I emerged victorious!
However, not a shred of happiness could I feel within me.
Employing the act of slapping each other's faces to determine the ownership of a woman is, without a doubt, an extremely warped and perverted affair.
Whether I was willing or not, I had already been entrapped within the animalistic regulations deliberately devised by those despicable individuals like Abu.
That alluring short-haired woman with a curvaceous figure would be my personal property for the ensuing week. Provided that I refrained from causing her any fatal harm or severe injury, I was at liberty to command her and deal with her as I pleased during non-working hours.
Abu stated that I could either escort her to reside in a solitary room on the third floor or simply permit her to remain in the cell on the basement level.
I could summon her at my convenience.
Yes, that scoundrel Abu actually utilized the term "summon".
It seemed as if I were the proprietor of the short-haired woman.
As for when the need would arise, well, men are well-versed in such matters.
From the glances of the others who were also in a similar plight like piglets, I discerned envy and jealousy.
That short-haired woman was as docile as a little spaniel, meekly and spontaneously positioning herself behind me.
It appeared that, to her, being able to accompany me for the upcoming week was an honor of great magnitude.
From the very commencement to the ultimate conclusion, I silently acquiesced to all the arrangements made by that wretched Abu.
I had already drawn sufficient attention, and I had no intention of instigating any further commotion.
Just when I was under the impression that surreptitiously delivering a forceful slap to knock 059 unconscious and triumphing in this ludicrous slapping contest would mark the end of it all, that detestable Abu astonishingly requested me to select two additional individuals to serve as the slaves at my beck and call for the following week.
Subconsciously, I was inclined to decline, yet I managed to restrain the words that were on the verge of escaping my lips.
Regardless of whether the refusal would prove efficacious or not, one thing was certain: I would inevitably be regarded as an aberration in the eyes of others and be stigmatized as unmanageable in the hearts of those scoundrels from northern Myanmar.
Resignedly, I could only haphazardly designate two colleagues who had been deceived into coming to northern Myanmar in unison with me.
One was a hulking and somewhat dim-witted Northeast fellow who resembled a bear. His name was Zhao Paozi.
His surname was Zhao, and his nickname was Paozi. I had long since forgotten his genuine name.
The other was He Hui, who seemed to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years of age and was ordinarily an honest and guileless chap.
These two were also the ones who had maintained a relatively amicable rapport with me back in the company.
The actual motivation behind my selection of Zhao Paozi and He Hui was that I was contemplating that during the forthcoming week, I could offer them a helping hand if the opportunity presented itself.
Naturally, I had also entertained the thought of taking them along when I managed to discover a means of escape in the future.
After all, the future is an enigma. Having two additional allies at that time might potentially enhance the likelihood of a successful escape.
But when I had made my choice of these two individuals, the subsequent utterance of Abu nearly compelled me to curse aloud on the spot.
"In order to ensure their compliance during the next week, administer ten slaps to each of them initially to establish the norms."
After that rogue Abu had finished speaking, he directed his gaze towards the others and appended, "Not only does 086 need to set the rules for his slaves for the next week, but you all are likewise obliged to do so."
This was by no means an act of establishing regulations. It was patently an attempt to make me a target of animosity.
"When setting the rules, no one is permitted to hold back. Otherwise, I shall make you acquainted with what genuine rules entail."
Just as I was devising a plan to merely go through the motions, the voice of that villain Abu reverberated in my ears once more.
Damn it!
This brute was truly insidious.
I gnashed my teeth in silence and mentally lambasted every female in the eighteen generations of Abu's ancestry.
The selection of Zhao Paozi and He Hui was unmistakably an act of good will.
Now, it might well transpire that my good intentions would lead to an adverse outcome and incite their resentment towards me.
"Paozi, Ahui, I sincerely apologize. That was never my true intention."
Under the vigilant scrutiny of Abu and the other miscreants from northern Myanmar, I could only summon the courage to approach Zhao Paozi and He Hui. I lowered my voice and proffered an explanation in a tone audible only to the three of us.
