"Do you know what my name is?"
"...Huai, Huai Shi?"
"What about my gender?"
"Male..."
"Age?"
"I heard... you're seventeen..."
"Occupation?"
"The, the Astronomical Society... Xinhai Inspector."
In the chaotic office, where the smell of gunpowder had yet to dissipate, only ragged breaths, thick with tension and fear, could be heard.
Behind the office desk, the old man, gasping for air under the pressure of the sword and axe, bowed his head. He answered the intruder's questions, shivering from the palpable chill.
Across the desk, the young man was idly browsing his phone, looking over the day's absurd comments from online friends. He asked distractedly, "Anything else?"
"There's, there's more..."
The old man's lips trembled. He felt the sharp coldness pressing down on his neck and swallowed involuntarily. He didn't know whether to cooperate, nor did he understand what the intruder wanted to hear, or even how he should respond.
