Welcome to Hualong

The first thing Fuyuki did when the sign they’re about to land came on was to look out the window of the vehicle and stare into the distance to get a glimpse of the city he had never been to. This was his first time leaving Osaka for a foreign land, for a country everyone dreams of living there.

He looked at the high-rise buildings towering to such heights that he was unable to see where they end and it was even dizzying just watching them for too long. He figured that from the angle he saw the building, they must have been taking a spiral-like S turn bypassing the enormously tall skyscraper only to reach another even more frighteningly tall one. He immediately thought that perhaps it was their destination but his hunch turned out to be wrong. The real destination was a regular-looking, post-modern style building vaguely similar to airports.

As an automatic voice informed the passengers that they’re about to dock, Fuyuki looked around, checking whether he packed all his belongings away not wanting to leave anything behind. Not that he feared losing them. In 3366 no one would dare take anything that wasn’t his in the first place. With all the up-to-date scanners and cameras everywhere it was physically impossible not to get detected and caught for a crime.

He stood up and waited to disembark when he heard the familiar ringing signaling the incoming message. He took out the device from his pocket and opened the message:

Winter Breeze to Wintry Tree:

Reschedule. Talk later.

The reply to the message he sent earlier was short and to the point. Still, for an unknown, unfathomable reason, he still had a sense of lacking something. Something that the other person should’ve said or should’ve asked but didn’t. But this is of course just too much overthinking as he didn’t even know this person yet. But still, he is disappointed that after finally agreeing to meet, their meeting is delayed until who knows when.

The man known as Winter Breeze was a mystery he wanted to solve. He came upon this name through his connections suggesting to seek out this person and try to make him cooperate. During those few months he had been in contact with Winter Breeze, he realized that perhaps the only reason this person agreed to help their cause was to probe whether they really were allies or he was an enemy in disguise. But he won’t take offense. This feeling is mutual.

Wintry Tree to Winter Breeze:

Don’t know when I’ll be free yet. I’ll be in contact.

His reply was longer but only contained the most necessary info and not even a trace of chit-chat. And that’s the way it should be.

Fuyuki followed the sea of people in front of him, hoping that everyone was going in the direction of the exit so that he didn’t have to wander around in this huge place looking for the door leading outside. He wasn’t in a hurry, not yet at least. He still had two hours until the meeting which is plenty of time to go to the hotel, check-in, have a shower, get changed, and perhaps even eat something.

As he was getting closer to the exit, he sensed a pair of eyes watching his every move. He has been sent on missions as a delegate to other countries for a few years now, but this is his first time being paranoid. Maybe contacting that Winter Breeze wasn’t such a good idea after all...

He approached the door when he saw the person in front of him walk through it but at that moment, a smiling woman jumped in front of her preventing him from doing so. She was donning a wide smile and her voice was gentle but intimidating as she addressed him.

“Please press transparency to continue on your journey! Remember, transparency is visibility, visibility is safety. Be safe to make the world safe. Together we can!”

She just stood there waiting not letting him pass even after trying. If this was a real person that would be another thing. But upon closer observation, he had to realize that this is one of those androids made to completely look like a living human being, and through a built-in system, they’re even capable of showing emotions, thinking, and quickly reacting to others’ actions just like she did a moment ago when she blocked his way. If it weren’t for those lifeless eyes and creepy smile plastered on the face he wouldn’t have been able to distinguish her from a human.

“Please press transparency to continue on your journey! Remember, transparency is...”

“Alright, alright, I know. You don’t have to repeat it,” - he interrupted her. “I just forgot to turn it on is all,” he said and clicked the settings on the device on his wrist to turn on that damned thing the woman was rambling about. When he was done, he turned his hand towards the android so that the screen of the device was in front of her. “See? It’s turned on. Can I go now?”

Her cold eyes looked at the screen in front of her then looked at Fuyuki’s face for a moment before that creepy smile appeared on her face once more that didn’t reach her eyes. She stepped to the side and opened her arms in a way to usher him out of the building while saying: “Thank you! Have a pleasant journey!”

And with that, Fuyuki could officially enter Hualong.

Hualong was the most influential city in the world, the unofficial capital of not a mere country but the whole world. The idea behind the name they gave to call it back then was that hua, meaning flower represents women, while long, meaning dragon represents men. Thus both men and women appearing in the name represent equality, and through equality peace, the absence of discrimination, and the ideal values every person in the world should live by.

And if that wasn’t enough attraction for people to visit this place, they made sure to let everyone know that the most influential people also lived there. Where else?

So, no wonder when he told his mother that he was traveling here on business she was beyond worried and excited. She warned her several times to be careful and not let others stray him from the road he wanted to take. As if...

Being a delegate is not without worries as saying the wrong word might cause a huge backlash resulting in him and indirectly the country he represents being criticised.

He looked at the device on his wrist telling him that the vehicle he rented was already available and parked right in front of the building he just come out of. Perfect. This saves time. And that’s the most important.

Because time stops and changes for no one.