Nen Read Online Free Page B

functional and they illuminated the small landing space with a faint yellowish glow.
    The gunmetal elevator doors were half open and the entire passenger cage was stationary at about ten feet above their heads. Wong and Lang pressed all the buttons they could find near the elevator shaft but none of them was making the elevator work.
    “No shit,” Howard said as he stared into the tall elevator shaft, “how high is this shaft?”
    “Very high sir, something is wrong here. The elevator should have power.” Wong said with a worrying tone while he struggled with the red and green buttons on a control panel located on the left side of the elevator landing.
    Paul flipped open his mobile phone, stared at its LCD screen for a second or two and then closed it back curtly, “Damn it, there’s still no signal.”
    Sarah Tan, Mr. Chan and a few of the tourists tried to make calls using their mobile phones but like Paul, they were unable to get any phone signals underground.
    “Why don’t we do this, I will climb up the elevator shaft,” Lang the night guard said to the group in mandarin, “and when I am up there, I will call for help.”
    “It’s too dangerous,” John Chan responded in his unpolished mandarin, “I suggest we wait out here for a couple of hours. Surely someone will come to help us?”
    “Oh,it..it is not..possible” Lang started to stammer as he looked away from the eyes of the tourists.
    “Is there another way out of here?” Sarah Tan asked, looking at Lang gravely. Lang did not answer her.
    Tour guide Wong had apparently given up hope on the buttons and switches he was meddling with and he let out a long sigh, “This is the only way in and only way out.” He glanced at Lang and continued, “We have to get out of this place, because…”
    “Because of what?” Paul scoffed. Apparently he was still angry with Wong and Lang.
    “The main power generator is down, it means that the entire ventilation system here has…has stopped functioning,” Wong answered. He looked at his feet and muttered “in another few hours, we will run out of air.”
    “What? This is bull shit! ” Paul cried with intense hostility. That was followed by a heightening of uneasiness and anxiety among the group after a few Chinese speaking tourists explained the undesirable circumstances to their foreign counterparts. Chaos broke out all over the elevator landing.
    “You go up there and call help,” Mr. Park said, moving a step closer to Lang. “Please. You must go.”
    “This is madness man, it’s so dark up there and any wrong step, he will be so dead.” Howard said as he pointed his finger upwards at the tall elevator shaft.
    “I think we have to let him go,” Henry said, adjusting the horn-rimmed glasses on his face, “they are the ones who ripped us off remember?
    “No..no, there must be another way,” Sarah said, “it is too risky for him.”
    “Who cares, I don’t wanna die here!” Henry blurted out.
    The tourists began to argue among themselves. The situation went totally out of control and some of them were pulling the shirt of Lang, the night guard.
    “Silence!” Wong raised his voice, “Let him go if you want to live. He is our only hope!”
    Wong had a very loud voice and the commotion ceased instantly.
    Lang nodded his head and he gave a light pat on Wong’s shoulder. He smiled to Wong and said, “Wong, I am going up now.”
    “Please be careful.” Wong said.
    Lang took a glance at the weeping Pete for a second.
    “Don’t worry, kid, I will be back soon.” Lang said to Pete in Mandarin. He knew that Pete was completely terrified by the unfortunate turn of events but that was the best he could do.
    Lang turned and gave a final glance behind him. The tourists appeared hopeful and he could see Madam Kim and Mrs. Chan putting their palms together and moving them up and down, the same way the Taoists did when they offered prayers to their gods. He nodded to the group and started climbing onto