2 02

Red is deemed auspicious, the color of passion. Red is connected to fire and blood connecting to the primal energy and life forces. Red is also associated with violence, danger and anger. Red is what the dripped on the cold asphalt of the downtrodden inner-slum pathway of Hangzhang east district aka Dark Alley market.

As one may infer, one can buy and sell anything in the Dark alley market, this is a place where anything goes. Therefore, though there are curious sight are thrown at an elegant young female who is surrounded by some bullies who were leering at her subtle yet tasteful curves; none will question, none will step-in to help if thing escalate badly.

"That idiot!" hollered Liu Chang as he ran up to the young female who is blocked by thugs on sides.

"Wang Yong, stop hoarding all the fun let us have her a few times too,"said the fat kid who was besides the extravagantly dressed male with wicked eyes, in the middle. The richly dressed young male was having too much fun trapping the unresisting youth until his fat friend called out.

"Yeah, so what if I'm hoarding? I've learned this new pleasuring technique in the high-end brothel, she will be good for my practice."

Wang Yong, a debased second young master of the Wang family. The Wang family is very influential in the town of Hangzhang. The Wang family's influence comes from their involvement in every major businesses in the town, both legal and illegal. It is not a stretch to say that nothing happens in Hangzhang without the nod from the Wang family.

"That's enough!" screamed Liu as he pushed away Wang Yong away from the flustered young lady.

"Liu Chang, don't think that you can do anything just cause your dad's the Chief Inspector. Wangs run this town and everyone has to obey, including your father."

"Is that so? Who's going to make me obey?" said Liu Chang as he cracked his knuckles into a clenched fist.

Liu Chang, the son of the Chief Inspector Liu Chao is a martial arts fanatic. Growing up, he has beaten up Wang Yong in occasions more than one. In order to help Wang Yong have a better memory recall, Liu Chang waltzes forward to give a knuckle-sandwich to Wan Yong.

However, contrary to everyone's expectation, he was pulled back by the compliant quiet female he as trying to save. She shook her head gesturing her head no.

"Woman, I'm all down for no bullying, but from time-to-time you need to show them wretches that you mean business. Look at your arm, I saw him hitting you with a dog cane. If not for your 'punch me' attitude I would not have recognized that you're my friend Lydia."

Lydia Brockman an 18-year-old misfit among the Chinese, being an European descent, her tousled brown hair and deep green eyes make her stick out like a sore thumb. Her towering height does not offer her and solace either. The westerner genes made her towers over her peers at her high school. Her uncommon looks made her a target for bullies and that one time when Jia Hui, the school's popular athlete talked to her on the corridor, only made her situation worse.

"Liu Chang, stop scandalizing the Wangs, I am not bullying anyone. Lydia took our dog and refused to return, we are just teaching a thief a lesson on morals."

"Hmph, be glad that we didn't report this to the police," said one of the young thugs that accompanied Wang Yong

"That true…?", questioned Liu Chang to his bruised buddy.

"Yeah, they threw this puppy into the lake tied to a rope and, just watch it drown and laugh," confessed Lydia, as she is not one to lie to his friends.

"I'm just teaching it to swim, every dog should know its place and the consequences of barking out," said Wang Yong contradicting Lydia, as he looked mocking at Chang and Lydia.

"Lydia, I hate to do this, but you have to give the dog back to the bastard."

Not caring about the displeased Yong, Chang continued, "Wang Yong, there are laws against cruelty towards animals. If I see you messing with the puppy, I will report you to the authorities myself. Better think twice whether your shenanigans are worth the trouble."

Leaving a stern warning Chang walked away and pulling Lydia along with him.

Wang Yong watched the duo walk away and held tightly at the puppy that was scampering to go to Lydia. Yong stared at her receding back with eyes full of malice towards the leaving duo.

After Chang pulled Lydia away from the beat-down, he couldn't help but keep staring at Lydia's bumpy body and the return glare from Lydia only makes thing more amusing for Liu Chang.

