Early in the morning, Bai Yang was dragged out of bed by his mom to accompany Lian Qiao for a five-kilometer run. With so much practice, Bai Yang had mastered the skill of running while half-asleep. Humans can't alternate activity and rest between hemispheres like dolphins, but Bai Yang could enter a state of mental blankness while running, unrecognizable to even his own kin.
He changed his shoes, sleepily opened the door, and before he could step out, a group of burly men in blue rushed in.
"Good morning," the man leading the group greeted in a rough tone.
"Hey, hey, who are... who are you guys?"
Bai Yang was startled, the sleepiness nearly gone.
The group paid him no heed and swarmed into the living room, carrying tool boxes, bundles of silver metal wire, putty powder, buckets of paint, and even stacking up a pile of heavy tiles... their heavy, high boots soiled the freshly mopped floor with black footprints.
