The next day
Eli woke up feeling groggy and kind of floaty, like his brain was still stuck somewhere between a dream and reality. He dragged himself out of bed, stumbled to the bathroom, and went through the motions—cold water to the face, quick shower, brush teeth, slap on clothes. Same old routine.
He flopped down on the edge of his bed, rubbed his eyes, and reached for his phone. A quick tap opened the system interface. After signing in, he checked his bank account.
Balance: 114,000 yuan.
He stared at the number for a few seconds. Enough to move. Enough to start fresh. But not enough to waste.
With a deep breath, he scrolled to Mr. Wong's contact and hit call.
The line clicked.
"Hello, Blue Fern—Mr. Wong speaking!"
"Hey, Mr. Wong. It's Eli."
"Ah, Eli! Morning! Thought about it?"
"Yeah," Eli said, standing and pacing a little. "We've decided to go with Blue Fern. It just… feels right. So I'm ready to put down the deposit."
There was a pleased chuckle on the other end."Good choice. I'll get the paperwork ready. Still the 4,000 yuan for the deposit—same account I gave you?"
"Yeah, I've got it," Eli said. He opened his banking app, double-checked the account number, and transferred the money with a tap.
Transaction complete. New Balance: 110,000 yuan.
"Just sent it," Eli said.
"Got it!" Mr. Wong confirmed cheerfully. "Welcome officially, then. I'll prepare the key pickup and lease papers for tomorrow. You and the boy should be all set by the weekend. You picked a good unit, you know. That one's got solid plumbing and faces the sunrise."
Eli smiled faintly, some of the morning fog lifting. "Thanks, Mr. Wong. Looking forward to it."
"Same here. You're gonna fit in just fine."
As the call ended, Eli looked around the cluttered Henxhi apartment—thin walls, buzzing overhead light, cracked tiles.
This was it. They were moving forward. For real this time.
Eli sat cross-legged on the living room floor, surrounded by half-packed boxes and the scattered remains of last night's dinner. The air in the Henxhi apartment felt heavier now—like the walls were watching him leave.
He grabbed his phone and typed into the search bar:"Quick movers near me - Dragon City."
Scroll. Click. Scroll.
One listing caught his eye.
Kolns Moving Company – Fast. Reliable. Same-day availability.A handful of decent reviews, a photo of their teal-blue moving truck, and a contact number.
Eli tapped the number.
It rang twice before a brisk, professional voice answered.
"Kolns Moving, this is Shulin. How can I help?"
"Hi, uh, I need a small move—two-bedroom apartment, nothing crazy. Mostly boxes and a few pieces of furniture. Is there any chance you've got an opening today?"
There was a pause on the line, followed by the faint tapping of a keyboard.
"You're in Henxhi, yeah? We can have a truck there in under two hours if you're flexible. How's that sound?"
Eli blinked. That fast?
"Perfect. Yeah, that works."
"Great. Name, address, and any stairs we should know about?"
Eli gave the details, pacing a bit as he looked at the leaning stack of shoeboxes by the door and Jin's half-dismantled bookshelf.
"Alright," Shulin said."We'll send a team of two. You'll get a text when they're ten minutes out. Payment's at delivery. See you soon."
Eli hung up, set the phone down, and stood there for a second, heart beating faster than it should've. This was really happening.
He turned toward Jin's room and knocked lightly."Hey," he called. "We've got movers coming. Two hours. Start packing what you don't want the strangers touching."
There was a muffled reply, followed by the scrape of drawers opening.
Eli exhaled and grabbed a roll of tape.
Time to pack the last pieces of their old life.
Not too long later, a teal-blue truck with "Kolns Moving Co." stenciled neatly on the side pulled up in front of the Henxhi apartment. The low rumble of the engine cut off, and two men in matching grey uniforms hopped out—one tall and wiry with a ponytail tucked under a cap, the other shorter, stockier, and already cracking his knuckles like he was stretching for a marathon.
Eli opened the door just as they were climbing the narrow stairwell.
"You Eli?" the taller one asked, glancing at a clipboard.
"Yeah, that's me. Apartment's just up here."
They introduced themselves—Yuan and Luca, both quick to smile but clearly all business.
"Alright," Yuan said, stepping inside and surveying the space. "Two-bedroom, mostly boxes, a few heavier items? Shouldn't take more than an hour to load."
"Where's it all headed?" Luca added, already strapping on a back brace.
"Blue Fern Apartments, Briggon District," Eli replied, stepping aside so they could start.
Luca gave a low whistle. "Moving up in the world, huh?"
"Trying," Eli said with a small grin.
The next hour passed in a blur of motion. Boxes were wrapped and stacked with precision. Jin hovered near his bedroom door, clutching his backpack and a small plastic tub labeled "important stuff" in smudged marker. Eli double-checked drawers and corners, making sure nothing was left behind.
Yuan lifted the old coffee table with a practiced ease. "Man, this place has seen some history, huh?"
"Yeah," Eli muttered, eyes scanning the now-bare walls. "Plenty."
By the time the last piece was strapped into the truck, the apartment felt hollow. Like it had exhaled one final time. Eli stood in the doorway for a moment, taking it all in.
"Ready?" Jin asked softly.
Eli nodded. "Yeah."
They locked the door behind them and headed down the stairs. Blue Fern wasn't perfect—but it was new. It was close. It was theirs.
And the next chapter was already waiting in a building that smelled like fried onions and community.