Monday morning in the last week of May.
There is no sunshine in Las Vegas, and there is a hair-chilling wind in the air, like a banshee creeping into the skin.
The two cars drove all the way out of Las Vegas and onto the wide, flat interstate highway between Arizona and Nevada.
The road began to descend, becoming a gentle slope.
Dean stuck his head out of the car window, and in the distance, a blue lake came into view.
There is no sun today, but the color of the lake is still astonishingly beautiful, like a gem lying between the cliffs. The calm lake surface is filled with azure light.
Dean narrowed his eyes and looked at Caroline next to him.
“What exactly is the process for today’s Memorial Day?”
"It's very simple. Go to the shore of Lake Mead, chat and bask in the sun. Oh, no, there is no sun today. You can only enjoy the barbecue party at noon. Wait until three o'clock in the afternoon to observe five minutes of silence for the fallen soldiers and relatives on time, and then disperse and go home. Everyone continues to enjoy the two days off on Tuesday and Wednesday."
Caroline shook her ponytails and smiled sweetly.
"No parade or gun salute? Take the opportunity to invite a few veterans to give speeches, recall the glory of the past, and promote American patriotism?"
"Didn't you notice? These projects were completed last Friday." Caroline hugged his arm tightly and breathed hot breath into his ear mischievously.
Dean smiled helplessly.
Despite the open-minded appearance of this rock girl, in fact she is just a slippery loach. She will slide away when caught. However, Dean doesn't mind and just regards all this as a refreshment after training.
There was a commotion from the other side of the sofa.
"You're squeezing me, honey...why don't you bring your Dodge over here!"
Two latecomers, Noah's girlfriend Marie and Liam's girlfriend, sat on the "human sofa" and complained.
"Haha, wouldn't a squeeze make it easier to communicate deeply?" Liam scratched his girlfriend's waist and kissed the long hair on her back.
…
After running lively for more than half an hour, the time came to ten o'clock in the morning.
Everyone arrived at their destination.
The Chevy and Ford pulled up and Dean opened the door.
"Have you been here?"
Caroline followed him out of the car. There were about twenty cars parked by the lake and a bus used to pick up students.
Teachers, students and other strangers from the school were spreading picnic cloths and setting up grills in a lively atmosphere.
"I've never left Las Vegas before."
Dean said,
"Then you've come to the right place this time. If you haven't been to Lake Mead, how can you be considered a Vegas native?"
Caroline patted his chest.
Dean slowly walked to the beach on the shore, took a handful of cold lake water, and looked up at the loess, beach, cliffs with rugged rocks on all sides, and the rental boat on the beach in the distance.
It is obviously surrounded by endless desert, but in this boring yellow sand, there is such a beautiful artificial lake.
The water is crystal clear, so clear that you can see the bottom, and so calm that there is no ripple.
You can also fish, dive, and boat across.
Lake Mead is like a sapphire dotted in a golden sand table, a mirage in the illusion.
Dean grinned and asked,
"Wouldn't it damage the environment to hold a barbecue party in such a beautiful place? The government allows it?"
“I made a special application and as long as all the trash is disposed of after the party, it’s fine.”
Caroline squatted beside him and poured a handful of water at him with a smile.
Dean put his hand in front of the shoulder bag.
"What kind of treasure is in the bag that makes you so interested? You seemed to be taking it with you when you were resting last night."
Caroline's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"A few novels to pass the time."
Dean smiled,
Caroline wanted to continue asking, but a voice interrupted her.
"Look, what a peaceful sleeping beauty."
Kadi and Rust came over and put down the vegetable bucket as arrogantly as crabs, looking at the lake.
"It is said that this 'beauty' has hidden murderous intentions. One of the favorite sports of Las Vegas casino thugs and gangsters is to sink corpses covered with stones and chains into the bottom of Lake Mead to destroy them. It has been more than 40 years since the Lake District was born. If ten people sink in a year..."
