As darkness envelops the sky, the city lights up, taking on a new life of its own. Night owls step out of the shadows in search of hopping clubs. Young business men and women migrate out of the financial district. They ditch their conservative attire and transform themselves into trendy hipsters. Lanterns hang over the streets like the glowing orbs of a surreal fantasy world.
The food markets remind me of Chinatown, but here, they stretch on forever in an endless chain of stalls. I examine the bugs, snakes, and scorpions skewered on sticks. They appeal more to my curiosity than to my appetite, and I begin to question the edibility of these strange creatures being sold as "food."
While I'm not paying attention, Cheng grabs something from one of the counters. "Hey, I dare you to try one of these!" He laughs and shoves a barbeque-roasted roach in front of my face.
"That's it," I gag. "I've definitely seen enough. It's time to go."
Cheng and I hold hands as we walk back to the parking garage and leave the city's bustling hub behind us. I don't see any lights on inside of the company building. Some poorly paid assistants should be shuffling around paperwork right now. Cheng isn't the only one who works late for his father, so where is everyone?
The omen haunts me as we walk further into the dimly-lit garage, and my heart thrashes around the inside of my chest like a frightened animal caught in a trap.
"Cheng--" I say, but he grabs my arm and stops me in my tracks before I can speak another word.
A group of men wearing black combat gear and masks are huddled around the Lotus, checking it out. I try not to panic, but I immediately sense danger. One of the guys is sitting on top of the car. After sliding down the hood, he walks towards us with a cocky stride.
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He is wearing a skull face bandanna over his mouth, and there are piercings up and down his ears. Unlike the others, he does not have a cowl over his head, so I can see his bleach-dyed hair. The color is almost ghostly white, but it is tinted bluish underneath the scant flickering lights.
"Look at what we've found," he sneers. "This is a nice car. Is it yours? And who's this--your pretty, little bitch?" His eyes ravage my body.
Cheng holds me protectively and raises his voice in anger. "How dare you speak to me like that?! Get out of here--now, before I call the police!"
"Shut up, asshole!" The blonde immediately escalates the situation, and I stifle a scream as he reaches into his pocket.
He's bluffing. He's bluffing.
It would be very difficult to get past security checkpoints with a gun, especially in China. The penalty for simply possessing a firearm is life in prison.
