No. 52 Fear Etched on Their Faces
The scorching sun beat down on the residential complex, a hazy heat rising from the pavement.
I stood at the edge of the rooftop, staring at the deserted concrete below and the agitated crowd gathering on the other side. Despite the precarious situation, a strange calmness settled over me.
The two buildings, mine and Xiaodie’s, were separated by a narrow gap, barely a meter wide. My rooftop was also about two meters higher. Which meant that once I jumped across, there was no way to return without assistance.
“Yi Yao… maybe we should reconsider. It’s a nine-story drop. It’s too dangerous.”
Liang Zhenyi, who had accompanied me to the rooftop, looked down at the ground, his voice filled with concern. “It’s broad daylight. They wouldn’t hurt Xiaodie, right? We’re just kids.”
“You’re suggesting we leave Xiaodie’s fate in the hands of these strangers?”
The crowd had blocked the stairwell. We couldn’t get through. If we did nothing, there were only two possible outcomes: one, Xiaodie would emerge from her apartment and face the mob alone, risking a confrontation or a stampede. Two, the mob would force their way into the building and her apartment.
Either way, without a friend by her side, she would be vulnerable. And in this volatile situation, the consequences could be devastating.
Xiaodie, already on the verge of a breakdown, might completely lose hope in humanity, in her own future.
“But they wouldn’t hurt a little girl, right?”
Liang Zhenyi, as indecisive as ever, even after ten years. Perhaps some things were truly predetermined.
“Listen, Huang Yingdie is my friend. You’re my friend too. If you ever face a similar situation, I’ll come for you.”
I took a few steps back, my eyes fixed on the landing spot I had chosen. “There are many things in life you have to fight for. This is one of them. If we don’t try, we’ll never reach new heights.”
I ran, leaped, and soared through the air.
My windbreaker, jeans, and sneakers blurred as I crossed the gap between the buildings. I landed, tucking my head and rolling to absorb the impact, just as I had practiced in the Taekwondo gym.
Pain shot through my body.
I stood up, my heart pounding, my clothes disheveled. The rooftop was a desolate expanse of concrete, littered with debris and dead branches.
I had made it.
“Yi Yao!”
Liang Zhenyi called out from the other side, his voice filled with worry. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
I licked a small cut on my hand, the metallic taste of blood clearing my head. “Tell Hua She and the others to go back. I’ll handle this.”
That girl really was a troublesome friend…
I followed the rooftop access corridor and reached the stairwell leading to Xiaodie’s floor. Ignoring my messy clothes, I called her as soon as I reached her door.
“I’m outside.”
The door opened, and Xiaodie emerged, wearing a crop top and short harem pants, a large violin case-shaped backpack slung over her shoulder.
“Did you get everything?”
She nodded, then glanced back at her empty apartment, a hint of sadness in her eyes.
The self-proclaimed “righteous citizens” had already searched the place and confiscated several items. I had been present when she moved out. She had taken only a few clothes and her manga collection.
If I remembered correctly, that case contained the M200 sniper rifle she had purchased from Ouyang Dati. It was the same rifle used by Yuri Nakamura in the anime “Angel Beats!” She had fallen in love with it at first sight.
Of course, it was incredibly expensive. And since she was a minor, Ouyang Dati hadn’t given her any ammunition or taught her how to use it, claiming such a powerful weapon was unsuitable for beginners.
Despite that, she treasured it.
“Let’s go.”
I took her hand and said, “Stay close behind me.”
“Okay.”
She followed me obediently, like a kitten.
It took us less than three minutes to reach the ground floor.
Through the glass door of the stairwell, I saw a sea of faces, a scene straight out of a zombie apocalypse movie.
“They’re coming down!”
“Heh, couldn’t handle the guilt, huh?”
“They should arrest the daughter too. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“Why is that Yi Yao girl with her? Do they live together?”
Xiaodie’s hand trembled in mine.
Her fear was palpable, transmitted through her clammy palm.
Confusion, fear, helplessness, despair—I saw a dark cloud descend over her, her inner world a blood-soaked nightmare.
“It’s okay. I’m here.”
I had witnessed countless scenes like this in my previous life.
A year from now, in June 2017, during the summer break after the college entrance exam, Upper Capital City would experience a far larger and more chaotic panic, fueled by extremist groups. The entire city would be paralyzed for a month.
And there would be two more similar incidents, in 2019 and 2020. Compared to those events, this current situation was child’s play.
I opened the door and stepped out, pulling Xiaodie along. The crowd parted instinctively, their gazes filled with a mixture of scorn, curiosity, and hatred. The world fell silent.
“Hold it right there!”
Just as we were about to escape the encirclement, someone finally spoke up. “You’re just going to walk away?”
I turned to face the speaker. “Didn’t you want to search her apartment? The door is unlocked. Go ahead.”
He scoffed. “Oh, so confident? You must have already removed the evidence.”
Humans were predictable creatures. If you refused to let them search, they accused you of hiding something. If you let them search, they claimed you had already removed the evidence. In short, you couldn’t win.
“You can leave, but let us check that case.”
He gestured towards Xiaodie’s backpack.
I stepped between them, shielding her. “That’s personal property. I refuse.”
“Then don’t blame us for being ruthless. We’re doing this for the sake of Upper Capital City.” He turned to the crowd. “Am I right?”
“Yes!”
“We can’t let another Huang Zhiqiang incident happen!”
“I love Upper Capital City! We won’t let you leave!”
The crowd roared, their faces flushed with righteous indignation, as if they were ready to charge into a hail of bullets.
“See? We’re not asking for much. Just let us search you. If you’re innocent, we won’t give you any trouble.”
He grinned triumphantly and waved his hand. Several burly men stepped forward. As they reached for us, I retreated, drew the knives from my pants, and assumed Pai Ge’s offensive stance, shielding Xiaodie.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you’re just a kid. You think you can threaten us with knives? Aren’t you afraid of juvenile detention?”
Emboldened by the crowd, he chuckled. “Come on, you wouldn’t dare stab anyone.”
“Swish! Swish!”
Two flashes of steel. His shirt was sliced in a cross pattern, revealing a thin line of blood where the blades had grazed his skin.
“Do you believe me now?”
I said coldly, maintaining my stance.
This was my first real fight, and I was using lethal weapons. But with Xiaodie behind me, I felt no fear, only a fierce determination to protect her.
“These knives are sharp. Don’t push your luck.”
The information I had downloaded from the Queen Bee server wasn’t just about Huang Zhiqiang and the other politicians. Zhui Feng had told me about a mysterious group operating in the shadows, seemingly intent on destabilizing the city. Their motives were unclear, but they were definitely up to no good.
“You… you’re just a girl. What are you going to do?”
The man I had injured stumbled backward, his face pale.
“Hey, Da Wei, what’s the age of criminal responsibility again?”
“Fourteen or sixteen? I can’t remember.”
“Don’t ‘can’t remember’! There’s a big difference between fourteen and sixteen! If it’s sixteen, and this little girl accidentally hurts us, we’re screwed.”
Just then, I saw a few familiar faces charge through the crowd, tackling the men who were blocking our path.
“Yi Yao, run! Take Xiaodie and run!”
Hua She, Liang Zhenyi, and the others, like a herd of bulls, created a path for us, their arms wrapped tightly around the aggressors.
“Run!”
I hesitated for a moment, then grabbed Xiaodie’s hand and, before the crowd could react, we sprinted through the gap.
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