Chapter 1: In a Foreign Land

In a country with the highest murder rate in the world, Lu Li always takes the main roads when going out, as it at least offers some assurance of safety

This backward appearance is far removed from the "paradise" described by my father, and is even inferior to the county town of my hometown

Lu Li frowned. These worthless wildflowers are sold to tourists, and he lives nearby, passing by daily and having met the young girl several times.

The only son! Benjamin will definitely go crazy...

However, today the road was quite tumultuous, with military vehicles passing by one after another, carrying soldiers armed to the teeth.

Seeing the dark tank barrel aiming at him, Lu Li's back immediately bristled with fear! His heart raced wildly!

On the broken outer screen, there is a notice sent by the school

Unfortunately, the warm illusion was soon shattered

The newly appointed mayor is a staunch anti-drug advocate, and upon taking office, he arrested Benjamin's son

In the next second, there was a thunderous explosion as the tank fired a shot that obliterated the armored vehicle

Lu Li sighed and took out a few banknotes, saying: "3 pesos, do you sell it?"

It doesn't matter if one meal is missed anyway

It has been 5 years in the blink of an eye

However, a 12-year-old child lacks the awareness and the courage to resist their father's arrangements

At this moment, Lu Li felt that everything around him slowed down, even the screams of the crowd were elongated

He was about to leave this place full of temptation when a faint voice sounded behind him

... ...

Looking back, there was a girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old, carrying a flower basket, with a face full of sorrow

The acceptance cavity, metal joints, connecting tubes ... ! ... It is unmistakably a "prosthetic limb"! A crudely made prosthetic lower leg!

In a daze, I boarded the plane and ascended to an altitude of 30,000 feet, my hometown growing increasingly distant, gradually transforming into a blurred little black dot

The father's goal is, in fact, the neighboring country to the north of the nation—the Star Alliance.

Lu Li coughed out a mouthful of petals mixed with gunpowder, dragging the stunned little girl as he crawled into that small eatery

Brother, please buy a bouquet of flowers

Lu Li raised his hand to shield his eyes as he adjusted to the light, and immediately, a scene of exotic charm unfolded before him

I self-studied the high school curriculum from Xia Country; the joyful education here is not worth pursuing, which conveniently frees up time to take care of my father in the hospital

In light of the current tense situation, high schools in Tijuana City will suspend classes starting today

Low and cluttered residential shanties, tall palm trees, and a crowd of people dressed in inexpensive clothing, most of whom have amber-colored eyes and brown skin

This is equivalent to one yuan in the Xia Kingdom, just enough to buy a chicken wrap, which is also the limit of Lu Li's kindness

At that moment, the buzzing sound of the phone interrupted the dream

In a moment of daze, it seems I have returned to my hometown, sitting in a classroom filled only with the sound of turning pages

At this moment, he was being stimulated by the aroma of the chicken wrap, causing him to salivate uncontrollably

She picked the largest and most vibrant dahlia and handed it over, as Mexicans regard this flower as a symbol of generosity and opulence

Since taking office, the current administration has prioritized the fight against drug-related crimes and launched a large-scale anti-drug campaign

Lu Li also responded in Frangki language while dodging several disheveled children playing soccer

The pupils of Lu Li shrank sharply—this is the mark of a drug lord! It is the tank of a drug lord!

This is the strongest nation on Blue Planet, known as the beacon of democracy, with countless people wanting to immigrate as if crossing a river filled with fish.

Lu Li's father was such an unfortunate soul, who, burdened by years of resentment and frustration, ultimately developed a serious illness and was diagnosed with stomach cancer

When a person is experiencing a sudden life-and-death change, the brain operates at an accelerated speed, and thoughts become quicker, leading to the perception that time slows down

The buzzing in his head persisted, and Lu Li's thoughts wandered, suddenly recalling a classmate from his hometown whom he had not seen in a long time

In the face of an armed drug trafficking group with firearms, school closures are inevitable; however, for Lu Li, this is a fortunate turn of events

The past is too painful to recall, Lu Li shook his head to regain clarity and took out his phone to unlock it

The armored vehicle transformed into a fireball soaring into the sky, with shockwaves carrying various debris blasting in all directions

The rumble of tanks passed by, followed closely by the synchronized sound of footsteps, as the drug lord's guards advanced.

... ...

Hearing was the first to recover, and tinnitus surged like a tidal wave. Lu Li heard the sound of his own heavy breathing, as well as the deafening cries and screams of the crowd

The vision was a step behind in restoration, with an armored vehicle engulfed in flames and smoke coming into view, along with a ground strewn with severed limbs and a sea of crimson.

Even the imposing "Bull" armored vehicle was in a state of panic and confusion, unable to turn around in time, and could only reverse to escape, knocking over countless stalls.

