door, stepped into the mud in his boots, and Ini struggled to open her mechanical umbrella, raising her head to look at the scene ahead. Yellow Leaf Pine Street was much broader than she had imagined, with most of the streetlights on the roadside rusted and only a few shining, casting a weak glow on the ground. The whole street was unusually deserted, with only loud and booming sounds emanating from the dimly lit building next to it. Stepping onto the already broken cobblestone sidewalk, Ini raised her wristband, swiped away the credit card deduction notice from Nord Bank, and reopened the forum app to look at the "address" a "net friend" had recently sent her. Near 72 Yellow Leaf Pine Street. It wasn’t far ahead now. Opening the navigation app, holding the umbrella, Ini took a deep breath, looked at the towering buildings around her, and walked step by step along the sidewalk. Meanwhile, she began to recall the information about Yellow Leaf Pine Street she had searched for in the taxi just now. This street belonged to the Industrial District of Nevus District, and housed many heavy industrial factories, being one of the oldest industrial bases in Nevus District. And corresponding to its "old" status, the youngest factory buildings here had also been in use for over sixty years, all exceeding the Federation’s maximum design life limit of fifty years, old and dangerous. Ini looked up at the towering buildings beside her, and amidst the flowing raindrops and the loud booming sounds, she could almost see those buildings trembling under the night sky, unable to bear the burden. She lowered her head, stepped a little further from the buildings, and quickened her pace along the sidewalk. The sidewalk under the night sky was eerily silent, with the cold wind blowing wet raindrops across the back of the woman. This made Ini unconsciously recall the low-budget horror films she had seen for free. These horror films were usually very short and low budget, unable to afford large venues, so they were mostly filmed in old urban buildings, just like the scenes now in Yellow Leaf Pine Street. The only difference was, the conditions in Yellow Leaf Pine Street were even darker and gloomier than in those horror films. After all, besides pop-up advertisements, those free horror films were always filled with various integrated advertisements. The neon lights and exaggerated advertisements of these integrated products were always hard to blend with the oppressive and terrifying atmosphere. For instance, Ini had once seen a horror film where an evil spirit, rendered for over ten minutes, appeared only for ten seconds before being knocked down by the protagonist with a mechanical toilet plunger, after which the protagonist stood there reciting the advertisement script for the mechanical toilet plunger for nearly three minutes. These horror films sometimes had a comedic effect stronger than actual comedy, as free comedy was also mostly filled with various advertisements, making it hard to have a complete experience. However, Yellow Leaf Pine Street now was much scarier than those free horror films. Ini looked up at the advertisement board hanging on the front building wall, which seemed to have malfunctioned due to lack of maintenance over the years, The posters and main structure of the advertisement board had been almost entirely dismantled, leaving only some sturdy rusty parts embedded in the wall still maintaining the general frame of the advertisement board. The dim light shone on the worn advertisement board, where only bits of the faded poster fluttered in the night wind, with some fresh red stains trembling on the faded surface of the poster. This dim street was starkly different from the bustling Saint Ilan District filled with neon lights everywhere. Ini once heard a teacher from school say that now most companies prefer to use internet software for precise advertising placement, and the offline display advertisement market had greatly declined. In some areas where advertising returns were not high, not even recovering the cost of electricity, advertising companies had stopped maintaining and using billboards. Stories of strangers being lured to secluded places by unknown internet friends and then disappearing involuntarily flashed through Ini’s mind. She shifted her gaze from the blood-stained poster, tightened her clothing, took a deep breath, slightly bowed her head, and quickened her pace. The dim streetlights shed light on the path before the woman. Accompanied by splashes of water as she stepped on the stones, and after passing a few buildings, Ini holding the clear umbrella slowed down her pace. Vague silhouettes emerged in the distance. They appeared to be people finishing their night shifts, many of whom looked haggard as they continuously walked out from the door of an old factory building. Many