"What…"

"I've been thinking..."

"...thinking what?"

"You are the only person I've known who had her ass handed for compassion. Seriously, you just stood there and took all those beating?"

"I got to know you through martial arts practice and you have to lower your skill level when you help me practice. If Wang Yong was that repulsive to you, you should've cleaned the floor with his face."

"Little Liu, my dad always tells me that persistence always pays off. If I beat him up, he will take it out on the puppy, I just hope he realizes that he is in the wrong."

"Who the f*ck are you calling little Liu?"

"Ha, you could only have moral high ground with me. Good luck wishing Wang Yong to turn a new leaf. Girl, I think you should wizen up to the ways of life. I agree that violence is wrong, but without might, you are just a fool babbling nonsense. What you say is good advice to those who understand your reason, but for those who don't you are just an uninteresting infomercial."

"They just don't care," finished Chang lacking the usual mischievous gleam and a rarely spotted seriousness.

After a short pause Liu Chang continued, "Being a Police officer's son, I shouldn't say this out loud. Violence may not be the best of solution for a problem, but it is a compelling reason to make a vile character behave."

"Ha philosophical are we today?" smiled Lydia.

"You bet your ass I am. If you are quoting daddy, my old man had also imparted me some cool phrases to show off," smirked Liu Chang.

"Hey let's stop by your place before we head to school, I least want to wash off the dirt from my face," suggested Lydia, sighing over the red spots in his clothes.

"Really? I thought u look better all beaten up. By the way, made any decisions on college? Dad wants me to go to Beijing Police College."

"Nah, I haven't given a thought. Maybe, I'll move back to Europe."

"Woah, you should not just drop a bomb like that. If you're not here, where am I going to get a new funny idiot?"

"Who's an idiot? You're the idiot, your whole family is an idiot."

"And my mom gave me a hard time comparing me to you, I wonder what she'll say if I tell her of your certification on our family's IQ.", Chang mischievously pumped his brows watching Lydia face getting pale.

"I was just joking."

"I don't know you seem pretty concrete of what you said"

"…"

"Hmph, your mom and dad likes me more than you, you sure they will believe you, if I say you are lying?" asked Lydia with a raised brow.

"Wow, first slander and now coercion, what happened to my noble and kind friend Lydia?"

Being incessantly teased, Lydia, who is not as adept with words as Liu Chang could only sulk in silence for a lack of a better comeback. The darker the face got for Lydia, the louder Liu Chang laughed.

"See this is why I want you around. As a friend, I don't laugh at you with malice, but when you try to be a nice guy, the best emotion that you could evoke is humor."

"I've made up my mind, I'm leaving this country when I graduate!"

"My dear friend, I am just joking. We could still catch up on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, right?" pleaded Liu Chang

"Who the hell wants to see your ugly mug on the internet?"

"Don't be mean to this handsome face, beautiful girls will revolt against you for what you have just said."

"Lydia, I've been meaning to ask, did you teach mom cooking?"

"Not really, I just gave her a recipe. Why? What happened?"

"No shit, mom surprised dad with her cooking on their anniversary and he went ape over the food."

"It was that good?"

"No, it was that bad!"

"What?! Did she follow the instructions? I was very detailed, even adding cooking."

"Yeah, she followed your instructions to the Tee… But you missed out on one crucial information."

"Yeah?"

"You didn't mention on turning the stove on…"

With a few seconds of silence for the poor Mr. Liu, the two youngsters burst out laughing. The duo continued to tease each other enjoying their pleasant walk home. However, little do they know that this would be the last of their carefree laughter…

Drifting in the river of destiny, the fated hero must withstand the cruelty of the world to reach ashore from drowning only to fight some more.

Violence begets violence, civilization is written with red, from the blood of oneself and of the enemies.

The civilized we can never escape the bloody roots of our past.