Mysterious Hunting Ground

Chapter 13 13. The sewer, if you love her, trust her
As the morning wind blows across the wilderness of Las Vegas, Haloxylon bushes tremble, like shy beauties.

White light shines through the window on a slightly bruised face on the bed in the bedroom on the second floor. Dean straightened up like a carp, stretched comfortably, and his spine and lumbar joints crackled like firecrackers.

He looked at the system.

80/100.

Last night, he sparred with Paque from eight o'clock to twelve o'clock, and his fighting proficiency has increased by nearly 50 points, far exceeding the results of his training alone in the past few days.

Practical training is much more efficient!
"It's also a good thing that guy can do it, and he is so cruel to his nephew!"

Thinking of the nightmarish experience last night, a trace of fear appeared on Dean's face.

Compared with boxing, Paque obviously prefers wrestling, so under his "precepts and deeds", Dean has seen "a little" wrestling techniques, such as single-leg wrestling, double-leg wrestling, back wrestling, neck wrestling, cross wrestling Solid, Naked...

Paque's teaching method is simple and rude, with less nonsense throughout the whole process, and only a few words of advice at key points. The rest of the time, he kept throwing Dean down in various ways and repeatedly brought him to the ground.

According to him,

"When you are knocked down a thousand times or ten thousand times, you will naturally understand how to defend and how to knock down the enemy."

Dean had been ravaged hundreds of times, and the lawn in the front yard was covered with his howling figure, and his body was sore everywhere.

His face, especially his ears, quickly became congested and swollen after repeated close contact with the ground.

But with the support of Iron Man talent, Dean survived the whole process tenaciously, and was rarely praised by Paque.

It's a pity that Dean's mind was a little confused, and he didn't absorb much wrestling skills, but from time to time he would spread his feet and lower his center of gravity as if he was nervous.

……

this morning.

Under the influence of his uncle's post-match massage and the strong resilience of Iron Man's talent, Dean was full of energy and energy, and his insomnia troubles disappeared quietly.

Except for some superficial injuries that have not recovered, his condition is perfect!
"It's better to suffer for a while than to be killed by gangsters and criminals in the future. Come back tonight and practice with Paque again, and try to improve your fighting level!"

After making up his mind, Dean put on a black hooded jacket, sweatpants, and sneakers, and went down to the kitchen on the first floor to bake a few slices of bread, fry eight eggs, and six slices of bacon

He ate half of it for himself, and left the other half for his uncle who was still sleeping soundly on the sofa in the hall. When he got to school, Dean had to buy some bread to eat.

Because with the iron man talent, his appetite has increased a lot.

……

Dean took a deep look at this rough and haggard face,
"Bye! Paque!"

Putting on his equipment, he pushed open the door, and he rode to the school with the chirping of birds on the branches and treetops on both sides of the road!

……

Shortly after.

Dean and Ruster met at the school gate, and he was keenly aware of the strange eyes of the students around him, with a touch of fear.

Everyone avoided them like they were avoiding the plague, loudly discussing nicknames such as Herring Master and Biochemical Gas Expert.

A black girl in hot pants and vest fanned the air in front of her nose in distaste, as if trying to expel some stench.

Even Bob Low looked frightened when he saw the two of them, and he didn't dare to lean over to threaten them as before.

Therefore, the location of the two of them formed a strange no-man's land.

"Dude, your new hairstyle is so cool... It's a pity that our reputation in school is ruined now." Rust, also wearing a black hooded jacket

Pretentiously sighed, but there was a hint of embarrassment on his immature face, proud of yesterday's record, "I'm afraid it will be difficult to make friends in the future."

"So what, it's better to be frightened than to be bullied!"

"It makes sense, look at our new equipment."

Last showed off and pointed to a tough and domineering black Ford F-150 in the parking lot, but unfortunately there were only two seats.

"Grace's car, but she is too busy with work, so she rarely drives. It is equipped with a flashlight, baseball bat, mask, lunch and dinner. It is necessary to be fully prepared to explore the sewers!"

Dean was amazed, "How did you tell your mother?"

"We're going camping! She's busy with work and doesn't have time to come to school to check."

"Then you can drive?" Unlike most men, Dean doesn't like cars very much, but he has already passed the driver's license test.

"Who doesn't have a driver's license? It's just that Grace never bought me a car!" Rust patted his bulging schoolbag again, and Duang Duang said twice, "I spent a lot of money to buy out that department store The canned herring in the supermarket is enough for 'weapons and ammunition'!"

"By the way, I have asked the teacher for leave for you!"

The more Dean looks at Ruster, the more he is satisfied. He is really a caring "jingle cat".

