In Hunan, a packet of spicy strips costs only 2.5 yuan, but once you take them abroad, they can sell for tens of dollars per pack. It's really profitable!
Even here in northern Myanmar, the most basic spicy strips cost over ten yuan a pack, which I honestly can't afford.
"Big Brother, could you sell me a packet of spicy strips?" The young man from the northeast swallowed hard and asked.
"Ten yuan a packet." I immediately took out a packet of Step by Step Winning vegetarian spicy strips from the box. From now on, I needed to make money to buy my freedom, just in case.
"I don't have any money. Can I owe you? I have a lot of strength and can help you fight!" He said, showing off his well-developed deltoid muscles.
I had to admit, his arm strength was much better than the average person's, which might come in handy later.
"Do you think I need you to help me fight?" I threw the spicy strips back into the box and looked at the others. "If you want to eat, bring something to trade. I'm not going to be a pushover anymore! In the end, trying to be nice only gets you betrayed and stabbed in the back!"
Hearing my words, everyone else stopped trying to guilt-trip me.
Thinking about Heizi and Scar made me sad. If they hadn't selfishly stolen and run away, Sister Chunyin wouldn't have died, and I wouldn't be in this hellhole. It all came down to my naivety.
"Alright then, I'll buy them when I have money..." The young man from the northeast climbed dejectedly onto the upper bunk, making the iron bed creak as if it was about to fall apart.
To avoid any accidents, I had him come down and took the upper bunk myself. He thanked me profusely, completely forgetting that I had kicked him earlier. I found his straightforwardness endearing and didn't say much more.
Actually, I had another reason for taking the upper bunk: to prevent any revenge attacks from the guards. If someone tried to attack me while I was on the upper bunk, it would make noise, whereas on the lower bunk, I might not notice until it was too late.
Because I voluntarily swapped bunks with him, the young man from the northeast's attitude towards me did a complete 180. He even started chatting with me, introducing himself as Zhang, but asked me to call him Bayi since he was born on August 1st, the Army Day. He was from Heilongjiang, 20 years old, and had been tricked into coming here by a college classmate. He was desperate to find and punish that classmate.
"Do you hunt? Heilongjiang must be so cold!" I asked casually, listening to him talk.
"Heh, I might not be able to fight as well as you, but I'm definitely a better hunter. When we get back home, I'll invite you to Heilongjiang to hunt in the snow-covered mountains. It's a lot of fun!" Talking about his hometown made his eyes light up, and he became very chatty.
"Sure! You can't back out!" I handed him a packet of spicy strips.
While he took the spicy strips, I deliberately looked at his ten fingers. They were indeed different, with calluses and heavily bent joints.
He chewed eagerly. "Thanks, big brother! These spicy strips are delicious. My mouth has been so bland these past few days!"
"You're welcome. We're brothers now. By the way, do people from the northeast eat spicy food?"
"Yeah, some do. I particularly love Hunan cuisine! Since I studied at a technical university in Hunan, I can't live without spice!"
"Changsha University of Science and Technology," I chuckled bitterly, falling silent again. Talking about Changsha made me homesick. I wondered how my family was doing now...
After resting for two hours, it was time to go to class. To prevent anyone from stealing my milk and bread, I ate it all in one go. Better to be full for now than to regret it later. In this hellhole, thinking about tomorrow was pointless; surviving today was what mattered.
When I arrived at the newcomers' training class, the others were trickling in as well. After eating the spicy strips, Bayi had become my little follower. As soon as he entered the classroom, he squeezed in next to me. The man sitting beside me reluctantly gave up his seat, intimidated by my reputation.
Bayi leaned in and asked, "Brother, can you teach me kung fu?"
I flatly refused, "No."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm still a newcomer. So, you shouldn't bring this up again."
"Alright, I'll listen to you..." Bayi nodded dejectedly, falling silent.
Little did I know that because of a single kick, a bunk swap, and a packet of spicy strips, he would later become so loyal to me and help me accomplish many great things!
"Class, this afternoon we'll continue our lessons. There will be a small test at the end of the class. Those who fail will have to study in the dormitory tonight and retake the test tomorrow morning!" Ace adjusted his glasses and enthusiastically began his lecture. He liked to be called 'Professor.' Calling him 'teacher' would earn you a scolding. Hypocrites like him always had a strong vanity and liked to disguise themselves as gentlemen. They acted so well that they started to believe their own facade.
"How dare you sleep in my class?" Ace's sudden roar startled us. We turned to see that the old man in the back row had fallen asleep on his desk.
"I-I'm sorry, I'm just so tired... mmph!" Before he could finish, Ace shoved an electric baton into his mouth. The old man foamed at the mouth and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Are you awake now? At your age, still living in such misery, ever wonder why your salary hasn't increased? Wasting time and life by sleeping in class, you deserve to die!" At that moment, Ace was a complete thug, nothing like the refined persona he had in class. We were stunned and worried for the old man on the floor. The girl behind me was so scared she wet herself but didn't dare leave to change, sitting there trembling.
Ace didn't stop until the old man was nearly dead. He then retrieved his baton and returned to the podium, resuming his fake professor act.
"Class, let's continue!"
I couldn't even describe how I felt.
"Who wet themselves?" His nose was keener than a dog's, immediately detecting the smell. The girl behind me was shaking so much that the whole desk trembled. I nudged Bayi beside me, signaling him to keep quiet.
"It's her! So disgusting, peeing everywhere with no sense of hygiene or decency." The girl next to the one who wet herself stood up and ratted her out.
"N-No, I didn't..." The girl tried to deny it, her voice trembling with fear.
"You did! There's a puddle right there!" The long-haired girl persisted, clearly trying to curry favor with Ace.
"I-I… Professor, I didn't mean to. I was just scared... I'll never do it again, I swear!" The frightened girl burst into tears, making Bayi next to me clench his fists, ready to slap the tattletale.
What happened next, however, left us all in complete shock.