Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 395 Jiangwen Street

The following day, the list of participating guests was released online.

Overall, it didn't surprise anyone much, but the lack of surprises was the biggest surprise of all. With most well-known musicians gathered together, it was a grand event for mainstream pop music.

Later that evening, pre-sale tickets for the Nolan Street charity performance officially went on sale.

On Jiangwen Street, Qian Lin wiped his dirty face and stood in a reconstruction site, wearing construction clothes and a hard hat. During his break, he took off his gloves and took out his phone.

Just as he expected, the alarm he had set went off as soon as he took out his phone.

Ready to grab tickets?

He looked up and glanced at the streets being rebuilt amidst the ruins.

The reconstruction progress of Jiangwen Street is not optimistic. The huge population loss has caused problems everywhere in this street. The Changsheng Society has also left behind some remnants. Before a full reconstruction can be completed, it has taken a lot of time just to clean up the remaining flesh and blood.

The central district was razed to the ground. After the ban was lifted a few months later, most of the remaining population either left or dispersed. The vast majority of those who had experienced that hell chose to leave, and then a lot of speculators poured in, causing chaos.

The future of Jiangwen Subdistrict is uncertain, but one thing is certain: Jiangwen Subdistrict will be removed from the list of the five major gray-area subdistricts for some time.

Although the Jiangwen Street area is now vast and will take some years to rebuild, its advantageous location makes it unlikely to fade into obscurity. However, it is uncertain how long it will take to fully recover and even rise again.

Qian Lin thought for a moment, looked at the performance ticket, turned off his phone screen in the last few seconds, sighed, and sat down to the side, gazing at the blue sky.

"Hey, Qian Shao, did you manage to snag any tickets?" Qian Lin's friend walked over from outside the construction site at that moment, waving and greeting him.

"No."

"It wasn't that easy, but good news, we guys managed to snag one. How about that? Pretty cool, huh? We knew you liked that Monastery band, so we all camped out together to try and get one." The friend showed his phone, confirming he'd indeed succeeded.

Qian Lin smiled, picked up a safety helmet from the side, and put it on his friend's head: "Remember to wear a safety helmet on the construction site."

My friend was a little confused by the prank, but still put on his hat properly: "Why don't you look very happy? Is it because your dad forced you to come to the construction site to move bricks?"

"No, I'm doing pretty well now, just a bit tired. Besides, I'm not a construction worker, so it's much easier than for those who actually do the work." Qian Lin just shook his head, then brought up the ticket issue: "It's not that I didn't get any, it's that I didn't try to get any."

"forget?"

"I can't leave right now," Qian Lin said. "The performance will come to our area sooner or later; the neighborhood is short-staffed right now. If you manage to get a spot, go ahead and have fun. Just record a video and take a picture for me."

His friend looked surprised: "Young Master Qian, you actually willingly agreed to be assigned to do manual labor?"

“I already said it’s not about moving bricks… never mind.” Qian Lin was too lazy to complain. “My house was in a remote location when the earthquake happened, and my dad had already sensed the presence of the Longevity Society and made ample preparations, including internal investigations, to ensure sufficient manpower. Now that Jiangwen Street is empty, it’s time for the family business to completely transform and come out into the open.”

“I know all that. After all, my family has been urging us to maintain a good relationship with you lately, and your family has really seized the opportunity this time,” his friend said, pushing up his glasses.

Qian Lin shook his head: "It's quite complicated. It's good to see my hometown getting better and better, but seeing my hometown become like this, even though I've never had a good impression of this place, it's still quite painful."

After a moment of silence, his friend simply sat down next to Qian Lin: "Young Master Qian is still too much of a literary youth at heart."

"Heh, I guess they've gotten carried away with racing. Now, not a single road they usually drive on is in good condition," Qian Lin remarked.

The two sat together for quite a while.

"When the incident happened, my family sent people to get us out before the lockdown, but your family made you stay here?" the friend asked.

