The Decaying Dream of America: I Assemble Corpses and Confront Madness

Lin Zheng waited quietly, smelling the aroma of carrot stewed beef and white rice. He picked up his phone, the screen's dim light reflecting off his slightly pale face.

Just as I was about to ask Smith and Sam where they were, a piercing scream suddenly tore through my eardrums.

Smoke detector.

Lin Zheng frowned and looked up.

On the kitchen ceiling, a small, round object stubbornly flashed a red light while emitting a highly piercing alarm sound.

He clearly remembered that every time he cooked a dish that produced a lot of oil and smoke, he would cover the alarm with a plastic bag.

Now, the plastic bag, charred and crisp from the cooking fumes, hangs limply to the side, having fallen off sometime ago.

It seems I've been too tired these days and even forgot to deal with this small matter.

He frantically grabbed a long-handled spoon from the side, stood on tiptoe, and tried to reach the high-hanging alarm to knock it down and stop the damn screaming.

However, just as he was awkwardly standing on tiptoe with the spoon in hand, a sudden, urgent, and rough knocking sounded at the door.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Each blow was delivered with tremendous force; someone was pounding away with their fist, causing the entire apartment building to tremble.

That sound made the shrill blare of the smoke alarm even more urgent and oppressive.

Lin Zheng sighed deeply; trouble had come knocking.

The apartment building has a diverse population, ranging from low-income workers to homeless people on the fringes.

Such urgent and unfriendly knocking at the door in the middle of the night, accompanied by a deafening alarm, is definitely not a good thing.

He had no choice but to take the spoon and open the door.

Is it the housing management department?

The housing manager was a burly redneck with a notoriously bad temper, but relatively speaking, he was reasonable.

Or perhaps, it's a neighbor?

Those at the bottom of society, crushed by the weight of life, have disturbed the precious peace and rest they deserve.

Or perhaps... Lin Zheng dared not think about it anymore.

After arriving in this country, he indeed witnessed a lot of unexpected violence and malice.

He looked out through the peephole.

A tall figure was vaguely imprinted outside the door, almost filling the entire field of vision.

Through the distorted fisheye lens, the red-necked building manager's face, covered in a thick beard, was almost pressed against the cat's eye.

The building manager's burly figure almost filled the entire corridor.

He was wearing blue work clothes stained with oil, with a bunch of jingling keys and a utility knife hanging from his waist.

Lin Zheng opened the door, holding a spoon.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

The redneck building manager's voice was deep and rough, carrying a strong sense of dissatisfaction.

"Hey kid, you trying to burn my house down? This smoke alarm's going off so loud the whole floor can hear it! It's never been on before!"

As he spoke, he took a deep sniff, and his previously tense expression seemed to relax slightly.

The steaming heat, carrying a rich aroma of food, wafted out of the door and into the corridor, temporarily suppressing the building manager's anger with a domineering yet alluring force.

That aroma was more convincing than any words.

Lin Zheng knew this was an opportunity.

He gave a smile that he considered sincere, but was actually slightly ingratiating.

The aroma, the richness of the beef, the sweetness of the carrots, and the flavors of the spices intertwine to create a unique and irresistible attraction.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I was just making dinner. It's Eastern cuisine, so there's a bit of oil and smoke."

He deliberately explained in slightly broken English, speaking slowly and with a respectful attitude.

The room manager squinted and sniffed hard.

His nostrils twitched slightly.

His expression softened noticeably, the anger between his brows dissipated considerably, replaced by a hint of curiosity and appetite.

"It tastes really good..."

He subconsciously licked his lips, his eyes no longer showing simple wariness and anger, but rather a hint of undisguised desire.

Lin Zheng struck while the iron was hot.

He opened the door a little wider, revealing half of the kitchen.

The smoke alarm was still screaming in vain, but to the two of them, the sound had been drowned out by the temptation of the food.

"It's carrot and beef stew, sir. It's a dish from my hometown. Would you like to come in and sit down for a while? I happen to have some things I'd like to ask you."

The housing manager's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

He hesitated for a moment, wiped his rough hands on his work clothes, and went into Lin Zheng's room.

