Orion Crest, Series_1

Chapter 1: Shocked!

           2014, June, France, Gordon city.

　　The blazing June sun scorches the earth, as if to dry the last trace of water vapour on the asphalt road.

　　Orion Crest, with the one-finger-thick Muppet suit, standing in front of Orange customer centre, France Télécom, gazed straight ahead with both eyes, watching the pedestrians scurrying up and down the street and listening to the noisy cars honking in his ears.

　　Why was he standing here? For life, of course. ......

　　During the summer holidays, Orange and the mobile phone manufacturer OPPO are running a promotion. If you stand in front of the door wearing a Muppet costume, you'll get $60 an hour, which is almost double what you'd get for handing out flyers, and you don't have to deal with people staring at you. Add to that a $10 per hour heat allowance for every hour it's over 30 degrees outside, and you're talking $70 per hour.

　　When he heard the hourly rate, Orion took it without hesitation. Rational analysis, the average work time of 5 hours a day, convert to 350 dollars. If you work 30 days per month, that's $10,500. Orion understood that neither iPhone nor OPPO could hold a promotion every day. But even if it happened for only one week, it would still bring in $2,450.

　　Just as he began counting the sycamore tree leaves out of sheer boredom, a portly man with slightly darker skin approached him, wiping sweat from his face.

　　Ocean Woo was a senior student at Gordon University's math department, a few years older than Orion. As the leader of the part-time student group, he suggested that Orion take on the job of wearing Muppet costumes.

　　Ocean noticed that Orion seemed tired and suggested he take a break. But Orion refused and said, "I'm okay. I can go on a little more."

　　"Really? You've been standing here for almost an afternoon." with a bitter expression on the face, he was really a little afraid that this guy would get a heat stroke.

　　"I'm fine," Orion shook his head firmly, "There's still an hour to go before I get off work, anyway."

　　Ocean, gave Orion a hesitant look and said, "Then ...... I will leave you here by yourself?!"

　　"Well, go ahead."

　　Ocean Woo no longer insisted. In fact, there was not a hint of a fluke in his heart, it wasn't easy to arrange someone to cover the shift in such hot weather. Although there are many part-timers in his hands, there are not many who are as hardworking as Orion, so he might have to wear this "big cotton jacket" by himself in the end.

　　Looking at the fat man far away, Orion retracted his vision, and continued to stare at the sycamore in front of the customer centre.

　　At this time, he suddenly felt that some of the scenery in front of him was not right.

　　...... the pedestrians ...... on this street flying into the sky?

　　The legs were soft, and the whole person fell backward. 

　　With his remaining consciousness, he vaguely heard the customer centre behind him, the sound of hurried footsteps and shouting.

　　"The mascot at the door is suffering from heatstroke!"

　　"Quick, quickly take off his hood and get a glass of water over here!"

　　"Orion, ......"

　　"Damn, rush him to the hospital!"

　　"Get in my car."

　　"......"

          The last ray of light in the field of vision cuts off, and with it, infinite darkness ......