"Where to first?" Lu Shiyan asked, eyes watching the rearview mirror.
"The auction," Zi Zhen said simply, resting his head against the seat.
As they drove up the sloped ramp toward the exit, the concrete walls fell away behind them.
The Maybach glided out of the garage with a low hum, its sleek body catching the pale glow of the security lights. The city beyond shimmered, glass towers blinking like stars, streets newly paved and humming with silent electric engines.
In the back seat, Lu Zi Zhen leaned back, gaze fixed ahead but not really seeing. His jaw rested on a knuckle, the posture casual, but his eyes were distant.
Lu Ting Cheng broke the silence first. "It's not just me, right?" he spoke up, "Everything's changed. The streets, the buildings, even the air feel different."
Zi Zhen didn't answer immediately. He flicked his eyes sideways, then back forward.
"It's not the city that changed," he lightly responded, "It's us."
