Since The Red Moon Appeared

Wandering pointlessly, Lu Xin realized he hasn’t paid enough attention to his surroundings in a long time.

The water that remained from a few days ago on this dusty street.

The dazzling lights intertwined into patches of chaotic colours.

Ever since the red moon, people who survived were divided into groups.
Like Those who are continuously restless and have no business with random things.

Those who are particularly not busy and dwell listlessly in the streets with suspicious vegetables and food, or cutleries.

The hunters who adventure outside the cities would sometimes bring back old or unknown goods.

The people who come together and catcall women on the streets.

Moreso the lunatics outside the city.
At the start of the construction of the wall, there was a time when hunger ruled.
Maybe it was because people died off so quickly that the pressure on food and supplies was relieved, or maybe the rebuilding of civilization was quicker than everyone expected.
Anyhow in only 30 years, a few occasions happened where people are hungry within the walls.

Simply said, filling your stomach wasn’t all that hard.
The difficult task within these wearing walls was how to make your life better.

The ones who dawdle in the streets never even received their official identity, nor can they enter schools or any professional academy.
There’s no way for them to even dream of entering the main city.

Therefore they simply gave up, they stopped working or having hope in life.
Just walking around aimlessly with blank eyes observing their surroundings.

…

…

Lu Xin walked through the streets and examined anyone he walked past, trying to locate any existence that was like the café waiter.

Even catching one of them can make him a fortune, while also saving a lot of people.

The figure of his sister always appeared unexpectedly in his vision, sometimes on the roof of a tall building, sometimes crawling through the electric wires, sometimes on the head of a bald man.

And so these two patrolled through the streets and met nothing.

“This city is way too big…”

Lu Xin with his sore foot crouched at the side of the road, smoking while eating his meal.

The Population within the walls was small when it was first constructed.
But the birth rate boomed in these few decades and there are around a million people living in our city.
The police always complained about the lack of manpower, so is it really a normal thing for me to not meet anything while patrolling?

“I’ll probably meet something sooner or later.”

“…”

He carried on patrolling after his meal, going back home for rest and continuing the next day.

He did the same thing over the course of the next few days.

The overly normal and average city made Lu Xin become disillusioned eventually.

If the city’s too safe and there’s no place for me to shine, is Mrs.
Chen going to take back her offer?

He couldn’t help but be anxious at the thought.
However, out of his expectations, it was his other job that was met with problems first.

“Lu, you don’t have to come to work tomorrow.”

The chairman handed Lu Xin his dismissal contract.

“What-Why?”

His words shook Lu Xin who was unable to grasp the situation.

I still haven’t actually got the job yet, and I’m already getting fired from this job?

Though due to the economic unstableness since the red moon made job dismissal very common, especially a desk job that doesn’t require you to go to the shore or factories to work night and day, Lu Xin never thought it’d eventually happen to him.

I’ve been working so seriously though? I never made any outrageous mistakes either.

I’ve even been the model employee with my pennant still hanging at the walls.

Why would it be me?

…

…

A forced smile appeared on the chairman’s face,

“The company’s been very unstable lately.
We can’t afford to keep more people in the same position, comparing you and Lu (not the same person), though your work capacity is indeed better, Lu’s work ethic is so much better than yours.
Look at you, leaving your place early and all…”

“Lu Cheng?”

Lu Xin remembered that young man who always had a bright smile on his face, and who always asked about his job.

He also knew what the chairman meant by leaving his place early.

He in fact never left his place early, but only never stayed for overtime.

“Can you give me another chance, chairman?”

“Sigh, I don’t really want to lose you since you’re an old employee, but you know, in this company, we can’t afford to feed casual people who have casual attitudes at work…”

He didn’t bother to listen to the rest.
He knew they were lies.

Leaving the office, he saw his stuff is all tidied up and put in a box.

I wonder who did that.

“Lu Cheng tidied all that, he probably wants to move in your place as soon as possible.”

The lady beside Lu Xin’s seat whispered,

“Oh Lu, you’re way too nice and honest in this world.
I told you long ago that it was a problem, teaching everything you know to other people.
Look, one of the “other people” stole your job, surprise surprise.
Listen, that kid’s been seeing the chairman’s daughter, is it really a wonder that he gave the job to Lu over you?”

Lu quietly stared at the “best employee” pendant and reached into his bag for the gun, but eventually gave up.
Walking downstairs and lit his cigarette.

He remembered the things that Chen Jing told him.

If you ever meet trouble in life, follow these steps

1 is to call the police.

2 is to call me.

3 is to use the gun.