The sun was already high when Zhen Zhen opened her eyes. After washing up, she ventured out in search of work, her pocket containing just enough for a humble bowl of wonton noodles. Without proper identification, finding legitimate employment seemed an impossible task. As she drifted through the bustling streets, a Northern-style breakfast shop caught her eye, and she stepped inside.
The small shop was packed, every table taken. Two middle-aged women ran the place – one expertly frying dough sticks while the other served steaming bowls of tofu soup. Zhen Zhen ordered a bowl and retreated to a corner, savoring each spoonful. She remained oblivious to the fact that directly above her, on the second floor of the neighboring building, Deng Ligang's gang of kidnappers and murderers sat celebrating their latest score. They grabbed dishes from passing carts with reckless abandon, their table quickly overflowing with food.
As Zhen Zhen finished her soup, the owner approached to clear her table. Reading the situation, Zhen Zhen stood and helped gather the dishes, carrying them to the sink. The owner's gratitude was effusive.
"I have time to spare. Let me help with the washing," Zhen Zhen offered.
The owner's demeanor shifted instantly. "We're too small to hire anyone."
"I don't need money – just food," Zhen Zhen responded.
"Do you have identification?" the owner pressed.
When Zhen Zhen shook her head, the owner's response was swift: "Then it's impossible. Please leave."
Her first job came at a modest barbershop, washing hair. The barber, who hailed from Anhui, showed her the proper technique with patience. During quiet periods, she washed towels, shook them out, and hung them to dry. The position offered no wages, only two daily meals.
The spicy hot pot skewer shop became her second workplace. The Huizhou-born owner proved reasonable enough, and here Zhen Zhen earned her first actual wages. Young customers kept the place busy, and the turnover was constant. She'd barely finish arranging skewers when the owner's wife would call out, "We need clean bowls – hurry!"
In the kitchen, Zhen Zhen attacked the mountain of dirty dishes, soap suds enveloping her hands. She wiped sweat from her brow with her forearm, leaving traces of foam in her hair.
The owner interrupted, demanding she return to preparing skewers.
"Everyone else gets twenty per day," Zhen Zhen ventured. "I only get ten. Could you raise it?"
The owner assessed her coldly. "You claim eighteen, but you're barely fifteen, and without papers. I'm risking enough employing you. If someone offers better, take it."
Zhen Zhen fell silent, returning to work. As she threaded meat onto skewers, she calculated how to stretch her ten yuan. Instant noodles were a luxury now – she'd switch to plain noodles with pickled vegetables and egg sauce…
Qiu Feng worked nights while Zhen Zhen worked days, their paths rarely crossing. Yet Zhen Zhen's habits grated on the fastidious Qiu Feng: unwashed dishes, unmade beds, overflowing trash. Even written reminders went unheeded.
One night, after a late shift at the hot pot shop, Zhen Zhen was heading home around ten when she passed the Lilac Nightclub. There stood Qiu Feng, fending off an aggressive man. Seeing Zhen Zhen, Qiu Feng's surprise quickly turned to opportunity. She approached Zhen Zhen directly: "Since we share living space, I need to ask – clean the bathroom after you use it. Consider others."
The man on the steps called out to Qiu Feng, "I'll make it four hundred!"
Qiu Feng shook her head at him before turning to Zhen Zhen. "Did you hear what I said?"
Zhen Zhen, knowing full well what Qiu Feng did for a living, met her words with a cold silence and contempt in her eyes.
"Five hundred!" the man shouted.
Qiu Feng glanced at Zhen Zhen one last time before walking toward the man. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they climbed into a taxi.
The hot pot shop closed for two days when the owner's father celebrated his seventieth birthday, taking the family back home for the occasion. After weeks in Luan City, Zhen Zhen finally indulged in a long, unrushed sleep. She treated herself to a shower afterward, and the mirror reflected back a fifteen-year-old's resilient glow - bright eyes and fresh skin. Simple pleasures came easily at her age. Standing at the stove, she prepared noodles, dropping in an egg and adding a sausage. Just as she sat down to eat, Qiu Feng stumbled in, grimacing. She'd slipped on wet hair in the bathroom, nearly hurting her tailbone.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Dry the floor after you shower. But you never listen, do you? Water everywhere, hair all over - look what happened to me," Qiu Feng snapped, her face dark with anger.
"I was going to clean up after eating," Zhen Zhen said, unbothered. "Didn't expect you up now. Don't you usually sleep until dark?"
"This isn't about when I wake up. It's about basic hygiene," Qiu Feng's voice rose.
Zhen Zhen set down her bowl and chopsticks with a clatter. "Fine, fine, fine. Stop nagging. I'll clean it now." She stood and walked out.
