Chapter 021
Beeihae Shinnshiow
Even though the traffic was normal, the journey felt like forever. Shinnshiow repeatedly rubbed his forehead. The air temperature was not that hot, but since earlier, his forehead was sweating continuously. He glanced at Jenqyih. His friend looked calm. It was as if they had no problem at all.
"Don't act like that. You look like a panicked person!" Jenqyih whispered while still looking ahead.
Hearing Jenqyih's words, Shinnshiow couldn't help but be silent. He really didn't know how to act. He glanced at Jenqyih. His friend was pinching the tip of his nose. Usually, he did that when he was running out of ideas.
Hopefully, Yihge will quickly come up with a new idea that can get us out of this dire situation.
"Three stops from here. I want you to get off this bus." Jenqyih finally said something after playing with his nose for a while.
"You mean I have to get off the bus alone while you stay here?" Shinnshiow still didn't really understand Jenqyih's instructions.
"Yes! I want to know the reaction of the people following us. There are still two people following in our footsteps. One person is the one directly following us. The other person is the one who is shadowing that person. I'm inquisitive. Who will they follow between the two of us?"
"Then what should I do after that?"
"Later, after getting off the bus, you look for a shop or restaurant. You go inside that place. If you can, look for a rather large restaurant to see more clearly if someone is following you. You have to be there for at least ten minutes. When you are absolutely sure that no one is following you, please, immediately look for a public telephone box to call people in our house. Tell them briefly about what we have experienced. Don't forget to ask them to be alert. The people following us may be only a part of the people who have been watching us. There could still be some people from their gang guarding near our house."
Why did the problem turn out to be this complicated?
Jenqyih's words sounded a little scary. Watching Jenqyih's response to this incident, Shinnshiow felt it was not the first time Jenqyih had faced such things. Indeed, if he thought about it, Shinnshiow knew little about Jenqyih. It's safe to say they've only known each other for a year. The only thing that connected them was Shannchyuan. Shinnshiow was Shannchyuan's friend. He had known Shannchyuan for a long time. But maybe before Shinnshiow got to know Shannchyuan, Jenqyih and Shannchyuan were already friends. They had known each other for a long time. What couldn't be denied was the fact that Shinnshiow and Jenqyih were two strangers who had only been living under the same roof for a year. So it was only natural that there were many things they didn't understand about each other.
The age difference between Shinnshiow and Shannchyuan was indeed quite significant. Ever since Chioujen moved to another city six months ago, Shinnshiow had become the youngest person in their group. As the youngest person, he listened more than actively spoke in everyday conversation. Besides, of course, because Shinnshiow was a quiet person by nature. Respecting elders was their tradition. Shinnshiow believed that even differences of opinion must be handled in an appropriate manner.
"Okay." Shinnshiow nodded. Then they waited until the bus arrived at the stop that Jenqyih meant.
"Wait a minute, there's something else!" Suddenly Jenqyih said again. This time, he didn't whisper.
"What's wrong? Has there been a change of plans?" Shinnshiow couldn't hide his surprise.
"Now that I think about it. You'd better take this backpack," Jenqyih pointed to the backpack he had been carrying. "This backpack I carry is a little heavier than the one you carry. But its contents are even less important than the backpack you are carrying."
Shinnshiow couldn't pretend to understand what Jenqyih was saying. Luckily, Jenqyih seemed to understand that.
"What I mean is, after you get off at the bus stop, you immediately go to the nearest train station. Whether you want to take an elevated train or a subway station, it's up to you. You go straight to the luggage storage locker section when you get there. I mean the usual storage lockers that are available at all those stations. The maximum time for storing goods is only two weeks. You put this backpack there for only three days.."
"Then?"
"After that, you put your original plan into action. Go to a restaurant that isn't too small, then look for a payphone to call people back home. Without a backpack, you'd be a lot more nimble."
Shinnshiow nodded. But that doesn't mean that he understands one hundred percent.