……

"Haha, the detective duo is attacking!"

Last yelled fiercely to himself, and carefully drove straight south along the road, the terrain gradually descending.

"Relax man, I personally think your driving skills are very good, if you slow down... you are not inferior to a professional racer."

Dean comforted, and suppressed a laugh.

Ruster's short stature and tender face, sitting in the driver's seat of the pickup truck, has a sense of humor like a kid driving a big car.

"Sit still and watch me perform!"

……

The F-150 drove into the remote and secluded countryside, surrounded by overgrown weeds, the vast and uninhabited sandy land, sporadically dotted with signs, windmills, and occasionally a few rabbits, bighorn sheep and other wild animals can be seen in the grass, bushes and water. Eating and playing between berths.

Don't have a wild taste.

……

About half an hour later, the car drove in from a yellow sand field on the left side of the road... A small turbid ditch ran through the waist-deep elephant grass, and the plastic, clothes, umbrellas and other household garbage around it increased visibly to the naked eye. .

The car stopped behind a low garbage mountain.

Not far away stands a circular drainage pipe with a diameter of several meters. Looking around, it is dark and invisible, and a small river ditch originates from it.

The two got out of the car, hid near the garbage mountain and observed patiently for a while, confirming that there was no ongoing illegal transaction nearby, they breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Relax, buddy." Dean put on a black mask, held a baseball bat in one hand, and picked up a flashlight in the other. "I will stand in front of everything! Follow orders later."

He walked over immediately.

Ruster took a deep breath and followed closely behind!
As soon as it entered the drain, it was dark, and then an unearthly coolness.

Even though the sun was shining brightly outside, the temperature in the waterway suddenly dropped several degrees, making it pleasant and cool.

Dean suddenly felt that in a few months, it would be an excellent choice to come in to escape the heat in the 40-degree sun in midsummer.

There is always a faint musty and rancid smell lingering in the nose.

But compared to the canned herring they experienced yesterday, it was nothing.

"This place is a bit like a bridge hole, it's cleaner than I thought, it doesn't seem so bad to live in."

The two stood bent over on the left side of the passage, and the flashlight shone toward the center.

A trickle flowed down a moss-covered ditch. The water was murky, but it wasn't full of excrement and urine as Dean imagined, and the smell wasn't too heavy.

Discarded plastic bags, toys, clothes and pants full of holes can be seen everywhere on the slightly higher platforms on both sides... but there are no too clumsy large garbage, weeds and hole-growing fungi coming out of the cracks in the walls on both sides It adds a touch of greenery to this dark and humid environment.

……

They continued along the water, and Dean took out a marker from time to time and drew a number on the wall as a road sign to avoid getting lost.

I chose a few forks based on intuition. After walking for about 5 minutes, the sunlight behind me gradually disappeared. Outside the light of the flashlight, the environment was so dark that I couldn’t see my fingers.
The narrow space, the dead silence, and the dull air also made the two of them feel depressed.

"what is this?"

Rust pointed to a rubber-like human body in the corner.

"A radiant doll," Dean said with a half-smile.

"What's the use of such a big doll?"

"You'll know when you get a girlfriend."

chirp!Suddenly two strange calls!

Ruster was taken aback, his hands shook, and the flashlight shone on a big black-haired mouse with reflective eyes next to the doll.

It was not afraid of people at all, and even stood up on the spot with its fat body and looked at the two sewer customers for five seconds, chirping.

It darted into the darkness with a long thin tail.

"God, what did these guys grow up on? They're bigger than cats in pet stores." Rust clenched his baseball bat tightly, gasped for a few breaths, and looked shocked.

"Living in the sewer, what else can I eat besides garbage? It looks like you like it very much, why don't I catch one for you to keep as a pet later!" Dean joked,

"Shut up! If you scare me again, I'll immediately go back the same way and drive the car away, leaving you alone!" Rust glared at his companion in embarrassment, but saw Dean suddenly walk to the left of the fork ahead and squat down The body looked at a small object on the ground.

"syringe?"

Dean turned his gaze to the corridor ahead, "I feel like I'm about to discover something."

……

Dean's premonition was correct, and he walked along the left passage for less than 2 minutes.

They entered a more open corridor. On the left side of the corridor, someone hung a rope, and a bunch of colorful shirts and vests were hung on the rope to form a very private "room".

A hazy yellow light shone through the room.

"anyone there?"

Dean greeted as gently as possible,
The wall made up of clothes was parted, and a man wearing a pair of black shorts came out, kicking out a battery from under his feet.

Thirty to forty years old.