As Zhen Zhen crouched in the bathroom, wiping the floor, Qiu Feng leaned against the doorframe. "You said you'd clean it for me - but how is it for me? This bathroom is shared. Have some public decency!"
Without looking up, Zhen Zhen shot back, "You come crashing in at three or four in the morning, banging pots and pans around. Should I quiz you on how to write 'public decency'?"
"Didn't your mother teach you to wash dishes after eating? To take out full trash bags?" Qiu Feng pressed.
The mention of her mother made Zhen Zhen's blood boil. She stood up, eyes flashing. "Didn't your mother teach you not to earn dirty money?"
Qiu Feng flinched, then lifted her chin, crossing her arms. "No use arguing with an ignorant child. I pay rent every month. You're just squatting here - you've got no right to judge me."
"This is my friend's place," Zhen Zhen fired back. "She lets me stay free. Not my fault you don't have friends."
"So young, and still can't learn?"
"You've got no right to lecture me. However bad I am, I'm still better than you."
"Skipping school when you should be there, clearly with no interest in learning."
"My schooling is none of your business."
They traded barbs meant to wound pride, but neither showed any sign of being hurt.
"If I don't show you what pain feels like, you'll never learn," Qiu Feng's voice hardened.
"You going to hit me?" Zhen Zhen challenged.
Qiu Feng scoffed. "I won't waste the effort. This city will teach you plenty. You freeload here now, but when I leave, there's no rent coming in. Let's see how long your friend lets you stay for free then."
Qiu Feng slammed the kitchen door and retreated to her room. Unable to sleep, she got up, freshened herself, and headed down to the game room for mahjong. The stakes were low, and lunch came included.
The clatter of mahjong tiles filled the room. The owner, plump and fair like a Wuxi clay doll, welcomed Qiu Feng with a smile.
"You're early today."
"Couldn't sleep. Might as well play a few rounds," Qiu Feng said. "Your place is perfect - even feeds us. What's for lunch?"
"Duck soup and braised beef with radish."
Qiu Feng joined three men at a table.
The bald man turned to the thin one across from him. "Old Jin, how'd you slip away so easily today?"
"Told the wife it was urgent. She asked what could be so important, and I said it was a four-person consultation - if I was late, someone might die."
Everyone burst out laughing. Qiu Feng's luck ran cold, her tiles refusing to form sets. Song Hongyu entered and stood behind her, watching. They say fortune follows the heart, and it proved true. Qiu Feng lost all afternoon until Song Hongyu began advising her moves. Soon, she won a hand that covered all her losses.
Qiu Feng turned to Song Hongyu, beaming. "You're a brilliant advisor. Hey - do I know you from somewhere?"
"I sing at the Lilac Nightclub. I'm Fan Ying."
Still shuffling tiles, Qiu Feng said, "Ah, that explains it. You live around here?"
"Used to, but my partner didn't like the feng shui. We moved across the street," Song Hongyu replied.
"Rent's much steeper there."
"If a man can afford it, a woman can live in it," Song Hongyu said casually.
Qiu Feng studied her again. This woman calling herself Fan Ying wore simple black clothes, had fine features, and unusually long black hair reaching her waist. Catching Qiu Feng's look, Song Hongyu smiled, though her eyes remained cold. They partnered for the next few games, and Qiu Feng won another five hundred. "Come up to my place," she said happily. "I'll change, then let's grab dinner. My treat."
Song Hongyu accepted, following Qiu Feng upstairs. Taking in the room's furnishings, her eyes filled with envy. "This is yours?"
Qiu Feng deflected. "Nice style, isn't it?"
"What did all this cost?"
"Money's for spending. A woman shouldn't deny herself."
Song Hongyu nodded. They chose a Chaozhou restaurant on the food street, settling in to eat and talk.
"Your accent - you're from up north?" Qiu Feng probed.
Instead of answering, Song Hongyu asked, "Where are you from?"
"Guangxi Hepu."
"The pearl place."
"Yes, southern pearls. What's your work?"
"Jobs? What can you earn from those?" Song Hongyu said. "My partner's rich. He takes care of me."
Qiu Feng's eyes lit up, hungry for more.
"Ten thousand yuan monthly for basics. Extra for bags, cosmetics, whatever I need," Song Hongyu said with casual indifference.
"Could you bring your wealthy friends to spend at the club?"
"Easy. My partner's business circle is here in Luan City. I'll bring them tonight."
When the bill came, Song Hongyu insisted on paying, raising her even higher in Qiu Feng's estimation.
That evening, right as Qiu Feng's shift began, Song Hongyu arrived with Deng Ligang and Shi Bi. She introduced them as Mr. Wang and Mr. Liu - successful businessmen, she said. Deng Ligang ordered top-shelf drinks and expensive fruit platters, tipping generously.
Shi Bi had a good voice, singing one nostalgic ballad after another.
