Chapter 9 The Lone City (9)

Chapter 9: The Lonely City (Part Nine)

He Yunchuan put down his phone, a grin spreading across his face. He started the car and headed for the suburbs. The traffic was a nightmare, the weather was hot, and the incessant honking was driving him crazy.

On the way to the suburbs, he passed near a supermarket. That short stretch of road, just a few hundred meters long, was jammed for over twenty minutes.

He Yunchuan tugged at his collar, pulled out a couple of tissues to wipe his sweat, his mind racing over the various pieces of information he'd received today. There's no smoke without fire. In places ordinary people couldn't reach, something terrifying was clearly happening. Even the big shots he had access to probably didn't know the full picture.

Humans were sometimes like animals in the jungle. When danger approached, they could sense it in advance through subtle signs and traces, putting up their defenses, wary of everything around them.

He Yunchuan was that kind of person. He had dropped out of high school in his teens to hustle on the streets, relying on his knack for seeking good fortune and avoiding harm. And this time, his premonition was very bad.

The car was stuck for a long time. His phone vibrated several times. He glanced at it casually—it was his father, He Yuanshan, calling.

His finger felt as if it had rusted; he couldn't lift it no matter what. The phone rang several times. Finally, He Yunchuan answered, his voice extremely impatient. "I'm driving. What is it?"

He Yuanshan's voice was low and timid. "I... I got kicked out by my landlord. I have nowhere to stay tonight."

—Then go sleep on the street!

He Yunchuan wanted to say that, but he didn't want to waste time on pointless arguments. Biting back his anger, he said, "You can find a hotel for the night."

"My rent isn't up yet, but the landlord suddenly won't let me stay. I used my salary to pay off debts. I have no money on me now." He Yuanshan's breathing was rapid, his voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "I just wanted to see you, son."

"What's there to see! Don't I have two eyes and a nose like everyone else?!" He Yunchuan saw a fight going on across the street. The small supermarket was packed with people, and people were fainting every now and then. He Yunchuan's frustration reached a boiling point at that moment.

"Where are you?" He Yunchuan asked He Yuanshan, his eyes fixed on the fallen pedestrian.

He Yuanshan gave an address, just a few blocks away.

"I'll be right there." He Yunchuan hung up, turned into a side alley, was stuck for another half hour, and finally pulled up to the neighborhood entrance a little past seven.

He Yuanshan was carrying a tattered backpack, holding a few plastic bags, with two burlap sacks at his feet. He clutched his phone tightly, his back pressed against the wall, warily scanning his surroundings.

He Yunchuan spotted him from across the street. The car couldn't get through, so he honked twice. He Yuanshan didn't seem to hear.

"Damn it!" He Yunchuan cursed, pushed the door open, got out, and dodged through the gridlocked traffic to the street corner.

He Yuanshan's eyes lit up with delight. He picked up the burlap sacks at his feet and called out hoarsely, "Son!"

He Yunchuan said sternly, "I'll take you to a hotel."

The smile on He Yuanshan's face instantly faded, but he still nodded politely. "Thank you."

He Yunchuan avoided looking at his face and had no intention of helping him carry his things. He just turned and started walking.

At seven in the evening in May, the temperature was still soaring above thirty degrees Celsius. The sky was bright; the sun had clearly set, yet the sky was incredibly luminous. He Yunchuan walked ahead, a knot of pent-up frustration with nowhere to vent. Suddenly, he heard a huge BANG. A woman in a dress came running over and slammed onto the hood of a red car. Not far behind her, a man covered in blood was chasing her. He was incredibly fast and agile. He grabbed the woman's throat from behind, his sharp teeth sinking into her exposed neck. With a tearing sound, he ripped off a piece of flesh. He bared his blood-stained teeth, his crimson eyes unfocused. He sniffed frantically, using scent to search the crowd for his next prey.

Blood stained the car window. The driver screamed hysterically, stomping on the accelerator. The road, already jammed solid, offered no space to move. Trapped, he kept ramming into the car in front, setting off a series of loud crashes.

He Yunchuan was frozen in terror. That man's strength and speed were on a completely different level from Mao Mao's. Once he set his sights on you, one foot was undoubtedly in the coffin.

The man jumped onto the car hood, leaning down to look at He Yunchuan, who was now within arm's reach. Gummy blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, landing on He Yunchuan's sweat-drenched hair.

He Yunchuan's body froze. He swallowed hard, trying to move his feet. But the moment he made the slightest move, the man instantly lunged at him!

At the critical moment, a quilt was flung from behind, covering the man's face. In that split second, He Yunchuan quickly dropped to the ground and scrambled under the car, crawling through the gap to the other side.

Ahead, a car accident had occurred. Cars were bumper-to-bumper, leaving no gap for pedestrians to pass through. After throwing the quilt, He Yuanshan couldn't find a way through. He was burlier than He Yunchuan; he couldn't fit under the car, and he couldn't bear to leave behind the few belongings in his hands.

Meanwhile, He Yunchuan took the chance to run across the street. When he turned back, he saw He Yuanshan standing there dumbfounded.

He Yunchuan gritted his teeth in fury and roared, "Dad! Get over here! What are you dawdling for?!"

