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When the world was isolated, we began to learn true connection.
1. Fog and Thorns
At the Chaotianmen Wharf on New Year's Day 2020, the winter night fog turned the whole city into a cup of cold tea.
I sat on the damp stone steps, my phone screen lighting up in the dark—13 debt collection messages, greetings from robots of 5 online lending platforms, and 3 cautious question marks from former colleagues.

On the opposite bank at Jiangbei's financial city, those glass curtain walls that I once thought were within reach melted into a blurry golden illusion in the fog.
Three years ago at this moment, I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of a tall building, shaking a Mountain City beer in my hand, causing bubbles to rise. At that time, I thought blockchain was another cross-river bridge in Chongqing, and I was destined to be the first person to pay the toll.