people paused slightly upon seeing the rain outside, then quickly dashed through the rain curtain towards a nearby bus kiosk with a rain shelter, the only other place nearby besides the factory building where one could take cover from the rain. The bus kiosk seemed to have not been repaired for a long time, with the rain shelter riddled with rust and holes, and people crowded under the shelter, their eyes filled with anticipation as they watched the depths of the night. Ini shifted her gaze from the bus stop and looked towards the factory’s entrance sign. Yellow Leaf Pine Street 72, Evis Spatial System Foundry After mentally reciting the address, she thought of the name of the factory. Was that online friend with the nickname made of letters and digits here? She raised her wristband, ready to open the forum app to ask where that friend was, when suddenly a cold and hoarse voice sounded from behind her, Ini jumped, swiftly turning around. A boy who looked like a skinny pole, wearing a faded white T-shirt and light brown wide-legged shorts, emerged from the shadows at the corner behind Ini. His hair was a messy tangle, completely drenched, and he had something that looked like a thermos cup hanging around his neck, tucked into his collar. Now he was raising his head, his dark eyes fixing on Ini. Ini looked at the boy in front of her, took a step forward, and slightly covered him with her umbrella, her speech faltering. She couldn’t remember the nickname of her online friend, as it was all numbers and letters. "Are you here for the mayor’s photograph?" Just as she was about to proceed with the forum on her wristband, the boy picked up her line. "Mayor’s photograph?" Ini was stunned, then a flicker of excitement crossed her face, "You took a photograph of the mayor?" "I don’t know if it was the mayor," the boy shook his head, "If those Mechas in the photograph you took belong to the mayor’s subordinates, then it must be the mayor." "Was he in a Police Hover Warplane?" Ini lowered her head, quickly asking. "Hm? Is that what a hover warplane is called?" The boy hiccupped, then nodded lightly, "If so, then it is." "Where is that photograph now? Can you share it with me? Is it on your wristband?" Ini lowered her head to look at the boy’s wrist but noticed it was bare, with only a faint mark that looked like it was from wearing a wristband long-term. "The camera function on my wristband is broken," the boy looked up at Ini, turned, and started walking towards the other side of the building, "Come with me." As they walked, he pulled out an old, scratched wristband with a metal strap from his pocket. He touched it to make sure there were no water droplets and it was working properly before he sighed and muttered, "The rain is too heavy, my wristband is second-hand and taken apart, not waterproof." After a moment of hesitation, he did not put the wristband on but instead put it back in his pocket and quickened his pace. Ini also quickened her pace and tried to keep her umbrella over the boy. In the distance, two bright lights shone through the darkness, signaling an old, large bus slowly coming down the dilapidated street. "Are we not taking the bus?" Ini glanced at the bus and asked softly. The boy glanced sideways at the bus, took Ini into a narrow alley, and quickly said, "Taking the shortcut is faster." Ini nodded slightly as she walked forward and looked back at the direction of the factory building, "Were you playing around there? The Evis Spatial System Foundry?" "I was working there." The boy replied quickly. She glanced down at the boy’s stature and couldn’t help but ask, "How old are you?" The boy in front of her wasn’t very tall, a head shorter than Ini, standing only at 1.4 meters. She had looked up some data released by Ains; a well-nourished ten-year-old boy in the Federation would be slightly taller than 1.4 meters on average, and a twelve-year-old would be close to 1.6 meters. The boy in front of her looked to be under ten years old. "I just turned eleven at the beginning of the year." The boy answered quickly. Ini raised her pitch slightly as she looked at the thin, malnourished boy in front of her, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Why would they hire someone as young as you? They..." "There are some small repair and operation spaces that are easier to navigate with a person inside," The boy continued as he walked, "Jobs are hard to find nowadays, and my size is just right. If I grew any bigger, they wouldn’t want me anymore." The Federation had no age restrictions for employees. But this was Ini’s first direct realization of what that legal statement truly implied. Ini opened her mouth, words stuck at the tip of her tongue, unsure of what to say. Finally, she sighed softly, "You’re so young. When I was your age, I was still in fifth grade. Aren’t you going