Huo Shaoheng did not turn the television off, even after the news had finished. He walked to the French windows leading to the balcony, opened them, and walked out onto the balcony. He closed the windows and lit a cigarette. He took a deep, comforting puff.
This high-end condominium apartment he had rented wasn't a high-rise building. It consisted of only about 20 levels. His apartment was on level 18. Looking down from his balcony on the 18th floor, the lights on the ground floor looked like they were sparkling. It was brightly lit from there to level six, but anything above that was so dark, you couldn't even see your fingers in the darkness.
The light from the cigarette fluctuated between bright and dim, just like his emotions. However, he wasn't panicking. After being in his occupation for a decade, he had been through near-death situations countless times. He was already used to every form of emergency and finding the right escape for himself each time.
