Chapter 34: Paradise for Chaotic Criminals

Deciding they needed to take action, Ike and his companions positioned themselves in a higher location, watching the faces of people emerging from the mall's exit, hoping to spot Lu wei and his son. They anxiously scanned the crowd, hoping for a reassuring sight.

But as the crowd dispersed, they saw no sign of Lu wei or his son. Tom began to wonder if they had already returned home, possibly missing the chaos.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out from within the mall, and panic erupted as people rushed to escape. Ike and his companions watched in horror as the chaos unfolded. They realized they couldn't wait any longer – they had to take action to find Lu wei and his son.

Ike asked the others, "What should we do?"

Tom was at a loss for words, not knowing what to do next.

Ike hadn't spoken yet when Regus interrupted, saying, "We can't leave them behind."

Though it sounded more like a statement than a suggestion, it conveyed Regus's determination. Ike understood that Regus believed they had a moral obligation to rescue Lu Wei and his son, no matter the risks.

Their ideas differed, but each was firm in their own conviction. For now, they decided to investigate the situation inside the mall and assess the circumstances before making any decisions.

Moving quickly toward the shopping mall, they sneaked into the large discount supermarket on the second floor, hoping to find any trace of Lu wei and his son.

As they approached the mall entrance, they spotted two men in black uniforms with machetes guarding it vigilantly. The mall had at least one entrance and one exit, but both were now guarded.

They couldn't determine what was happening inside.

Ike whispered, "This type of supermarket usually has an employee entrance. Let's try to find it."

Finding an employee entrance would be a challenge, as none of them had experience of such situations. Nevertheless, luck seemed to be on their side. They reached the back of the mall and discovered a fire escape near a freight elevator.

 Using the fire escape, they accessed a small entrance that led to the supermarket's warehouse – a place not guarded by the men in black.

Emerging from the warehouse, they found themselves on the supermarket's first floor. From there, they hoped to locate another entrance to the supermarket's second floor, where Lu wei and his son might be.

However, the warehouse was unique in that it formed a barrier encircling the supermarket. The warehouse had a connecting door, but it was wrapped around the supermarket, making it difficult to access the second floor.

Through a vent above the warehouse, Ike managed to catch a glimpse of the scene inside the supermarket. They saw empty shelves and a small platform where approximately fifty people were trapped.

Around them stood more than twenty men in black with various weapons, inclding knives, wearing black t-shirts. It was a dire situation.

Maybe Lu wei and Ralph were among the trapped individuals. In front of them, several lifeless bodies lay on the floor, victims of the violence.

The man in black who led the group was dancing, wielding a gun in one hand and an axe in the other.

Action Art, as he seemed to be called, was orchestrating a macabre performance. The scene was surreal, as if imitating a martial arts master, but the bloodshed was all too real.

Action Art appeared to take pleasure in tormenting his victims.

Ike suspected that this situation might have been orchestrated by Action Art himself. He had a feeling that the violence inside the mall was part of a plan to lure people inside and then trap them.

The situation inside the mall grew increasingly chaotic. The trapped individuals made an attempt to break free, but the men in black fought back viciously. In the midst of the chaos, gunshots rang out, marking the city's first incident of armed violence.

Ike, Tom, and Regus, hidden in the warehouse, waited anxiously. They realized that they had entered a cruel and lawless era, one that was not recorded in history.

As the violence continued outside, they overheard Action Art engaging in a sinister game with one of the trapped individuals.

 The man was subjected to gruesome torture as he attempted to answer Action Art's bizarre questions about fruit preferences.

Gunshots and chaos ensued outside, and Ike, realizing that they could not stay hidden forever, decided they needed to leave and search for Lu wei and his son.

Stepping out of the warehouse, they found themselves in a city still drenched by heavy rain. Amid the gloom, they passed by an intersection and spotted Ralph sitting alone on the steps. Ike's heart sank as he wondered if something had happened to Lu wei .

Ike and three others hurriedly approached, and Regus hesitated before asking, "Where is your father?" Ralph, wearing a black cap, sat on the steps beside a waterfall, staring ahead with an emotionless expression that immediately weighed down the mood of the three.

"Go back for now," Ralph said. The three sighed in relief.

But what was he doing sitting here alone?

Water sprayed, drenching Ralph's clothes. Ike noticed Ralph's raincoat, stained with uncleaned blood, and turned to Regus .

"Go back and put everything down, then come back out. We should grab some supplies before things get messier today. They might not be available in a day or two."

Ike handed them his backpack.

Regus didn't hesitate; he considered Ike a thoughtful and composed person, believing that Ike had valid reasons for his actions.

Tom glanced hesitantly at Ike and Ralph before leaving with Regus.

After watching them disappear into the rain, Ike followed the water's path on the ground, tracing it back to its source. In a narrow alleyway, at a corner, a twisted figure lay there.

The figure, the scratched hands, and the bruised face brought back forgotten memories for Ike. He and Ralph had been very young then.

They had gone to Lu Wei's house across the street to play games, the same house now rented by Regus's family.

He remembered that once, in the middle of a game, he couldn't find Ralph. Lu Wei's house was like a palace to a young boy, with many rooms. He opened one door after another, searching in vain for Ralph.

Later, he heard Ralph crying, but it sounded more like a struggle.

He approached the door and listened. Just as he caught a hint of what was happening, the door suddenly swung open, and Lu Wei appeared, smiling.

"Uncle Lu Wei! What are you doing here?" Young Ike always admired older people who were generous, kind, and funny.

"We're playing a game. Want to join?" Lu Wei asked. "What kind of game?" Young Ike inquired.

Young Ike was about to enter when he heard Ralph's voice from outside. "Ike."

Ralph, wearing a white T-shirt and holding a bag of potato chips, had red and swollen eyes as if he'd been crying.

Ike was instantly drawn to Ralph.

After Lu Wei gave Ike a bag of potato chips, Ike left the room. Later, he remembered that he had forgotten to say goodbye, and he felt rude for several days. Perhaps Uncle Lu Wei wouldn't like him anymore.

He couldn't recall what happened afterward. Several years later, Lu Wei moved away, and the house remained vacant for years until it was rented to Regus's family.

Lu Wei didn't open a convenience store until they moved to Negan. Next door, Negan had a son named Tom, about the same age as Ike. Gradually, Ike drifted away from Ralph, who was becoming more and more distant.

Many years later, he overheard that things had gotten messy back then, and Lu Wei had lost his job and moved away from the area.

In hindsight, Ike realized that there were dark secrets hidden beneath his seemingly happy childhood. Yet, his relationship with Ralph had grown distant, making it impossible for either of them to turn back time.

Returning to the present, Ike sat on the steps outside Grace's door. No one spoke, only the sound of raindrops falling on the wet earth filled the air.

A gust of wind carried rain, splashing into a muddy puddle. It flowed down the river, deeper into the fields, where debris swirled in the murky water, disappearing into an unknown abyss, never to see the light of day again.

All were innocent. The heavy rain had created this vast puddle, and the debris, devoid of eyes, hands, or feet, had no choice but to follow the water's inertia.

In this puddle, they were all equal, irrespective of their nobility or lowliness.

Inequality disappeared here, and all shared the same fate—swept away by the current, heading for an abyss from which there was no return.

Regus and Tom returned with empty backpacks. As Ike had predicted, once the established social order broke down, notions of law and morality held no sway. People rushed to claim all visible resources in the city, grabbing what they could before others could react.

 Ike and his group weren't short on food, as they had found plenty submerged in the water.