"If they could somehow break into the locker where you left this duffel bag, then they wouldn't find anything because the contents of this duffel bag are just unimportant things."
"What if they keep following me? Should I keep calling home while I'm still under their watch?"
"If they're still watching you after more than ten minutes you're in that tavern or diner, then you continue to sit there for another thirty to forty minutes. If they still insist on following you, well, let them be. Don't try to run away. I'm afraid they might even suspect that you are aware of their presence. Avoid spaces that are not crowded, so they have a chance to ambush you. After that, you go straight to the station. Call our friends at home from there. Then, hurry home by train. Stuff in the locker, we'll pick up another day."
"What about you?" asked Shinnshiow.
"I'll get off at the last stop. Just like you, I'll head to the train station. From there, I'll also call our friends at home. Then I'll take the train home. So we'll meet at home."
"All right," Shinnshiow replied steadfastly. They swap backpacks quickly and without attracting attention.
A moment later, the bus arrived at the stop. Shinnshiow immediately stood up and walked to the bus's back door to get off. Since they were sitting in the far right corner of the back row, Shinnshiow actually only moved about three meters away. After getting off, he went straight to the bench at the bus stop to sit for a while. It turned out to be true. The person who had been following them all along also got off at the bus stop. He got off the bus right after Shinnshiow. However, what was interesting was that the person following that person did not get off the bus. He remained on the bus. Shinnshiow, wasting no more time, immediately got up from his seat and headed for the nearest station.
The distance was not far from there, only about two hundred meters. To get to that place, Shinnshiow had to walk about fifty meters towards the intersection. After that, turn left. From there, the train station was visible. The station was not a subway station but an elevated train station. The interesting thing for Shinnshiow was that the mode of transportation in the city was very diverse. There were several modes of transportation that Shinnshiow had never ridden. But fortunately, he had been on an elevated train like that.
Since the backpack he was carrying was quite heavy, Shinnshiow decided to take the elevator instead of taking the stairs. Arriving at the top, he immediately headed to the storage of goods. The size of the backpack was quite large, so Shinnshiow had to choose the locker with the largest size. Arriving in front of the locker, he immediately put in some coins as the cost of keeping his backpack for four days. He added a day just in case they couldn't pick up the goods on time. After the locker opened, he immediately put the backpack in it. Then he set the locker combination number. The combination lock comprised an eight-digit number that functions as a PIN. So far, Shinnshiow had always used the same eight digits when he had to leave things in the locker. He did that because if he used another combination of numbers, there was a chance he might forget. But now, he decided to use a different combination of numbers because the situation was not the same as usual.
In accordance with Jenqyih's instructions, Shinnshiow should not openly show that he was aware that someone was following him. So, after he finished putting things into the locker, he immediately left without looking to the right or left. He hurried out of the station. At that time, he chose to go down by using the escalator. After reaching the ground floor and exiting the station, he crossed the street with the other people. As Jenqyih said, Shinnshiow tried to stay close to the people around him.
Two minutes walk, there was a fairly large restaurant. After entering inside, Shinnshiow sat down at a table in the left corner. From where he was sitting, Shinnshiow could see all corners of the place. He did not see the person who had been following him. There were two possibilities. The first was that the man was still at the station and was trying to open the locker where Shinnshiow had left his backpack. The second possibility was he might be standing outside the restaurant and waiting there until Shinnshiow came out.
Shinnshiow did not know how long he would have to be there and how much longer he would be home safely. If he was still going to be hanging around outside for an indefinite amount of time, then he had to be prepared. Among other things was to fill his stomach so he would not starve. Therefore, Shinnshiow ordered not only drinks but also food. If only after that, everything turned out to be running smoothly, and Shinnshiow could quickly arrive home. So let's just say he had an early dinner.
