Guided by Qian Bosen,
they crossed the street bridge and took the elevator next to the road that led directly to the "Lower Street Levels."
The street, divided into three layers, differed not only in vertical distance but also in style, population density, and the main businesses involved.
The lower they went, the fewer the 'restrictions',
so it was not uncommon to find entertainment venues on the Lower Street Levels that did not quite fit the 'gentlemanly' mold, generally leaning towards casual and entertaining, with fewer formal establishments.
At this moment, Qian Bosen suddenly said,
"Most of the tailor shops in Zion are located in the upper street district, especially the shops along Academy Street, which have a long history and a prestigious reputation.
But... your Skin is quite different.
Even for the tailor shops directly affiliated with the Academy, I'm not sure they could perfectly handle such Skin.
I have an old friend, who for certain reasons was forced to open his tailor shop deep in the Lower Street Levels... He had reached the level of a senior tailor thirty years ago, and his skills can surely make good use of this Skin.
And he also very much enjoys highly challenging tasks."
Hearing this,
Yi Chen recalled that the ready-made garment he was wearing had also come from a tailor shop under the organization.
The proprietress had mentioned that once he passed the assessment, he could get a free custom outfit opportunity.
"Professor Qian Bosen, it seems that there are still many tailor shops set up outside by the organization?"
"Indeed,
the tailor shop is one of the important organizational institutions (Institution)
For a gentleman, it is indispensable, a vital supply station.
Every tailor shop established outside receives financial support from the organization
and gentlemen on missions abroad can enjoy free basic services in the tailor shops,
cleansing pathological physical bodies,
repairing damaged outfits,
taking on local tasks or collecting rewards,
and it also serves as a Safe House and a temporary refuge.
We have always been selecting elite gentlemen with tailor talents to set up external tailor shops, in order to combat the spread of Pathology and reduce the mortality rate among gentlemen."
"Got it."
During casual conversation,
the two squeezed through a narrow gap between buildings that was just wide enough for their bodies,
and officially arrived deep in the Lower Street District
at Chasm Street, aptly named, located between narrow gaps.
Here, there were more recreational shops, and even most of the storefronts violated the overt regulations of Zion.
The gentlemen walking here also seemed more relaxed, wearing masks to cover their faces and conceal their expressions.
The seemingly strict Professor Qian Bosen accepted such a street, whispering,
"The gentleman's spirit allows us to maintain 'self' among the pathological world, but it's inevitable that there will be times of fatigue.
As long as the gentlemen have enough self-control, using [Indulgence] as a temporary tool for decompression and seeking balance is actually a good thing."
"Hmm."
Just then,
a public phone booth not far from the two suddenly rang with an urgent bell.
The fixed frequency in the bell seemed to convey a certain message.
Qian Bosen instantly squeezed into the cramped phone booth and held the old handset to his ear.
He did not say a word throughout,
just silently listened to the sounds coming from the handset.
After the call,
when Qian Bosen stepped out of the phone booth, he took out a card printed with an owl's head and handed it to Yi Chen.
"I just received a notice for a meeting, so the matter of custom clothing can only be handled by you alone.
The tailor shop is located at the end of the street; although it's quite remote, it's still rather conspicuous in such a place.
Once you're inside the shop, hand this card to that old fellow, and he will naturally tailor the most suitable outfit for you."
"Alright..."
He bowed in thanks as he took the card,
and when Yi Chen looked up, Qian Bosen had already disappeared.
"Speaking of which, my temporary lodging hasn't been arranged yet? Never mind... I'll handle the custom clothing first, and think about the sleeping issue later. If necessary, I can even sleep on the streets."
To minimize trouble,
Yi Chen pressed his fingers to his face,
hiss~ he quickly crafted a green mask to cover his face.
He also made an environmentally friendly plant-based carry bag, concealing the black box of the "Gentleman's Skin" within it.
Walking deep in the Lower Street District, the sides of the street featured many unmarked shops with half-closed doors,
sometimes smelling fragrances, sometimes a hint of blood.
Yi Chen finally suppressed his curiosity,
as these places could wait until he became a gentleman to explore.
Following Qian Bosen's description, he finally arrived at an even narrower street corner.
A building infused with a rich Gothic style, its black architecture pulled Yi Chen's gaze towards it, equally devoid of any signage.
Stepping up the stone steps at the entrance,
just as he was about to knock on the front door,
creak~
The door, painted in pitch-black, opened on its own, and the extremely dim interior did not reveal any sign of life.
"Is anyone there?"
Yi Chen cautiously stepped inside,
Unlike the clothing store in Easton Town he had once visited, this place lacked any source of light, and there wasn't a single piece of clothing either.
Instead,
there were hundreds of life-sized, stone-carved "human sculptures" arranged around,
filling every corner of the room, dividing the vast open-plan space into winding narrow paths, creating a sensation of confinement.
Even more eerie,
perhaps because the facial features were not completed, all human sculptures had their heads covered with white cloth, ominous and mysterious.
Besides,
the corners of the room were piled with a large number of drawing boards, all featuring artwork related to the human body, some covered in cobwebs.
"Did I come to the wrong place?"
Just as Yi Chen began to doubt if he had mistakenly entered a forsaken art gallery.
Rustle~ A foreign sound came.
A piece of white cloth drifted down onto Yi Chen's shoulder,
and at the same time, faint breathing noises came from behind,
as he also felt bursts of cold air brushing against his neck,
"Hm!?"
Yi Chen reached for the Hand Axe at his waist and turned around swiftly.
He saw an unfinished sculpture of a human figure standing behind him, its rigid arm raised pointing towards a certain direction.
Following the direction pointed by the hand,
he faintly saw a staircase that led to the Second Floor,
and at the same time,
tap~ tap~
sounds of leather shoes and a cane overlapping came from the staircase.
A middle-aged man slowly descended the stairs, wearing a brown beret,
half of his face covered with a mask,
dressed in a sharp suit.
What is noteworthy is,
his suit was divided into two colors,
the left side black,
right side red with a flame pattern (the right side of his face also covered by the mask).
The man's right hand wore a rubber glove, barely managing to descend the stairs with the support of his cane,
"Who referred such a new recruit to come here?"
"Professor Qian Bosen was supposed to come with me, but he received a call for a meeting midway… so I had to come alone."
Just as Yi Chen was preparing to step forward and present his owl business card.
Click~
The human sculptures around him suddenly moved,
mechanically raising their arms, blocking the way.
"Cough cough… I can smell the owl's aura on you, no need for any credentials.
You just need to tell me the reason you are here."
"Alright."
Without any ado, Yi Chen took out a 10×10cm piece of "Gentleman's Skin" from between the black boxes,
At the moment the skin was displayed,
all the sculptures in the shop showed 'skin-peeling symptoms,' as layers of stone skin peeled off their bodies, revealing muscles and blood vessels (also made of stone).
The shop owner standing by the staircase also widened his eyes, exclaiming,
"Such a large piece of 'Initial Skin'? Store it away, such a thing is not suitable for lengthy exposure."
"Okay."
As the skin was put back into the box,
the agitation of the human sculptures also ceased,
and Yi Chen added, "Professor Qian Bosen specifically said, only you in Zion City could perfectly handle and process such 'Skin'."
"He's not wrong, those visible tailor shops mostly harbor a bunch of good-for-nothings, giving them such Skin would be a sheer waste.
Follow me,
the [Fully Customized] process is quite complex, requiring a good deal of patience."