Chapter 15: SmugglingFrom inside the warehouse, one couldn’t see outside. At this hour, the Crimson Moon should have already risen.All the workers had stopped their tasks and gathered to collect their boxed meals.Most took their meals and headed straight home after work. A smaller group ate their meals on-site before leaving, and an even smaller number remained in the warehouse even after finishing their food.After eight o’clock in the Fourth Ring district, vehicles were prohibited on the streets. Combined with the sparse pedestrian traffic, it was nearly equivalent to a curfew. The Crimson Moon at night was dangerous, yet it also served as cover for some people’s illegal activities.All those who stayed behind gathered in the distribution area, including Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting.Most of the warehouse’s lights had been turned off, leaving only a dim, yellowish bulb so that no one was left in complete darkness. Doors and windows were tightly sealed, leaving no gaps to block the invasive glow of the Crimson Moon.Workers sat scattered on the floor in small groups. Everyone wore work clothes, so no one worried about the dirt on the ground—they settled into whatever position felt most comfortable. Some chatted quietly, others played cards, and a few dozed off.Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting sat leaning against the wall in a corner. Neither spoke; both kept their eyes closed, conserving their energy.Several hours of continuous physical labor hadn’t left Shan Xiaoxi feeling tired. Instead, it had put her in a state of excitement—a mix of curiosity and eagerness toward this new experience.She quietly opened her eyes, observing the workers, and recalled her past visits to North Third District.This wasn’t Shan Xiaoxi’s first time in North Third District. As a child, she had come here many times with her Brother.Back then, the conditions at Green Grass Orphanage were much worse than they were now. The children often went hungry, and the older ones had no choice but to seek work outside.In this world, there were no regulations against child labor, no such thing as workers’ welfare, let alone labor protections.North Third District and South Third District were the two factory zones adjacent to the East District. They had tried both areas and eventually settled on working as decorators at a porcelain factory in North Third District.The porcelain factory environment was relatively better. Decorating required little in terms of skill or strength—the only real demand was for careful attention to detail. Decorators were paid by the piece, with child workers assigned the simplest, most repetitive tasks.To prevent fatigued children from damaging the products, the factory only allowed them to work half-days. Since their tasks were the most basic, their wages were calculated at one-third of an adult’s rate.Compared to other physically demanding jobs like carrying bricks, decorators earned the least per day. But that money was something they could actually keep in their own pockets—a lesson learned through blood, tears, and fists.In fact, at first, they had also tried carrying bricks at construction sites. The work was dirty and exhausting, but it paid well. Yet every time they got paid, someone would rob them. In the end, they not only earned nothing but also ended up injured.Even when the children banded together, the stronger, grown adults would form their own gangs. Children simply couldn’t protect their money against adults.After enough hard lessons, the older children gained experience and led the younger ones to choose decorating work. Children couldn’t be greedy—they could only take what they were capable of holding onto.Looking back now, those days were truly difficult.Brother had always had it so hard.Thanks to him, the orphanage's days later became easier. Yet he went to his biological father's family, where food and clothing were never lacking, but life might not have been any better than in the orphanage.In such a large family, a later-born illegitimate child—one could imagine how those people would treat him. Although the letters Brother sent always reported good news and avoided the bad, Shan Xiaoxi could still sense the pressure between his lines.Snap, snap. Two lights suddenly flickered on, brightening the originally dim environment considerably.This seemed to be the signal to prepare for action. Those who had been playing around turned serious; those who had been sitting or lying down for a long time got up to stretch their limbs; and those dozing off were roused.It was already past ten at night. The sky had long been dyed crimson. Even those who enjoyed nightlife should have returned home, and those engaged in other activities should have set out.Sure enough, someone pushed a cart over, with specially designed backpacks piled behind it.The workers here knew the routine. Silently, they stepped forward to pick up a backpack each. Then everyone headed toward the cold storage warehouse to collect the simply packaged chicken, stuffing their backpacks full.Because vehicles were prohibited on the streets after eight at night, smuggled goods had to be transported manually to the transfer stations.Running under the Crimson Moon at night was dangerous, even with items like Patra Bone Wine to mitigate radiation effects. That’s why the wages for nighttime transport were higher than during the day.Some needed money, while others valued their lives more. Only a small portion of the workers participated in nighttime smuggling, indicating that more people cherished their lives. But among those who "worked overtime" at night, almost all were urgently in need of money.It was said that some, to save money, didn’t take Patra Bone Wine during smuggling, relying only on clothing and other external items to resist radiation. Others would make round trips delivering goods for hours, even working until nearly dawn.Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting followed behind the others, packed their backpacks, and set off.Before leaving the warehouse, both Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting drank Patra Bone Wine. Since they could only wear work uniforms, with no cloaks to enhance the effect, they both put on hoods and masks, trying to keep their skin covered as much as possible.Once on the street, everyone quickened their pace, with some even breaking into a run.By this time, the streets were already empty.The Fourth Ring had no surveillance system, making cheating simple—just bribing the relevant personnel was enough. Due to the dangers of the Crimson Moon, even the police didn’t patrol at night.The only ones who moved freely at night were the Night Watchers of Bureau 404. But the Night Watchers were few in number, and unless something major happened, they generally didn’t appear.For example, like the previous Aberrant Attack Incidents, or that Night Watcher gentleman Shan Xiaoxi had met twice.On nights when Night Watchers were around, ordinary people were better off not encountering them, as their presence itself signified danger.Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting kept a brisk pace, but they weren’t in a hurry, so they fell toward the middle or rear of the smuggling group.After walking swiftly for less than half an hour, they caught sight of the North Third District transfer station.The layout of the transfer stations in each district was the same. They were divided into three levels: the top level was the VIP passage, the middle was the ordinary passage, and the underground level was the freight passage.The smuggling passage was certainly not one of these three. Smugglers had built another passage beneath these three.Shan Xiaoxi had spent over two years at the East District transfer station, always using only the ordinary passageway. She had never taken the other two passageways, let alone the newly added one.A bridge spanning several kilometers across the Abyss required a combination of strength and technology to construct.Shan Xiaoxi found it difficult to imagine what the smuggling passageway looked like.

The Fashion Rookie and The Mysterious Gentleman