On Saturday night, a little after midnight, Yuan Si zipped through the silent, empty streets on her bicycle. The weather had turned cold, and the temperature was even lower in the middle of the night. She wore gloves and a scarf, bundled up until only her eyes showed. Huffing and puffing, she pumped the pedals. A rhythmic cloud of white vapor escaped with each breath, but she was already far in the distance before it could even converge. The vapor would hang in the cold air for a few seconds before dissipating, making her look like a little chugging train when seen from the side.
With no one on the road, she naturally rode faster. She finished the trip, which usually took about half an hour, in less than twenty minutes. After stopping, she checked the time, pushed her bicycle to the entrance of the public security office to lock it up, and then went into the waiting hall to wait.
