Baidia City, known as the City of Miracles and the Capital of Wealth.
In just a few decades, it transformed from a small seaside fishing village into one of the Federation's most renowned cities.
The only other city to develop at such a pace in the Huafu District had also originated from a small fishing village.
This was the economic and trade hub of the entire Dongyou District. The impression people had of it was one of endless luxury boutiques, gold, sports cars, stunning and lavish architecture, and rich individuals who spent money like water.
Yet, even such a city harbored slums of considerable scale.
While the lives of Baidia's locals were not as ostentatious as rumored, they did enjoy high welfare and excellent benefits.
However, ninety percent of this city's population comprised migrants, with people of all skin colors from across the Federation converging here.
Many people earned only three to four thousand yuan per month.
The notion that even beggars could earn hundreds of thousands a month was merely a fabricated rumor, spread by some adept at twisting facts, brainwashing marketing accounts, or self-proclaimed public intellectuals.
When faced with Baidia's residents, these intellectuals would focus on the slums, making the locals feel utterly ashamed.
Conversely, when engaging with netizens from other regions, they would lavishly praise Baidia's opulence, fostering dissatisfaction among people with their own living situations.
They were like flies in a cesspool, dedicated to instigating conflict between the federal government and the masses.
If local officials were diligent and patriotic, working to develop the economy, they would exclaim, "Ah, wait for your people."
If local officials prioritized improving people's livelihoods, leading to a slowdown in economic development, they would cry, "Ah, this is truly an incompetent official!"
In short, nothing good could be found in their pronouncements…
Oh, wait, they would describe places inaccessible to local residents as paradises of unparalleled beauty.
As for the areas where the locals lived, they were naturally portrayed as breeding grounds for all sorts of filth and squalor, where even without concrete evidence, a simple "those who know, know" would suffice to mislead.
For instance, engineers from the Golden Eagle District, with their meticulous work ethic, would bury an oil-paper-wrapped package containing all necessary maintenance parts near the sewer system.
Then again, people from the Mega US District, with their reverence for freedom and democracy, would refrain from wearing masks even during a rampant virus outbreak.
Returning to Baidia's slums, a basic bed in the affluent district alone cost at least two thousand yuan a month, a price many could not afford. Consequently, they were forced to reside in the slums on the city's outskirts.
The slum alleyways were narrow, the housing cramped, and infrastructure inadequate. There were even areas without streetlights in the dead of night, and some places struggled with access to water and electricity.
The sole advantage was its affordability.
In the southeast corner of the slums stood a building weathered by time… in reality, a dilapidated old structure.
In the fourth room on the third floor lived a woman with tanned skin.
She sat on the bed, hugging her knees, her eyes glinting with a venomous gaze.
This woman was not tall, but her features were quite exquisite, and she appeared to be in her twenties.
She had abandoned her studies, hoping to escape a impoverished future through "Bai Piao" (a term for migrant workers seeking fortune). Thus, she became a minor actress here.
However, the life of an actress was not as rosy as she had imagined.
She most frequently played corpses and background extras.
Meanwhile, a young girl who had come with her had managed to latch onto a wealthy magnate in Baidia.
She now resided in a high-end apartment in the city center, and with the cultivation of certain resources, had already gained some notoriety, poised to become famous.
Yet, she, who was more beautiful, possessed a better figure, and exhibited superior acting skills, could only dwell in this slum.
This imbalance had nearly shattered the woman's sanity.
Initially, she was filled with hope for this city, but now… her heart was overflowing with resentment.
On the path of acting, every avenue for advancement required her to make certain sacrifices, sacrifices she was unwilling to make, unwilling to sell her dignity.
Besides the setbacks in her career, other recent events had also been irking her.
Yesterday, an ugly woman in her fifties suddenly gained the ability to emit ultrasonic waves capable of shattering thick glass!
This morning, she was whisked away by mysterious individuals. Upon returning at noon, she was busily moving, even mockingly offering some of her old appliances to her.
Who cared for such things!
Why should that woman possess powers beyond common sense, while she, who was superior, had nothing?
She grumbled to herself, wishing she could rip that ugly woman's abilities and transplant them onto herself.
Sizzle, sizzle…
The sound of electricity crackled, and sparks even erupted from the lightbulb.
"This lousy building took so much of my money, yet it still bullies me. May the dog landlord die a terrible death!"
The woman immediately began to curse under her breath. The room she occupied, merely the size of a bedroom, demanded five hundred yuan in rent per month!
It was bad enough that there was a leak, but now there was also an electrical fault.