It turned out that the restaurant sold vegetarian food. Lately, vegetarian food was indeed popular in some parts of the city, especially among the younger generation. The strange phenomenon began when a famous young singer decided to become a vegetarian. Many of his die-hard fans then tried to follow in the singer's footsteps. Then there were seven or eight other young singers who were also trying to do the same. Those seven or eight singers also had so many loyal fans that more and more people were trying to become vegetarians. These fans had friends or family, so the habit quickly spread to those people. Indeed, among the singers, there were some who could only endure being a vegetarian for a few months. But the impact had already been significant. The vegetarian wave had already spread, even to those who were not fans of those singers.
Shinnshiow doesn't really like vegetarian food. Not that he hated it, just that he would most likely choose another food if he had the choice. Basically, Shinnshiow really liked to eat vegetables. Although when he ate vegetables, he always combined the dish with meat such as poultry or fish. So, it was not too difficult for him to adapt to a vegetarian environment. This time, he chose to eat rice cooked with coconut milk. The side dish was a variety of vegetables stirred together in a sauce made of finely ground peanuts mixed with a generous amount of garlic and shallots. He loved spicy food so much that imagining that dish could make him drool.
Just waited about ten minutes, the food came. Shinnshiow ate voraciously. The pungent aroma of abundant garlic further added to his appetite. Before he finished eating, Shinnshiow had already decided to add another serving. Five minutes after he finished the first portion, the second portion arrived. At that time, he did not eat as fast and as voraciously as before. Even so, he enjoyed the dish with all his heart. One characteristic of their group members was to eat with full appreciation. Although what they often ate was not exceptional, they always treated the dish equally. Shannchyuan had always said that eating with passion was part of their respect for the people who had worked so hard to prepare the food.
After being full, Shinnshiow sat down to rest in the restaurant. He intended to wait there for a while. Even though he had not seen anyone following him since he entered the restaurant, there was nothing wrong with being more careful. Shinnshiow was sitting inside the restaurant for almost forty-five minutes. He finally felt he was ready to continue everything, according to the plan they had made.
Dusk was approaching. The sun almost slipped on the western horizon. Shinnshiow realized he had to hurry. He didn't want to find himself still wandering the unfamiliar streets when the sky had darkened. He immediately spurred his steps towards the elevated train station, where he left the backpack he had brought with him. For a moment, he hesitated about the backpack. Better to take it now or in the next few days. Of course, if he took it now, there was a risk he had to face. If later, for some reason, he had to walk fast or even had to run because someone was chasing him, then the backpack would be very troublesome for him. Therefore, he finally decided to stick to the original plan.
Shinnshiow looked for a payphone to call their home. There were public telephones that were in the box. Some were just hung on the wall at the station. Shinnshiow chose to use a payphone in a box because he wanted to see his surroundings when he was on the phone.
"Hello!" Shinnshiow greeted the person on the other end when the phone was connected.
"Hello!" a familiar voice came from the other end.
Shinnshiow recognized the voice immediately. It was Shannchyuan's voice. "Dahge, it's me, Shinnshiow,"
"Ah! I already knew what you were going to say. Jenqyih just called. She's already told me everything that happened to you guys."
"Oh!" Shinnshiow exclaimed loudly. He wasn't worried that his voice would disturb people because, apart from being in the telephone box, the other voices at the station were quite loud.
Shannchyuan's words made Shinnshiow sensed a little strange. A part of him was relieved because it meant that he wouldn't have to talk about what they had been through anymore. But another part of him was confused because he didn't know what else to say.
"Now, please, just go home immediately. Just leave the backpack in the locker so you can move freely." Shannchyuan's tone was unyielding.
"Where is Yihge now?" asked Shinnshiow.
"He's decided to do something about what you've just been through. I don't know what he's going to do because he didn't go into detail. So maybe he came home a bit late."
"Dahge isn't worried about that?"
"Of course I'm worried. But, for some reason, I believe Jenqyih has more or less experience dealing with these things. I can't say more clearly because I'm not so sure either. I hope he knows what he's doing."
So just like me, Dahge had guessed the same thing! Or did Yihge already tell Dahge about all of his backgrounds?
"Okay, I'm going home now."
