The crisscrossed wooden frames made it harder for people outside to see into the room, while he could monitor what was happening outside through the narrow gaps.
...
By the time he finished tidying up his "residence" of the past few days, daylight was already blazing.
Aware that his current getup was far too conspicuous, Chen Zhou didn't dare go out in broad daylight; he could only stay hidden in the room, watching the outside world and waiting for night to fall.
The view from the second floor was wide open. From the window he saw that pickup truck with the metal drums drive away, saw other vehicles enter the small town, and also saw a police car.
None of the people coming and going along Route 66 noticed the subtle changes to the abandoned house, nor did they have any idea that someone was secretly watching them.
...
At noon, perhaps because the energy he'd replenished last night was nearly spent, that chill surged up from all parts of his body again.
