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CH:8

On the side of the road, the elderly woman sat dejected, her hope of ever recovering her stolen money dwindling with each passing moment.

She had reluctantly accepted the loss and was resigned to moving on.

She was now desperately asking someone to lend her their phone so she could call her daughter. She knew her daughter would scold her because the money was meant for her hospital check-up.

Her daughter worked as a cashier, and their family was just making ends meet. Losing 3000 credits was a significant setback for them.

But then, out of nowhere, a tall man approached her, catching her attention. Her eyes widened as she saw her bag in his hands, a glimmer of renewed hope flickering within her.

"That's my bag! Thank you so much," the elderly woman exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes.

She had long given up on the possibility of ever seeing her money again, but the thought of retrieving her it brought her a sense of relief.

With trembling hands, she quickly rummaged through her bag, her heart racing in anticipation. And to her absolute astonishment, she found that everything was still there—the money remained untouched.

Overwhelmed with a mix of gratitude and confusion, she looked up to express her heartfelt gratitude to the tall man who had come to her rescue.

However, as she lifted her gaze, he had mysteriously disappeared, leaving her with a lingering sense of wonder.

Was he an angel, a stranger passing by, or just a kind-hearted soul lending a helping hand?

The question lingered in her mind, but she knew one thing for certain—her faith in humanity had been restored.

***

"Give me some of these and those," Asher said, choosing a variety of fruits.

Although it was expensive, he felt it was alright to spend a bit. In the end, he spent 300 credits on 3 oranges, 3 apples, 3 mangoes, and 3 bananas.

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"Asher, you seem to be in good spirits," the male vendor chuckled.

He recognized Asher because he always bought fruit from his stall in small quantities. This was the first time he bought so many.

"Yeah, I found some money in an alley," Asher replied with a simple nod.

"Lucky you," the vendor chuckled, giving Asher's shoulder a pat.

Despite Asher's intimidating appearance, the vendor knew he was a nice kid. He understood that his constant gloominess was a result of his childhood not being the best experience.

Having met many people like Asher, the vendor had a simple take – he thought Asher was better than most.

Asher still respected his elders and didn't get involved in illegal stuff, except for the occasional street fighting, which he saw as self-defense in many situations.

"Take these with you," the vendor handed Asher a dozen apples. Their color wasn't as vibrant as the others.

Seeing Asher hesitate, the vendor added, "They'll rot, so it's better if you take them."

"Thank you," Asher bowed his head and smiled. Since the apples were free and not in the best shape, it made more sense to accept them than to reject the offer.

Having bought everything he needed at the marketplace, Asher headed to the grocery store for some cup noodles and other essentials .

Following that, he walked to the train station and took a 5-minute ride, arriving at another area.

Along the way, he came across a giant metal wall that divided the city. This particular city was called Area 17, a numbered city, signifying it as a 3rd tier city due to its lack of a unique name.

As for the purpose of these walls, he did not know, and in fact, no one did. They had been there for thousands of years, so for the people, it was just a natural part of their surroundings.

The city took on a circular shape, enclosed by a colossal 1000-foot-tall metal wall that created a formidable barrier from the outside world.

Within its confines, the city was divided into three distinct zones: the Outer Area, the Middle Area, and the Central Area.

As for the purpose of these walls, he did not know, and in fact, no one he knew does. It had been there for thousands of years, so for the people, it was just a natural part of their surroundings, like the clouds.

Asher, at present, inhabited the Outer Area, where ordinary people went about their lives.

In this place, regular people needed to achieve a specific status to move . The Central Area, was reserved for wealthy families.

He had not seen the Middle area yet, but according to some , the standard of living there was so much better. For example , in the outer area, the tallest building was only up to 5th floor , and it was crowded .

Legends say that the buildings in the Middle Area reach up to the 30th floor, and in the Central Area, they soar to an astonishing 50th floor.

He dared not imagine those places, knowing that he would likely spend the rest of his life confined to the Outer Area.

Ding!

The sound of the train doors opening jolted him from his thoughts. He hurriedly exited the train and began walking towards his destination.