"Do you think that Jule would be..." Mikel said while making a hand gesture with his thumbs crossing his tilted neck.
"Why?" Luke looked at Mikel while walking to the train station.
"Haven't you heard of the rumors?" Mikel looked at Luke like he was some kind of a freak.
"Do I suppose to?" Luke said.
"It's been going on for decades since we were young, Luke!
They said that anyone who is making speculation about the ruling entity or research heavily on apocalyptic era would be forced to disappear." Mikel looked at Luke with his most serious face.
"Where is the source of this rumor?" Luke asked, curious.
"Trust me bro, it's the truth.
Do you still remember the guy who open a shop at the corner of our street?
They said that the authority abducted him in broad daylight and forced his disappearance because he was involved with the excavation of some ruins and they found something there that public should not know." At this point, Mikel was whispering in Luke's ears looking extremely terrified.
"That's Mr. Kenn and he moved to area-1 with his family.
You did learn that the Capital did not disallow relocation right?
If I were him I would have moved too.
Who would want to live in area-29? It was too remote and disgusting." Luke said while entering the train station.
He continued, " This time pay for your own ticket, your quota ran out yesterday when you asked for my money to go with your chick"
"Why are you so stingy with your bro, man? I'm just broke right now and I'll pay you back next month where I won the first prize for this ticket." Mikel proudly said while raising a paper lotto.
"I'll cut your pay too if you don't stop sleeping and help me with the actual work." Luke said, glancing at the lotto in Mikel's hand.
"Your chance with that lotto is actually one in thirteen-million and our city population was just a million. Stop dreaming." Luke continued arguing with him while they board the train to the landfill.
"Hey. Hey. You can't just stop a great man's dream like that"
..
'Next station, District 7. This is the last station for the outbound-line.'
Robotic voice sounded, reminding Luke and Mikel that they have reached their destination.
"Lively as always", Mikel sarcastically said while they were out, looking at electronics trashes that were pile into several mountains in the distant.
"Don't just stand there. Come help me with the stand" Luke said while propping up the same stand.
"How much money do you still need to buy that thing?" Mikel asked while helping Luke set up.
"Not much, I guess. Around a 100 cu"
"You're gonna be in a lot of troubles, Luke.
The whole sleeping in classes and setting up stands here gonna be a child's play compare to that" Mikel looked up at Luke and warned.
"I know" Luke answered.
"and it's actually illegal" Mikel added.
"I know"
"and it's like really illegal"
"You said it twice already, Mike"
"And you still didn't seem to understand.
If you get caught, which you probably will, you'd be going on scourging and you know and I know that it's not a sight-seeing package. 70 percent mortality rate is not a joke, Luke" Mikel said seriously.
"Does it really worth it?" Mikel persisted
"..."
Not getting any replied, Mikel sighed and continued setting up the chairs.
When Mikel was about to ask Luke to step aside for a bit, he saw that Luke was looking over at something and what he saw stunned him.
"What does a guy dressing up like that doing in this sh*thole at this time. He looks legit though. Do you think he is from the higher up?" Mikel whispered while looking at the man in a suit.
In this era, the people in black suit with only a left glove would always be associated with the regional executives that worked under the ruling entity's regime as the sight is too strange and too memorable.
"It looks like he is looking for something. Do we walk over and offer some help? Maybe we could get some kind of compensation " Mikel eyes lit up while speaking.
"Don't get into an unnecessary troubles. We should mind our own businesses if they didn't ask for it directly" Luke whispered while looking at the man.
"Do you think its the Capital's capital or just regional executives?" Mikel asked, still interested.
"Don't ask for trouble. Let's look away or else we might stay here forever"
After hearing this, Mikel hurriedly looked away and minded his own business.
"It's unlikely here. Tell the supervisor that the last landfill is checked out" The man in a black suit said while looking around.
'Go to the residential area and wait for further instructions' The voice from the other end spoke.
"Copy" The man replied and then started to walk in Luke and Mikel's direction.
"Sh*t. Sh*t. Sh*t. Luke, he is coming over.
I don't wanna die yet. Think of something" Mikel pinched at Luke's back while peeking at the coming man from time to time.
"What do you want me to do? Attack him? Are you stupid?" Luke growled at Mikel.
The man in a black suit was getting closer and closer.
Bead of sweats appeared on Luke's and Mikel's forehead. Their backs drenched in cold sweats but they didn't dare to look.
The man suddenly stopped in front of the stand and stared at them with an unkind gaze.