Guan Yao felt as though she had instantly plunged into an ice cellar. Her heart was gripped tightly by an invisible, massive hand, its frantic beating like an out-of-control drumroll that made her eardrums ache.
Her breathing turned heavy and ragged, every inhalation a desperate struggle to snatch air through a tiny gap. Cold sweat continuously welled up from her palms, dampening the hem of her shirt, and her legs trembled uncontrollably.
"Why is he here? He must be here to retaliate against me. This is bad! What should I do? There is literally no one to help me. Am I really done for?"
Fear engulfed her like a rising tide. Her brain raced, but the nearest police station was several miles away—far too far to ask for help in time.
And against this physically imposing man right in front of her, she stood no chance at all.
This sense of powerlessness filled her heart with despair.
At this critical, life-or-death moment, her gaze swept anxiously ahead.
She spotted an open-air food stall not far away. It was brightly lit and bustling with activity, the cheerful laughter of diners mingling with the clinking of glasses and dishes.
Like a drowning person grasping at a straw, Guan Yao bolted toward the food stall without a moment's hesitation. Her panicked and hurried footsteps carried the desperate struggle of a last resort, while she kept praying inwardly, "I must be safe. I have to make it through."
Bursting into the food stall, Guan Yao turned as pale as a sheet of paper and screamed at the top of her lungs:
"Help! There's a human trafficker! He's been following me all the way and wants to traffic me!"
Her voice was laced with sobs, sounding exceptionally piercing in the noisy environment and instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Her chest heaved violently, and her hands were clenched into tight fists, her knuckles turning white from the force.
Of course, all of this was an act.
In reality, Guan Yao was entirely certain that the moment she uttered those words, she had already placed herself in an unbeatable position.
At the very worst, the crowd would entangle with Father He for a while, which was more than enough time to call the police and wait for the officers to arrive.
Once that happened, Father He would likely spend a few days behind bars.
...
Inside the food stall, several burly men with bare torsos, thick gold chains, and dragon tattoos covering their bodies had been drinking heartily.
Hearing the cries, the playful smiles vanished from their faces, replaced by intense vigilance and anger.
The sturdy owner strode out from behind the counter, standing like a towering mountain in front of Guan Yao as he demanded loudly:
"What's going on? Who has the nerve!"
Guan Yao gasped for breath, leaning forward slightly as she pointed a trembling finger toward the entrance and sobbed:
"It's him! He's been following me ever since we were at the Education Building. I'm so scared! He must be trying to harm me!"
Her shoulders trembled slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.
At that moment, He Junkang's father also walked into the food stall.
Seeing so many fierce gazes fixed on him, a flash of panic crossed his eyes, but he forced himself to remain calm and argued loudly:
"This young lady is my relative! I'm her second uncle, don't listen to her nonsense!"
As he spoke, he even cast a feigned look of annoyance at Guan Yao, attempting to muddle his way through: "You child, how can you talk nonsense!"
Guan Yao glared at him angrily, her eyes red-rimmed. She stepped forward, pointing a finger straight at Father He, and retorted loudly:
"Stop putting on an act here! I don't know you at all!"
"Your son He Junkang kidnapped me at knifepoint, and now you're at it too. Your whole family is a bunch of lunatics!"
"You're the scum of society!"
Her chest heaved violently, and her hair was somewhat disheveled from agitation.
Looking at her appearance, and then looking at Father He—whose expression clearly spelled out malicious intent—the gang leaders instantly sprang to their feet, gripping wine bottles tightly in their hands until the glass turned white from their grip.
The leader raised a wine bottle, pointed it at Father He, and spoke in a low, stern voice:
"What the hell are you trying to do? Don't think we'll let you fool us!"
Father He tried to argue further, but the leader gave him no chance, slamming his palm down on the table so hard that the bowls and chopsticks jumped.
"Cut the crap and get lost! Bullying a young girl, have you no shame?"
"Otherwise..." The leader deliberately dragged out the ending of his sentence, his eyes revealing a fierce glare.
"Smash!" The leader slammed the wine bottle hard against the edge of the table. The bottle shattered instantly, the jagged glass shards glinting coldly under the lights like a sharp blade.
Well, now a weapon had instantly turned into a lethal tool.
The surrounding diners also began to chime in with accusations.
"What kind of ability is it to bully the weak?"
"Get lost right now, don't throw your weight around here!"
"If you don't leave this second, we'll drag you to the police station ourselves!"
Guan Yao stared at Father He, the fire of rage burning fiercely in her chest. She closed in a step closer, pointed at the bridge of his nose, and mocked:
"Look at the pathetic state you're in now, and you still want to threaten me?"
"Your son became a criminal precisely because he has a father like you!"
"Not only did you fail to raise him right, but now you're coming out here to do his dirty work. You're a completely useless father!"
Her eyes widened to their limits, her face plastered with fury and utter disdain.
Father He's face turned crimson, trembling all over with rage. He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, yet he dared not make a rash move.
Guan Yao continued her merciless reprimand, placing her hands on her hips and leaning forward until she was almost touching Father He's face:
"Did you really think you could scare me?"
"The things your son did have already disgraced your entire family!"
"And now you're still coming after me—aren't you afraid of retribution?"
"Living like this, you're just wasting oxygen! You don't deserve to be a father, let alone grovel for survival in this world!"
"Just wait to be judged by the law and spurned by everyone!"
Her voice grew louder and louder. The surrounding diners were awed by her momentum and chimed in to support her words.
Under the public condemnation and deterrence, He Junkang's father completely lost his arrogance. He glared viciously at Guan Yao, his eyes filled with resentment and hatred, but he had no choice and slunk away in defeat.
His steps were somewhat unsteady, and his retreating figure looked exceptionally miserable.
Guan Yao looked gratefully at the head leader and the surrounding diners. Tears streamed down her face, and her voice carried a heavy nasal tone:
"Thank you, everyone. If it weren't for you today, I truly don't know what would have happened to me. You are my lifesavers, and I honestly don't know how to repay you!"
She bowed slightly to express her gratitude to everyone, her heart overflowing with the relief of having survived a disaster. "It's a good thing they were here, or I wouldn't even dare to imagine the consequences."
The leader smiled, waved his hand, patted Guan Yao on the shoulder, and comforted her: "Don't mention it. When something like this happens, anyone would step up."
"You're a young woman, so you need to keep your wits about you when you go out from now on."
"If that fellow ever dares to bother you again, hurry up and call the police, or come find us."