Chapter 17: The Pattern of Madness

Qin Ran led Lu Xin to the back of their transport factory complex. The area was littered with abandoned factory buildings and warehouses, full of rusting scrap metal and overgrown weeds. Qin Ran walked straight towards an underground warehouse with a blue-painted iron door set into the ground.

“This is the place!”

Before pulling open the iron door on the ground, Qin Ran took a few deep breaths and glanced at Lu Xin.

He then unlocked the door, gave a hard pull and with a creak, yanked the iron hatch open.

A suffocating stench of rot and decay assaulted their nostrils.

Lu Xin covered his nose and took a step back before cautiously approaching again to look.

The underground warehouse looked like a large pit, sealed with concrete. Some water had accumulated inside. It was about five meters long, seven meters wide and roughly four meters deep. Several iron rings were bolted to the floor at the bottom, each with chains attached. What made his scalp tingle was that each chain secured a bloody, mangled mess… which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be arms.

At the bottom of the pit lay chunks of half-rotten flesh. Lu Xin quickly recognized what they were.

He couldn’t help but frown. “Truly horrifying!”

Qin Ran glanced at him. “Little brother, your expression doesn’t exactly scream ‘terrified’!”

“We were the ones who were terrified back then!”

He paused before continuing, “Damn it. When those four guys burst into my house, they really scared the crap out of me. This whole thing is too damn weird. I didn’t dare kill them right away, so I locked them up here first. I planned to interrogate them properly find out who was messing with me. But I never expected… after locking these four guys in here they actually… they actually damn…”

Perhaps sensing the tremble in his own voice, he deliberately spat forcefully into the pit, using anger to mask his fear. “They were all madmen! I didn’t even kill them just locked them up here. But before I could even question them they started attacking each other… They just… started gnawing on each other…”

He suddenly looked up at Lu Xin, his eyes bloodshot revealing uncontrollable fear. “Can you even imagine?”

“These bastards are human, but they were like dogs! Biting me, biting you… No, not biting. Eating! They were tearing at each other eating the flesh they ripped off. Some of them had their stomachs torn open and they were still eating…”

“Back then… I just couldn’t stand watching it. So I took my gun and shot them all…”

“And that was the first time I shot someone with a gun… and I actually felt like I was doing a good deed…”

…

Having said this, he suddenly slammed the iron door shut with a loud clang.

“What the hell are these things?”

He stared intently at Lu Xin. “Since you came asking, you must know something. Hurry up and tell me…”

“What the hell are these things?!”

…

Lu Xin noticed his emotional state was somewhat unstable.

But that was natural. Even a ruthless boss like him would be afraid when faced with something like this.

He might not even fear death.

But inexplicable things like this inspired true terror.

…

…

“This is completely different from what happened at the coffee shop but it’s also clearly abnormal…”

After hearing his story Lu Xin’s mind raced. “Was it Old Cui the first one who seemed abnormal who caused all this trouble or was it something else? Plus it sounds like there’s a pattern to what he’s encountered. One person seeking revenge came the first day, two the second day four the fourth day… then…”

A jolt went through Lu Xin. He quickly asked Qin Ran, “How many days has it been since they last came?”

Qin Ran clearly knew what Lu Xin had guessed. Eyes red, he slowly answered, “It’s been seven days!”

“Seven days?”

Lu Xin’s expression darkened. Tomorrow would be the eighth day.

If the pattern held true didn’t that mean eight more would arrive soon?

“Wait a moment I need to report this!”

Lu Xin remembered what Chen Jing had told him. He shook his head first then prepared to take out the satellite phone.

But Qin Ran watched him coldly suddenly picking up an axe from the ground nearby and aiming it at Lu Xin. His voice was low and fierce, “Little brother I’ve got plenty of blood on my hands. These few guys don’t threaten me. Forget four or eight even if a dozen show up I’m not scared. Worst case I leave this damn city and go back to being the boss outside. But don’t you dare…”

“Don’t think about using this chance to scheme against me…”

…

“An axe…”

Lu Xin glanced at his own backpack wondering where Qin Ran got the nerve to threaten him.

“Even if you have two guns I have so many men outside! If something happens you won’t get away!”

Qin Ran stared coldly at Lu Xin as if explaining himself. Though nervous he maintained a tough front.

“I can definitely get away but that’s not the point!”

Lu Xin shook his head and said to Qin Ran, “If you’re not afraid of four coming or eight coming what about sixteen?”

Qin Ran’s eyes turned cold and his Adam’s apple seemed to bob.

Lu Xin continued, “Does that Old Cui know where you live?”

Qin Ran seemed flustered his voice hoarse, “Why are you asking that?”

Lu Xin said, “You just mentioned that initially he came looking for you here. But the third time he found you directly at your home. Have you considered that maybe they can find you no matter where you hide?”

Qin Ran’s hand visibly trembled. “How is that possible…”

Lu Xin replied, “These events are bizarre in themselves. Is anything truly impossible?”

Judging by the current pattern the number of people coming for revenge will only increase. No one knows how many there will eventually be if this continues. If it’s just a few or a dozen avengers it’s indeed nothing for someone as ruthless and fierce as Qin Ran. But what if it reaches dozens or even hundreds?

Lu Xin could already picture hundreds of crazed people chasing Qin Ran across the wasteland…

Theoretically could there come a day when the entire world is madly hunting him down?

Moreover these people fear neither death nor injury and they might even be able to find you no matter where you are.

Relentless until death!

Mainly, they won’t rest until *you* are dead!

…

…

Qin Ran was clearly scared now too. The axe in his hand trembled as he rasped, “I don’t want to go reclaim wasteland…”

He still didn’t fully trust Lu Xin. People like him involved in shady dealings might grease palms and manage relationships within the High-wall City but there was always the chance some big shot might take a dislike to him and casually remove him like pulling a nail.

And this was also why despite encountering so many strange things he hadn’t considered reporting it to the Security Hall.

Firstly he couldn’t explain it clearly. Secondly he didn’t trust them!

He knew who held the real power the ‘Dads’ within the High-wall City. A whim from one of them and he could end up spending the rest of his life on a farm outside the city!

“Reclaiming wasteland is better than dying…”

Lu Xin understood his thoughts. He glanced at the closed cellar door then shook his head. “Or being eaten alive!”

Qin Ran’s pupils constricted and the hairs on his body stood slightly on end.

After what seemed like an internal struggle he slowly lowered the axe. His voice was hoarse, “I trust you!”

…

“As if you have a choice not to…”

Lu Xin muttered stepping aside and dialing the phone. He then adopted a different tone, “Hello Colonel Chen?”