Wrench and Qiangzi didn't reveal any part of their plan to me. They just told me to focus on recovering from my injuries and not to worry about anything else.
Bayi kept insisting on giving me his earnings from the past two days to prevent Liu Shiyi from finding an excuse to punish me.
"No need, I have some big catches lined up. I'll be able to reel them in tomorrow," I refused Bayi's kind offer. If he didn't show any earnings, his situation would be worse than mine.
"Brother, our family of old hunters has some secret hunting techniques. I'll share this secret with you. Just treat the opponent like a brown bear when the time comes," Bayi whispered mysteriously about his ancestral archery secrets.
The night passed without incident.
At six o'clock the next morning, all the "pigs" in the camp were gathered on the large playground.
Chen Weiqiang had not yet returned, and I couldn't shake my anxiety.
Standing in the crowd, surrounded by fierce-looking thugs and the cruel Liu Shiyi, I couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow.
The annual "Ride the Pig, Walk the Dog" competition was about to begin.
This so-called competition involved the managers leading the "pigs" in a brutal, inhumane race.
Participants were those with the lowest performance or those who disobeyed orders. The winner received a cash prize of ten thousand yuan. The loser was thrown into the crocodile pit.
If a "pig" got injured but won, they were entitled to free medical treatment.
The whole point was to provide a sadistic spectacle for the camp's management.
"Hey, why didn't you show up last night?" Sister Yu pushed through the crowd, angrily questioning me.
The dense crowd pushed her against me, her ample chest and soft limbs pressing against my injured arm uncomfortably.
I instinctively stepped back, "Stay away from me."
"What, shy?" She shamelessly leaned in again.
Then, pushed by the crowd from behind, she fell onto me, making me feel even more uncomfortable.
"Lady, I'm injured. Can't you see?" I pushed her away, my face red, her rose perfume lingering on me.
"What happened to you?" She finally noticed my bruised face and bandaged hands, her jaw dropping in surprise.
"In KK camp, do you need a reason?" I impatiently pushed her away, moving closer to Bayi.
The scene was overwhelming, with thousands of people surrounding the playground, making it completely packed. Soldiers and security guards with guns and cannons also encircled the area to prevent any chaos.
Sister Yu was momentarily stunned, but then followed me again. She was really annoying, always clinging to me like a shadow. I should have dealt with her yesterday, I thought, speeding up to get closer to Wrench and Bayi.
I had slept late and taken anti-inflammatory medicine, so I had just woken up groggy from the noise.
"Everyone, quiet down. The competition is about to start. This is the cash and material reward for the winning pigs. Win it for your department's honor," Liu Shiyi shouted through a megaphone from a concrete platform at the front, his shrill voice cutting through the air.
Seeing his crimson lips, I couldn't help but think of the "red wine" in the basement, feeling a wave of nausea.
The noisy crowd instantly quieted down, everyone standing on tiptoe to see the competitors.
"Bayi, is anyone from our department participating?"
I finally managed to reach Bayi, thanks to my height and my reputation from yesterday's killing. Some people, recognizing me, even stepped back to keep a safe distance.
"No, I heard they're from other camps," Bayi pointed to the men and women standing on the muddy ground not far away.
I followed his gaze to the grassy area behind Liu Shiyi, where a line of pale men and women stood. There were 20 of them, only five of whom were women. One of the men was Screwdriver. In just one night, he seemed to have aged several years, his eyes bloodshot, his face sallow, and his spirit worse than mine.
Remembering what he had told me in the basement, I couldn't help but feel a pang of concern for him.
"Ping'an, don't stand out today, or I'll hit you," Wrench, carrying an AK-47, walked over and warned me.
The AK I had yesterday was taken back by Liu Shiyi.
"Got it, Brother!" I nodded obediently, grinning at him.
"Your teeth are white, but your smile is ugly," Wrench teased before patrolling elsewhere.
Great, thanks for the compliment!
"Ha ha!" Bayi laughed, then quickly covered his mouth, afraid I'd hit him.
I kicked him lightly on the butt, "Has Brother Qiang come back?"
"No, don't worry. No news is good news. He'll be back safely tonight."
"Good, at least you said something sensible."
"...," Bayi twitched his mouth, reluctantly agreeing.
"The first race is 'Walk the Dog,' lasting 10 minutes. Start!" Liu Shiyi shouted, and the first row of ten men and women stepped forward.
They wore dog collars around their necks, led by their department heads to their designated lanes.
On the numbered lanes from 1 to 10, the "pigs" crawled like dogs, with the managers leading them. The 50-meter track had to be completed in 10 minutes, an unspeakable ordeal.
Each "pig" also had a 50-pound stone tied to their right leg with an iron chain. The men were shirtless, wearing only shorts. The women were stripped naked, crawling on the ground for everyone to see.
Aside from the humiliation, how could anyone drag a 50-pound stone? These people were skin and bones, hungry, sleep-deprived, and often injured. It was impossible to drag such a heavy weight with just their legs.
"Faster, crawl!" "Whip!" The whip cracked mercilessly on their backs and buttocks, the sound of flesh tearing making the onlookers shiver.
Seeing the 50-pound stones, I shook my head. The collars around their ankles would leave them raw and red with any movement, an unbearable torture.
Whoever came up with this sadistic idea deserved to die.
Unable to move the stones, they were mercilessly whipped and insulted. Soon, their backs were covered in bloody welts.
The managers even went so far as to violate the women, poking at their exposed parts.
Crying and collapsing didn't help. Giving up meant being dragged away for further punishment.
In the end, only ten men managed to complete the stone-dragging race, including Screwdriver. Their ankles were bleeding, yet the camp showed no mercy.
Liu Shiyi then had his subordinates grab ten more of the worst-performing men, making up twenty pigs for the next brutal race.