"As long as you behave, I won't make things difficult for you," the burly man said as he handed the water to her.
Yan Yuling gratefully took the water and, after drinking, she asked, "Brother, could you release the handcuff? I promise I won't run. I just need to use the toilet."
The man hesitated before warning, "Don't try anything foolish. Otherwise, I won't guarantee your safety."
"I promise," she assured him quickly.
Perhaps feeling pity for her fragile body and pale face or her sincerity, the man unlocked the handcuff and led her out of the room. Yan Yuling kept her head low as she walked, but her peripheral vision absorbed everything around her.
She realized she was on a ship and silently counted seven other men onboard, excluding those she might not have seen. Judging by the gentle rocking of the vessel, they hadn't yet left the country's waters.