Qiu Feng played drinking games with Deng Ligang and Song Hongyu. Noticing Song Hongyu's slow sips, Qiu Feng complained, "Fan Ying, are you breeding fish in there? Why so slow? And Mr. Wang, pick up your game."
Shi Bi pulled Qiu Feng up from the sofa. "This song - we have to do it together."
They shared the microphone, faces close, singing "Are You the One I Love Most." His cologne lingered in the air, and Qiu Feng, despite her years in nightlife, felt herself drawn to him. Shi Bi noticed the thin silver ring on her left middle finger and slipped off his multi-carat diamond ring.
"Take it," he said.
Qiu Feng's pulse quickened. She tried to refuse.
Shi Bi wouldn't hear it, taking her hand and sliding the ring onto her finger. To Qiu Feng, everything felt surreal.
At two, Qiu Feng walked them out. Song Hongyu grabbed her arm, whispering, "Come have kung fu tea at my husband's office! Perfect for sobering up - just five minutes across the street. Get to know the place today, then you can drop by anytime for tea, chat, mahjong."
"Too late," Qiu Feng said. "Need to sleep."
Song Hongyu hadn't expected refusal. As she tried to persuade her, Deng Ligang signaled her to stop.
Back home after washing up, Qiu Feng perched on her bed, methodically counting the fifteen hundred yuan bills from the night's earnings. She absently twisted the diamond ring on her finger, letting herself imagine a future where the refined gentleman might become a steady patron. The pleasant thoughts followed her into a deep slumber that lasted until two the next afternoon. She was still drifting between sleep and wakefulness when Song Hongyu's ring at the doorbell cut through the quiet.
Meanwhile, Zhen Zhen had taken her first day off since arriving in Luan City. At fifteen, she was in that sweet spot of adolescence where sleep came easy and deep. She'd dozed off around midnight and might have slept straight through till noon if the doorbell hadn't jolted her awake. She scrambled out of bed and started dressing before remembering – it was her day off. With a relieved sigh, she crawled back under the covers.
Qiu Feng also stirred at the sound but chose to burrow deeper under her quilt, ignoring the intrusion. Though the ringing stopped, Zhen Zhen found herself now fully awake. She dragged herself to the shower and afterward stood before the mirror, blow-drying her hair. The memory of her clash with Qiu Feng surfaced, bringing with it a twinge of guilt. Acting on that feeling, she knelt down and meticulously cleaned away every water mark, working until both mirror and sink gleamed.
The doorbell's insistent ring returned. Zhen Zhen knew it wasn't for her and tried to ignore it, but after three rings and Qiu Feng's continued silence, she set aside her task and went to answer. Both she and the visitor froze for a moment, equally surprised. Song Hongyu hadn't expected to find another young woman in the apartment, while Zhen Zhen was struck by the visitor's somber appearance – as if she'd just left a funeral.
"Who are you looking for?" Zhen Zhen asked.
"Is Qiu Feng here?"
At the sound of her name, Qiu Feng emerged in her pajamas. Her face brightened at the sight of Song Hongyu. Zhen Zhen quietly retreated to her room.
"I tried calling," Song Hongyu said. "When you didn't answer, I had to come in person."
"I unplugged the phone to sleep undisturbed. What's up?" Qiu Feng ushered her to sit.
"Manager Liu wants you at a seafood dinner tonight. He was adamant I make sure you got the message."
"That's so thoughtful of Manager Liu," Qiu Feng replied with a radiant smile.
Song Hongyu lowered her voice. "Who's the girl?"
Qiu Feng started to say she was a fellow villager but caught herself – their accents would give away the lie. Instead, she offered, "Friend's relative, visiting Luan City. Staying here temporarily."
"Don't leave her alone," Song Hongyu said. "Bring her to dinner."
After leaving the restaurant details, she departed.
Qiu Feng headed to shower and noticed the freshly cleaned sink and floor. Maybe arguments had their silver linings after all. Post-shower, she sat at her vanity to apply makeup, hearing Zhen Zhen rummaging in the kitchen fridge. "Don't cook," she called out. "Come eat with me instead."
Zhen Zhen appeared in the doorway, confusion evident on her face. "Why?"
"Someone's treating us," Qiu Feng said. "Why pass up free food?"
"That woman from earlier? I'm not going," Zhen Zhen stated firmly.
Qiu Feng turned, genuinely puzzled. "What did she do to you?"
Zhen Zhen wrinkled her nose. "She looks like she just walked out of a morgue. Everything about her is dark and gloomy."
"She hasn't done anything to you. You're so young - why so judgmental?"
"I don't need a reason. It's gut feeling! You spend so much time with people like that, you've lost your ability to sense danger."
Irritated by her defiance, Qiu Feng grabbed her bag and left without another word.