Thick black hair and a beard that had not been groomed for too long were clumped together in clumps.

His skin was pale, his two rows of ribs protruded, and he was extremely thin.

The protruding cheeks and cheekbones make the eyes big, and the whites of the eyes are bloodshot, making the whole person look a little haggard.

"Hey! You two, this is Alex's territory, and you are not allowed to trespass without permission..." He persuaded in a hoarse voice, but when those red eyes glanced at the two people's tightly wrapped body, and the shiny silver baseball bat in his hand, he took a step back, raised his left hand like a thin bamboo pole to cover his chest,

"Alex has no money, and the money is used for enjoyment. There is no treasure worth your trouble to rob! You need everything, take whatever you want, don't hurt me!"

Dean noticed a large area of ​​rough brown skin like tree bark on the opponent's arm.

"Relax." Dean will hand the baseball bat to Rust, and spread his hands to show that he has no malice.

Ruster was behind him to light him.

"I'm coming in to find someone, Mona, do you know him?"

Dean didn't wait for the other party to answer, he kept talking like a machine gun,
"Girl, left and right, black hair and dark eyes, about 5ft 6in tall, with a medium build."

"Yeah, she has a nice smile. Loves wearing an old-fashioned cowboy hat."

"Do you have any impression of her?" Dean didn't give the addict any time to think. "You know she lives there, right? Who does he know! Tell me!"

"stop!"

Alex grinned.
"As luck would have it, I've met her, she's an impressively nice girl, a 'rat man' who lives in another pipeline. But I won't tell you the news for nothing, let's trade in the presence of God !"

……

grumbling-

The crude desk lamp, with its dim light, illuminated Alex on the dirt-stained wooden recliner.

He was wolfing down a piece of pizza, biting it down with his yellowish rotten teeth, then took a second bite before he could swallow the food, which caused his mouth to be stuffed with food, his cheeks bulging, and he was almost crazy. Tongue swallowed.

Dean next to him frowned. In his previous life, he rarely saw such a hungry person.

Unless you are seriously ill, if you deliver food for a few days, you won't be able to afford food.

Rust was full of reluctance.

The Rose Shrimp Sashimi Pizza that Grace carefully made and shared with her good friends was ruined by a drug addict!
"...uh...the rose shrimp in the Gulf of Alaska...the quality is high and the price is high...the last time I ate it was three years ago? The two of you...uh...must be the messengers sent by God." Feeling his stomach full of fat and water, Alex Wiping the moved tears from the corners of my eyes, I slowed down the speed of eating,

"How long has it been since you ate?" Dean asked.

"Five days? One week? The charity kitchen in the city is not open, so a 'ratman' like me will have to go hungry."

"What the hell do you mean you're always a rat-talker?" asked Ruster.
"People who live in dark sewers like mice, like me." Alex was full, with a satisfied smile on his dirty face, and his attitude became friendly.

"Then how did you become a rat man?"

"I have no money, and I can't afford the high living expenses here," Alex pointed to the ceiling and said with a little self-mockery,

"Poor, can you still use this thing?" Dean threw the syringe he picked up earlier to his feet, thinking that a poor person must have something to hate.

The other party shook his head indifferently,
"I'm off it..." He held out his arm to show the scars and scabs. "A year ago it was all horrible pinholes, but now it's all healed. I've defeated the demon. But I've come to my senses It was a bit late, and there was a big problem with immunity. The scars still can't be completely eliminated."

Seeing that the two were silent, Alex fell back on the wicker chair, pulled the pizza comfortably, and said,
"Believe it or not, I used to be a rich man. There were millions of dollars in my bank card. I was so rich that I stayed in a different hotel every day in Vegas. White girls, black girls, and yellow-skinned girls tried everything. But I’m here not only for enjoyment, but I’m trying to find business opportunities... I’m trying to turn millions into tens of millions. Who knows that I entered the casino for a while, and was tricked by a group of bastards... Overnight, my million-dollar wealth disappeared Ninety percent."

Alex turned to Ruster and sighed,
"Do you understand that feeling? I would rather die than die. I need some comfort, so I—"

His haggard face showed a tired old look,
"I didn't expect to go from one abyss to another."

"But right now, I'm trying to climb out."

Dean sighed, showing a trace of sympathy and intolerance.Reflect on whether you were too harsh on this poor man before?
Leave him some money?
But Dean suddenly remembered his uncle's warning, don't believe it, this guy must have other demands to win their sympathy.

What's more, that thing hasn't been around for ten years, how can I quit?
"Okay buddy, I don't have time for your inspirational story. Now, tell me about Mona!"

