I constantly wish I could go home, only wishing I had wings to fly away.
Scar rubbed my arm and said, "Good! I'll tell you the plan in a couple of days. For now, focus on healing so you can run when the time comes!"
"Uncle, what's the plan? Can we really escape?"
"Don't ask. If you ask, it won't work. I think you can fight, so you'll definitely make it out."
He was very secretive and wouldn't reveal any details or timing. He was probably afraid I'd betray him, and I understood his concern.
"I've trained in martial arts for a few years. If I had a gun, I could definitely escape!"
Actually, I had secretly trained in Sanda and Tai Chi for over ten years, but my parents didn't know. I had learned it by sneaking out during school hours and holidays.
This was my last ace in the hole. But for now, it seemed useless. No matter how fast I could run, I couldn't outrun bullets. No matter how well I could fight, I couldn't beat hundreds of thugs.
Escape seemed almost impossible. The windows in the dormitory were all welded shut, and armed guards were constantly patrolling outside. There were also guard dogs and patrol cars. Even outside the factory, there were uniformed guards patrolling.
It was like trying to fly with clipped wings. Just thinking about it made me angry and sad.
"If you're scared, you could have your family pay a ransom. But it needs to be a strong connection," Scar suggested, noticing my concerns.
"No way. My mom would be worried sick. She can't stand to see me suffer. Besides, we don't have a hundred thousand dollars lying around."
I sighed, regretting my decisions. Few people managed to escape by paying a ransom like Feifei did.
First, your family needed to be wealthy. Second, your father needed connections to locate your exact position and negotiate through the embassy. The amount of money required depended on the factory leader's mood. Lastly, you needed to survive the ordeal.
Most people failed at the first step, including me. My family wasn't rich, and my relatives were ordinary workers. They couldn't borrow a hundred thousand dollars, let alone ensure my release.
For an ordinary family, having that much money was a fantasy. So, escaping was my only option.
"You need to endure for now. When the time comes, I'll take you with me. My son is about your age, and I don't want to see you die here," Scar said, putting down the herbal oil and lying down. His eyes were filled with longing for his family.
"Uncle, why are you telling me this?"
We had only known each other for two days. Wasn't he afraid I'd snitch?
"I saw you fighting with Assistant Chen. You've got a killer instinct!"
"…"
If Scar could see it, so could Chen Weiqiang. Why was he keeping me alive?
Scar patted my shoulder and warned, "Don't tell Dinosaur about this, or we'll be in big trouble."
"I know."
Feeling heavy-hearted, I lay down. "Is Chen very powerful?"
"He's the assistant to the supervisor of the neighboring factory. Other than the supervisor, he's the highest authority. He's very arrogant, but he's not from our factory, so don't worry."
I knew Chen Weiqiang studied electronic information in college and was a valued talent here. I, on the other hand, studied business management, which was too common. Plus, I had skipped classes almost daily to practice martial arts. If it weren't for the principal knowing my dad, I would've been expelled.
"Squeak"
A sudden creak interrupted our conversation. A young woman with a bruised face, disheveled hair, and torn clothes limped into the room.
"What's…" I sat up in surprise, looking at the unperturbed Scar.
"She's from our dormitory."
"Huh, mixed dorms?" I was stunned.
"Here, performance matters, not gender."
"…"
The young woman weakly climbed onto a mat in the corner and lay down, silently crying. She looked utterly wretched, with her torn pants covered in blood. There was no need to ask what humiliation she had suffered.
Feeling pity, I handed her some medicine and biscuits. "Here, eat something and treat your wounds."
She didn't respond, only gave me a sorrowful glance before burying her head in the stinking bedding and sobbing.
I left the items by her side and returned to my place, feeling deeply saddened.
"Little Bottle, sleep now! You need to be strong to think about other things!" Scar said calmly before going to sleep.
I wasn't used to the mixed dorms, and it took me a while to fall asleep.
The next morning, at 6:30, the thugs woke us up.
We lined up to use the public restroom. The dirty, oily towels and worn-out toothbrushes were disgusting. I brushed my teeth with toothpaste on my fingers, washed my face with cold water, and then went downstairs to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Breakfast was cabbage soup and hard buns again. At least today's food was fresh. I swallowed it to fill my stomach.
After breakfast, we went to the second-floor work area. I saw the woman from my dorm waving her arms and shouting.
"I'm going home! I'm going home! Haha! Do you want to come to my house for dinner? My mom cooked a chicken, a home-raised one!"
She clapped her hands and asked us, occasionally humming the nursery rhyme "Two Tigers."
She had gone mad. After being abused last night, she had completely lost her mind.
"Damn it, are you crazy? Go out if you want to go mad!"
Brother Meng grabbed her hair and dragged her out like she was a pig, not a human.
"Ah, let go! You're hurting me, you bad guy!"
The young woman struggled, and in a moment of desperation, bit Brother Meng hard.
"You're asking for it!"
Brother Meng kicked her in the stomach, sending her to the ground.
"Don't go!"
Scar quickly grabbed me, afraid I'd rush out in anger.
If he hadn't held me back, I might have punched Brother Meng.
"She's lost her mind. Take her for a blood test."
Sister Yu frowned and ordered the thugs to carry her away.
Once she had no value, they would test her blood type and sell her organs.
"Our slogan?"
Sister Yu clapped her hands and led the chant.
"To succeed, you must go mad, work hard, and charge forward! Sleep on the floor today, drive a BMW tomorrow! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
Everyone raised their right fists and shouted the slogan three times before sitting down.
"…" Listening to this brainwashing chant, I gritted my teeth in anger.