However, this time, the woman had cursed the wrong person. The sound of electricity was not due to a fault, but because something had appeared within the room.
A dark, murky gas emerged from various electrical appliances in the small rental unit, coalescing into a shapeless black skull.
The skull let out a cackling laugh at the woman: "You seem to be filled with resentment towards this city…
"Yes, Camilla, you should resent it. All the poor should resent it.
"Why should they sit at home and watch their assets grow, while you give your all and live worse than a dog?
"Your current predicament is entirely their fault. Do you want to reclaim all the humiliation you've endured?"
Upon seeing the wisp of smoke, Camilla trembled all over with excitement.
If she had encountered this entity two days prior, she might have fainted from fright.
But in the past two days, she had witnessed too many sensational things through various channels.
A youth whose eyes could shoot destructive beams, a savage uncle with bone claws sprouting from his hands, a suddenly bald cripple who gained telekinetic abilities…
In her view, encountering the abnormal was not a danger, but an opportunity.
Furthermore, what this black skull was saying truly struck a chord with her.
She swallowed hard, extending and then clenching her palm:
"I want revenge. I want revenge on everyone: that slut Kelly who sold her dignity, that greedy agent, that lecherous rich second-generation, and this stingy landlord!"
"No, revenge on them alone is not enough…"
"There's something wrong with this entire city. Everyone looks down on me. They, they all deserve to die!"
The skull's face grinned even wider. It had approached several people, and Camilla's state was the most satisfactory. It decided to choose Camilla as its host.
"To seek revenge on everyone, you must pay a price."
"Whatever the price, I'll accept it!" Camilla stated decisively, "I have nothing left to lose now."
The skull let out a loud, eerie laugh, "That is a wise choice. You will have a glorious future, honored lady."
It transformed into black smoke and seeped into Camilla's body through various orifices.
Camilla was enveloped by immense pain, writhing on the floor in agony, her clothes gradually tearing apart.
The body hair on certain parts of her body grew wildly, merging with the black smoke to form a black leather outfit.
Most of this attire was cut-out, revealing glimpses of skin everywhere except the private areas. It was more like a specialized uniform for certain intimate encounters, the kind that would greatly arouse perverted men.
Three wings, formed from hair, sprouted from her back, growing haphazardly.
Her lips and fingernails turned black, and beneath her flawless skin, black veins pulsed.
"I… I feel power!"
Camilla erupted into wild laughter, feeling almost omnipotent in her current state.
What was so impressive about the ugly woman next door shattering glass with sound? She could kill her with a wave of her hand!
The black skull's voice whispered in her ear, "Since you have gained power, go and do what you wish."
"Of course, I've been craving it for a long time."
Camilla licked her lips, a cruel smile gracing her face. She sauntered downstairs and knocked on the door of the first-floor apartment.
"Is the landlord in?"
A voice from within replied, "Oh, is that Camilla? I know you've been having some difficulties lately; the rent can be paid a little later."
The old woman opened the door, leaning on her cane, and smiled at Camilla. She was the landlord of this building.
"Camilla, what are you wearing? Hurry back and put on proper clothes."
According to the customs of the Dongyou District, it was extremely indecent for women to expose their bodies in public.
Although with societal development, women in the Dongyou District were now permitted to show their faces and wear clothing like skirts and short-sleeved tops when going out.
However, undoubtedly, Camilla's current attire was considered scandalous, something that in olden times would have earned her a public display on a pole.
Camilla retorted angrily to the old woman, "You're always like this, always lecturing me!"
"Go with your 'I'm doing this for your own good.' I don't need you to do good for me!"
"I'll do as I please. It should be your honor that I want to renovate your dilapidated building, yet you've always refused. You old hag…"
Before Camilla could finish speaking, the old woman clutched her chest and collapsed onto the floor.
Being elderly, the tirade from Camilla triggered her heart condition, causing her to fall to the ground, her limbs swelling and her body wracked with coughing.
The old woman tried to reach into her pocket for a bottle of medicine, but Camilla snatched it first. Then, she taped Camilla's mouth shut before calmly departing.
Let the old hag fend for herself. She would never return to this wretched place anyway.
However, before leaving, there were still many people she wanted to exact revenge upon. This slum was filled with disgusting, poor, and worthless individuals; they were not fit to live.
Unable to take her medicine in time and with her mouth sealed, rendering her unable to call for help, the old woman soon ceased breathing.
After her death, a wisp of black smoke entered her body.
Her veins turned black, and her skin also took on a dark hue. This blackness was different from the blackness of people of color; it resembled the coloration of a corpse.
Then, this old woman stood up again, her eyes glinting with an eerie light.