2022, CENTRAL CEMETERY
On a cold December day, as New Year's approached, people continued to die and to be born every single day… That's just the way the world works.
A man with two children had passed away. His son had just turned fifteen, and his little daughter had just turned four. His son was crying his heart out at the cemetery. His wife, however, wasn't crying—she wasn't speaking either. She just stood there in silence, waiting.
He wasn't a man with many acquaintances. Barely 10 or 12 people had come to his grave. But his death didn't just bring emotional pain—it brought a massive financial burden. The man had debts everywhere. He left behind $78,000 in debt and simply passed away.
Their family, which was already struggling financially, completely collapsed after his death.
When the funeral was over, the woman and her two children started heading home.
Just as they were leaving the cemetery, the woman turned her head toward her late husband's grave and saw a man wearing a hat standing next to it.
He didn't look familiar at all. She thought, Probably someone he owed money to, and ignored him.
After returning home with the children, the image of the man with the hat wouldn't leave her mind. She decided to go back to the cemetery that night, after the children had fallen asleep…
As she walked toward her husband's grave, she noticed something buried in the soil. It was obvious, and she couldn't stop herself from digging it out.
What she found was an envelope. But who would leave a letter at the grave of a poor man who only left behind debt? Maybe it was someone expressing their hatred…
Taking the letter wasn't exactly an ethical move, but the woman couldn't resist her curiosity—she always fought with her husband because of her curiosity.
She picked up the envelope. The corners were torn, and on the front, it said: "To the Shining Guy."
She opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. The first thing she saw was a symbol—a shining hat…
She was about to read the letter but quickly realized she didn't know English. The entire letter was written in English.
She considered taking it to someone who could read it, but what if the letter contained something dangerous?
Besides, the symbol of the hat was already haunting her thoughts.
She didn't even use a phone, so she didn't dwell on it for long. She stuffed the letter into her coat pocket and started walking home.
As she turned the corner near her house and pulled out her keys, something strange appeared in the background—a man with a hat was watching her from between the walls.
After the woman entered her house, the man quietly left. The woman locked the letter inside a drawer where she used to keep her valuables, and that strange event ended there. The woman and her children continued their hard life, struggling to survive day by day.
2025, CENTRAL CITY
"Come on, get up already, bro! I'm gonna be late!" shouted a little girl to a young man.
"Okay, jeez, hold on," the young man replied, a bit annoyed. He seemed like someone with a heavy mind. His thoughts were racing:
*How much debt is left? Where can I make money today? Money, debt, money, dad, money, time…*
The thoughts overwhelmed him until he grabbed his head and shouted, "AAH ENOUGH!"
The little girl got really scared and stepped away from her brother, starting to cry.
Seeing this, the young man quickly said, "No, no wait, I wasn't talking to you, Natasha."
He went over to her and apologized.
Soon after, he got ready, grabbed her backpack, checked the house, and they left.
He dropped his little sister off at school and then started walking toward another place. After about 10-15 minutes, he entered a workshop with a sign that said "JET REPAIR."
Inside, a man in a work jumpsuit saw him and stared for a few seconds.
"You're late again, enough already, kid," the man said.
The young man replied, "I just dropped off my sister at school, sorry boss."
The man smiled and tossed him a jumpsuit. "Hurry up, Dante."
ABANDONED FACTORY
"HEY, GATHER UP!" shouted a man holding an old-fashioned pistol. He looked middle-aged, with brown hair. About forty people gathered around him. As they stood waiting, a man wearing a hat walked over to him and leaned against the nearby wall.
The man with the pistol noticed something and leaned toward the man with the hat.
"Hey, where the hell is Anastasia? Is she off grinding on someone again?!" he whispered.
The man with the hat just smiled and said nothing.
The man with the pistol returned to his place and thought, *Whatever, we can start without her.*
"HEY YOU! ARE THE INJECTORS READY?!" he yelled at the group.
"Yes, sir!" they all shouted in unison.
"And the soldier count?"
"120!" they shouted again.
The man with the pistol smiled.
"WEEKLY COUNT COMPLETE, DISMISSED!"
Everyone dispersed.
This place was inside an abandoned pharmaceutical factory—supposedly a place no one set foot in anymore.
But what was this mysterious man's plan? Who was he?
From the outside, the place still looked abandoned, but inside, it was like a secret production facility. Strange machines, soft background music playing, a lively atmosphere, even a lighting system. It was truly strange that no one had noticed. Inside, it was shining. Outside, it was abandoned.
LATE AFTERNOON, A BUSY CAFE
"Hey, I found a new target," said a man in a dress shirt, calling someone on the phone. After hanging up, he approached a table where a man was sitting alone.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked. The man nodded, and he sat down.
The bald man at the table was short but stocky. He was sipping his coffee and looking at his phone.
After a short while, the man in the dress shirt pulled out a small, wrapped candy from his pocket and handed it over.
"Would you like a candy, sir?" he asked.
Surprised, the bald man said, "Why so sudden, sir?" and smiled.
The man in the dress shirt smiled too. "It's a new brand, called 'Shining Boss' Candy.' I'm promoting it, thought you might like to try it," he said, still holding the candy out.
"Ah, sure, let me try it," the bald man replied, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth immediately, chewing away.
At that moment, the man next to him smiled.
"So, how is it?" he asked.
The bald man was just about to speak, but suddenly, his mind exploded—he couldn't think straight. Only one thing was racing through his mind: *What's happening to me?*