"Listen to me a few more words. You are very much like my nephew, whom I haven't seen in ten years. I want to impart some life experience so that you will not be fooled by the feasting and feasting in Las Vegas."

His face is blurred, his eyes are sincere,

"Enough, don't challenge my patience!"

Dean waved a baseball bat and warned harshly,
"What a irascible young man, do you dare to be so tough in the face of gangsters?"

Alex muttered.

Dean's eyelids twitched.

"The place you are looking for is too wrong. Mona lives in the sewer in the southern district dozens of miles away. I have talked to her many times. Because she is exactly like my daughter, my poor girl doesn't know that the old father is here. Las Vegas is suffering, and I can't bear to hurt her..."

"South District? The scope is too big." Rust rolled his eyes, interrupting his divergent thinking, "There are at least a hundred manhole covers over there, and the sewers stretch for dozens of miles. Where do we start?"

"Well, I'm sorry I can't help you." Alex shaved his teeth, "I haven't visited Mona's house in person."

Dean took Ruster's backpack, touched the can of herring,

"Are you sure you don't think about it again?"

"Hey! I swear to God I'm not lying! After eating your delicious food, I really don't want to lie to you! Besides, Mona is the girlfriend of one of you, right? There is always a price to pay for chasing girls, don't think too much Go for a bargain!"

"What girlfriend!" Rust blushed, thinking of what the female liar had done, he couldn't help arguing for his friend, "She lied to my brother two thousand dollars! She even played with his feelings! She is a bad girl Outright scammer."

"This is impossible!"

Alex suddenly seemed offended, a strange blush appeared on his sickly pale cheeks, and his protruding eyes stared at the two,

"Although Mona came from a poor family, she is optimistic, cheerful, and enthusiastic. She is kinder than most girls on the ground, and she will never cheat for money."

"You know her well?" Dean glanced at him and motioned for him to continue.

"When she was 13 years old, her parents died of illness from drinking unclean water from the sewer, and she began to live alone. She was very strong and worked hard to move to the ground. She never discriminated, She despises us rat people. Every time she is paid, she will buy a lot of food to share with everyone."

"If she's going to scam you out of two thousand dollars, then we guys go to hell!"

"I took my brother's money one day and disappeared the next day. Is this a coincidence?" Luster couldn't help asking, "How do you make us believe? Look at yourself, what kind of group are rat people? Addicts , the mentally ill, the disabled... a daydreamer who dreams of getting rich overnight! And Mona is an 'actor'!"

"I said, I'm trying to get rid of that demon!" Alex's voice was as weak as a candle in the wind, but he revealed a firmness. His bony body circled around the two of them,
"Most of us don't dress well, spend our days in dark sewers, and have little contact with the ground. But you see? Poor people with tragic pasts understand other people's suffering better."

Alex spit and hoarse,
"I'd rather pick up rubbish than steal and rob and cheat! We may be poor, but we have more conscience than the capitalists who run casinos and hotels, and the gangsters who sell 'herbal medicine' to school children!"

Ruster choked suddenly.

The other party's swearing appearance made him doubt himself a little bit.

"But the fact is that Mona took my money and hid, and even gave up her job in the theater in order to avoid responsibility."

Dean looked at Alex, for some reason, a deep, unrealistic expectation rose in his heart.

"If she's not a liar, why is she hiding?"

"How long have you been with Mona?"

"More than three months."

"Isn't that enough for you to see her clearly?" In the dark sewer, Alex, a reformed drug addict, looked into Dean's eyes, "Ask your heart, Mona is lying You? If so, why didn't you go to the police?"

"No proof, I'm Asian again, Cop doesn't care."

"Excuse! If you love her, you should believe her!"

Dean swallowed, and patted his forehead with an uncomfortable expression.

dean.

Mona.

dean.

Mona.

Those sweet memories about love began to roll endlessly in my mind again.

affect his judgment.

He glanced at the system, and after listening to Alex's long speech, the progress of the investigation increased from zero to [-]%, but the clues were still very vague.

"She disappeared after taking your money, that certainly wasn't voluntary...or..." Alex continued,

"Or what?" Dean demanded.
Alex suddenly turned around a few times impatiently, and changed the subject, "Forget it, I will help you inquire about Mona's whereabouts from other sewer residents. But everyone lives too scattered, it will take some time... After half a month, Meet outside the drain, remember to bring some food."

"That's too long..." Dean took a deep breath, the system only gave him seven days.

"Can't wait, the two of you can go to the South District one by one to overturn the manhole cover. I'm a little tired, if you don't mind, how about letting me rest quietly?"

(End of this chapter)