Su Ziyu felt curious.
But rationality told him he shouldn't rush over recklessly. After experiencing the past few worlds, he now felt a sense of rebirth. Human potential is often forced out at the edge of life and death; even Su Ziyu felt he had changed significantly.
The alley was extremely dark, and the man didn't look normal until he stepped under the streetlight, nervously reaching on his body for cigarettes. Finding none, he raised his head, revealing eyes filled with blood streaks, and stared at him, asking, "Got a smoke?"
Su Ziyu shook his head and quietly stepped back.
At this moment, the man's expression appeared somewhat vicious for unknown reasons, resembling a drug addict having a relapse, or perhaps distorted by fear. Under his fierce face was a suppressed irritability, reminding Su Ziyu of a wounded and combative beast.
He knew it was impolite to compare a person to a beast, but that was how he felt.
Fortunately, the tavern was already near.
Five or six people stood outside the bar, each dressed more bizarrely than the last, with a retro yet mechanical vibe, adorned with metal accessories. The man at the front dressed like a Western cowboy, with guns on both sides of his waist. The man hurried into the tavern, and after hesitating for a moment, Su Ziyu followed him in. Before entering, he glanced at the man dressed as a cowboy, who wore black leather gloves, exposing a metallic sheen on his left wrist.
Clamor, noise, chaos.
As soon as he entered the tavern, the sound waves made Su Ziyu frown, a pandemonium of heavy metal music that made his skull ache. Some people twisted their bodies at the center stage as if venting something. Old Bill was sitting near the bar, whispering with the fat man from the day, with several couples getting cozy in the dark corners, looking dazed. Su Ziyu noticed the kind of pills he had discarded on the table. The smell of cheap perfume stung his nose, and a few women exuding a dust-laden vibe brightened their eyes upon seeing him, but he dodged and sat near Old Bill.
"What're you having?" spoke a one-eyed woman.
She looked lazy, with long hair falling and a striking appearance, but the single eye marred her beauty, and the slight scar at her mouth added sharpness. The bar's lights were too flashy to see clearly, but her voice was magnetic, like a lazy cat. Sitting there, she seemed like a lioness surveying her territory, showing interest when her gaze fell on Su Ziyu.
"A whiskey, please." Su Ziyu glanced around as he replied.
Pah.
A glass of alcohol was placed in front of him, and then the woman stood up, bent slightly, showing a deep ravine under the dim lights. She smirked, asking, "First time playing here?"
"Yeah." Su Ziyu withdrew his gaze and nodded.
"Want to try our new stuff? Brought from the south." The one-eyed woman pointed to the right corner, where a few people seemed to be having fun, with a woman pulling off her own top.
"No, thank you." Su Ziyu frowned while refusing.
Then.
A slender man dressed in a studded leather jacket walked past him, Su Ziyu's hand holding his drink momentarily halted. The next moment, he suddenly lunged, grabbing the man's neck and twisting his arm joint, slamming him against the metal bar counter.
Bang!
The dull thud caught many people's attention, someone reached for their waist.
Su Ziyu silently retrieved his wallet from the man's hand, then glanced at the one-eyed woman in front of him.
The one-eyed woman's expression turned slightly cold. She offered Su Ziyu an apologetic smile and instructed a sturdy man standing by, "Break a leg and toss him into the alley."
"Sorry."
"This one's on me."
She fetched a better bottle from the bar cabinet, poured a drink, and handed it to Su Ziyu.
"Thank you." Su Ziyu said thanks but pushed the drink away with a finger.
He didn't drink the whiskey either, instead stood up asking, "How much?"
"15 bucks." The one-eyed woman smiled, sizing him up, "Nice moves. Interested in making some cash?"
"Not interested." Su Ziyu shook his head, took out 50 bucks, tossed them on the bar, saying, "Give the two gentlemen at that table two drinks, on me. Keep the rest as a tip."
The bartender moved swiftly.
As Su Ziyu got up to leave, Old Bill's table promptly served the drinks. The German man turned to look at him, smiling as he raised his glass. He thought it was to thank Su Ziyu for Pasha relaying his daytime caution. In reality, Pasha hadn't told Su Ziyu anything; he was merely offering drinks for a lift he received earlier.
Su Ziyu nodded and left the tavern.
As he got up to leave, the one-eyed woman squinted slightly, her expression cooling, silently watching Su Ziyu's back until he walked out and turned around. She took a sip from the drink intended for Su Ziyu, just as he saw her.
The atmosphere here was unfriendly.
Having just sat down and immediately encountering a thief made Su Ziyu unwilling to stay, and many people's scrutinizing gazes made him uneasy.
Upon leaving, he noticed someone following him.
Three individuals.
Trailing from afar until he entered Old Bob's neighborhood, where they hesitated and turned back.
Outside, quite a few people were active.
Old Bob wasn't in the inn; instead, there was a young white man, slouching as he trimmed his nails, holding a tactical dagger, casting a cold glance at Su Ziyu.
Second floor, the door.
As Su Ziyu pushed open the door, he suddenly frowned, picking up a broken strand of hair.
Someone had been in his room.
He checked under the bed, finding nothing missing, but was certain someone had entered after he left. The strand of hair was casually tied to the doorknob; it was purely instinct. He sensed this place had hidden depths with many complex characters.
However, this was already the wasteland's end days; those simple folks probably had died off.
Silence all night.
During the night, it sounded as if there was a fight outside, but Su Ziyu didn't get up to check. The street vendor selling roast rats switched back to the Indian from daytime, while drunks lay filthy by the roadside.
Everyone looked on coldly.
Su Ziyu noticed the guards merely glanced at the ruckus before looking away.
This was Polaris.
Pasha's place, led by 'Freelancers', pursuing freedom and equality, attempting to overthrow the plutocratic rule to rebuild human civilization.
For some reason.
Su Ziyu suddenly felt like laughing but couldn't.
This place was filled with decay, depravity, madness, debauchery, depression, greed, violence; robbery, theft, fights were almost a daily occurrence. Everyone had to stay vigilant because a single mistake might lead to trouble. The camp guards watched indifferently from above, unaffected by anything outside.
.........