In the hotel's private dining room, Song Hongyu, Deng Ligang, and Shi Bi were already seated with Ji Dashun, a short, stocky man whose eyes brightened noticeably when Qiu Feng walked in.
Shi Bi reached for her arm, guiding her to the empty seat beside him.
The dishes arrived quickly.
"I can only stay an hour," Qiu Feng said apologetically. "I have to work at the club."
"What's your daily rate?" Shi Bi asked.
"Three hundred."
Without hesitation, Shi Bi pulled out two thousand yuan. Qiu Feng's hand hovered uncertainly. Then Deng Ligang slapped another stack of bills on the table. "Isn't hostessing just about the money? I'll pay five thousand for your shift tonight."
Qiu Feng stared at the money, her hand still suspended in air. Song Hongyu settled the matter by stuffing both stacks into Qiu Feng's bag. After that, Qiu Feng couldn't bring herself to mention leaving.
"Why didn't the girl come?" Song Hongyu asked.
"She's just a stubborn kid," Qiu Feng said. "She'd only make things awkward."
"We ordered enough to feed an army. Shame to waste it. Call her," Deng Ligang said, reaching for his phone.
Qiu Feng waved him off. "We can pack the leftovers."
"Leftovers? That's not right. Call her."
Qiu Feng dialed, but no one picked up.
"She must be out," Qiu Feng said, relieved. "Don't worry about it."
Deng Ligang sent Song Hongyu to fetch her. As Song Hongyu hurried out, Qiu Feng wondered why they were so fixated on a mere teenager.
Meanwhile, Zhen Zhen had decided to treat herself. She added a sausage and egg to her noodles, settled on the sofa with her bowl, and turned on the TV. The doorbell interrupted her first bite.
She opened the door to Song Hongyu. "Qiu Feng isn't here," she said quickly.
"I came for you," Song Hongyu replied.
"Already told her I'm not going."
"It's a seafood feast - table's loaded. Be a shame to miss it."
"I'm allergic."
"We'll order something else."
"Why are you pushing this? We don't know each other," Zhen Zhen said.
"You're Qiu Feng's friend's relative."
"My friend has nothing to do with her. Don't feel bad - enjoy your meal."
Worried Song Hongyu would keep insisting, Zhen Zhen locked the door and tried to leave. Song Hongyu reached for her, but Zhen Zhen stepped away. "Told you I'm busy. No time for this."
Song Hongyu returned to the seafood restaurant, defeated. Deng Ligang read her failure in her expression and dropped the matter.
After dinner, around nine, the group walked back together. Qiu Feng hung back with Shi Bi, holding his arm and chatting cheerfully.
"Why did your wife divorce you?" she asked him.
"It's complicated. But my studio's just up ahead - want to come up and talk about it?" The invitation seemed genuine.
Qiu Feng hesitated, but Shi Bi reassured her, "What's there to worry about? We're just having tea with friends. I wouldn't try anything with them around."
With seven thousand yuan in her pocket, Qiu Feng's curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to see how this promising man lived and worked.
"Okay, just for a little while," she agreed with a smile.
The studio was a regular apartment on the top floor. While Shi Bi made tea, Ji Dashun chatted up Qiu Feng. "You've got a model's figure. Your clothes suit you perfectly. Is that a wig?"
"You know how to sweet talk. It's my real hair," Qiu Feng laughed.
Ji Dashun clicked his tongue appreciatively. "So thick and beautiful. You're truly blessed."
Deng Ligang filled glasses with beer, sliding one toward Qiu Feng.
"I can't drink anymore. I'll get drunk," she protested.
"What's there to fear? There's a place to sleep. I'll drink with you."
Deng Ligang emptied his glass in one go, showing it to her. Reluctantly, she matched him.
In the kitchen, Song Hongyu sliced fruit, listening. When she heard a chair topple, she knew it was done. She set down her knife and walked out, unhurried.
Qiu Feng woke to find herself bound tight. Her phone, the money from her bag, her ID, even her diamond ring - all laid out on the coffee table. The four people on the sofa had shed their dinner-party personalities like snake skin.
"What do you want?" she asked, voice shaking.
Silence. She screamed for help. Deng Ligang's kick to her stomach left her gasping. He thrust her phone at her. "Call Zhen Zhen. Get her here."
"We're not close. She won't come for me." His slap caught her off guard. Before she could recover, another followed. Blood trickled from her mouth. Desperate, she dialed. The phone rang endlessly. Back home, Zhen Zhen slept deeply, her phone line still unplugged, dead quiet. Song Hongyu tried the door but couldn't get in.
Next morning, Song Hongyu combed the food street, checking every shop for Zhen Zhen. She found her at a barbecue stall, threading meat onto skewers. Zhen Zhen glanced up, then back to her work.
"Searched the whole street for you," Song Hongyu said.
