Verak, who had been stunned for more than half an hour, put out a cigarette, stood up from his desk, and walked into the simple darkroom set up in a small room. He didn't worry about whether the exposed film would be invalid, and he tore it open for use.
Light-tight fabric to block windows.
The light shines in, making the house that has never been exposed to sunlight since Verak became a photographer regain its brightness.
He pushed open the window. The sky was gray, the steel mill was rumbling in the distance, and the humid air was filled with a nauseating stench.
Being exposed to this harsh environment again for a long time, Verak's face was particularly cold and unmoved. He just looked at the endless dilapidated slums with twinkling eyes.
It's hard to believe, but he did go back to two months ago.
He didn't want to think about why this paradoxical thing happened now, because he would have died two months later in a conspiracy that was deliberately faked as an accidental death. The gratitude at this moment completely outweighed the fear.
Today is July 15, 1433, Saturday. Saturday is his fixed weekly rest day that has never changed during the years he has been working as a photographer. And July 15 is the day that changes his life.
If all that is not a dream, tonight, a team of people rushing from the capital Lezeine will find him and take him to Lezeine to impersonate the dead eldest son of the Thomas family and resolve the crisis of his consortium.
.
He remembered the events of that night very clearly, so he easily estimated that in four or five hours, people from the Thomas family would come to his door and take him to Lezein in a semi-coercive manner.
"Nord, Dempsey..." The names of two friends appeared in Verak's mind.
When the Thomas family came, Nord and Dempsey happened to be there as well. Originally, the Thomas family wanted to get rid of these two people who were of no value to them to prevent the news from leaking. However, at Verac's urging, the two
They were taken to the capital Lezein, and eventually died together in the conspiracy.
Just when the two names came to his mind, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Verak, who was standing in front of the window, came to his senses, turned around, walked to the door and opened it.
Outside the door was a grinning Nord with one hand in his pocket and a meal in the other, wearing a beige windbreaker. He was four years younger than Verak, and was only 22 years old: "Demps said he would take a shower first, and then
Come again."
On Saturdays, most workers in the Republic of Bressey can get off work a few hours early. As the only free time every week, Nord and Demps usually use this time to come to Verak's room to eat, drink and enjoy themselves.
A rare moment of relaxation.
"Hmm." Verak thought of Nord and Dempsey's fate two months later. He slowly took the packed meal, placed it on the long table, and reminded him, "Your boots are too dirty, full of mud.
Just take off your shoes at the door."
"Mysophobia is a fatal flaw in a place like this, but I quite like it." Nord had long been accustomed to Verak's request and neatly took off his boots at the door. After walking in barefoot, he caught a glimpse of the light from the window: "
Why did you open the window?"
Verak, whose mind was in a state of confusion, casually excused himself: "I'm going to block it again while I'm resting."
"Oh." Nord didn't become suspicious and sat at the table and looked around, "Where's the wine I brought that day?"
"Look for it yourself." Verak sat in front of his desk, smoking a cigarette.
Nord stood up, found a bottle of wine from the partition that he had brought a few days ago, poured half a glass of wine and drank it leisurely: "Why do you feel so worried?"
"You are thinking too much." Verak shook his head slightly, thinking about whether he should escape from here to avoid another tragedy.
"Really?" Nord held the wine glass in one hand and rested on the back of the chair with the other, crossing his legs and looking at Verak's back.
Not long after, Dempsey also arrived.
Demps is thirty years old this year. He is a sturdy young man with a thick beard. Like most people in the slums of Tswold, he works as a steelworker in a nearby steelmaking factory. If he comes to have dinner with Verak after get off work, , you must take a shower first, otherwise Verak, who is a bit obsessed with germs, will mercilessly turn him away.
Three tall men were squeezed into the narrow house, and it instantly became more crowded. Although it was difficult to turn around, no one complained. Because this area is only seven or eight square meters, the annual rent is as high as 2,400 copper grams, which is equivalent to
The place where Verak earns two-fifths of his annual income is already the best living environment in the slums.
The layout of this palm-sized place is also very simple. There is a slender table on the left side of the door, and two high chairs next to the table. There is a combined bed with a desk and wardrobe on the right side. There is a window directly in front.
The area that occupies nearly half of the single room and is tightly covered with opaque fabric is a simple darkroom used for developing photos.
