July 23, 3:30 PM.
You Minglu looked down at her phone, strolling leisurely along the bustling Yandai Commercial Street.
Amid the cacophony of horns and shouts, the electric screens on the building facades were displaying the latest smartphone advertisement, featuring the superhero General Lingdong, designed with a cool-hued casing to match his demeanor.
Under the fragmented summer sky crisscrossed with wires and electronic signs, the swarming crowd seemed like ants trapped in a steamer, with no escape.
On the street, some people were handing out flyers, others were soliciting customers, and tourists dodged them as if avoiding zombies, fearful of staying under the hot sun for an extra second.
At that moment, noticing the two people in front leading the way had stopped, You Minglu belatedly looked up from her phone screen, curious about what kind of upscale place these ladies were taking her to.
