Chapter Three: No-Light Alley

At the same moment, a location arrived from Tang's disconnected number. It pointed to the street below Shen's studio. He went downstairs. The real Changle Road blazed with light. From the position where the umbrella woman had crossed, he closed his right eye and looked across the street through his viewfinder. A lightless alley lay between a pharmacy and a bank. When he lowered the camera, it vanished. When he raised it, the passage returned, reaching into the city. Shen held the viewfinder to his eye and took one step. The traffic noise behind him fell instantly away. No moonlight entered the alley. The walls were damp and covered with black number plaques. Shen refused to look at them and kept his gaze centered inside the frame.