Luminous Entertainment 4

Looking down at the can of baby formula, he felt the mildly warm breeze from outside. The night view of Star Sea City was exceptionally beautiful, its lights flickering like thousands of candles, resembling a blurry portrait.

Suddenly, Elvira remembered his mother, Irisa, with her fiery red hair that, from a distance, looked like raging flames.

She usually appeared languid, like a leopard at rest, yet she possessed boundless energy. One moment she could be jesting with an enemy, cigarette in mouth, and the next, she could have a gun pressed against their forehead.

Her gaze always followed Elvira, like a loyal guardian, vigilant against any potential danger. After securing a safe area for him, she would not restrict him further. Thus, their mother-son relationship was somewhat detached and more protective.

The only time Elvira felt a mother's love was when he, as a child, secretly drew a portrait of Irisa, depicted as a red leopard. Under the drawing, he had scribbled his name with a black crayon in crooked letters: "My Mother." Below the name, there was a line in smaller writing: when she's angry.

He had braced himself for a beating, thinking Irisa would be angry, but unexpectedly, she just laughed, gave his rear a light kick, and teased, "You little asshole."

Lorcan rarely came home; he was like an outsider to the family, a spirit drifting through the house. At the age of ten, Lorcan disappeared. When Elvira was sixteen, Irisa died in an accidental car crash.

Sometimes, Elvira still couldn't accept that Irisa could die so easily in such a trivial car accident. He imagined that one day, Irisa would come up to him, cigarette in mouth, kick him to the ground, and scold him once more.

But after so long, Irisa never appeared again.

"Believe in a mother's conviction." This was what Teacher Ginger from Const Orphanage had told him since he lost Irisa. Elvira remembered her kind, gentle eyes, full of tender light when she said those words. He was deeply grateful for the comfort this teacher offered.

After coming of age, Elvira went to college, surviving on the modest wealth left by Irisa, living a life of effort and solitude. His existence was like a lonely shadow, always on the ground, always walking alone. After graduating from college, he returned to Star Sea City due to Lorcan's critical illness notice.

Yet, Elvira had always intended to continue his life in Star Sea City because it held the memories of living with his mother and the presence of Const Orphanage, where he could visit Teacher Ginger whenever possible.

However, the most pressing matter was to find a job in Star Sea City, regardless of Lorcan's condition. As for Lorcan's final resting place, he would ensure a luxurious urn burial in a milk powder can, with daily visits and beer toasts from his "undutiful" son.

Elvira, a graduate of Kandor University with a degree in Architecture, had no desire to work in a design firm doing basic tasks. Just maintaining the necessities of life was enough for him. He seemed naturally averse to fame and wealth, viewing them as demons that incite desire. He felt as though he was born for a greater mission, craving a life filled with danger and excitement. Yet, the world is so mundane, rarely offering moments that truly shake the soul. The few sparks that do occur are extensively documented as miraculous turns by humanity.

With a self-deprecating and resigned shake of his head, Elvira decided to settle for a simpler wish—to live quietly, perhaps with a cat for company. He yearned for a life without complex social connections, just a simple existence where he could enjoy his hobbies in his free time.

Elvira booted up his computer, prepared his resume, and began searching for suitable jobs on the Star Sea City labor platform website. This website, a collaborative effort between the Star Sea City government and various organizations, offered a plethora of job opportunities. Most of these jobs offered modest salaries but promised a relaxed work environment. So high-paying jobs, being everyone's dream, were naturally not listed on this platform.

Given his background in architecture, Elvira thought that positions in building renovation or project supervision would be suitable. The website presented him with a few options to choose from. After some consideration, he quickly filled out his preferences: a monthly salary of about 6000 Konis, a five-day workweek, eight hours a day, with weekends off.

After clicking confirm, Elvira stood up, grabbed an apple, and began to eat it voraciously while humming a tune, leisurely making his way back to the computer. However, the moment he stood and turned around, the screen flickered several times, and the dozens of job opportunities previously displayed narrowed down to just one.

Elvira's eyes widened as he saw the screen now showed: Ark Security Company is hiring an Engineering Quality Inspector.

Requirements: Bachelor's degree in Architecture, male, strong individual capabilities, bold yet meticulous.

Salary: 6000 Konis - 8000 Konis

Working hours: Five days of work, weekends off, less than eight hours a day.

Contact: Mr. Aiken 2474038-2342-5432

An engineering quality inspector for a security company—what were they planning, to build a safehouse or a doomsday fortress? Elvira couldn't help but laugh. He didn't even feel like calling to inquire. He had heard of some scams, like high-paying job advertisements that ended up detaining people to force them into something illegal. So he wasn't about to dive into the darker side of society.

Elvira decisively clicked "Reject" between the options of accepting or declining. It seemed this website wasn't reliable after all. Rubbing his chin, Elvira tried a few more times, but no matter what criteria he searched, job opportunities at Ark Security Company remained at the top, presented as the best option for him. So, did big data think he should join a security company to build post-apocalyptic safe-havens?

He sighed. Maybe he should give it a try.

Just as he was about to call and inquire about a position with Mr. Aiken, but he turned off his phone. In his current state of indecision, he wasn't ready to make an immediate choice.

At that moment, his phone pinged with a new email notification from his mail inbox, surprisingly from Altair: There's a letter for you in the mailbox downstairs. I left it at your door. 

Elvira rushed to the door and opened it, but Altair was nowhere to be seen. Looking down, he saw a letter on the small cabinet by the door, addressed to Const Orphanage, For Elvira.

He picked up the letter and walked into his apartment, only to see Altair leaning against a car through the window. Despite the distance of a hundred meters between them, Elvira could still see him. He stood in the moonlight, the soft lunar glow flowing in front of him like a sheer veil. Elvira's breath fogged up the window, and he wiped away the mist with his finger, his gaze piercing through to fixate on Altair.

Elvira watched Altair with intense focus and a deep-seated desire. Altair looked up, and in the hazy moonlight, he saw Elvira by the window. Their eyes met, sending a subtle stimulation to Elvira's spine, his heart racing.

He was bathed in the light of the silvery moon, yet as cold as ice, silent as frost and snow, indifferent in a world devoid of others.

Elvira's gaze followed Altair, fingers caressing the envelope, slowly opening it to take out the letter. Altair opened the car door, and drove off in his black Mercedes G-Class, disappearing into the night.

Elvira felt an inexplicable sense of loss, as if a piece of his puzzle had been stolen, leaving him forever incomplete. He suddenly realized that if it weren't for Lorcan's critical illness, he might never have had the opportunity to meet Altair, who was the influential head of the prestigious Sterling Consortium.

His fingers continuously caressed the letter, and after taking a deep breath, his gaze uncontrollably returned to the spot where Altair stood bathed in moonlight, lost in thought.