Chapter 59: The Stalker and the Chase

It was already eight or nine PM when he left the Orphanage.

In Satellite City apart from the degenerate places Gecko frequented things got pretty deserted around this time.

The streets and alleys were silent only patches of darkness illuminated by the quiet glow of streetlights.

Walking down streets like these you could almost hear your own breath. It felt like you were the only one left in the world except for the occasional rat darting across an alley or a homeless man curled up in a cardboard box staring blankly.

Lu Xin walked slowly his hands stuffed in his pockets.

It had been a fulfilling evening. He could tell Teacher Xiao Lu was in a good mood and seeing her happy made the group of silly kids happy too. Of course a bigger reason for their joy might have been finally getting to eat dumplings and receiving all the biscuits and candy Lu Xin brought. It felt almost like New Year’s.

Lu Xin had tied on an apron and made dumplings with the children then watched them sing and dance. He just felt…

…incredibly awkward!

He didn’t find the songs off-key by miles or the clumsy duck-like dances appealing at all.

Nor did he think ‘Eagle Catches Chick’ was fun.

Unfortunately he still had to sit among the brats mechanically clapping and forcing a stiff smile.

The most relaxing part of the evening was sitting on the steps outside the gate with the old security guard sharing a plate of peanuts and cold dumplings and drinking the fiery old Bai Gan liquor the guard treasured like gold.

Still the feeling of the night was good.

Lu Xin didn’t like the children’s singing and dancing but he wanted them to be warm well-fed and happy.

Besides Teacher Xiao Lu’s genuine smile was truly lovely.

Lost in thought about the evening’s events Lu Xin walked slowly through the streets the streetlights casting multiple overlapping shadows.

Deep in his thoughts he didn’t seem to notice that as he passed a still-open shop a man sat under the patched sun umbrella out front. The man had a large beard wore black glasses looked extremely thin and sat cross-legged on a plastic chair sipping coke through a straw while smiling at him.

He also didn’t notice that when he turned a corner the same man was leaning casually against a colorful graffiti-covered wall a cigarette dangling from his lips hands in his pockets watching him with a smile.

And as he neared the closest subway station the man was there again sitting at a roadside wonton stall near the entrance.

He smiled at Lu Xin while waiting for the boss to bring him his wontons.

…

…

Lu Xin suddenly stopped. He turned his head toward the man his gaze seeming slightly unfocused.

Meeting Lu Xin’s eyes the man broke into a happy grin.

Lu Xin watched him quietly. The man’s smile was very friendly.

Lu Xin watched him quietly. The man smiled happily.

Lu Xin watched him quietly. The man’s smile began to stiffen…

…

…

Then Lu Xin slung the bag off his back pulled out the handgun inside and pointed it at him.

The man was slightly startled to have a gun pointed at him.

But he showed no fear. Instead a smile returned to his face as if he wasn’t worried at all about Lu Xin pulling the trigger.

Then Lu Xin suddenly pulled the trigger.

“Bang!”

In the quiet night the gunshot was piercingly loud jarring soul-shattering.

The few diners at the nearby wonton stall were startled by the sudden shot and fell to the ground. The stall owner cried out nearly falling himself. Unexpectedly despite the close range the man suddenly twisted his body in a bizarre way bracing himself on the ground with one hand. This abrupt movement allowed him to dodge the bullet.

He seemed somewhat shocked and angry, “You…”

Lu Xin didn’t answer continuing to fire at the man.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The man’s movements suddenly became incredibly distorted. Bracing himself with one hand he sprang up kicked off the wonton stall’s aluminum cart and launched himself away. The cart skidded far from the force of his kick.

Of the three bullets only one grazed his arm clearly not a serious wound.

“Are you crazy?”

Still in mid-air he glanced back at Lu Xin with surprise and annoyance cursed and shot off into the distance.

Lu Xin grit his teeth and gave chase.

He broke into a run still gripping the gun ready to shoot given the chance. But the man was incredibly agile. After darting away he pushed off a nearby wall with his hands and feet launching himself even further forward. As he began to fall he spread his hands wide. Though there was clearly nothing there his body bounced upward.

It was as if he grabbed onto two invisible threads.

This allowed him to move without hurry rising and falling almost like he was flying through the air.

Compared to him Lu Xin chasing madly on two legs was naturally much slower.

With a few leaps and bounds the man had already put considerable distance between them. Looking back he seemed somewhat surprised himself.

He seemed not to have expected Lu Xin to be so slow. Surprise turned into a mocking smirk.

This smirk angered Lu Xin even more making him run faster.

Even though his lungs felt ready to explode he was determined to catch this man.

Sprinting hard the road ahead quickly came to an end. It abruptly broke off before a deep construction pit guardrails marking the edge. Below was dark and dangerous. Further out under the distant lights loomed the jagged silhouettes of steel bars and broken brick walls like jagged teeth. Going down that road meant falling into the pit possibly onto upturned sharp steel bars.

The man reached the edge of the broken road effortlessly. He leaped upwards covering three or four meters reached out a hand as if grabbing an invisible thread and swung himself towards a fractured section of wall on the ruined building.

His figure seemed about to vanish into the darkness.

He glanced back at Lu Xin one last time seemingly thinking: He won’t follow me here right?

But he didn’t expect Lu Xin to reach the broken edge and jump without the slightest hesitation. Seeing his ordinary clumsy body how could he possibly cross like him? Falling into the construction pit like this was simply suicide…

…

…

“Sister…”

As Lu Xin jumped he had already called out silently in his mind.

While Lu Xin had been chasing the man a small black shadow had been rapidly approaching across the rooftops behind him. She was incredibly fast quickly closing the distance. As Lu Xin leaped from the broken road she pounced forward.

Two small hands opened wide catching Lu Xin as he fell. A cheerful giggle escaped her lips, “Gotcha…”

In that instant Lu Xin’s body suddenly became agile. He stepped down.

Below in the darkness was the sharp cross-section of a steel pipe. Stepping hard on it should have pierced his foot.

But when Lu Xin landed on that sharp edge he was completely unaffected. Instead he used it to vault back into the air.

Under the Red Moon his figure became like a ghost.