"According to what you say, isn't Lake Mead equivalent to a mass grave? Let's have a barbecue party by the lake," Carty suddenly said, "Isn't it just a 'disco on the grave'?"
"There are worse things." Rust held an onion tightly and his face turned blue. "The geography teacher Shia said that Lake Mead provides drinking water for millions of people in California, Nevada, Arizona and other states. Water, guess where the drinking water in Desert Oasis Las Vegas comes from?”
Dean frowned, the initial dreamy feeling fading away.
Britney and Caroline's faces turned pale as they eavesdropped.
Have we been drinking corpse water?
"Shut up, you idiot! I haven't seen you have any problems with drinking water in all these years. Come and help!" Liam, who was peeling carrots with a knife, made a sharp stabbing motion. "If you say such disappointing things again, believe it or not. I’ll sink you three to the bottom first.”
…
Dean and his team started to set up the grill, spread the charcoal, set up the iron pot, cut onions, diced carrots, corn nuggets, chopped parsley and other spices. Mary, wearing an apron, stood in front of the grill making barbecue soup. Flip the steaks to control the heat.
Next to the grills, the steaks were sizzling with oil, and the blackened corn kernels were crackling and flying. The aroma was rising with the curls of cooking smoke, and drifting into the gloomy sky.
Like a row of tentacles reaching into the dark clouds.
This is a new experience for Dean.
In his previous life, he rarely participated in barbecues in the wild.
Moreover, he is a fake Chinese, with average cooking skills, so he can only do a few tricks.
…
The barbecue party was organized in an orderly manner. In order to avoid outside interference, Dean specially selected the most remote corner of the entire barbecue camp.
But it turns out he underestimated Good Morning's influence and popularity.
In just half an hour, several waves of different people came over to say hello.
The black man with an afro, wearing a floral T-shirt and ripped jeans greeted the bad weather today in a rhythmic rap voice, and then fist-bumped with several members of the band.
The non-mainstream people who wore leather clothes and pants, wore eye shadow, and were in couples, affectionately hugged Liam's shoulders and whispered to each other, and then took away some corn, grilled sausages, and juice.
A gentle nerd wearing glasses, holding a small book, enthusiastically asking for the band's autograph, but his eyes kept stealing glances at Caroline, who had flowing blond hair, white skin, and a hot figure.
…
But without exception, when these eyes fell on Dean and Rust in the morning team, they would reveal undisguised surprise.
How did an Asian and a transparent person like to play herring get together with the most popular rock band in school?
"Open your mouth..."
Caroline thoughtfully put a grilled sausage to the mouth of the thinker Dean, and the tips of her slender green fingers were covered with grease and looked very tempting.
Dean didn't show any pretense and took a hard bite.
Caroline smiled with satisfaction, her big eyes sparkling. The words he spoke were like sounds of nature.
"Don't be like those idiots. They don't understand anything and will always be mediocre in the future. They can't even afford a house in Las Vegas. You are different, Dean. You can write good songs. You are a Genius, destined to shine in the music world!"
Dean glanced at the girl.
Even though he knew that the other party had ulterior motives for trying to please him, he still felt a sense of pleasure in his heart.
"Caroline?"
"Um?"
"You will definitely become a big singer in the future."
The girl's eyes curved into crescent moons,
"Don't make promises easily. If you fail to fulfill them, I will come to settle the account with you."
…
A group of people gathered around the wooden square table next to the grill and feasted.
Dean did as he remembered.
Bacon, steak, lettuce, fried onion rings, pickled cucumbers, topped with hot melted cheese between each layer and sprinkled with spices.
Layer after layer sandwiched between two slices of bread.
A steaming hot Thousand-Flower Castle is freshly baked!
Dean licked his lips and took a bite.
Well……
The rich juice exploded in the mouth, and the rich ingredients filled the cheeks.
Overwhelming satisfaction!
…
“I still vividly remember the day this guy Noah applied to be in the band a few years ago and it blew my mind.”