"You little rascal, you know how to handle things." The room manager muttered irritably, but his tone was no longer stern; instead, it carried a hint of undisguised expectation.

"Go ahead and tell me, what's wrong?"

Lin Zheng stepped aside to let the room manager's tall body enter the room completely, then closed the door, allowing the rich aroma of the food to concentrate in the room and invade the room manager's senses.

He pointed to the still-screaming smoke alarm on the ceiling, looking somewhat innocent.

"Look, this alarm is too sensitive. It goes off even when I'm cooking. I know it's important, but it goes off every time I cook, which is really bothering the neighbors."

He lowered his voice, his tone pleading and full of apology.

"You're the building manager here, is there any way... to make it a little 'slower'? Or, could you temporarily turn it off every time I cook?"

As Lin Zheng spoke, he took out a small bowl and ladled out a bowl of carrot stewed beef.

In the porcelain bowl, the freshly cooked stewed beef is a bright red color and steaming hot. Each piece of beef is soaked in the rich broth, and carrot chunks and spices are sprinkled on top.

This is an irresistible temptation for a blue-collar housing manager who deals with canned food and supermarket fast food all year round.

That was the vibrant, delicious taste of life, completely different from the "food" that could be easily obtained in this cold city.

The redneck room manager took a bite of the beef in his lunchbox, and his eyes widened instantly.

The rich and delicious flavor, mixed with the aroma of beef, instantly assaulted his taste buds, washing away all his complaints about the smoke alarm.

He chewed twice, then let out a satisfied hum, a sound of animalistic pleasure emanating from his throat.

"This tastes... damn good!"

He completely forgot about the smoke alarm and instead praised the food in the porcelain bowl.

Seeing this, Lin Zheng was secretly delighted.

He knew that he had successfully breached the first line of defense.

He handed her a bottle of chilled beer at just the right moment.

That was what he had prepared for Smith and Sam; it was the perfect drink in this hot city.

"One more of this, sir, to quench your thirst."

The room manager took the beer and gulped down a big mouthful.

The cool liquid slid down his throat, taking away the spiciness in his mouth and the heat from his body.

He let out a satisfied sigh, wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth with the back of his thick hand, and his gaze fell on Lin Zheng again.

"Hey kid, you're not from around here, are you? Judging from your accent, are you from Dongxia, Japan, or Vietnam?"

His gaze had lost its previous hostility, and instead held a hint of casual scrutiny.

Lin Zheng smiled slightly upon hearing this.

"I'm from Dongxia, are you a local?"

The housing manager patted his chest proudly.

"Of course! My family has been around here for three generations! Old Bob's family, Bob Ray."

His tone was filled with pride in this land and his family lineage, a sense of identity unique to the city's lower-class white population.

Lin Zheng immediately responded, his tone becoming even more friendly.

"Oh dear, you're a true 'redneck'!"

The housekeeper was taken aback and stared at Lin Zheng with some suspicion.

"You little brat, do you even know what a 'redneck' is?"

He was used to the word being used in the city as a derogatory and sarcastic term, especially by a foreign student like Lin Zheng who looked thin.

Lin Zheng nodded, his tone sincere and firm.

"Of course I know! In my hometown, my family was also 'rednecks,' and I came from a background of herding sheep."

He paused for a moment, giving the housing manager time to process the statement.

"In my hometown, people who are hardworking, honest, devoted to their own little plot of land, a bit stubborn but loyal are called 'rednecks.' Look at you, managing this apartment building every day and helping everyone solve all sorts of problems, aren't you one of the 'rednecks' here?"

Lin Zheng's family really is of redneck origin; they used to own a ranch and raise cattle and sheep, and he even herded them when he was a child.

He knew that the boundaries of language and nationality were not insurmountable when faced with simple shared interests and ideas.

Lin Zheng continued to cultivate his relationship with Bob, the redneck.

"Look, I come from the East. My hometown also has mountains and rivers, and hardworking people. The people there also have a strong will to never give up and earn a living with their own hands. So, if you ask me, you're an American 'redneck,' and I'm an Eastern 'redneck.' We're all 'one of us'!"

He even spoke in a friendly tone, pointing to the other person and himself, saying "our own people" in Chinese, and then repeating it in English.

