The two street children walked quickly through the city. Not only Evgeny and Valentin, but other street children were also finishing their work. Some had a good harvest, while others had nothing.
Orphans like them were like a special species that lived in the land of Lucia. They came and went at random times, and their resting places were also unpredictable. Just like rats running in the gutter, they could always find a place to stay in the big city. The adaptability of humans that had evolved for millions of years was vividly displayed in them.
There were also many orphan workers inside and outside the train station who were finishing their work. They walked aimlessly like moving scars.
The soldier on duty stood at the sentry post with a serious expression. He held a gun with one hand and placed the butt on the ground.
A street child held a hydrogen balloon rope in his hand and ran quickly. Behind him were a few playmates who were chasing after him. They looked like gray butterflies dancing in the air.
The balloon was brand new and shaped like an animal. It was most likely picked up from under a roof. Otherwise, these children would never buy such a useless balloon if they had the money in their pockets.
The soldier on duty just watched indifferently. He saw a lot of street children running in front of him every day. Some of them were familiar faces, but some of them might never appear again after a certain day. Judging from the low adoption rate in Lucia and the efficiency of the government, they were most likely not taken in.
Even during the Tsar's era, the military police probably wouldn't do anything to a few street children.
The tall and thin Evgeny walked quickly with his accordion in his arms. Little Valentin stepped on the raised roadside to show off his childlike innocence.
"It's Igor and the others," Valentin said as he looked at the street children not far away. He timidly took a few steps back.
Igor was also a street child, but he was burly and strong. At the age of eleven or twelve, he was already more than 1.7 meters tall. It was unknown how he obtained sufficient nutrition in an environment where he didn't have enough to eat. His body was very strong, and he was followed by a few street children.
With such a body, he was like a little tyrant among the street children. He was easily bullied or asked for protection fees. The dark world of children was also filled with the shadow of adult society.
"Give me the balloon." Igor used his tall body to block the child holding the balloon.
"No."
Seeing that the other party was unwilling to hand over the spoils in his hands, Igor did not say much. After saying "Suka is not in the list", he kicked him. "Suka is not in the list."
The two sides wrestled with each other. With Igor, a fierce general, the battle immediately became one-sided.
These street children were all ruthless when they fought. They pulled their hair and slammed it into the railings and electric poles. Not long after, a child's forehead was bleeding and he was crying loudly.
Passersby looked at the chaotic street corner with astonished eyes, especially those 'applicants' who came to the City of a Thousand Tops for the first time. They didn't expect to see such a scene as soon as they arrived at the capital. This seemed to be different from the City of a Thousand Tops they imagined.
The sentry on duty stood motionlessly with his gun in his hand. The manual did not say that he should be the one to take action in this situation, and he had seen it many times, so he did not find it strange at all.
"You bastards, stop!"
However, a middle-aged woman with a strong back and a bear-like waist walked out of the crowd. Looking at her strong body, she might be able to carry a log on her shoulder and walk.
The strong woman swung her two big arms and directly pushed the children who were fighting together away. Even Igor directly stopped, he was not sure that he could beat this strong woman.
And even if he won, if the other party fought and pestered him to call the police, it would be troublesome. The other party was a citizen with an identity card. If she appeared in front of the police with a street child like him, it would not be good for her. She might even be beaten up by the police.
Moreover, Igor and the others had already snatched the balloon.
"Poor children."
The street children who were beaten did not thank the woman. They covered their wounds and looked around vigilantly, then limped away. They only needed the kindness of others when they were begging.
There was a complete black industry chain in Lucia that targeted street children. The street children who were not smart enough would have long been swept away by this industry chain.
Those who could grow up safely were the lucky ones who were quick-witted, but even so, most of the lucky ones had gone astray.
It was normal to be a petty thief. Those who really went astray might have already been dragged away and executed for life.
"Let's go, too." Yevgeny was wearing shoes that did not quite fit.
Little Valentine knew the two parties in the fight. "Well, the one who was beaten is Peter, right? He's so unlucky. If Igor wants it, just give it to him."
The street children and the crowd gradually dispersed. Everyone had their own things to do, and such a small matter was not worth spending too much time on. This was especially true for the sentinel. His eyes did not stay on the street children for too long from the beginning to the end.
As a city that had twice achieved a desperate counterattack by relying on the temperature, the winter in the City of Thousand Tops was sometimes frighteningly cold. Therefore, there was a huge heating network, which ensured the winter safety of everyone in the city, and was also the best habitat for the street children.
Most of the heating pipes were buried underground, and they were sealed. Only a small part of the pipes had a spacious space around them, and most of them were semi-underground.
The pipes in the cement wall were crisscrossed, like the thick blood vessels around the heart. They were parallel or crossed with each other, flowing and emitting hot air.
If a slightly taller adult walked in such a space, it would feel crowded and cramped, but it was just right for the street children.
In the long night, they clustered around the pipeline like quails. The ground was covered with clothes and bedding that they had collected. As soon as they walked in, they could smell the smell of decay. It was as if they had walked into a forest that was damp after a rain, or a cemetery that was deserted at night.
A group of street children were like human children. They hung a flashlight on the pipe, and the light shone on the wall, illuminating the enclosed space.
Yevgeny and Little Valentine walked into the pipe. It was as warm as summer.
The vagrants who could live in the same place were mostly companions who had a good relationship with each other. Fortunately, there were many underground tunnels in the City of Thousand Tops, so there wouldn't be any fights over living space. But even so, many people would still fall during the winter.
Before they walked into the depths of the pipe, they could hear cries and roars coming from inside.
"I'm going to kill Igor, I'm going to kill Igor!"
"It's Peter." Little Valentine recognized who was roaring. "Didn't he go to the clinic to have a look?"
"…" Yevgeny could not stand the inexperienced little friend beside him. "You'll know when you experience more in the future. We can't afford to see injuries."
"But it's just a small injury. It doesn't cost much."
"But we won't only get injured once."