Early morning, around 7 o'clock.
Although the rain had stopped, the fog hung like cotton stuffed with ash, unevenly suspended between the jagged buildings.
The patrol car's red and blue roof lights flickered quietly at the corner, dimming and brightening silently.
Several yellow and black police tapes cordoned off a nine-story residential building.
Early risers passing by frequently stopped, looked up, and discussed.
Cheng Leyi held a military telescope and also stood at the windowsill, observing the gray-white tubular building across the street.
She bit into a mint candy for alertness, which crackled in her mouth.
With the crosshair in the lens targeting a window whose curtains were drawn, the interior scenes of the residents were clearly visible.
A housewife was busy preparing breakfast; it almost seemed like the high-pitched whistle of the pressure cooker could be heard from afar.
