Chapter 3 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Song Xiaodong’s home was in a city village surrounded by closed-off neighborhoods with cluster after cluster of tall buildings, creating a stark contrast between the dilapidated and dim village and the high-rises all around.
It had been nearly five years since he’d last been home. Although it was run-down, it held the memories of his happy childhood. Stepping out of the taxi, he found he barely recognized the roads anymore and couldn’t immediately locate his own home.
Night had fallen, and the streetlights here were particularly dim. Relying on his memory, Song Xiaodong followed a narrow path deeper inside.
"Hey, pretty girl, wanna have some fun with us?"
"We’ll make sure you have a blast like you’ve never experienced before."
Turning a corner, Song Xiaodong heard the sounds of several young men laughing and joking in a smaller alley nearby, clearly harassing a girl.
"No, please, I don’t want to go with you, you’re all bad people," came a girl’s voice from that direction, delicate and feeble.
Song Xiaodong entered the alley and saw three young men around twenty-three or four years old, surrounding a girl. They were all smirking playfully, while the girl hugged herself, her face pale, continually backing away.
"Hey, if she’s not into it, why are you still crowding her?" Song Xiaodong tossed a cigarette into his mouth and lit it with a snap.
"Fuck, who’s this motherfucker daring to meddle in our business?"
All three guys turned their heads to look at Song Xiaodong.
"What, don’t you recognize me?" Song Xiaodong instantly recognized the trio; they were from the same area, and he had beaten them up more than a few times before.