He Yuanshan snapped back to reality. He sprinted forward, putting some safe distance between himself and the threat. He agilely stepped onto a car hood, climbed over a vehicle, and then dashed towards He Yunchuan.

He Yunchuan yanked the car door open, urging He Yuanshan inside. Once both were seated and the doors were locked, they finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He Yunchuan gripped the steering wheel tightly. The bloody scene still lingered before his eyes, deeply etched into his pupils.

He turned to look across the street and was surprised to find that the monster was still standing on the car roof, holding the quilt over its face as if something inside fascinated it, making it lose interest in pursuing new prey.

"He can't see; he can only smell. I've heard people talk about it these past few days." He Yuanshan opened his mouth, too embarrassed to admit the quilt hadn't been washed for months.

He Yunchuan withdrew his gaze, his heart still pounding. "Let's get out of here, quick."

A multi-car pileup blocked the road ahead. Fortunately, He Yunchuan had parked his car by the roadside earlier. Next to it was a small alley; by driving the wrong way, they still had a chance to get out.

He Yuanshan had lost all his luggage except for the bag on his shoulder. He cradled the bag, unzipped it, and peeked inside. "Son, where are we going now?"

He Yunchuan shot him a sidelong glance. "Lili's place."

After being stuck in traffic the whole way, He Yunchuan's fuel was almost depleted. A trip that should have taken twenty minutes dragged on for over two hours. It was nearly eight o'clock when they finally arrived at Happiness Community.

A tall iron fence had been erected at the community entrance, leaving an opening just wide enough for one car. Vehicles were queuing to enter. When it was He Yunchuan's turn, a fully armed security guard stopped him.

He Yunchuan rolled down the window.

"You're not a resident of our community!" the guard said.

He Yunchuan remained calm and composed. "I'm a resident of Unit 1902, Building 20. I just moved in a couple of days ago. My vehicle hasn't been registered yet."

The guard was skeptical. He called Lin Yanqing, the owner of Unit 1902. The phone rang several times with no answer.

He Yunchuan made a video call to Xia Li. When the call connected, He Yunchuan said with a smile, "Lili, tell the security guard we need to get in now."

He Yunchuan flipped the phone screen and showed it to the guard. The guard's expression instantly changed, turning bashful. "I know him! It's Yali Very Sweet! Hello, Yali! I'm Xue Xiaofeng, a security guard here. I'm your fan."

"Hello, security guard."

"Do you know these two people?"

He Yunchuan turned the phone back, bringing He Yuanshan into the frame.

Xue Xiaofeng's face flushed bright red, and he nodded hurriedly. "Let them through! Let them through!"

The gate opened. He Yunchuan rolled up the window and chuckled sarcastically. "This little guy, he's sharp when it counts."

He Yuanshan smiled. "He's got quite the reputation now."

"He's a bit of a celebrity in the community." He Yunchuan drove into the parking lot and saw Lin Yanqing's car. He knew this guy was unreliable—not even answering his phone.

After getting out of the car, He Yunchuan opened the trunk. Together with He Yuanshan, they moved the supplies and luggage into the elevator and headed straight for the 19th floor. As the elevator ascended, He Yunchuan remained on high alert. He hung his backpack on his chest, partially unzipped it, and reached inside, his hand gripping the stun baton, ready in case the elevator doors opened midway and some monster charged in.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful. Upon reaching the nineteenth floor, they moved the stuff out. Xia Li saw them through the peephole and quickly opened the door. Seeing them covered in dust, he was very surprised, his eyes wide. He said politely yet bluntly, "Hello, Uncle. Did you two just come back from a mine?"

He Yunchuan was utterly exhausted, with no energy for jokes. He walked in and immediately lay down on the floor.

He Yuanshan stacked the cardboard boxes together to save as much space as possible. Then he stood in the entryway, wooden and at a loss for what to do.

"Uncle, have a seat anywhere. Let me get you some tea." Seeing He Yuanshan sweating, Xia Li thought for a moment and added, "Actually, how about a cold soda instead?"

He Yuanshan smiled and said, "Anything is fine."

Xia Li was tidying up the messy house. He grabbed a can of Sprite he'd put in the fridge that morning and handed He Yuanshan a bottle of mineral water.

He Yuanshan held the soda but didn't drink it, opting for the plain water instead.

Xia Li crouched beside He Yunchuan and nudged his shoulder. "What's wrong with you? You look exhausted. What, were you moving bricks?"

"Tell me about it, I practically was." He Yunchuan pushed himself up off the floor. "Where's Lin Yanqing? Still not back? He's not even answering his phone!"

"He went next door with Jiang Songnian."

"What for?"

Xia Li lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously. "I overheard them talking about showing a gun. I said I wanted to see it too, but my brother said kids aren't allowed. He was all jumpy about it—even changed into new clothes before going, said it'd be easier."

He Yunchuan instantly understood and angrily crushed the empty water bottle in his hand. "That guy is such a hypocrite! Playing these kinds of games—rules for thee but not for me!"

Xia Li leaned in to sniff him, then pinched his nose in disgust. "Ew, you smell awful! Go shower, will you?"