The movie ended.
The dumbbell in Luo Di's hand was already soaked in sweat, but he showed no intention of resting. He immediately laced up his running shoes, ready for his nightly run.
[20:00]
The streets were still as bright as daytime, thanks to the dense network of streetlights and the permanent luminous panels affixed to every building's surface.
Additionally, each street was patrolled by "sanitation workers" on rotating shifts. These workers, equipped with glowing devices on their bodies, focused on illuminating less-lit corners and routinely maintaining the streetlights.
Luo Di put on his headphones, his playlist filled with BGM from genre films, and began his run around a park not far from his home.
Pace: 3 minutes 30 seconds per kilometer.
However, he had barely started when he felt a gust of wind behind him.
Another runner had caught up—a man taller and more muscular than Luo Di by at least one size.
As they passed each other, there was no exchange of words, just a faint smile at the corners of their mouths.
The two were long-time running companions, having first met on the park track half a year ago. Although Luo Di couldn't keep up with the other's pace, it never affected his mindset.
---
Three hours later, in the park restroom.
Luo Di stood by the sink, wringing the sweat out of his shirt. When he looked up, the mirror reflected a pale, young face. His short, straight black hair was drenched with sweat, and his gaunt appearance made him look older than his high school age, as if he were malnourished.
Just then—whoosh!
Something flew in through the restroom door.
Luo Di's reflexes were astonishing. He raised his hand and caught the object mid-air with precision.
It was a bottle of vitamin drink.
The runner from earlier had followed him into the restroom and was now at the adjacent sink, using a towel to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Despite his high running pace, his breathing was barely audible.
"Thanks," Luo Di said, gulping down the bottle of energy drink, which bore a German label. This new type of energy drink was quite expensive, far beyond the budget of an average high school student.
In the mirror, the reflection revealed a blonde man with chiseled, mature features and a hint of stubble, clearly not of the same nationality as Luo Di.
Yet, the man spoke in slightly accented Mandarin: "Graduating next year?"
"Yes."
"That's a pity. If you were graduating this year, I could have directly recruited you. Your determination and physical fitness already meet the company's average recruitment standards. Next year might be a different story. We'll see then."
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As he spoke, the blonde man reached out and squeezed Luo Di's arm, nodding approvingly.
"By the way, with your abilities, you should consider starting your 'Social Practice' early. I happen to have an opening. Are you interested? If you complete it early, you can focus solely on physical and mental training next year, avoiding the risks of 'Practice Accidents' before graduation."
Luo Di was taken aback. Such a valuable opportunity had presented itself twice in one day.
"I already have plans. My practice will likely start in a week."
"Oh? That makes sense. A talented young man like you must be a priority for your school. Can you share what kind of practice it is? Which category? School-arranged practices are usually more conservative."
"I'm not sure yet."
The blonde man seemed tempted to push further but eventually decided he might be overstepping. He simply patted Luo Di on the shoulder.
"Here, take this."
He handed Luo Di an off-white, thick business card. The Roman letters on it displayed his personal information.
Although they had known each other for half a year, the man had never shared his contact details due to work reasons.
[Frederick Lofi]
Contact Number: LOFI-██████
"If you encounter any dangerous situations during your practice, call this number. I'll come immediately. Of course, you can also call if you encounter any unusual circumstances. But only if it's dangerous."
The word "dangerous" was emphasized in Russian.
"Thank you."
Although their interactions had mostly revolved around running, Luo Di was well aware that Lofi's identity was far from ordinary. Having a connection with someone like him could greatly benefit his future education and career.
"See you tomorrow night."
Lofi left.
Luo Di continued to examine the tastefully designed business card. Unfortunately, it contained no company information—just a name and a phone number.
Tonight's conversation made Luo Di even more excited about the upcoming "Social Practice."
Practices varied in type and difficulty. Successfully completing a high-difficulty practice would significantly increase the chances of direct employment with a "company" after graduation. In Luo Di's eyes, someone as outstanding as the class monitor, Wu Wen, would never settle for an easy practice project.
---
On his way home, it was already past midnight. The city's streets remained brightly lit, indistinguishable from daytime.
Back home, Luo Di followed his usual routine: checking all the curved corners in his house to ensure the long-lasting lights were working properly. After feeding the Corner Parrot hanging on the balcony, he climbed into bed.
Even during sleep, the lights had to remain on.
This wasn't just Luo Di's habit; it was the norm for everyone living here. People had long adapted to sleeping in brightness. Darkness, on the other hand, made them uneasy and unable to rest.
---
[One week later]
Luo Di wasn't particularly fond of the concept of vacations. Aside from grocery shopping and running, he spent all his time at home pursuing his hobbies. When not watching DVDs, he would dedicate some time to drawing.
He enjoyed and excelled at sketching characters from movies. Occasionally, when inspiration struck, he would design original characters in the style of B-movies, focusing especially on mask designs. Luo Di dreamed of one day wearing one of his designs to events like comic conventions or Halloween.
At the moment, he was staring at a drawing pinned to the left side of his desk—a mask design he was most proud of. He planned to have it custom-made at a leather shop once he successfully graduated.
Just as he was lost in thought, a vibration on his wrist snapped him back to reality. It was the first call he'd received since the National Founding Festival.
Sliding the green answer button, the voice on the other end practically shouted.
"Luo Di! Tomorrow's the practice day. You need to come out today. We're meeting up to buy supplies for the practice."
"Do we need to go buy something?"
"Of course! My practice area is in the suburbs, so we need to prepare a lot of things in advance."
"Class monitor, can you give me an idea of what we need? If I already have some of the items at home, we won’t need to buy them."
"Don’t worry about it! Since I’m the one asking for your help, I’ll cover all the expenses for the practice-related items. Just pick whatever we need, and make sure to pick the best quality.
The only thing you need to bring is your body—after all, you’re the only one in class who’s better than me in sports.
If we successfully complete this practice, my family might even give you a generous bonus."
"Oh."
"One hour later, meet me at the Terminal Supermarket."
---