"What for?"
"Qiu Feng got wasted last night. She's passed out at my place. I need to go out - can you help get her home?"
"You're stronger than me. Take her yourself. She has the keys."
"Can't manage alone."
"I worked hard for this job. If I leave now, I'm fired."
"You have no loyalty."
"We're just neighbors. Nothing more."
The more Song Hongyu pushed, the more Zhen Zhen dug in her heels. Song Hongyu stepped out to make a call, then returned. "Qiu Feng wants to talk to you." Irritated, Zhen Zhen took the phone. Qiu Feng's voice came through thick and slurred, as if still drunk.
"Zhen Zhen, please come get me."
Zhen Zhen scoffed - since when were they so close? "I'm not your sister. Get your boyfriends to help." She hung up and returned to her skewers, ignoring Song Hongyu until she finally left.
Zhen Zhen worked late that day. Walking home under the streetlights, she noticed a short man putting up flyers on a utility pole. She barely glanced his way as she passed. It was Ji Dashun. Watching her leave, he ripped down the flyer in frustration.
Back in his car, he turned the key and checked his fuel gauge - empty. He headed for the gas station when Deng Ligang called, demanding to know if he'd caught the girl.
When Ji Dashun said no, Deng Ligang cursed him as useless and told him to hurry back.
"Getting gas," Ji Dashun said.
"You always get fifty. Why can't you just fill up?"
"Prices keep dropping. Full tank's a waste."
"Stop being so cheap and get back here!" Deng Ligang shouted.
Ji Dashun didn't dare waste more time. He skipped the gas and turned around.
Meanwhile, Qiu Feng had given up her bank card PIN. Deng Ligang shoved her phone at her. "Call your dad. Tell him to put twenty thousand in your account."
Qiu Feng's fingers moved slowly over the keys, dreading asking her family for money. Song Hongyu grabbed her with pliers, twisting hard. Qiu Feng's scream cut through the air as her father's voice called her name through the phone.
Through clenched teeth, she managed, "Dad, I need twenty thousand. It's urgent."
He asked why. Following Shi Bi's script, she said, "Friend's got a business opportunity. Thirty percent profit. Can't miss it!"
Her father started calculating aloud. "You've sent us thirteen thousand, your mom's surgery cost-"
Qiu Feng hung up quickly, terrified of Deng Ligang learning how much she'd sent home. Song Hongyu's slap sent her head cracking against the wall, knocking her out.
Next morning, Zhen Zhen spotted the short man with his flyers again. This time curiosity won. She stopped to read: company hiring, room and board provided, five hundred monthly.
"You in charge of the flyers?" she asked.
"Company's too busy. I work there," Ji Dashun said.
"Good offer," Zhen Zhen said thoughtfully.
"We need good terms to recruit. Interested?" Ji Dashun's tone was earnest.
"Can I apply without ID?"
"Pass the interview, we'll handle that."
Zhen Zhen's eyes brightened. "Really?"
"Small detail. Company takes care of it."
"What kind of company is it?"
"Gift boxes."
Zhen Zhen was convinced. She took a flyer to study. Phone number listed, but no address.
"Call first. Recruiter gives directions," Ji Dashun explained.
Zhen Zhen planned to call during her shift. She'd barely walked away when Ji Dashun called her back.
"I've got a few spots left. Let me give you a ride to the company," he said, his voice warm and convincing.
"I need to get to work," Zhen Zhen said.
"You might not get another chance like this. Once these positions are filled, that's it," Ji Dashun pressed.
"I can't miss work. What if your company doesn't hire me and I lose my current job? You'd be putting me in a terrible position," Zhen Zhen said.
"What kind of work do you do?"
"I work at a malatang shop, skewering meat."
"A pretty young woman like you shouldn't be doing that kind of work - you're better looking than our receptionist. The shop's only ten minutes away. I'll drive you right back after the interview."
Zhen Zhen wavered but stood firm. "I'll just call during my break."
"We're only hiring five people. Six or seven have already applied," Ji Dashun said.
His words made her hesitate. "Come on," he urged, "it'll only take a few minutes."
Ji Dashun's car reeked with an unidentifiable smell, the interior cluttered. He watched her in the rearview mirror, asking where she was from. Zhen Zhen avoided mentioning Xuecheng, claiming Manzhouli as her hometown. When she asked him the same, Ji Dashun also skirted around Xuecheng, saying he was from Goubangzi.
A warning chirp broke the silence - the fuel gauge showed empty. Ji Dashun cursed under his breath and pulled into a nearby station. As he stepped out to refuel, he casually locked the doors. Zhen Zhen's heart raced as she tried the handle, finding herself trapped. When the attendant came to help, the doors unlocked with the fuel cap. She bolted from the car and ran.