Qian Lin nodded: "My father had prepared a shelter at the time and took in many people during the disaster. My father asked me if I wanted to leave, but I chose to stay."

"Your dad is really capable of starting from scratch and building a powerful empire through both legal and illegal means. It's a good thing you weren't corrupted by us, otherwise we would be so ashamed."

"Smooth talker," Qian Lin said with a laugh. "Until this earthquake, I didn't understand some of my father's actions. But after experiencing it firsthand, I understand them a little better."

“We rarely have such deep insights, and I can only help you relax occasionally. Old Qian, you'll have to inherit the family business sooner or later, and you might become one of the most important people in this neighborhood,” his friend said. “Who knows? If I don’t do well and can’t convince people, my dad will just give me a sum of money and then kick me out of the way,” Qian Lin shrugged.

"You'll do well," her friend said jokingly.

Qian Lin just smiled and said nothing more.

My friend patted his butt and stood up: "Okay, I'm going to have some fun. I'll take pictures of you later. I'll also see if I can get Doris's autograph."

Upon hearing this, Qian Lin's weathered face flushed slightly, and he looked straight ahead and said, "Ahem, there's no need to force it."

"Alright, alright, I won't force you." His friend patted Qian Lin on the shoulder and left.

After a short rest, Qian Lin got up and threw himself back into the reconstruction work of Jiangwen Street.

……

On the other side of Jiangwen Street, there is an area surrounded by layers of white cordon tape. This is the only restricted area in the entire Jiangwen Street where no one except those from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics is allowed to approach.

The outer perimeter of the facility was also heavily guarded, ensuring that not even a fly was allowed to get in.

From the outside, reflections emanating from somewhere behind the barricades always made it difficult to see clearly. Some people who had been observing this place for months found nothing amiss.

It was only vaguely possible to see some people wearing full protective suits moving around inside, presumably conducting some kind of reconnaissance.

Speculation and conspiracy theories about this place have been rampant during this period.

However, it is known that even if the relevant authorities are here, they can only cooperate with the work, not be responsible for it.

Zhang Xue, the former chief and current chief of Jiangwen Street, had to be called to "stand guard" here during her rest time after finishing a lot of work. However, she was still not allowed to enter without being summoned.

This alone is enough to spark endless imagination.

Zhang Xue's dark circles had been quite pronounced lately, so she moved a deck chair outside the tent and lay down, intending to catch up on some sleep while soaking up the sun. She wanted to seize this rare moment of leisure.

"Damn it, I really want to retire..." Zhang Xue dreams about these things.

"Chief Zhang Xue." Then a voice called out, and Zhang Xue instinctively sprang up from the elderly recliner without hesitation, instantly becoming alert.

Turning her head, she saw a woman with wheat-colored skin, covered in sweat, staring blankly at Zhang Xue, exhaling smoke, and holding an old-fashioned electronic cigarette.

"Ah, Liu Qingcong, how did you get out of there?" Zhang Xue rubbed her eyes, her attitude much more relaxed.

"Use your job title when you're at work," Liu Qingcong said softly.

"Alright, alright, Professor Liu, what can I do for you?" Zhang Xue and Liu Qingcong were obviously acquaintances, but Liu Qingcong seemed indifferent to Zhang Xue.

“Come on in, or you’ll think we’re exaggerating if we don’t put some pressure on you.” Liu Qingcong turned and pointed to the entrance of the blockade.

"Huh? Let's just say it here then. I'll take it seriously."

Liu Qingcong didn't turn around or respond, so Zhang Xue had no choice but to follow.

The two changed into protective suits in a tent at the entrance to the blockade. Even in winter, these non-breathable protective suits can easily make you sweat after wearing them for a while.

Liu Qingcong had just come out from here, and now she was taking Zhang Xue back.

There wasn't anything particularly shameful inside the blockade, except for a huge, bottomless pit.

(End of this chapter)