Liam took a big bite of the pistol chicken drumstick and began to reminisce about the past,
"You are wearing a khaki coat and dusty trousers. You are thin and have a hunched back. You look like an old lady from the country. Yes, you are originally from a farm in the Arizona countryside!"
"Bah! Grandma is better than a gay guy like you!" Noah straightened his cockscomb head that was blown by the wind.
"Cynthia, your boyfriend had a male-female boyfriend when he was in junior high school!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Believe it or not, I will tear your mouth apart!"
"Did you hear that a man would say 'tear your mouth off'?"
"Forget it, let's not argue with mentally retarded children. Let's talk about something exciting. My girlfriend secretly told me the measurements of Caroline, the core character of our band. Are you interested?"
"How do you want to die?" Caroline raised her fork with a cold look in her eyes.
Dean enjoyed the food and the chatter in his ears, opened his belly and ate enough food for the previous day.
Almost an hour later, everyone was full of wine and food, and their bodies were warm. Because they started to digest the food, their brains were suffering from ischemia and their heads were dizzy.
Dean glanced at the girl next to him. Caroline's face turned red and she secretly pulled the hem of her vest down to cover her slightly bulging belly.
…
Such a beautiful moment.
squeak--
Not far away, there suddenly came a harsh sudden brake that disrupted the scenery.
Pairs of eyes in the campsite by the lake looked over.
"Who is it? Why are you parking so randomly?"
An M151 Jeep parked sideways on the slope between the lake area and the highway, like a black riot wall, blocking the way out.
The car door opened, like the wings of a giant black bat spreading out, and three people, one on the left and one on the right, got out of the car.
They were all wrapped in a tight military green coat, with a full-face steel helmet resembling a motorcycle rider's helmet on top of their head, covering their entire face, and the square black goggles around their eyes reflected cold light.
They looked bloated and heavy, as if they were wearing a set of old armor, and there was a hint of solemnity in their bulkiness, just like the gloomy weather.
Dean's heart skipped a beat.
These three people felt inexplicably familiar to him.
What do they want to do?
The three of them each got out of the car carrying a pair of heavy long cylindrical dark handbags. One of them stood on the spot and squatted down to unzip the handbag.
One person walked straight to the parking lot.
A man walked through the barbecue camp and limped towards the lake. His inappropriate dress and weird behavior made him attract most of the attention in the camp.
Someone noticed something was wrong,
"Sir, would you please take off your helmet? You're scaring the children." Tom, the coach of the baseball team, walked over and tugged on the shoulder of the man with the helmet, but was violently thrown away by the man. The man continued to walk firmly towards the lake. side.
"Stop! I'm warning you not to cause trouble!"
Tom shouted a warning with sharp eyes, and several tall men walked out of the crowd and surrounded him.
"Stop sir!"
The man stopped by the lake, and a powerful and loud male voice suddenly sounded from his helmet, like a soldier giving an order.
Several teachers from the school were instantly stopped by this formation.
Everyone in the camp suddenly stopped making noise.
"We're sodiers!"
The man put down his handbag and patted the disabled foot awkwardly.
"We gave everything to America, our youth, our health, our families, and for it our hands were stained with the blood of innocents."
The high-pitched voice echoed throughout the camp.
"But when we are injured and sick, it ignores the injustice we have suffered and treats us like waste and sweeps us into the trash can!"
"Leave us to drink, fight, kill ourselves, and go to hell."
"It abandoned the warriors who shed blood for it!"
The companion on the opposite side walked to the parking lot and took over his words.
At the same time, the man squatting next to the Humvee stood up and raised a long, dark, large murder weapon with both hands. Dean, who had visited the gun shop not long ago, recognized it at a glance——
Fully automatic, AK-47.
"Fuck, this damn America, fxxk, this hypocritical and disgusting society, they all have to pay the price!"
"cost…"
The angry and desperate declaration was mixed with a gust of cold wind that passed through the camp, like a death cry.
The man raised the black muzzle of his gun and pointed it at the crowd in the lakeside camp.