"That's my niece," Ji Dashun explained with an uneasy smile. "Caught her skipping school. She's scared of getting punished."
The attendant nodded knowingly. "Kids these days - my son steals money to go to internet cafes instead of school."
Ji Dashun barely listened, hurriedly filling half a tank before speeding after Zhen Zhen. She ran fast, her hair streaming behind her. Hearing the engine, she darted off the road, weaving until she found shelter behind a massive tree, struggling to catch her breath…
The engine noise faded, but Zhen Zhen stayed frozen, lying in the weeds with her eyes shut. Silence fell. A bird flew overhead. She slowly rolled over and stood, retracing her steps. Spotting Ji Dashun's car in the distance, she retreated behind another tree to observe. A cold breeze whispered past her ear - then darkness as something struck her head. She crumpled without a sound.
At Ji Dashun's call, Song Hongyu waited in the underground parking with a wheelchair. Ji Dashun's car reversed into the spot. He lifted Zhen Zhen's unconscious form from the trunk and placed her in the chair. Song Hongyu quickly covered her eyes with a hat and concealed her bound limbs with a blanket. In the elevator, a couple glanced at the seemingly sleeping girl. Song Hongyu's smile made them look away.
With Zhen Zhen secured, Shi Bi and Deng Ligang invaded her home. Her room held nothing of value except a carved walnut. In Qiu Feng's room, they found 6,000 yuan, 5,000 Taiwan dollars, and an ID card for Zhou Xiaolan. That bank card was their true target.
Instead of praise, Ji Dashun faced criticism. "You complicated everything unnecessarily," Deng Ligang snapped. "If your tank was full, none of this would have happened. If you'd let her call us herself, you wouldn't have nearly ruined everything."
"She's too clever, too hard to catch," Ji Dashun defended himself. "Without that call, we couldn't have drawn her in. No matter how perfect the plan, it would've failed. Besides, I got her here, didn't I?"
Zhen Zhen regained consciousness in a haze, her body bound with tape against the cold floor. Nothing made sense.
Ji Dashun grabbed her chin, forcing her head to the side. There sat Qiu Feng, her face so swollen and battered it was unrecognizable. Terror shot through Zhen Zhen as she struggled to sit up. Song Hongyu stepped forward with a steel spatula, seized Zhen Zhen's hair, and struck her face repeatedly. The blows nearly knocked her out.
"Not so proud now, are you?" Song Hongyu snarled. "You made me work twice as hard to get you here. You ruined my perfect rhythm."
"What did I do to deserve this?" Zhen Zhen shouted. "If you're so tough, untie me!"
Song Hongyu sneered, looking at the three men standing by.
"Don't look at me," Ji Dashun said. "You're better with words than I am."
Deng Ligang stood. "Been a while since I've had a good fight. My joints are getting rusty."
His kick sent Zhen Zhen flying. She gasped, struggling to breathe through the pain.
"Now you want to talk about fairness?" Deng Ligang spat. "I worked to catch two people but only got paid for one. Thought I was hunting a tiger, ended up with a rabbit."
"Not even a rabbit," Shi Bi added. "More like a worthless scrap."
Song Hongyu crouched before Qiu Feng. "The house isn't yours, is it?"
Qiu Feng shook her head.
Song Hongyu yanked out her gag. "I beat you because you lied. That's your reward. I know your club business was the best - you must have made at least 500,000 yuan."
"No," Qiu Feng pleaded, shaking her head frantically. "I've only been in Luancheng three months. Even working every day, I couldn't make that much."
Ji Dashun rifled through her bankbooks. "Construction Bank: 8,300 yuan. Bank of China: 4,470 yuan. Twenty thousand transferred out yesterday."
Song Hongyu struck Qiu Feng twice with the spatula. "Couldn't keep your hands off the money, could you?"
She turned to Zhen Zhen. "Where are your bank cards? Credit cards?"
"I don't have any."
Song Hongyu jabbed her fingertips with a thick needle. The pain was unbearable. Ji Dashun taped her mouth shut to muffle her screams. Zhen Zhen thought she would die there. She thought of her parents, her home. Her tears flowed endlessly.
Hong Xia fell apart, refusing food and water, wandering aimlessly. Zhen Yuling knew he had to stay strong for the family. He stopped arguing with his wife and followed her everywhere. They visited the police station daily. They never imagined their only daughter was suffering such brutality three thousand kilometers away. Among her tormentors, only Shi Bi, the man with glasses, showed any humanity, trying to calm Song Hongyu during her violent outbursts. But his interventions only made her more savage. At fifteen, Zhen Zhen's body couldn't withstand such brutality. She became unrecognizable, lying there barely breathing, clinging to one thought: I must survive.