"We are all...'one of us'!"

The room manager's mouth opened slightly, and he momentarily forgot to put down the lunchbox and beer bottle in his hands.

He stared at Lin Zheng for a long time, his gaze shifting from initial scrutiny to surprise, and finally to relief and a rare, touched warmth.

Something seemed to have lit up again in those eyes that had become somewhat numb from the hardships of life.

"Dongxia... Rednecks?" He repeated, and surprisingly, a simple, honest smile appeared on his lips.

Lin Zheng nodded again.

"That's right! We are the hardest-working and most honest people on this land."

The housing manager finally put down his lunchbox and beer bottle.

He patted Lin Zheng's shoulder hard with his other hand, the force of which made Lin Zheng sway slightly.

"Alright, kid! You've got good taste! This flavor is definitely potent!"

He picked up the porcelain bowl, scooped up a large spoonful of beef, and put it in his mouth, chewing with relish.

"About the alarm... Next time before you cook, let me know. I'll come down and turn off the power for you. But, you know the rules. You have to give me a portion of this dish."

He gave a knowing smile.

Lin Zheng immediately understood, and a genuine smile finally appeared in his eyes.

"Of course! Smith and Sam will be here soon too, there'll be plenty of food tonight!"

"Okay, I'll have something to eat too, and we'll leave when they arrive."

"No, let's eat together tonight."

Lin Zheng, thinking that since he was already there, might as well have a meal first, wanted to keep the redneck guy with him.

"That would be too kind of you."

The screeching of the smoke alarm finally subsided under the redneck's operation.

In the kitchen, the low hum of the exhaust fan and the soft sounds of pots and pans being put away were back in their places.

Lin Zheng felt a weight lifted off his shoulders as he watched the housekeeper eat heartily.

He knew that in this cold and alienated city, being able to establish such a "food alliance" with the housing manager, which had a touch of江湖 (jianghu, a Chinese term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), would undoubtedly be a small guarantee for his future apartment life.

At least, he might have an extra layer of invisible protection when facing those potential troubles.

He began tidying up the kitchen, setting out two meals on the table, waiting for Smith and Sam to arrive.

The rich aroma of the dishes, mixed with the sweetness of the rice, continued to spread throughout the room, warm and inviting.

As he thought about Smith's humor and Sam's generosity, a slight smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

He looked up at the time; his friends should be arriving soon.

Outside the apartment, in the hallway.

The room manager finished the stewed beef that Lin Zheng had given him, and also drank all the beer.

He burped contentedly, then got up and left.

Lin Zheng tried hard to persuade him to stay, but he couldn't. The man was also polite.

So Lin Zheng took out some carrot stewed beef and put it in a lunchbox for his brother to take back so his family could try it.

Bob went outside.

Just then, a slight, almost imperceptible sound came from the shadows deep in the corridor.

The sound was very faint, like some kind of viscous liquid, slowly wriggling in the darkness, rubbing against the rough wall.

Or perhaps some soft limbs are silently peeking out from the corner of the wall.

The aroma still lingered in the apartment; it was the smell of home, yet it also became bait to lure something dark.

The building manager's ears twitched. He cautiously drew a small tool knife from his waist, his eyes instantly turning sharp, and his previous amiable smile vanished.

He stood at the doorway, his body slightly tense.

He muttered something in a low voice, so softly that only he could hear it.

"...What is it?"

He slowly stood up and carefully took a few steps in that direction.

In the dim light of the stairwell, his burly figure was stretched long, as if it could be swallowed up by the darkness at any moment.

The slight noise stopped as he approached.

In the hallway, only the monotonous hum of the air conditioner vents and the faint sound of rain in the distance remained.

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and put the utility knife back into his waistband.

"Probably rats...this dilapidated building," he muttered to himself.

He sniffed the lingering aroma of the food in the air again, and a satisfied smile returned to his face.

He patted the lunchbox in his hand towards the direction of Lin Zheng's apartment door, then turned around and left the stairwell.

Lin Zheng, inside the apartment, breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the building manager's footsteps receding into the distance.

There was another knock at the door, and Lin Zheng smiled and went to open it.

finally reached.