She hurriedly packed her things and rushed toward the exit. As she neared the park gate, she caught sight of a few indistinct figures lingering by the roadside.
As she drew closer, she saw a group of men wearing military-style overcoats and lounging in cloth shoes. Some were hunched over their bicycle seats, cigarettes dangling from their lips or held between their fingers, exuding an air of idle arrogance. One man, in particular, was blowing smoke rings while talking, his entire demeanor one of utter indifference.
This crew were clearly typical neighborhood hoodlums—a street gang unique to Beijing. They spent their days idling about, stirring up trouble; while they stopped short of serious crime, they were no strangers to harassment.
Chapter 38