In the quiet of the night, within an alley that wasn't exactly narrow.
A small, detached courtyard was piled high with snow. In its dilapidated little house, a dim yellow light shone from a window, lending the scene a particular atmosphere.
At this moment, a middle-aged man in a black padded cap was sitting on the heated brick bed in his home. Dressed in a padded cap and padded pants with the cuffs rolled up, he had his feet in a washbasin, seemingly soaking them before bed.
CLICK. The sound of a disposable lighter echoed as a dancing flame lit a cigarette.
The rising smoke made the middle-aged man squint. He held the cigarette between two fingers, took a deep drag, and then exhaled a plume of smoke. "Haaa... whoosh..."
The man seemed to have a lot on his mind. As he smoked, he fell into deep thought, not even caring when the ash fell into the washbasin.
To the side, by the east window covered in plastic sheeting, a figure faintly stirred.