Shinnshiow hung up the phone and headed straight for the ticket counter. He did not feel the presence of the person who had been shadowing him. Maybe that person had already left. After buying a ticket, he immediately stood on the platform to wait for the flyover to take him. The destination station was the station that was close to their home. Although, from their home, the elevated train station was further away than the subway station they were used to. The direction was also opposite. The flyover station was to the south of their house, while the subway station was to the north of their house.
The train was almost here. People intending to get on the train were also standing on the platform. At rush hour like that, there were quite a lot of passengers. Most likely, Shinnshiow would be standing on the train the whole way. Seconds before the arrival of the train, more and more people came. They swarm along the platform at that station. The train comprised eight to ten cars. The length of each car was sixteen meters. Each car could accommodate a maximum of seventy-two seated passengers and two hundred and twenty-eight standing passengers. However, each car could hold up to three hundred and fifty people during peak hours like that. So that the maximum total number of passengers that might be transported in an elevated train could reach three thousand five hundred people. Of course, such conditions were very unhealthy.
Finally, the awaited train arrived. The train slowed down and finally stopped in front of the platform. The train that had just arrived turned out to comprise ten carriages. Some passengers standing in the cars were also getting ready to get off. Shinnshiow knew it took a few seconds for the train to open the door. Each car had two sides, namely the right and left sides. Each side had its own door. In order to avoid clashes between passengers getting off and passengers getting on the train, the station decided to separate them. The door on the left side was used to get on the train, while the door on the right was used by passengers who would get off the train. Two doors would open alternately. The right door would open first. After the right door closed five seconds later, the left door began to open. Each door would open for thirty seconds. It took two and a half seconds for the door to fully open and close. So that the door actually opened fully for only twenty-five seconds.
Shinnshiow stood in front of the third car from the front. He was right in front of the left door of the third carriage. The door had already begun to open as the people behind Shinnshiow looked impatient and tried to push forward. Shinnshiow was pushed forward. Right at that moment, from his right side, a person came forward, then shifted towards the left, standing blocking Shinnshiow. The man staggered, holding his stomach. He groaned and then dropped his body towards Shinnshiow.
In shock, Shinnshiow tried to restrain and hold the person's body so that the person did not fall to the surface of the platform. When the train doors were fully open, people rushed forward, scrambling to get into the train. Shinnshiow struggled to maintain his position as he continued to hold and restrain the person's body. But the number of passengers pushing his body was too many. Their insistence sent Shinnshiow off balance.
The staggered person slipped from Shinnshiow's grip. Shinnshiow slowly pushed towards the car's door. The person who was still staggering now fell to the floor of the platform. People were still pushing Shinnshiow, so Shinnshiow was finally pushed into the car. Several people had seen the staggering person fall, but everyone seemed to not care. They scrambled to get into the carriage, so there was no time to help others.
Shinnshiow could still see the man wincing in pain. He held his stomach with both hands. Shinnshiow's heart beat faster when he realized a red liquid soaking the clothes on the person's stomach. Shinnshiow was even more surprised when he lowered his head to look at his own hands. It turned out that his left hand was covered in a thick and sticky red liquid. In an instant, the shock turned into panic.
That person is seriously injured! Someone attacked him with a sharp weapon! What should I do?
The door began to close. Several people were still trying to get into the car in that two and a half-second interval. When the door had completely closed, Shinnshiow witnessed that the person injured in the stomach then fell face down on the platform. The train started leaving the station. Shinnshiow was standing in the car, right in front of the door. From the window, he could still see the man's body moving erratically, like convulsing. From the right side, several people were running towards the injured person. They seemed to be security officers and station employees. Some people inside the car also noticed that. They screamed and shouted to witness the incident. Shinnshiow immediately hid his left palm up to his wrist into his jacket so that no one could see his left palm.
Shinnshiow trembled. Uncontrollably, cold sweat trickled down from his forehead. His breathing rose and fell irregularly. He could clearly see the person's face. The person who was injured in the stomach was the one following him.
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