Chapter Forty-Eight: Entertainment, Entertainment

After a bout of commotion, Zhao Qiang was taken for a hearty meal, during which he caused quite a few laughs with his antics. Then, he was led to the entrance of a large private room. The two thugs escorting Zhao Qiang exchanged a few words with the two burly men guarding the door. Zhao Qiang immediately recognized the bulges at their waists as the shapes of guns. One of the burly men opened the door, and Zhao Qiang saw that several people were already confined inside. Compared to those outside, who enjoyed a bit more freedom, these prisoners looked better nourished, but their faces were etched with despair.

The two burly men were rough and crude, grinning menacingly at Zhao Qiang. When he hesitated at the threshold, they impatiently shoved him hard, sending him stumbling into the room. The door closed behind him.

Only when the footsteps outside faded did Zhao Qiang scramble up from the floor and study the others in the room. Inside, three men and two women sat or lay about, their expressions listless. Seeing yet another newcomer, they barely raised their eyes before shutting them again, lost in their own thoughts. Only one slightly older man sighed and shook his head helplessly on seeing Zhao Qiang.

Zhao Qiang plopped down beside the sighing man, conjuring two cigarettes as if by magic. He stuck one between his lips and offered the other to the man with an easy air. “Care for one?”

The man looked up at Zhao Qiang, as if wanting to say something, but simply sighed and accepted the cigarette.

Zhao Qiang produced a ZIPPO, lighting the man’s cigarette before tending to his own. He inhaled deeply, exhaling smoke rings, and asked with feigned casualness, “Brother, why the gloom? Something on your mind?”

The man took greedy drags, as if he hadn’t smoked in ages. The harsh smoke made his eyes water, and he coughed violently before finally regaining his breath, still reluctant to let go of the cigarette. He glanced at Zhao Qiang. “You’re new here?”

Zhao Qiang nodded, flicking off some ash. “That’s right. Just arrived today. Brother Ma said he’d arrange some ‘entertainment’ for me tomorrow.”

The man’s face changed at this. Forgetting his cigarette, he shot a wary glance at the door, lowered his voice, and said, “Brother, do you know what this place is? How did you end up here?”

Zhao Qiang smiled noncommittally. “Isn’t this just a bar? What’s the big deal?”

The man sighed, took a deep drag, and, after a long exhale, murmured, “You shouldn’t have come here. Do you know what ‘entertainment’ means in this place?”

Zhao Qiang smiled. “What does it mean?”

Seeing how unconcerned Zhao Qiang appeared, the man glanced at the door again, making sure no one was eavesdropping. He shifted to sit with his back to the door and whispered, “Brother, you’re in serious trouble. Here, ‘entertainment’ means throwing people into cages to feed the undead. Before you came, several were taken for ‘entertainment’ and never returned.”

Zhao Qiang frowned. “Is that true? Brother, tell me, what’s going on?”

The nicotine seemed to steady the man’s nerves. “You don’t know. That Brother Ma you mentioned—he’s a devil who kills without blinking. Ever since he took over, we haven’t had a single peaceful day. Anyone who tried to resist was killed. The dozen or so of us left have been locked in here.”

The man’s cigarette was down to the stub, but he was loath to drop it. Zhao Qiang hurriedly handed him another, which he lit with the dying stub. Exhaling a plume of smoke, he continued, “At first, I wasn’t locked up. I was outside. A few days ago, that Zhang fellow said he wanted to organize some entertainment. No one thought much of it. Who would have guessed he’d somehow caught a few zombies? His idea of entertainment was making everyone watch as the zombies devoured people. I couldn’t stand it and spoke out—he beat me and locked me in here with the rest.”

“So, everyone here is just waiting to be fed to the undead?” Zhao Qiang’s expression grew grave.

“That’s right.” The man nodded. “There were a dozen of us, now only a few remain. In a few days, we’ll all be gone…” He couldn’t continue, bowing his head and dragging deeply on his cigarette.

“Why doesn’t anyone try to escape?” Zhao Qiang asked.

The man shook his head with a bitter smile. “Escape? If we could, we’d have done it already. There are guards at the door around the clock, even when we go to the bathroom. And they all have guns.”

“If there’s no escape, then it’s just a few zombies, isn’t it? No big deal. Tomorrow night, I’ll deal with them, and everyone will be fine,” Zhao Qiang said with affected nonchalance.

The man sighed again. “Brother, don’t boast. Those zombies aren’t so easy to handle. If they bite you, it’s over. There were some tough guys here before, but none returned after facing the zombies. Don’t try to be a hero.”

“My name’s Zhao Qiang. What’s yours, brother?” Zhao Qiang grinned, unconcerned about the threat of a few zombies.

The man, seeing Zhao Qiang’s attitude, knew persuasion was futile. He sighed. “Huang Jianjun.”

…

In the large private room, Zhao Qiang enjoyed a good sleep. When he awoke, he ate some food brought in by the thugs, chatted here and there, and smoked with others. The day passed quickly.

Night fell again. By now, Zhao Qiang had figured out the lay of the land. Most people here were errand boys for Ma Tianxiong. Brother Ma had just over ten real subordinates, five or six guns among them—not much strength. But Ma Tianxiong was known for his cruelty, Fourth Master for his lust, and Brother Ma for his bloodthirstiness. In Changsha, their names were infamous. After seizing the bar, Ma Tianxiong ruled with an iron fist and lived at ease.

Suddenly, the door burst open. The two burly guards strode in, pointed at Zhao Qiang, and growled, “You. Out.”

Zhao Qiang winked at Huang Jianjun. “Brother, I’m off for some entertainment. Wait for me.”

Huang Jianjun’s face was full of worry. Though Zhao Qiang had explained everything to him during the day—no matter what happened, keep the door tightly shut—now that Zhao Qiang was about to enter the cage and face the undead, Huang Jianjun’s heart was in turmoil.

He looked at Zhao Qiang, then at the two fierce guards. Knowing there was nothing more to be said, he simply patted Zhao Qiang’s shoulder. “Take care, brother.”

Zhao Qiang grinned and winked. “Remember what I told you.” With a hearty laugh, he strode out, the two guards hustling after him at a run.