Guiyang, GuizhouPOV: Tan | September 2025
“Unnie, let’s go. Follow that group.” The two girls spun around and walked away after saying their goodbyes to Juyeon and Loweis. There was no thank you for me, not even a sidelong glance; the two of them walked past as if I wasn't even standing there.
The mountain breeze carrying the damp, cold mist of Guiyang struck my face, making me hunch my shoulders against the chill. It was a stark contrast to the two girls, who walked away arm-in-arm, chatting intimately without being bothered by the weather at all. The dim afternoon sunlight filtering through the gaps of the shimmering silver skyscrapers reflected onto the polished, spotless pavement, making the path ahead look like a runway stretching out into the desolation...
“Sigh...” I let out a long breath, deciding to walk and follow behind them at a distance.
Both sides of the road were lined with futuristic geometric buildings that looked like they had been pulled straight out of a sci-fi movie. Silent electric cars glided past one after another; the entire street was devoid of engine noise, with only the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the gaps between buildings.
Light from giant LED screens on the building walls flashed graphics of vaccinations alternating with modern fashion. Those lights cast onto the faces of the people walking past, who looked flat and emotionless, as if the entire city were built to "watch" rather than to inhabit.
As I maintained my distance, every step felt like pressure creeping up from behind. Every time I glanced at the mirrored surfaces of the modern buildings, I began to notice the strange behavior of certain men mingled along the street.
“Hey! Why are you following us? Want some money or something?” Pai Pai whipped around to ask with a piercing, biting gaze before snapping her face back. My face went numb from being insulted over and over again.
“Juyeon ordered me to follow and see you off until you get on the train. And I don’t want your money. Please don’t look down on me,” I retorted, my patience wearing thin.
“I’ll say whatever I want. What are you going to do about it?” Miss Middle Finger continued to unleash her attitude.
“Sigh!” I was so fed up. If it weren’t for the promise I made to Juyeon, I would have turned around long ago.
“This is China, my home. Remember that you should be thanking me for not reporting you to the police for false imprisonment and assault until my arm turned bruised and green.”
Those words only doubled my annoyance. I tried telling myself it was fine—just cross this street and the goal is reached. Natalie didn't even turn to look at me for a second; she walked closely with Pai Pai, chatting as if I were just a stray dog following them around...
"" The sound of van tires grinding against the polished, spotless pavement rang out, ear-piercingly sharp, completely cutting through the silence of the electric cars that had passed moments ago. The smell of burnt rubber and exhaust fumes hit my nose, making me choke. Large, tall, blond-haired men leaped out of the vehicle as if by prearranged signal. I remembered clearly—these were definitely the same foreigners who had been stalking us since the mall!
“Ah! What is this?!” Natalie screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the people around them to scatter in panic.
The two girls struggled with all their might amidst the brutal dragging and pulling.
“Let me go!” Pai Pai shouted while struggling defiantly. A thick, coarse hand tried to cover her mouth.
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“Let go! I’m calling the police!” She swung her leg, accurately kicking the groin of the man locking her arms until his face contorted in agony. He groaned and collapsed to his knees, clutching his crotch immediately.
The man on the left tried to grab the backpack, but Natalie beat him to it by slamming her forehead into his right eye socket with full force, sending him falling to the ground, writhing. As Pai Pai was being hauled away by her arms, I leaped and kicked to intercept, preventing them from catching her. The two girls shook themselves free and bolted straight toward the crosswalk in the middle of the intersection.
“Move!” I shoved through the crowd blocking the way and ran after them without a second thought.
At that second, survival instinct worked faster than the brain. I grabbed Natalie’s and Pai Pai’s hands and yanked them, making them run headlong toward the intersection where a green 'M' light sign flashed brightly in mid-air.
“Get downstairs! Fast!” I saw the long staircase leading down to the subway.
“No!” Pai Pai stopped me and pointed toward the fountain plaza.
A faint warning signal emitted from the Skynet cameras mounted on the pillars. They began to swivel, tracking the direction of our flight. These cameras were detecting "abnormal behavior."
“Run that way!!” Pai Pai grabbed Natalie’s wrist and bolted onto the sidewalk.
“Urgh!” At that moment, someone’s boot slammed full force into the middle of my back.
“Whoa!!” I stumbled forward, face-planting hard onto the ground.
“Ugh! Ack!” The impact from several more pairs of feet stomped down on me. In my head, I thought of my two "older brothers" who were unable to reach out and help me now.
“Do something! I can’t take this anymore!” Natalie turned and shouted with a panicked face.
“Why are you trying to race me anyway?! Just go home! You can’t help with anything!” Pai Pai bared her teeth and barked at me. Those words felt like a slap in the face in the middle of the intersection…
I had intentionally risked my life to help, worried sick, only to be chased away like a dog.
I decided to break away and run in a different direction immediately!
Their backs became mere specks amidst the cold concrete jungle. My heavy, ragged breaths turned into a white mist, flickering like a soul drifting away. I turned back for only a fleeting glance... the image of Natalie trying to support her staggering body and Pai Pai, so frantic she had forgotten her usual cleverness. It was such a pitiful sight that it made my heart skip a beat.
This city is clearly a prison made of glass and steel! The people walking past are like robots programmed to "not perceive." They skillfully dodge my running path; no one stops to ask, no one looks with pity. Everyone is fixated on the world within the rectangular screens in their hands, as if looking up to eye a problem would instantly deduct their social credit scores.
The Skynet cameras on the stark white poles swivel their necks to follow me steadily. Those shiny black glass lenses look like the eyes of an executioner recording every single one of my failures.
a synthesized voice in my imagination echoes in my ears.
With every step I run, the desolation of Guiyang devours my heart. The streets are so clean they’re terrifying. There are no trash cans to hide behind, no dark alleys to duck into. Everything is transparent yet as secure as a glass cage with invisible bars. There are only sensors; every surface has a camera, and it’s so stifling I can’t breathe.
I stop running, gasping for air until my ribs nearly snap, standing beneath a giant LED screen as large as a five-story building. The vibrant lights from vaccine advertisements and futuristic fashion splash across my battered face. It’s so bright it clearly reveals every dust stain on my clothes...
Natalie and Pai Pai have turned and disappeared into a narrow alley that looks like the mouth of death, with those blond-haired foreigners chasing after them like a pack of wolves that found a succulent prey.
"Fine! Go ahead and die, all of you! You heartless country! You arrogant people!" I curse out loud so fiercely that a Chinese man in a suit walking past has to flinch away with a look of disgust.
I decide to spin around, running straight toward the main road in the opposite direction. My mind is a blank slate—no plan, no destination. I only know I have to get out of this glass cage... But then, my blurred vision catches a shimmering reflection on the mirrored surface of a department store.
In that reflection... a group of Chinese teenagers stood there laughing loudly, flaunting their wealth next to a deep blue object, showing not the slightest interest in the plight of someone crying out for help. They lived as if the world held nothing but joy, utterly unconcerned that just a few meters away, people were being hunted like dogs.
I stopped abruptly... my gaze fixed unblinkingly on that reflection. The resentment from moments ago vanished, replaced only by a piercing coldness. I knew now how I could help them... and I knew that from this minute on, my life would never be the same again.
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Author's Note:
