Chapter 19
Time had no meaning in the building. Outside seemed to be a night that would never end.
In such dim surroundings, it was easy to feel sleepy.
Jiang Mingran and Uncle Bing left Shao Lan’s room and returned to their own, planning to get a night’s rest first.
Jiang Mingran was exhausted. Even on a bare wooden bed, horribly hard without sheets or bedding, he fell asleep the moment he lay down.
He didn’t know how long he’d slept when something cold against his temple woke him.
“Get up,” an unfamiliar male voice said. “Unless you want to die.”
His eyes flew open in shock.
This wasn’t a dream. Right now, a nail gun was pressed to his head.
It wasn’t as powerful as a handgun. But at this range, Jiang Mingran could already picture his skull pierced and his brains splattering everywhere.
“Who… who are you?” he asked. “What do you want…?”
Before he finished, a cleaver struck his shoulder hard. Blood spurted out.
He fell to the floor, howling in pain.
He was still in his own room. Two people had broken in from outside.
Of the two men in 803, one was tall and the other short. The tall one held a kitchen cleaver. The short one had the nail gun.
“Kid, do as I say, or I’ll blow your head apart.” The short man pressed the gun to his head. “Get over to the vending machine.”
Jiang Mingran had no choice but to obey.
He approached the screen. It immediately scanned his face.
“Hello, Resident Jiang Mingran. What would you like?”
The tall man stepped up to it. “Nan, what do you want?”
“Check his balance.”
A few taps on the screen. “Still over four hundred.”
“Nice. I like rookies who save.” Nan tapped the gun against Jiang Mingran’s temple. “Whatever you save, I get to spend.”
“Pick whatever food you want. Couple bottles of liquor, too.”
“Wine or spirits?”
“Spirits. Get something to eat with them.”
Clutching his shoulder in agony, Jiang Mingran watched them play off each other.
He understood. They were robbing him of supplies.
The tall one, Zhang Fang, was the deputy. His boss was the short, monkey-faced man, Xu Nan.
“All right. Pay.” Xu Nan kicked Jiang Mingran.
They’d chosen over four hundred yuan’s worth of things, all items Jiang Mingran hadn’t dared buy. Just enough to empty his balance.
Just then, a light flashed in the corridor outside.
The property manager walked slowly past with a flashlight, like a security guard on patrol.
Hope flared in Jiang Mingran.
“Help!” he shouted. “Help me!”
He’d braced himself for a beating after shouting. Strangely, neither Xu Nan nor Zhang Fang tried to stop him. They stood aside grinning, enjoying the show.
Outside, the property manager walked slowly away with her flashlight, as though she hadn’t heard.
Despair welled inside Jiang Mingran.
Why wouldn’t she do anything…?
“Rookie, you really don’t know the rules.” Xu Nan smiled. “In this building, anything they haven’t said is forbidden is allowed.”
All color drained from Jiang Mingran’s face.
The property manager had indeed never said theft or robbery was forbidden.
She hadn’t even said they couldn’t kill.
“Getting it now?” Still grinning, Xu Nan struck his head with the nail gun. “If you don’t obey, I can kill you whenever I like. Nobody gives a shit. Now hurry up. Hit Pay.”
“And if I obey, you won’t kill me?” Jiang Mingran asked hoarsely.
Once he paid, he’d have no money left. Who knew whether they’d kill him anyway?
Xu Nan stopped smiling. “You think I’ve got all day?”
Before he finished speaking, Zhang Fang brought the cleaver down hard on Jiang Mingran’s wound.
The pain nearly made him black out. Zhang Fang grabbed his right hand and broke his fingers.
Dragging him like a dead dog, he pressed Jiang Mingran’s hand directly to the screen.
Payment successful.
Food and liquor dropped from the opening. Zhang Fang put them into a bag, one by one.
“Nan…”
“Shh.” Xu Nan suddenly signaled for silence. “Listen.”
Zhang Fang listened. His expression changed abruptly.
A fierce struggle was going on next door.
“Shit. The kid in 802’s putting up a fight. I’ll help Blondie.” He got up and left.
Jiang Mingran lay on the floor, overcome by wave after wave of helplessness.
He’d been trying to think how to warn Shao Lan. But the robbers weren’t stupid. They’d attacked at the same time.
Reaching 802, Zhang Fang swore inwardly.
There were three of them and three targets. They’d planned accordingly.
No need to bother with the lame old man. He couldn’t run or fight. They could leave him until last.
That left two. One was powerfully built, clearly an athlete. The other wore a white shirt and black trousers and looked like an office worker. The first was obviously the bigger threat.
So Xu Nan with the nail gun and Zhang Fang, the biggest and strongest, had taken Jiang Mingran. Blondie was left to ambush Shao Lan.
Who’d have thought he’d lose control even with a weapon and the advantage of surprise?
Zhang Fang rushed through the door just in time to see Shao Lan throw Blondie over his back and into the wall.
Fuck. Had this kid trained?
Sensing trouble, he charged in with his cleaver.
At the same time, Shao Lan had an even worse feeling.
He’d heard the noise next door, too. Jiang Mingran was clearly badly hurt.
Their strongest fighter was down. Uncle Bing could barely walk. Shao Lan was now facing three armed opponents alone. He had no chance.
He dodged two swings from Zhang Fang. The cleaver bit into the chair and stuck.
An opening!
Shao Lan lunged forward and kicked at him.
Metal whistled through the air. A nail struck the chair with enough force to bury itself completely.
“Don’t move.”
The cold voice came from the doorway.
Xu Nan aimed the nail gun at Shao Lan. With his other hand, he dragged a half-dead Jiang Mingran.
“Move again, and the next one’s going into your bones.”
Shao Lan stopped and slowly raised his hands.
Zhang Fang and Blondie used the pause to recover and pick up their weapons.
Uncle Bing had heard the noise and come over. He stood shaking in the doorway.
Ignoring him, Xu Nan looked at Shao Lan. “Go on. Scan your face.”
Shao Lan stayed where he was.
Once he scanned his face, everyone would see his balance of over ten thousand yuan. His hidden advantage would be exposed completely.
“Are you going or not?” Xu Nan’s patience ran out. He raised the gun…
“Let’s make a deal,” Shao Lan said.
Xu Nan raised an eyebrow. “No tricks.”
“It’s not a trick,” Shao Lan said. “Don’t take everything. Leave me half. Next time I come back from a scenario, I’ll split the earnings with you.”
Xu Nan laughed. “Teaching me to think long-term? Instead of killing the hen for meat, keep it for the eggs?”
“You could put it that way.”
Xu Nan smiled.
“I don’t need you fucking telling me how to…”
In a flash, a blade sliced through the air.
Xu Nan’s eyes widened. While talking, and using the wooden bed to block his line of sight, Shao Lan had been edging closer all along.
“You want to die?” Xu Nan roared and pulled the trigger.
The nail flew past Shao Lan’s face. He closed in, sweeping his dagger toward Xu Nan’s neck. “Your aim’s terrible, friend.”