19 Chapter 19: Hunted Society

Zen and his team followed the person who waving at them. The guy leaded them to a narrow alley, where they can disappear from people's eyes.

Once they saw nobody chasing behind them anymore, they stop running and catching their breath after running for a long time.

The mysterious guy started to speak to them "catch your breath first, we are safe here for a while".

Zen without any delay, asked the guy "who are you? You look familiar to me".

The guy replied, "well I'm not popular at the Headquarter. Also, we work in different department. But you are not wrong, I'm the one that the Chief has told you guys to save. Just call me Finn".

Zen smiled happily, and said "for real? Yes! We finally meet you, but you don't really look like in the picture that Chief gave to me. In the picture, you have a black hair, but now you have a blonde hair. Also, you now have a beard, while in the picture, you have a bare face. that's why I can't really confirm at first", while referring to the picture The Chief gave to Zen before went there.

Finn replied, "I change my appearance a little, give it a try, thinking they will not detect me at first, but their technologies are so advance, they can recognize me. What makes me more suspicious, the situation the bounty sat on my head was the same as you guys. I just arrived here, barely doing anything, suddenly my face appeared on the big screen and people started to chase me".

Zen sat crossed-leg on the floor while thinking and discussing to Finn and their team, "We might think about that later. The most important thing now is how we want to get out from here. Finn, you have been here for months, right? Other than the normal road, is there any other way people can enter and exit?".

Finn replied to Zen's question, "the only other way we can use is by air, using helicopters. From what I can see, every hotel here has at least a helipad".

Zen asked Finn, "so is there a way we can book a helicopter?".

Finn replied, "I guess no. Those helipads are for the rich customers to land. Also, they will have CCTVs and guards securing those place".

Suddenly Zen and their team's stomach make a sound as a sign of hungriness. Zen asked Finn, "before we continue our discussion, where you usually find something to eat. It is hard to think with an empty stomach".

Finn suddenly remembered something, then replied, "oh, about that, come follow me, I want to show you something".

Finn brought them to an alley behind a Chinese restaurant, then he said "this is why I asked you guys to meet me behind this Chinese restaurant in the card, but it looks like the plan doesn't go well. But at least, you guys already here". Finn then knocked the back door of the restaurant with some kind of rhythm.

After Finn knocked the door, an old Chinese man opened the door and invited Finn to enter the restaurant "oh Finn, come, enter. Who you bring with you?".

Finn replied, "they are new people who got bounty on their head, and maybe they will free all of us".

Kai asked to himself "all of us?".

They followed Finn and the old man entered the restaurant. Finn and the old man leaded them to a secret door in the restaurant. Once they opened the door, they saw a stair. The old man said to them while walking down through the stair "don't worry, just make this place like your home. It is not cosy like your home, but at least you can rest and clean yourself here".

After they reached the end of the stair, they were shocked, as they saw about 20 people fill the space. Kai asked Finn with a shocking face "are they…?!".

Finn replied without Kai even finishing his word, "yes, they are also the people who got bounty on their head. They are not like us. Most of them are people who having a large amount of debt with this place owner. Losing money while gambling and eating the sweet bait that the owner offered. Once you can't pay the debt, if you work for him, or running from him with the bounty on your head".

The old man came back, bringing tray of foods from upstairs, "here, these are the leftover for tonight". Everyone started surrounded the old man to take the food for themselves.

After they enjoyed their foods, the old man gave Zen and his team, a blanket, while saying "here take this. That's all I can give, sorry if you are not comfortable while sleeping on the floor later, I don't have so much money to buy a bed for every single one of you. The toilet is over there, you can clean up yourself there".

Kai replied "don't worry, having a place to rest is already more than enough. Thank you for the hospitality".

After they clean themselves, and resting themselves on the floor, Finn saw that Zen and his team were not changing clothes. Finn asked, "you guys not changing clothes?".

Kai replied, "we don't bring any extra clothes. We never though it will be like this".

Finn felt suspicious with the guitar bag and asked them "so what is in the bag?".

Kai asked Zen "can we show him?".

Zen just nodding his head as an approvement sign.

Kai opened the guitar bag and Finn was shocked looking at those weapons inside. Kai explained to Finn, "we bring them, just in case we need to use them, but it looks like not only we didn't need to use them, but we also can't even use them".

Zen stood up and walked away while saying "I'm going to get some fresh air". Zen went outside of the restaurant and enjoying the night breeze while looking at the dark sky.

Suddenly the old man greeted Zen, "taking a night air, huh? Don't you feel scared standing here?".

Zen smiled and replied "well I have nothing to scare at all. They are also humans like us. If I'm scared, how can I save those people?".

The old man smiled and changed the topic by inviting Zen for a game of Xiangqi, the Chinese version of chess, "I like you guts. Anyway, want to play Xiangqi with me? Do you know how to play it?".

Zen replied "yes, I know how to play it. A game might be nice".

They sat on stools with the Xiangqi's board on the small table. Without they even realized, they already played for five round already, while chatting to each other.

Zen asked the old man, "uncle, why do you save those people?".

The old man replied after moving a piece, "well, it is a long story. I already opened this restaurant for 40 years. In the early years, this entertainment place wasn't built yet. We just enjoyed the nature here on the hill while having a small business. Not just me, there were also a few people who opened their shops here, and we've been a small calm town.

10 years ago, this entertainment place was built. They're paying every single of the people to leave this place. Everyone got baited by the money they offered, so they leave. Just me who resist to move away, because I got a lot of memories of my own here.

But the longer I stayed here, the more I feel sinful. Looking outside of my restaurant, men walking with a lot of women by their side, the overuse of alcohols, the gambling places everywhere, people getting beat up because of their own sinful desires. That's why, to make me feel a little bit better, I help these people, at least I can pay to God for my sins for being here, even in a small amount".

Zen nodding, understand the story that the old man just told, while moving a Xiangqi piece as it is his turn.

Out of nowhere, after looking at the Xiangqi's board, Zen got an idea for escape from that place. He then stood up and said to the old man, "I'm sorry, we need to pause this game for a while", then he ran inside and waking up all those people, "wake up guys! I got a plan, door to our freedom!"

To be continued...