Above the Sequence

In the year 2049, in Shu City, Xia Kingdom, a boy dressed in a light green hooded sweatshirt walked slowly down the street. His figure was slightly thin, giving off an impression of frailty, as if he might be blown over by a gust of wind. At the moment, he was carrying a large bag of snacks and a small stack of cash, rewards he had earned from volunteering at the orphanage. The boy was an orphan himself. Ever since leaving the welfare home, he had endured many hardships due to lack of money, so he tried every possible way to find work, desperately earning a living. Now, with his bag of earnings in hand, a faint smile played on his lips as he headed towards his rented apartment.

Suddenly, his waistband buzzed. He pulled out a domestically-made cell phone for which he had saved up for a long time and finally bought with much reluctance. The caller ID showed it was his childhood friend and girlfriend, Wang Jinjun.

“Zijin, where the hell are you? You promised to make me a big meal today! I’ve been waiting in your apartment for two hours already, and you’re still not back?!” Wang Jinjun scolded coquettishly on the other end.

The boy, whose name was Zijin, replied with a wry smile, “My dear lady, I just finished my work at the welfare home. You know how clingy those kids can be.”

“I’m giving you thirty minutes to get home, or I’ll show you what it means to tear a place apart until there’s not a stick of furniture left!” Wang Jinjun threatened again.

“All right, all right, don’t worry. Your faithful servant Zijin will be home soon. No way the Empre