Deep Within the Living-Chapter 3: Hobbies

The movie ended.
The dumbbell in Luo Di’s hand was slick with sweat, but he didn’t stop to rest. He immediately laced up his running shoes, ready for his nightly run.
[20:00]
The streets remained as brightly lit as daytime, thanks to the dense arrangement of streetlights and the permanent luminous panels affixed to building facades.
Additionally, rotating shifts of sanitation workers patrolled every street around the clock. These workers, equipped with glowing gear, focused on illuminating overlooked corners and performing routine streetlight maintenance.
Luo Di put on his headphones, his playlist filled with background music from genre films, and started his run in a nearby park.
Pace: 3 minutes 30 seconds per kilometer.
Not long after he began, he felt a gust of wind at his back.
Another runner caught up to him, a man larger in both height and build. The stranger passed him without a word, though there was a faint smirk at the corner of his lips.
The two were not strangers—they had known each other as running partners for months, having first crossed paths on this very park trail half a year ago. Though Luo Di couldn’t match the man’s pace, it didn’t bother him.
Three hours later, in the park restroom
Luo Di stood at the sink, wringing the sweat from his shirt. When he looked up, the mirror reflected a pale, slightly gaunt face with short, straight black hair plastered with sweat. Despite being a high schooler, his appearance seemed older, hinting at mild malnutrition.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, something flew through the restroom door.
Luo Di’s reflexes were astonishing. His hand shot up, catching the object mid-air with precision.
It was a bottle of vitamin-enriched drink.
The same runner from earlier entered the restroom, moving to the sink beside Luo Di. Using a towel he had brought with him, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Despite maintaining a blistering pace during the run, his breathing was nearly inaudible.
“Thanks,” Luo Di said, gulping down the drink.
The German-labeled energy drink was a high-end product, well beyond the budget of a typical high school student like Luo Di.
The mirror now reflected the other runner—a blonde man with strikingly handsome, mature features and a faint trace of stubble. He was clearly of a different nationality, yet his Mandarin, though accented, was fluent:
“Graduating next year?”
“Yes,” Luo Di replied.
“What a pity. If you were graduating this year, I could’ve referred you directly. Your perseverance and physical condition already meet the company’s recruitment standards. But next year might be different—we’ll see.”
As he spoke, the man reached out, squeezing Luo Di’s arm. He nodded approvingly.
“By the way, with your qualifications, you should be eligible for
early practical experience
. I happen to have an open spot. Interested? If you complete it now, you can focus entirely on physical and mental training next year. It would also reduce the risk of a ‘practical incident’ disrupting your progress before graduation.”
Luo Di was surprised. Two highly coveted practical opportunities had presented themselves in a single day.
“I already have plans—our practice should start in about a week,” Luo Di replied.
“Oh? Not surprising. A young talent like you must be a key focus for your school. Can you share the practice focus? What type is it? If it’s school-organized, it’s probably on the conservative side.”
“Not sure yet.”
The blonde man considered pressing further but decided against it, feeling he might be overstepping. Instead, he simply patted Luo Di’s shoulder.
“Here, take this.”
He handed Luo Di an eggshell-white card of moderate thickness. The Roman font on the card displayed personal details:
Frederick Lofi
Contact Number: LOFI-██████
Despite knowing each other for six months, they had never exchanged contact information due to Frederick’s professional discretion.
“If you encounter serious danger during your practice, call this number. I’ll come immediately. Of course, if you run into any
special circumstances
outside of that, you can call too. But only if it’s related to danger.”
Frederick emphasized the word
danger
in Russian.
“Thank you.”
Though their interactions were limited to running, Luo Di knew Frederick’s background was anything but ordinary. Having a connection with someone like him could significantly benefit Luo Di’s future prospects.
“See you tomorrow night.”
Frederick left, while Luo Di studied the tastefully designed card. Unfortunately, it lacked any company affiliation—just a name and a number.
Their conversation left Luo Di even more excited about the upcoming
practical experience
.
Practical projects varied in type and difficulty, with higher difficulty stamps on a personal file greatly enhancing one’s chances of directly joining a
Company
after graduation. Knowing the class president’s capabilities, Luo Di was certain she wouldn’t choose an easy project.
Midnight
The city streets were still brilliantly illuminated, mirroring the brightness of daytime.
Once home, Luo Di followed his routine: inspecting all the curved corners of the house to ensure the long-lasting lights were functioning properly. Only after feeding the corner parrot on the balcony did he climb into his bed.
Sleeping with the lights on was a norm here—not just for Luo Di but for everyone in the city. Darkness caused discomfort and insomnia, while light provided a reassuring backdrop for rest.
A Week Later
Luo Di didn’t care much for the concept of holidays. Besides grocery shopping and nightly runs, he spent all his time at home doing what he loved.
Beyond watching DVDs, he dedicated part of his day to drawing.
His favorite pastime was sketching characters from the movies he admired. Occasionally, bursts of inspiration led him to create original characters in the style of B-grade films, with a particular focus on mask design.
Luo Di hoped that one day, he could wear one of his mask designs to attend events like comic cons or Halloween festivals.
At present, Luo Di was staring at a drawing pinned to the left side of his desk. It was his most satisfying mask design to date. He planned to have it custom-made at a leather workshop once he successfully graduated.
As he admired the sketch, deeply engrossed in its details, a vibration on his wrist snapped him back to reality. It was the first call he had received since the start of the Founding Festival.
Sliding the green button to answer, the voice on the other end rushed out in excitement.
“Luo Di! Tomorrow is the practical experience day. You need to come out today so we can all meet and shop for the supplies we’ll need.”
“What kind of things do we need to buy?”
“Of course! My practice area is in the suburbs, so there’s a lot we need to prepare in advance.”
“Class President, could you give me an idea of what we’ll need? If I already have some of it at home, we can skip buying those.”
“Relax! Since I’m the one organizing this and asking for your help, I’ll cover all the expenses related to the practice. Just pick whatever we need, and make sure it’s the best quality. The only thing you need to bring is your body—after all, you’re the only one in class whose athletic performance surpasses mine.
“Oh, and if we pass this practice successfully, my family might even give you a nice cash bonus!”
“Okay.”
“One hour from now, meet at the Terminal Supermarket.”