Song Hongyu's hatred for the trouble Zhen Zhen had caused fueled her revenge. She kept her awake for twenty-four hours straight. If Zhen Zhen dozed off, they stabbed her with needles, pinched her with pliers, or slapped her awake. Song Hongyu called it "taming the hawk."
"She's too fragile for this treatment," Shi Bi warned Song Hongyu. "The boss needs her alive to get money from her family."
Song Hongyu kicked Zhen Zhen hard. "She still won't tell us where her family lives."
Shi Bi helped Zhen Zhen into a sitting position against the wall.
"You haven't eaten all day. Hungry? Thirsty?" he asked softly.
Zhen Zhen lifted her swollen eyelids to look at him but stayed silent. Shi Bi brought her water from the dispenser. She drank it in one desperate gulp.
"Life is worth more than money," he said. "Call your parents. Fifty thousand yuan and you can go home."
"My family has no money."
Shi Bi's eyes filled with pity. "Then I can't help you."
Zhen Zhen's tears fell silently.
"You're fifteen. You think the world belongs to you," he said. "But reality is brutal. Without money, you're nothing. You're their only child. They'll borrow from everyone they know. Once we have the fifty thousand, you go home safe. If you die here - well, your parents won't even find your body."
Zhen Zhen looked up at him, her voice raw. "Are you going to kill me?"
"No knives - too messy. We use an iron rod. One person on each end, press down. Snap goes the neck. While the body's still warm, we'll take it to the bathtub and cut it up."
Zhen Zhen trembled, squeezing her eyes shut, covering her ears.
Shi Bi yanked her hands away.
"Your short hair makes it easy. Not like hers - we'll have to cut her long hair, tie it in braids, leave it at a salon. Hair collectors will take it. The bones get crushed into tiny pieces. We scatter them in rivers, lakes, seas. Or leave them at restaurants, soup shops. Bone collectors take care of the rest. Silent work. No sound carries outside. No blood, no traces. Is that how you want to vanish?"
His voice stayed gentle, but his words cut deep. Zhen Zhen crumpled, hugging herself, shaking violently.
"Smart people avoid unnecessary pain. Call home," Shi Bi held out the phone.
Zhen Zhen dialed, following his instructions to use speaker. The phone barely rang before Zhen Yuling answered: "Zhen Zhen? Is that you?"
His rapid questions left no room for response. Hong Xia grabbed the phone, sobbing. "Zhen Zhen! Where are you? Tell Mama!"
Fighting back tears, Zhen Zhen recited the script Shi Bi had given her: "I was playing with someone and accidentally pushed her down the stairs. She hit her head. She's unconscious. They want eighty thousand yuan for medical bills, or I'm going to prison."
"Where are you?" Zhen Yuling asked frantically. "I'll bring the money right now."
Before Zhen Zhen could answer, Shi Bi covered her mouth and ended the call. Then he noticed something that made his blood run cold - the phone number's area code was from Xuecheng. They'd broken Deng Ligang's cardinal rule about avoiding anything connected to that city.
Zhen Yuling sensed something was wrong with the call and feared the worst. He went straight to the police. The Criminal Investigation Department took over, and I ordered a tap on the Zhen family's phone line.
When Deng Ligang learned where Zhen Zhen was from, he froze. Then he said, "I know I said to stay away from Xuecheng, but now that we're in it, we might as well squeeze every penny we can. Tell her to keep calling for money."
The second call came. Zhen Zhen's voice was eerily steady as she gave her parents the bank account number and demanded immediate payment. I knew right away this wasn't about an accident - she'd been kidnapped, I was 80-90% certain.
My analysis made Zhen Yuling and Hong Xia collapse. I told them to pretend they were borrowing money, transferring 5,000 yuan daily to buy time. The bank tracked the withdrawals to ATMs in Luancheng. Learning from past mistakes, I immediately flew there with a team.
On the plane, Yang Bo questioned me: "Can we just take off like this?"
"We have to be aggressive this time. I'll handle the bureaucracy later."
"Where'd you get the money for this?"
"Borrowed it from my wife. I'll pay her back once the paperwork goes through."
"Smart man, marrying someone with a good salary."
I laughed wearily. "When she married me, she married a bottomless pit of expenses. I've got a stack of unreimbursed receipts waiting."
Our team of four headed straight from the airport to the bank. The security footage showed Ji Dashun making the withdrawals! We could hardly contain our excitement. These criminals who'd evaded us for years had finally slipped up. For once, we knew exactly who we were hunting.
They'd bled Qiu Feng dry, but Song Hongyu wasn't done. She pointed to a number in Qiu Feng's phone. "Who's this?"
"My ex," Qiu Feng whispered, barely conscious.
"Call him. Ask for money."
"He's married now. He won't give me anything."
