薛晓琦 staggering out of the盛世 Group building, her steps so light she felt like she was walking on cotton. The five minutes she'd spent at the front desk had felt like torture, eight hundred years of it. The little receptionist, smiling like the sun, handed over tissues and a cup that looked like it was gilded with gold. But she felt like a ruffian just kicked out of the village, covered in the stench of the countryside.

She patted her pocket and found it empty. No phone, no cash, not even a single coin to her name. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in hours. The breakfast she'd grabbed on the run was long gone, leaving her with an empty husk of hunger. She sighed and started walking, her mind racing with a thousand worries and nowhere to turn.

As she walked down the street, her phone rang. She fumbled for it in her pocket, her heart sinking when she realized it was from her sister. She answered, trying to keep her voice steady despite the panic clawing at the back of her throat.