Everything that Verak owned, which was envied and envied by other people in the slums, could be seen at a glance as soon as he entered the door, and it seemed that he could have an overview of his entire future life.
Verak also moved the chairs in front of the desk, which was just big enough for the three of them.
Today's dinner is rye baked pie and cabbage soup. The price is quite reasonable, a total of six copper grams for three people.
"Oh, by the way, newspapers." While preparing to eat, Nord suddenly remembered something and took out a few folded newspapers from his trench coat pocket and handed them to Verak.
Newspapers are Verac's only medium to understand the outside world.
Since Nord worked as a waiter in a restaurant in Tswold, he would bring several newspapers left by customers for him to read every day.
Of course, newspapers are also sold in the slums, but it is not as cost-effective as going to Nord to get free ones. Moreover, the slums only have the Zwold Daily News, while in the city there are well-known newspapers such as Bresci Economy, Political Weekly, Le Monde, and Western News.
Newspapers and newspapers, the things they publish are not at the same level at all.
Verak held the newspaper, but could not concentrate on reading the content. Because time was running out, he had to make a decision that would completely affect the rest of his life before the Thomas family came and while he still had room to choose.
important decision.
Nord enthusiastically poured a glass of wine for Dempsey, and the three of them started to get started.
Nord glanced at Verak who was reading the newspaper: "Looking at your life, it makes me want to rent a single room."
Dempsey ate heavily: "Isn't the single room opposite Verak still vacant? But can you afford so much money?"
"If I work well in the restaurant, I should be able to earn six thousand copper grams a year, and I can save enough money to rent a single room." Nord looked like he was calculating and trying to make his idea look mature and feasible.
"That's what I said, but you can't save it." Dempsey snorted heavily and dismissed it.
He was very aware of Nord's tendency to spend money lavishly. It was impossible for him to save four hundred copper grams, let alone two thousand four hundred copper grams.
"Then... let's think about it again." Two thousand and four hundred copper grams was not a small amount for them. Nord hesitated for a moment, took a sip of wine, and comforted himself: "Actually, the eight-person room is quite good.
It’s only 800 copper grams a year. Apart from the poor living conditions, what kind of food, drink, and clothing do I need to keep myself moisturized?”
Hearing this, Verak, who had been silent just now, sneered and added: "The Economic News published a set of data. Last year, the per capita annual income of Bressy was 151 gold grams, which is 15,000 gold grams."
One thousand and one hundred copper grams. You haven’t even reached one-half of the per capita income, and you still think you’re living a comfortable life?”
"At least it's not bad in our slum area. If you compare me with the rich people in the city, let alone me, you are far behind." Nord retorted awkwardly.
Upon hearing this, Verak froze.
"Speaking of which, you are a high-income person here, so we don't give you a free ticket for taking pictures..." Nord said with a smile.
Before Verak could say anything, Dempsey said: "Come on, I can't take a photo even once a year. How can I be as beautiful as you, who always come to take pictures. If Verak really gives you a free bill, I'm afraid I won't
I have to live in an eight-bed room for a month..."
After the meal was almost finished, Nord and Dempsey drank wine and talked about the new things that happened in the slums today, while Verak took the basin to the water room to wash up.
As soon as he went out, he smelled the smell of cigarettes, alcohol, sweat, and vomit that filled the corridor. These smells were mixed together to make people feel sick. It had always been difficult for Verak to adapt to it before, and it was even harder now.
Accepted.
And this feeling of vomiting is even stronger when entering the water room.
Because the water room is connected to the toilet, and the smell of vomit, feces and urine comes from here, the smell here is several times stronger than in the corridor, almost reaching the limit that humans can bear.
After enduring the stench and washing up, Verak quickly returned to the house with a basin, where Nord, who was drunk, was arguing loudly with Dempsey about whose turn it was to pay for the dinner, which totaled six copper grams.
The noise in my ears, the lingering stench from the corridor, the shabby and cramped room, a life where you can see your head at a glance...
Verak, who has lived in the capital Lezein for two months, has become somewhat intolerable to such a life - even though he lives in the best environment in the slums and works in almost the best profession in the slums.
In the midst of the argument, he silently took out six copper coins to pay for the meal. Verak, who originally considered escaping from the slums to avoid being found by the Thomas family, decided to stay here and wait for the Thomas family to find him.
This is the most dangerous choice and the only choice he can make if he wants to change his unchanging life.