Song Hongyu kicked her until she dialed. The story was familiar: a business opportunity, needed 20,000 yuan for cash flow. The ex refused immediately. Under Song Hongyu's glare, Qiu Feng lowered it to 10,000. Another refusal. Song Hongyu held up five fingers. The ex hung up. As Qiu Feng lowered the phone, Song Hongyu pounced, beating her breasts with the steel spatula until it warped. Qiu Feng collapsed, begging for mercy.
"Don't hit anything vital," Deng Ligang warned. "We can't get money from a corpse. Or are you just jealous I slept with her?"
Song Hongyu shot him a venomous look. "I don't care who you slept with. I want her dead! I'm not the type to get jealous."
"Your words say no, but your actions tell a different story," Deng Ligang smirked.
"You think I'm not doing enough?" Song Hongyu grabbed a hammer handle and swung it at Qiu Feng's right temple. Qiu Feng crumpled, clutching her head.
Deng Ligang pulled her up as blood streamed from the wound. Shi Bi tore an old shirt for a makeshift bandage. Zhen Zhen shook uncontrollably, staring at Song Hongyu in horror.
"Let this be a lesson," Song Hongyu snarled at Zhen Zhen. "Try to hide anything from me, and I'll cut you to pieces!"
Qiu Feng's phone rang - Qi Wei, a former client who managed an advertising company in Wuhan. Deng Ligang forced her to ask for money. Qi Wei noticed her weak voice, asking if she was sick. "I'm in trouble," she said. "I opened a salon in Beijing, paid the deposit, but can't make the payments. Brother, please help. I'll pay you back when this is over."
He asked how much. Song Hongyu mouthed "fifty thousand." Qi Wei hesitated. "I can do twenty thousand."
Qiu Feng quickly agreed and gave her account number. When the money arrived, they let her have a bowl of rice porridge. Zhen Zhen got half a bowl - her family hadn't sent enough money yet.
Bored, Song Hongyu tormented Qiu Feng: "Your father's money never came. Call him again."
Terrified, Qiu Feng dialed: "Dad, please send fifty thousand quickly."
"We spent forty thousand on your mother's treatment," he said anxiously. "We've already sent you ninety thousand. The account's empty. Where can we get more? Stop chasing that 30% profit."
"Dad, if you want me to live-"
Song Hongyu grabbed the phone, ended the call, and slapped her.
The Luancheng police mobilized everything, working with Xuecheng Public Security. They commandeered all recently impounded vehicles. Eighty cars, three officers each, guarding every ATM in the city.
With banks closing for New Year, I ordered them to confiscate the card if anyone tried using it and direct them inside. Three days passed with no activity. Ji Dashun was too careful. Spotting the surveillance, he'd retreat and report back to Deng Ligang.
"Every ATM has cars and people watching. Did these families go to the police?"
Deng Ligang studied Qiu Feng's face. Song Hongyu kicked her. "Your family called the cops?"
"No, not my family," Qiu Feng pleaded desperately.
Deng Ligang turned to Zhen Zhen. The fifteen-year-old looked fragile enough to snap, but her eyes showed steel.
He jabbed his finger at her face. "Your parents set a trap with the police. I'll pull out your teeth one by one with pliers. We'll see who's tough then!"
Zhen Zhen trembled, looking pleadingly at Shi Bi. He stood and walked out without a word.
Deng Ligang leaned into her face. "Playing innocent now? Where's that tough girl from before? Anyone who ends up with me only gets weaker. That's a law you can't change."
An hour later, the Zhen family's phone rang. Deng Ligang's voice was cold. "Pretty brave, sending cops to watch me. Since you went to the police, I have no choice but to kill your daughter."
Her parents froze at the criminal's voice. When he hung up, panic set in. Gu Jing, monitoring the calls, dialed me immediately.
I was watching an ATM outside a bank. Deng Ligang's challenge made my blood boil. I got some ice from a café and crunched it, waiting for my head to clear. These people killed for money, and there was still sixty thousand yuan in that card. This couldn't be the end of our lead.
Deng Ligang moved quickly. He ordered Shi Bi to take Qiu Feng and Zhen Zhen to the bathroom. They didn't understand why.
"When we're born, the first thing we do is bathe," he said. "Before dying, we clean ourselves one last time. Let them soak. Wash away the bad luck."
Qiu Feng broke down crying. Seeing her tears, Zhen Zhen sensed what was coming but bit her lip hard, refusing to cry.
Shi Bi led them in, turned on both taps, filled the tub. He untied them. "Towels are on the rack. Have a nice bath, and we'll send you home when you're clean."
At "send you home," Qiu Feng wailed, knowing what it meant. Zhen Zhen understood too, tears sliding down her face. Shi Bi sat on the tub's edge, watching them cry.
He sighed. "Women follow feelings, men follow logic. You're both here by chance and fate. Don't blame destiny - every step that brought you here was your own choice."
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