Chapter 4: The Man in the Alley
Jaden woke up to noise.
He had fallen asleep on the rooftop beside the cooling shelter, using his old backpack as a pillow. The sound of voices pulled him awake—soft chatter, laughter, and the buzz of life. It wasn’t the sound of suffering anymore. It was the sound of people finally catching a breath.
He sat up slowly.
Below, the shelter glowed gently in the early morning light. Families gathered around it. Kids played near the door. A group of women were filling bottles from the water tank on the side. Someone had even plugged in a speaker and played quiet music from an old phone. It felt... alive.
Jaden smiled, but his mind was already drifting forward. The system had shown him something big—his next challenge.
He tapped the screen hovering over his wrist.
New Blueprint Unlocked: AI Apartment Block (Basic)
Recommended Build Site: Westside Abandoned Lot
Priority: High
Jaden had seen that lot before. It used to be an old tech factory. Now, just twisted metal, cracked cement, and rusting pipes. But it had space. A lot of space.
He packed his bag and began walking. The streets of Neo-Lagos were waking up too. People sold food packs on street corners. Drones buzzed low carrying parcels. Old cars rolled slowly past potholes.
But Jaden kept his head down. Not everyone would be happy about what he was building.