This dream resembles a memory, a fragment of a disjointed recollection that one is reluctant to revisit

In stark contrast to the gloom of the basement, the outside is basking in bright sunshine

Lu Li held it in his hand, thinking: placing it in front of his father's sickbed to change the mood would not be a bad idea

The young man had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, quite handsome, yet his expression was slightly dazed, as if he had not yet managed to break free from his dreams

Many "black intermediaries" have seized upon this mentality, claiming: the two countries are neighbors, and that immigrating to "Mexico" first, followed by immigrating to "Star Alliance countries," will be exceedingly simple

Many people were deceived into giving up their original nationality, losing everything to come to this poor and chaotic place to fend for themselves

The country he is in is called "Mexico", and it is one of the most unsafe countries in the world, rife with drugs, crime, and violence, with drug lords rampant

Immediately afterwards, Lu Li saw the culprit behind it all—a "M1A1" main battle tank, slowly appearing around the corner!

In the dimly lit basement apartment that had been converted, Lu Li suddenly opened his eyes and slowly sat up

Just as I had hidden away, I heard the vibrations of tank tracks crushing the ground

Early in the morning, having not yet eaten breakfast, but with limited funds, Lu Li still decided to save the money for this meal

Resentment and panic filled the chest, the unbearable feeling threatening to tear a person apart

The drug lords are also unwilling to back down, issuing death threats against government departments, including the police and schools

Huddled behind thick walls, one is given a false sense of security

The news of this message is not surprising to Lu and the library.

This is a tank of the same model as that of the Star Alliance Army, but the vehicle's body is adorned with a chilling insignia composed of a "viper passing through the eye sockets of a skull"

In that era, countless people firmly believed that the moon abroad was particularly round, and they worked tirelessly to emigrate, only to discover that the world was not as beautiful as they had imagined.

As the saying goes, what one thinks about during the day will manifest in dreams at night

Selling flowers also has its performance metrics. Recently, the government's crackdown on drugs has led to a sharp decline in tourists. Failing to meet targets will certainly result in hunger, and may even lead to physical violence.

In the faint light of the phone, Lu Li quickly got dressed and fumbled beside the pillow to retrieve a strange object.

Apart from a slightly unsteady gait, he was almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person, clearly having adapted to the prosthetic limb

Even small pebbles possess the power to penetrate the human body, causing countless passersby to instantly turn into blood-soaked gourds, flying out in all directions

He skillfully secured the prosthetic, pushed himself up with both hands, and stepped out the door.

By a stroke of luck, the armored vehicle has already reached just in front of Lu Li, a distance of less than 20 meters

Lu Li knew that this was not the country his father longed for

She turned to herself ... . ... It can only indicate that she is at her wit's end

Lu Li had little interest in this; as a struggling ant for survival, he had no leisure to concern himself with such matters

Son, Dad is going to take you to a paradise-like country! There, even the air is exceptionally sweet, you will receive the best education, and live the best life...

They are about to take the college entrance examination, aren't they

Lu Li suddenly realized that he could never go back again

The cancer cells have now spread, and all Lu Li can do is to accompany as much as possible during the final days.

In a state of confusion and fear, I am reluctant to leave the hometown where I grew up

The young man brought the flowers to his nose to take a gentle sniff, but before he could catch their fragrance, a commotion suddenly erupted in the distance

Several neighbors greet each other in Franglish: "iHola" (Hello)

The government soldiers who had just passed by all fled back, discarding their weapons and equipment as they ran

The little girl’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly: "Sell, sell, thank you!"

Lu Li quickly stepped aside to a small eatery by the roadside, just in time to overhear the diners discussing:

In the waiting hall, the father excitedly shouted while holding two plane tickets

Perhaps feeling homesick, Lu Li once again entered that familiar dreamscape

Father's mouth opened and closed continuously, narrating the beautiful future imagined in his mind

He lay on the ground, engulfed in an eerie silence, with only a blur remaining in front of him

He sighed and stepped towards the Tijuana General Hospital

At this moment, the tank adjusted its gun barrel and aimed at the "Bull" armored vehicle

Among them was an armored vehicle known as the "Bull," a steel behemoth weighing over ten tons that rumbled past with considerable grandeur

Indeed, classes have been suspended. In this country, no one dares to ignore the threat posed by drug lords

Lu Li rolled up the empty right pant leg, which had already disappeared up to the knee

Although Lu Li fell to the ground in time, the explosion was too close, and he still lost both his hearing and vision due to the shock

Without a word, he sprang forward and tackled the flower-selling girl, bringing them both down to the ground

Benjamin is a major drug lord in the area, and it seems that a significant event is about to unfold