to finish elementary school?" "A lot of kids my age start working around here," The boy shook his head, "But most people choose to finish elementary school. Some leave after junior high. It’s the same in the end. Jobs are hard to find. Being young and small like me, I can find specialized work. Those who are older have to compete with adults for jobs." Listening to the boy’s words, so natural and accustomed to the situation, Ini suddenly felt bewildered and fell into a brief silence. She didn’t ask further, and the boy didn’t speak either. They continued forward, the rain curtain still pouring down as Ini followed the boy’s steps, quickly weaving through the narrow alleys. After a while, Ini broke the silence, asking softly, "You just mentioned ’It’s too late.’ What did you mean by that?" "Exactly what it says." The boy shook his head. At this moment, he stopped walking and looked up ahead, At this elevated position, a series of dilapidated low-rise buildings appeared in Ini’s field of view. These old buildings seemed long abandoned, with their windows completely shattered. Some windows were open while others were boarded up with faded posters to block the rain and wind. The boy pointed at the rooftop of an old building, where in the dim light of Dawn, vague figures could be seen moving around. Ini quickly raised her camera, aimed it at the area, and zoomed in. The distant scene appeared on her camera screen. A huge piece of burnt metal lay on the rooftop, surrounded by bright yellow barricade tapes, with several people dressed in City Defense Army uniforms dismantling and recycling the metal. Some individuals dressed like journalists were taking photos outside the barricades. Ini even spotted the logo of Yilan City’s largest media outlet, Yilan Morning News. "There are already people who came earlier." Qi lifted his head, his tone slightly lower. "So you’re late. Someone already came when I was at work, and now I’m off duty." The boy shook his head, rapidly descending the iron staircase that was already fading into darkness. "But you’re lucky, I have photos that no one else has." Ini lifted her head, put down her camera, and quickly caught up with the boy. The two navigated through a low-rise building and entered a narrow, old building, following the broken handrail up the stairs at a quick pace. This building had five floors in total, four of which seemed to be occupied. Some rooms had intact doors without locks while others had no doors at all, only large plastic sheets blocking the wind. Soon, Ini and the boy reached the top floor. A red door without a lock was ajar in front of them, secured by a wire twisted through holes in the door and frame, then locked with a dark padlock. The boy took out a key, unlocked the padlock, and pushed the door open. The room was somewhat dim, with tattered posters covering the windows to block external wind and rain, yet the room was still much colder and damper than normal. "Jerin, you’re back?" A raspy voice rose from a corner of the room. Ini looked up, only to see a small bed made out of cardboard in the corner, with a vague figure lying on it, covered with thick bedding. "Yeah, Mom, I’m off work." The boy expertly turned on a hanging lamp by the door. With the light illuminating the entire room, he walked over to the bed, touched the forehead of the figure on the bed, and quickly pulled out a bottle of pills from a small plastic box at the bedside, pouring out a few. Then he took out a thermos from inside his clothing, unscrewed the lid, and a thick steam rose from the bottle. Watching the steam, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "The water is still hot." He helped the figure on the bed sit up against the wall. "Mom, take your medicine first." The figure took the pills, looked up at the doorway, "You have guests?" "Yeah, they’ve come to buy photos." The boy nodded, handing water to his mother to help her swallow the pills. Ini stood at the doorway, greeting somewhat cautiously. the woman on the bed rasped with a smile, "Welcome, it’s a bit simple here..." "That’s enough, you don’t need to talk. She’s just here to buy photos and then leave." The boy stuffed the steamy cup back into his mother’s arms, then lifted his head to look at Ini, "Just a moment, okay?" He quickly walked into a corner of the room piled with miscellaneous items, searching through them. Ini cautiously approached, the heap appearing cluttered with various old electronic products, and a plastic flyer in the far corner. The flyer read, "Health Care Guidelines..." Most of the guidelines were obscured by clutter, with only the last item fully visible, "Drink more boiled water and less raw water, especially the ill." Below the guidelines was a cartoon image of a doctor’s head, artistically labeled ’Doctor Linen’. The boy pulled something out of the pile of debris.