entered the temple and hurried past the solemn statues of the deities , making my way towards the back of front hall , my secret hide-out .
It was then did I realize something was out of place . I examined my surroundings , skeptically as my eyes strived hard to adjust to the gloomy environment . I sneaked out to the front hall and took a clandestine glimpse at the statue of General Huo Guang . He , dressed in pure golden with hands to chest , still sat in authority just like many other times I had visited . I returned to the darkness behind the statues , and I caught something , faint and swift , flickering for a brief moment out of the corner of my eye . I approached the dead-end of the narrow chamber , riddled with dirt , and looked for the light source in alertness . I pushed aside a pile of darkened cloth that blocked the way , narrowing my eyes with the determination to satisfy my curiosity .
It flickered again , and I fumbled for anything I could get my hands on just to quickly sort it out . That was when I came across something smooth and cold to the touch .
I secured it in a fist and it slowly slackened to an open palm . In my hands laid a breathtaking jade , finer than any of those waiting to be sold at our artifact shop , sparkling with an irregular pattern , sometimes bright but mostly faint . I stroked its surface , and the light within swirled following the glide of my thumb . My eyes widened in astonishment , and as though sensing my emotions , the stone responded by beaming an even brighter light , which at last stung my eyes as it swallowed me whole at the wake of a powerful blast .
I woke up much later after , frowning at the scorching sunlight that danced briskly on my flesh . I pushed myself up from the ground and immediately gasped at what surrounded me .
It was crowds all around . Little did I know this was the start of my adventure to the future , which turned out to be quite a late revelation .
As I march steadfastly towards the boulevard that may lead me straight to home , I take my time to examine the city and find out how much it has altered . As I stroll through the main streets of the city , all I can hear in my head are hysterical screams out of terror .
It is a flabbergasting mixture of tradition and modernity , a term I have managed to obtain from observing the city ’ s peculiarity that I am far from being acquainted of . Amidst the hustle and bustle of the roadways stand series of odd shops , grand but queer to my eyes , with gigantic signboards casting a heavy shadow over me as I canter along the street in sheer puzzlement . Starbucks Coffee , McDonald ’ , s I tilt my head at the brand names , at the same time striving to search for traces , even pieces , of the Old Shanghai I genuinely know .
I lift my weary eyes in melancholy . There they are , I take a moment to gaze at the familiar silhouettes of traditional Chinese architecture that dwells on the roofs of these shops , upright and solemn as though trying to make a point that they have not collapsed in the cyclone of time . I laugh bitterly at the bizarre sight in front of my eyes . The standard building format of old Chinese edifices with state-of-the-art commercial stores built underneath as bases are seen everywhere , bathing the city in a vibrant ambience with its concocted culture . Different kinds of people walk to and fro around me , blonde and brunette , foreigners and locals , with some babbling about the city in excitement and some contemplating on where to go next . I look , through the hoary haze towards the direction of the Temple of City Gods . Tendrils of smoke drift off into the overcast sky , thick and murky , which immediately dawns on me that the temple is probably no longer the placid sanctuary I remember as a part of my memory , but merely an overcrowded spot at which people pay visits to the gods that