Diminished Part two. b

Pedestrians begin to fill the streets as the city awakens. Nigel pulls up to a four way stop in 'ole Carl just as the traffic light flashes red. With his typical cheerful expression, he takes a deep breath of air only to trigger a few rough coughs. Even with how often he comes into this city, it is easy to forget about all of the odd mixtures of scents that existed here and much of it being pollution. The area also is pretty rundown, holding only remnants of how successful it had once been. Although the majority of the city is in poor condition and some locations are in ruin, there is the well-known, multi-million dollar company Wohlstand that resides in the northwestern part of the city. Their main line of work is with chemicals and are joint to one of two hospitals here, that is the one hospital that is still being used of course.
The traffic light switches to green and 'ole Carl carries Nigel forward. He drives for a few blocks more before turning into a street littered with many stands on the sidewalks. This area is where vendors set up their merchandise and one could almost always find something new  and of interest each week here. Nigel pulls into an alleyway, parks, and then kills the engine as he exits his vehicle. He moves to the bed of his truck and is quickly greeted by a familiar voice.
"You're a little early today, eh champ?"
Looking out of the alley, Nigel sees Hank, a fellow vendor who he had sustained a great friendship with for some time now.
He grinned. "My body wouldn't let me sleep another hour. Maybe it wanted me to beat you here."
Hank chuckles heartily. "Boy, the day you get here before me will be the day they finally put me in the ground hahaha."
"You still got a bit of fight in you, old man. And I couldn't see them taking you down without getting a few blows from you first." Nigel hoists a large box full of his creations and exits the alley. He places the box on a nearby stand and then returns to his truck.
"You know me too well. But a lot of folks are getting restless these days. You've heard, right?"
Nigel froze in place with another box in hand. "Heard what?"
"Things are changing. You can smell it in the air. And whatever it is, it can't be good for anyone."
Nigel thought for a moment and then shrugged. "I don't know. All I can smell is smog and fast food." He laughs and passes Hank.
But Hank firmly puts a hand on Nigel's shoulder to stop him.
"I'm serious Nigel. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it."
They both stand there for several seconds, then Nigel breaks the silence.
"You just stay healthy, Hank. Who else will I compete with on Sunday Super Sales?"
A genuine smile surfaces on Hank's face and he chuckles again. "Maybe my ghost will come back and steal all the good customers, just like I always do haha."
They share a good laugh with each other and go to their own stands. As they are making last minute touches on wares and presentation, potential buyers are swiftly flooding the streets and so begins the day for the city's consumerism.