Liu Wen's hands trembled slightly as she stepped off the train and into the heart of Shanghai. She tightened her grip on her suitcase, her fingers brushing over the scuffed leather that bore years of family travels. The sprawling platform pulsed with energy, voices blending in a chaotic chorus as hurried footsteps echoed across polished tiles. She took a deep breath, the air tinged with an unfamiliar mix of exhaust, street food, and a hint of damp stone that reminded her of a summer storm back home.
The city seemed to stretch endlessly above her, skyscrapers piercing the sky like silent giants casting their shadows across the crowded streets. Everything was alive, from the neon lights dancing across shop fronts to the sea of people weaving their own stories into the city's endless fabric. For a moment, she felt like an intruder, a small-town girl in clothes that suddenly felt too simple and faded.
It was everything she'd dreamed of and more. Shanghai—the city of glass and steel, where legends were made, and ambitions either soared or shattered. In her small hometown, she had pored over city magazines and news articles, feeding a vision of what her life could be. Yet, standing there, she felt unprepared, like she was about to take the stage without knowing the lines. She swallowed the knot of fear tightening in her throat. This was her chance, and she couldn't afford to falter.
She glanced down at the crumpled piece of paper in her hand, where she'd scribbled the address of her new apartment. A friend of her grandmother had helped her find it, warning that it was modest—"modest" being a kind word for a single room with a shared bathroom down the hall. But it was her own, her first step toward making a place for herself in this foreign world.
Pulling her suitcase through the bustling crowd, Wen reached the metro station and hesitated before descending into the fluorescent-lit depths of the city. She was one person among millions, but she held tight to her purpose. She'd come here to build something, piece by piece. If the city wanted a fight, she was ready to give it one.