Having been thirsty for so long, the distilled water, though bland, felt incredibly sweet as it moistened Chen Rou’s parched tongue.
There were two Snickers bars left. Chen Rou demonstrated what to do: she crawled to the floor, picked one up in her teeth, tore a corner of the plastic wrapper with them, chewed, and then sucked out the chocolate and peanut butter little by little.
Nie Han followed her lead and picked up a Snickers bar, but the moment she started sucking on it, her scalp pulled painfully, making her tremble.
"Sister A-Rou, they should let us go, right?" she asked, her voice muffled.
Although Chen Rou had long known how dark Hong Kong was before the handover, her understanding of its criminal underworld had been minimal before she took on the case involving the Nie Family.
It was said that in the late eighties, Hong Kong was home to a hundred thousand gangsters, with triads and street gangs running rampant everywhere. Coupled with the ease of maritime transport, criminals frequently shuttled between the Philippines, Macau, and Taiwan to commit crimes, making it incredibly difficult for the police to solve cases and emboldening the underworld to become ever more lawless.
According to the files from before she had transmigrated, the mastermind behind this kidnapping was a private militia leader known as Ghost-head Chang. He was notoriously brutal. In the original timeline, only Nie Zhao managed to escape, while her predecessor and Nie Han were both killed and buried here.
Knowing death was inevitable, she felt she had to be honest. Chen Rou said, "A-Han, from what I can see, this isn't an ordinary kidnapping. It’s a premeditated murder plot. So... we are both going to die."
Nie Han was shocked by the cold, calm way Chen Rou stated this. But after assessing the situation, she accepted the reality, shrugged, and began to sob. "If they want money, my family can pay. Why must they kill us?"
She murmured, sobbing to herself, "Who exactly is it that wants us dead?"
...
After finishing the chocolate, Chen Rou felt her strength returning and began to attempt to untie her ropes.
It was impossible to undo the knots of the heavy cables with her bare hands, but she could try loosening them by bumping them against something.
The constant rolling of the ship provided a natural aid. She found the right angle to slam the knots against the iron railings. With each roll of the ship, she thrashed against them, and after about two hours, she felt the knots had loosened significantly.
At this point, she could free herself with just a little struggle.
However, Chen Rou did not rush to untie the knots; she kept herself in the bound position.
She certainly intended to escape, but she first had to understand the environment outside and determine how many gunmen were in the gang.
Furthermore, she knew that when she eventually met Nie Zhao, he would be a disabled man—a condition he would sustain during this very kidnapping.
As a special police officer, even though she had transmigrated, Chen Rou’s duty remained the same. She had to escape, but she also had to rescue Nie Zhao and Nie Han.
To do that, she needed to know where Nie Zhao was being held and devise a comprehensive escape plan.
After an unknown amount of time, the ship lurched violently and then came to a sudden halt. It seemed they had reached their destination.
Moments later, the cabin door opened again. A bald man in a uniform and sunglasses walked in, followed by One-eyed Dragon and Beard, both of whom were hunched over.
Seeing Nie Han covered in blood, the bald man grew angry. "You useless idiots! How could you mess up Miss Nie like this?"
The two thugs hung their heads in fear.
Spotting the curled-up Chen Rou, the bald man removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of lecherous, bulging eyes. "Skin like jade, face like a blushing flower. Miss Chen Rou lives up to her reputation as a former Miss Hong Kong favorite. Truly extraordinary."
He looked coldly at the two thugs. "You didn't touch Miss Chen, did you?"
One-eyed Dragon and Beard spoke in unison, "The boss specifically asked for her, we didn't dare!"
The bald man tossed a set of keys to a man behind him who was wearing a black face mask. "Take them to the boss's side and keep them locked up. When the boss is finished and wants to play, I will notify you to unlock the cage and release them."
The masked man stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Yes."
One-eyed Dragon and Beard followed the bald man out. The masked man opened the top hatch, and immediately, a giant iron hook lowered down. The cage containing the two girls was hoisted up by a crane, pulled out of the hold, and lifted outside.
Chen Rou’s heart hammered in her chest. Being hoisted off the ship was an advantage she hadn't expected.
It was evening, the sun setting, and as the cage rose into the air, she could see the layout of the place in its entirety.
It was a port hidden within a bay.
The port was divided into zones: barracks, a labor area, and an administration area. Many large cargo ships were anchored at the docks, and a long line of armored vehicles and two tanks were parked on the shore.
Looking down from above, Chen Rou saw the bald man in sunglasses. He was leading a group of thugs toward the area marked as the administration zone. Although she couldn't see clearly, she was certain that was where they were taking Nie Zhao.
Chen Rou silently memorized everything she saw.
With a loud clatter, the cage hit the ground. They were brought into a large courtyard and left in the center.
The masked man followed and stood guard beside the cage.
Chen Rou stared intently at Nie Han until she instinctively pursed her lips shut. Then, Chen Rou tilted her head up and whispered in an incredibly soft, gentle tone to the guard, "Big brother, I’m so thirsty."
The guard’s body gave a sudden jolt at her words, but he kept his eyes forward, gripping his rifle tightly.
Finally, however, he slowly shifted his gaze toward her and crooked a finger. "Come here and kiss me. If you make it good, I’ll give you water."