Huoji gripped her chin. Those watery, wide eyes of hers, even swollen from crying, were incredibly alluring.
With an expression of feigned reluctance, he said, "I’d like to have you for myself, too! But to fetch a good price, I have to hold back. These rich types are all germaphobes; nobody wants to pick up second-hand goods."
An Xiaoni understood. He was going to take her to a nightclub to sell her.
She hardened her heart. *If I'm sold, so be it. It’s better than dying.* She had to survive.
Her thoughts raced for a few seconds. If she were lucky enough to end up with a wealthy, powerful man who took a liking to her, the first person she would kill would be this "Brother Ji" standing right in front of her. If she were truly unlucky and ended up with some lecherous, fat-headed pig, she would simply take him down with her. She wouldn’t lose her virtue, not even in death.
An Xiaoni’s heart tightened as she considered the worst-case scenario. What if she were sold around, passed from one man to another, dozens of different ones a day? She sniffled. If that happened, she would just slit her own throat. Her parents had wanted her to live, but they surely wouldn't want her to live like that.
As she thought, the tears flowed uncontrollably.
"I’m taking your gag off. If you scream or make a scene, my brothers and I will take turns with you instead of selling you. Do you understand?"
An Xiaoni glared at the men with hatred; every one of them looked like a menace to society. She didn't make a sound, keeping her expression submissive and pitiful, as if she were terrified by Huoji’s words.
Huoji gave a wicked sneer. He kept a vice-like grip on An Xiaoni’s arm, dragging her along with his henchmen trailing behind.
With An Xiaoni in tow, the group strode swaggeringly into the largest, liveliest, most luxurious nightclub in the Capital—the playground of the rich and powerful—Nevernight City.
It was 8:00 PM.
At the entrance stood a dozen tall security guards in crisp black uniforms, their ears fitted with earpieces. Nearby were a dozen elegant, tall hostesses in tasteful gowns and high heels. Whenever a guest arrived, they would bow politely and say in sweet, gentle voices, "Welcome."
An Xiaoni wondered: *If I scream for help here, will I be saved? Will the people here help me? Will they call the police, or will they help these thugs drag me away? And if they do, will I end up dying an even worse death?*
Her mind was in constant turmoil. She dared not gamble.
These villains clearly belonged to some dark underworld organization with unfathomable power. They had dared to break into her villa complex in broad daylight, murder her parents, and dispose of the bodies—and now, they were even brazen enough to unmask her and march her in here in plain sight. One could only imagine how terrifying the forces behind them truly were. If she screamed for help, she might be killed right there at the entrance, and that would be the end of it.
An Xiaoni lost her nerve. She felt despair. Subconsciously, she touched her chest with her free hand. *Good, the note is still there.* It must contain the vital information her father had meant to pass to her. She couldn't die!
Bolstered by this stubborn resolve, she wiped away her tears and hardened her heart: she had to find the perfect opportunity to escape.
Stepping into the nightclub, An Xiaoni was instantly plunged into a world of decadence and intoxication. The space was vast and open, lacking any sense of confinement. High above, massive crystal chandeliers shimmered like clusters of brilliant stars, their lights shifting in color according to the rhythm of the music, dizzying and disorienting.
An Xiaoni had no heart to look; she felt an intense, suffocating pressure the moment she entered. Huoji held her wrist in a crushing grip. After several hours, her hand was in agony, the pulling making it feel nearly numb, and her face still stung from the slap.
She was led down a long corridor. The further they went, the more eerie the lighting became. People were barely visible in the gloom. She felt terror and oppression, her fear mounting with every step. She had no idea what she was about to face.
Soon, they were led deep into the heart of the club. The music grew louder and more deafening; the crowd grew denser. The stage was equipped with advanced, professional lighting—spotlights, floodlights, and lasers that dazzled the eyes. On stage, women wearing little more than scraps of fabric twisted their bodies to the rhythm of the music, teasing the audience below.
One particularly provocative dancer, wiggling her slender waist, edged toward the front of the stage, her eyes locked onto a man in the crowd. She stretched out an index finger, bit down on the tip, and flashed a seductive smile, drawing a wave of shrieks from the men below. Then, she slowly crouched, her knees parting slightly, her body undulating in time with the music; her long, shapely legs looked incredibly alluring under the lights.
This sent the men below into a frenzy. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol, perfume, and hormones, all swirling together. Every twist and every wink from the dancers stirred wave after wave of agitation in the men. As the music intensified, the strobe lights flashed madly, intermingling with the frantic cheers of the men and pushing the atmosphere to an explosive peak.
On the dance floor, men and women clung to one another, pressed close, rubbing and grinding their bodies together in the hot, ambiguous haze.
Despite her well-to-do upbringing, An Xiaoni had never been to a place like this. The blinding lights, the music that threatened to shake her heart out of her chest, the madness of the people on and off the stage—men and women alike—made her feel that she was truly beyond help. The people here were just deranged; none of them looked normal.
And all the while, she was being held tightly, gripped by these men. Her hand had never been released. Despair washed over her again.
A man in a suit approached, leaned in to whisper to Huoji, and within moments, Huoji was hauling her along again. An Xiaoni twisted her arm, her feet feeling as if they were cast in lead. She didn't want to move; she was terrified, knowing full well she was being taken to an even more horrific place.
"Please, let me go, won't you?" She knew saying it was futile, but she was too frightened not to. "Let go of me! Help! Help me..."
Her voice was swallowed by the massive wall of sound. This kind of reluctant struggle happened every day here; no one paid any mind.
"Keep walking, and stop the chatter. If it weren't for the fact that you’ve got a bit of looks and you’re fresh, I would’ve finished you off just like your parents, dammit."
At the mention of her parents, An Xiaoni’s eyes burned with hatred. Fueled by a strength she didn't know she possessed, she clenched her other fist and threw a punch. Huoji, completely caught off guard, took several blows to the head.
"Damn you!" Huoji backhanded her, sending her face lopsided and drawing blood from her lip. Before she could regain her footing, he yanked her with such force that she went flying two meters, dragging her onward.