Morning sunlight streamed through the one-foot-square window, piercing the gloom of the basement room. Yellow rays cut across the shadows, occasionally catching a mosquito flitting by.
It was June—humid and stifling. The air was thick with the smell of mold.
Though the damp had given Li Leqin a rash, he had no other choice.
This was the only place he could afford.
Two years ago, when the Pacific War broke out, Li Leqin lost all financial support.
His family back in Jiangsu could no longer send money, and as a self-funded student, government funding wasn't even an option.
"I just need a job…"
He muttered to himself again, eyes fixed on the newspaper beside him, unable to look away.
There were job ads in the paper, plenty of them—
but how many factories were willing to hire a Chinese engineer?
Even with a degree from New York University, what did it matter?
Watching the sunlight slowly shift across the dark, clammy basement, Li Leqin sighed heavily.
