I stared blankly at the computer screen, overwhelmed by sadness. In this place, you don't get to choose how to live. There are no choices, not even over life and death; someone else controls everything. The thought alone was enough to fill me with despair.
After three minutes of contemplation, I typed a line in the chat box: "Actually, I'm a scammer. If I don't make 200,000 yuan today, they'll pull out my toenails."
I pressed send. Before I could see the response, I felt a chill run down my spine. My whole body tensed up.
"You never learn, do you?" Yujie snarled, hitting me with an electric baton. I curled up, protecting my head.
"Yujie, please stop! There are still two hours left before the end of the day," Sister Konglong pleaded as she saw me getting shocked.
"Shut up! Just because you perform well, don't think you can ignore me. You just want to sleep with him, don't you? If he doesn't complete the task, I'll let you have him tonight. And you'll do it in front of us. If you refuse, both of you will be thrown into the dog cage, naked," Yujie threatened, humiliating Sister Konglong to the point of tears.
Though I am a man, I was furious. This woman was too cruel. I wouldn't let her get away with this. She had no conscience, only seeing people as means to an end.
"Yujie, the payment came through! 300,000 yuan!" Da Tou shouted excitedly, saving me from another shock.
Yujie lowered the electric baton, her face breaking into a flirtatious smile. "Well, well, looks like you got lucky. Some fools are destined to be taken advantage of!"
Sister Konglong, red with shame, couldn't meet anyone's eyes, her face covered in angry red pimples.
I massaged my aching back and stared at the message in the chat box: "Take care of yourself. This time, I'm willingly helping you. I'll send the money now, but we shouldn't stay in touch anymore." Then, his profile went gray as he logged off.
Tears streamed down my face. I didn't know how to thank him, so I silently wished him well: Thank you, stranger. May good people have a peaceful life!
"Little Bottle, you did well today. Tonight, you can move into a single dorm room and join me for dinner in the admin cafeteria," Yujie said in a sugary voice, placing a pile of snacks on my desk.
Sister Konglong, on the verge of exploding, held back her anger.
"Thank you, Yujie," I replied, suppressing my fury.
"Good boy. Tonight, big sister will take good care of you," Yujie said with a smirk, swaying her hips as she left.
"That witch!" Sister Konglong cursed weakly after Yujie left.
"Sis, thank you. If it weren't for the accounts you gave me, I'd be dead by now. I couldn't cross that moral line…" I said, handing her a bottle of Wanglaoji. "Drink this and calm down. Don't bother with that psychopath."
Sister Konglong gulped it down in one go, as if it were strong liquor. Crushing the empty can, she tossed it aside and said fiercely, "Back to work!"
I smiled wryly, unable to find the right words. I lay back in my chair, munching on snacks and zoning out. The 300,000-yuan deal bought me a few days of peace.
I knew from today onwards, I had to suppress my conscience and scam people to survive. I had no other choice.
Lost in my thoughts, I endured until the end of the day. Uncle Scar and Sister Konglong each closed deals worth tens of thousands, meaning they too avoided punishment and could stay in their dorms.
I took my snacks and drinks back to the dorm. I didn't want to go to the cafeteria; I needed to discuss our escape plan with Uncle Scar and the others.
When I got back, Peilin was just waking up, sitting there in a daze.
"Bro, you must be hungry. I got some rewards today," I said, placing milk, cola, water, Wanglaoji, biscuits, bread, and candies in front of him. "Eat up. You need your strength."
"Thanks," Peilin said, grabbing a bottle of water and gulping it down, then tearing into the bread.
Seeing him reminded me of his tragic fiancée and unborn child. I couldn't bear to tell him the truth, so I decided to keep it to myself.
Soon, Uncle Scar and Sister Konglong returned. I reassured her that I didn't blame her for having feelings for me and that she should take it easy. She was still my sister.
After chatting for a while, I packed my clothes and moved to the middle dorm on the fifth floor.
I opened the door to find a dark-skinned middle-aged man already there. The ten-square-meter room had a table, chairs, a private bathroom, bunk beds, and hotel-like toiletries. It was a significant upgrade from the shared dorm.
After a thorough hot shower, I lay on the clean top bunk and struck up a conversation. He was from the north and had been here for three and a half years, working in Chen Weiqiang's pig-slaughtering scam department.
I asked him suddenly, "Uncle, do you still want to escape?"
He sighed, "Where would I go? I've scammed so much money. If I go back, I'll end up in jail."
"I'd rather go to jail than live in constant fear here."
"Kid, who doesn't want to escape if they can? But if you get caught, they'll torture you to death."
I remembered the morning's horrifying scene and felt a wave of nausea.
"What if there was a chance to escape?" I asked quietly.
He looked me in the eyes, hesitated for a moment, then said firmly, "I'd run."
I smiled, lying back on the bed. "I heard the Wei family might cause trouble soon. By the way, who owns this compound?"
"It's owned by two bosses: a Mr. Bai and a Mr. Liu. But the Wei family's eldest daughter has been eyeing this place for a while. The location is perfect for expansion. With a population of over a thousand, taking over would be a huge advantage. She's had several clashes with the Bai family, which were only settled by the local warlords."
He seemed well-informed and spoke openly.
"Why is the Wei family run by a woman?" I asked, curious.
"She's particularly ruthless. The Bai family is also managed by two sisters. They're known as the 'plastic sisters' of Kokang."
"Business rivals posing as friends, no wonder they stab each other in the back," I said.
Through Heizi, I learned that almost all lucrative industries in Kokang's old town were controlled by the "Big Four" families, with the notorious Henry Group being the worst of them all.