*huff*

*huff*

*huff*

Peng Hu was running frantically from his pursuers. Beads of sweat were running down his body, announcing that he was soon going to run out of stamina. Peng Hu looked back and saw that his pursuers were pretty far from him, but still hot on his trail. Making a last ditch effort to finally shake them off and rest, he turned right in the next corner.

With his head looking down on the floor and hand resting on the wall, he was gasping for air and tried to rest.

*cough* *cough*... *pant* *pant*

Peng Hu looked up, and to his dismay, discovered that he ended up in a dark alley with no path to go forward.

"Damn it!"

Regretting his decision to run into this place, he needed to think fast: should I hide among the rubble in this alley or go back into the main street and hope they are gone?

... but life was not fair.

"Well, well, well... We finally caught up to you. You sure gave us a lot of trouble. How are you going to make up for it, eh?"

Peng Hu turned his head back and saw his three bullies: Alex, Dylan, and Jason. With fear and regret latching onto his heart, he started to reminiscence on everything that has happened in his life. Surprisingly, Peng Hu had forgotten when was the last time he could enjoy a normal school life, if he had any in the first place.

"Please, leave me alone. I need the money for-"

"Haah? Who told you that you could talk back, eh?" - With swift and agile movement, Jason punched Peng Hu in the stomach. At this moment, Peng Hu felt that his mind was about to go blank from lack of oxygen.

"Hahaha! Hey, leave some space for us too bro" - not wanting to leave Jason alone to enjoy practicing his punching routine, Alex and Dylan joined him.

"How do you say hello in Chinese pipsqueak?" Peng Hu felt a right hook landing in his face.

"is it... ni"

"hao" a one-two punch landed on Peng Hu chest.

Peng Hu felt that today, the beating he received took forever. He started to think of his family and all the injustice they had to suffer because they are the minority in this far away land.

"Hahaha, I guess our Chinese friend here forgot how to speak English, hahaha!"

"Hey loser, if you bring more cash with you tomorrow, maybe... just maybe... we will go easy on you"

"Next time you try to run away from us, it won't just. be. you."

Laid on the floor, Peng Hu felt that his new bought clothes for school were torn apart, his wallet opened near his body with no cash left, and a small pool of blood hugging his cheeks.

Lifting his head a little, he more or less could see the silhouette of his bullies leaving the alley with a happy mood, excited by the loot they had today.

Little by little, Peng Hu picked up his things, he saw a big shadow beneath his feet, like something was falling down the sky.

Looking up in the air, Peng Hu saw that a huge pile of trash, out of nowhere, was falling from the sky. If it hit him, Peng Hu could deduce that he could die.

He wanted to move away, but his body was stuck on the spot. He was too tired and his body was hurt.

Resigning his life and considering that this was fate... Peng Hu closed his eyes.

"dui buqi... ma"