C2 Doom Star

The afternoon streets were hot, and the poplar trees on either side of the road cast mottled shadows. Cars passed from time to time, and the dull grinding of the wheels on the road increased the heat of the air.

A middle-aged man walked slowly. On such a hot day, he was wearing a wrinkled hat, and the shoes on his feet were heavy and strange. He was tall and sturdy, but there was a sense of dejection on his body. There was a broken leather bag under his arm.

When he walked, he bent his waist slightly and maintained a state of extreme vigilance. The rhythm of his arms swinging was somewhat stiff. His feet seemed to be stepping on a rhythm, one, one, one, one, two, one... This made the pair of leather shoes appear even more strange.

He rarely raised his head, and every person who came at him made him nervous. Every five or six minutes, he would take out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipe his forehead. However, there was not much sweat.

These were the roots left behind in the prison.

He searched the streets and finally found a public phone in a newspaper kiosk. He took out a piece of paper from his leather bag and wrote two phone numbers on it.

He carefully dialed the first number.

"Is... is it sister-in-law? I am Donghai - Hu Donghai... I just..." The other party had already hung up.

He was in a daze as he held the receiver. There was an urgent beeping sound coming from inside.

The second call was to his nephew. Before his brother passed away, he visited the prison for the last time and told him to contact his family after he came out. In fact, before he got out of prison, the disciplinary officer notified his relatives, but no one came to pick Hu Donghai up. If his nephew could not contact him now, Hu Donghai would be lost in this city.

"Hello? Who is it?" A lazy voice came from the phone, somewhat impatient. "Xiaocan... I... I am your uncle." Hu Donghai said.

"Uncle?" The voice on the phone was a little louder, but it sounded even more impatient.

"I'm your Uncle Dong Hai... Hmm, Xiaocan, can you come and pick me up?" Hu Donghai nervously held the phone. "I can't find my way home."

The man was silent for a while. He seemed to sigh. "Where are you?" Hu Donghai quickly asked the stall owner for the address.

Putting down the phone, Hu Donghai's palms were covered in sweat.

He walked to the convenience store opposite the newsstand and bought a bag of shrimp strips and a bottle of beer. The television above the cashier counter was very quiet. The program was discussing the second child policy, which was officially implemented this year. This was the most eye-catching news in 2016.

Hu Donghai went out and sat on a stone bench on the street. He drank beer with the shrimp strips.

There was a sound from the top of his head. The weather was getting hotter. Hu Donghai was still wearing his broken hat and put the leather bag next to him. This bag was in the number. It had been enchanted by a prison cell mate. It was said that once he opened the bag and returned to society, he would encounter a blessing.

Hu Donghai believed it. He had never eaten such a fascinating shrimp before.

In the shade of a tree across the street, a stray dog was being chased and bitten by three golden retriever dogs. Looking at the running dog, Hu Donghai seemed to see himself.

He felt a little dizzy. It was the first time he had drunk in 25 years, and a bottle of beer had sent him far away. He lay on the stone bench and slept on his bag.