Zhao Paozi merely chuckled foolishly and voluntarily inclined his head, presenting his face.
I was aware that Zhao Paozi had truly grasped my meaning.
I was somewhat touched and reciprocated with a smile. Subsequently, I raised my hand and delivered a resounding slap to his face.
While slapping Zhao Paozi, I exerted every effort to modulate the force of my hand, ensuring that each slap produced a distinct and audible sound while simultaneously minimizing any genuine harm to him.
After administering five slaps on each side of his face, notwithstanding Zhao Paozi's thick and resilient skin, his entire head still seemed visibly swollen.
"I shall seek an opportunity to recompense him at a later juncture."
I was cognizant that it was inopportune to say much at present. Having completed slapping Zhao Paozi, I advanced towards He Hui.
He Hui's countenance was extremely sullen. He was clenching his teeth, lowering his head, and stiffening his neck, bracing himself for the impending blows.
However, he refrained from looking at me.
It was evident that he was harboring a certain degree of anger within him.
Nevertheless, regardless of his current state of mind, these ten slaps were inescapable.
Even if I were disposed to show leniency, yet based on my understanding of that scoundrel Abu during this period, the most probable outcome was that neither I nor He Hui would emerge unscathed.
After delivering ten alternating slaps to He Hui's face, that rogue Abu finally diverted his attention from me to the others.
This farcical spectacle persisted until nearly half past seven before finally reaching its conclusion.
Apart from Zhao Paozi and He Hui, there were several other unfortunate souls who also endured slaps.
From the expressions in the eyes of these individuals, I could vividly perceive anger and animosity.
It was not directed towards the ruffians from northern Myanmar but rather towards those who had administered the slaps.
I knew that from this day forward, the seeds of estrangement and enmity among us piglets had been firmly sown.
If those B-level temporary salesmen dared to engage in any surreptitious activities behind our backs, I fear that those who had been slapped by them today would be the first to apprise the villains from northern Myanmar.
When it came to dinner in the evening, the disparities between salesmen of different levels were instantaneously manifested.
The D-level salesmen, who occupied the lowest rung, received steamed buns, porridge, and a diminutive plate of pickles.
The C-level salesmen were furnished with, in addition to a substantial bowl of plain cooked rice, a ladleful of fried beans with a meager amount of meat, with merely two or three slices of the latter.
The B-level salesmen enjoyed a considerably superior diet. Besides plain cooked rice, they were presented with a bowl of steamed pork with preserved vegetables, the quantity of which was comparable to that in domestic restaurants, and there were at least seven or eight slices of pork.
When I proceeded to obtain my meal and beheld the victuals that the cook from northern Myanmar served me, not only was I dumbfounded, but the cafeteria was also resounding with envious exclamations and the cacophony of people voraciously swallowing their saliva.
A plate of braised pork ribs, a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, two marinated chicken legs, a bowl of kelp soup, a plate of rice, and a large, crimson apple.
This constituted my dinner for the day.
Three dishes and one soup, not only featuring a harmonious combination of meat and vegetables but also accompanied by a fruit for dessert.
Such an elevated standard of living, even in China, when I dined alone, I had scarcely experienced it on a few occasions throughout the year.
Furthermore, in my incredulous and wide-eyed gaze, a ruffian from northern Myanmar even publicly presented me with two packs of Yuxi cigarettes and a bottle of white liquor.
Even though that reprobate Abu had previously intimated that the living conditions of senior salesmen were favorable, when I beheld these items with my own eyes, it still felt like an illusory reverie.
When I was clutching the cigarettes and liquor and bearing a plate laden with food that was almost too copious to manage and seeking a place to sit, the eyes of everyone along the way were gleaming with a covetous green hue.
I surmise that, were it not for the fear of those gun-toting villains from northern Myanmar, they would have pounced on me like famished hounds.