Xia Chen hurried as fast as he could, eventually arriving at the spot where the girl sold meat skewers just one hour before the night market was set to close.
The area was as bustling and lively as ever, but it was missing one thing: the girl who had been struggling against her fate.
"Where is she? Where did she go?" Xia Chen arrived at Shi Yao’s grill, but searched in vain for a trace of her.
He scratched his head in confusion, thinking to himself, "The embers in the grill haven't even died out yet; she shouldn't have closed up shop."
Seeing this, Xia Chen found a nearby food stall owner and asked, "Excuse me, sir, have you seen the young girl who sells skewers around here?"
"Young girl? No, young man, you’ve got the wrong place. This is a night market, not a hotel. Besides, everyone working here is an old guy like me. What young girl would skip school to do this kind of work?" the stall owner replied with a chuckle as he stir-fried his food.
Xia Chen hurriedly waved his hand and pointed a finger toward the grill a short distance away. "Sir, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m asking about the owner of that cart—isn't it a young girl?"
The stall owner looked in the direction he pointed, looking bewildered. "When did that stand open? I don't recall seeing it at all."
Xia Chen’s face darkened. He finally understood why the girl hadn't been able to sell any skewers; it turned out she wasn't willing to socialize with anyone at all.
To be honest, having been in the workforce for two years, Xia Chen had learned a hard truth: every business has its own circle, and you have to struggle with all your might just to squeeze your way in. Otherwise, no matter how talented you are, you will always be treated as an outsider.
"The poor girl is just too young."
Since he couldn't get any information, Xia Chen—out of social courtesy—handed the man a cigarette before leaving. The stall owner’s eyes lit up as he accepted it, and he waved at Xia Chen as he walked away. "Hey, kid, remember to come back soon!"
After dealing with the stall owner, Xia Chen wandered through the night market like a headless fly.
"Crap, I can't hold it anymore," Xia Chen muttered, clutching his "precious jewels" below. "I shouldn't have gone drinking with those jerks."
In a panic, he looked toward a small alleyway nearby. "When nature calls, one must adapt."
***
"Sister Li, you’re truly incredible. You kept your cool and brought this girl to heel so easily," Zhang Feng said, flattering her while looking at the girl in a deep stupor over his shoulder.
Sister Li glanced at him with disdain and sneered, "This is nothing. In our line of work, what kind of big scenes haven’t we seen? There are plenty of disobedient ones like her."
She walked over to the girl, pinched Shi Yao’s chin, and inspected her closely. "What a pity. A pretty face, but so naive. What a foolish girl. Remember to be born into a better life in your next one."
As the three of them were about to exit the alley, they were all startled by a figure appearing before them.
"Damn it! A ghost!" Wang Mo shouted instinctively.
Xia Chen, who had just finished "releasing energy," was startled by the sudden loud shout. He quickly tightened his belt, grumbling, "What the hell? Is this guy crazy? Coming to such a godforsaken place?"
Xia Chen looked toward the three of them. When he saw the girl slung over Zhang Feng’s shoulder, he realized that he had stumbled upon a crime scene while looking for a place to pee.
"Damn, isn't this the kind of plot that only happens in novels? How did I run into this?"
Xia Chen adjusted his mindset. Although he usually played the part of a slacker, as a man—especially in a situation like this—he could not back down. Of course, the main reason was that even if he wanted to run, he probably wouldn't be able to; he knew the three people before him wouldn't let him leave easily.
Seeing that they hadn't reacted yet, Xia Chen decided to strike first.
"Where are you animals taking my younger sister?"
"Your sister?" Sister Li paused for a second. Once she realized what was happening, she interrogated the two men beside her, "You two idiots! Didn't you say this girl was a social outcast and that no one would care if she suddenly disappeared?"
"W-we didn't know either! It was fine before..." Wang Mo was trembling so hard he couldn't even get his words out straight.
"Useless," Sister Li gritted her teeth and said to the two, "At the end of the day, there are three of us and only one of him. If the police find out about this, we're all finished."
The conversation reached Xia Chen’s ears, and his heart tightened. Possessing an "innate fragile constitution," he knew he couldn't beat any of the three of them, except maybe the woman!
Despite being terrified on the inside, he remained as steady as an old dog on the outside. If you lack force, use your wits.
Xia Chen planted his hands on his hips, his expression calm. The surrounding night air provided a perfect backdrop. At this moment, he felt like the protagonist of a novel—a god descending to earth, unstoppable.
"Nice going, you punks. You dare kidnap the sister of an armed police officer? Are you planning to attack the government in two days?"
Xia Chen chose to strike first, pinning a serious label on them immediately. Sure enough, after hearing this, the spark of rebellion Sister Li had just ignited in the two yellow-haired men was instantly extinguished. They turned their gazes toward Sister Li with resentment.
Asking them to go up against an armed police officer? How was that any different from suicide?
"Officer, this is all a misunderstanding! Let me explain," Wang Mo said, pointing at Sister Li. "It was this vicious woman! She threatened us with force. We had no choice but to bide our time and pretend to go along with it. We’ve finally found our true side!"
"That’s right! We were forced into this. We haven't touched a single hair on your sister's head, Officer!" Zhang Feng echoed from the side.
Seeing the two of them defect, veins popped out on Sister Li’s forehead; she was clearly furious. Meanwhile, their acting was so good that the corner of Xia Chen's mouth couldn't help but twitch. He thought, "What a waste of talent; they should be actors."
Still, he used a commanding voice to intimidate them. "Listen up, you two punks. Don't say I didn't give you a chance. Get out of my sight in three seconds, or I’ll beat you down even if you are minors."
Xia Chen intended to split them up first, then take them down one by one.
"Right! Officer, you can handle this vicious woman. I'm out of here!" Zhang Feng’s expression was as determined as someone swearing an oath.
"Hey, put her down first!"
"Yes, Officer!"
Zhang Feng carefully and slowly set the girl on the ground, then vanished in a flash of speed, leaving Sister Li standing there, stunned and at a loss.
Seeing the two leave, Xia Chen smirked. "Now, it's time to take action myself."
"Those two idiots!" Sister Li stomped her feet in rage. When she turned around, she was met with a powerful slap to the face.
"You!" Sister Li staggered, shocked that Xia Chen would ignore the rules of fair play and hit a "weak woman" like her.
Before she could recover, a side kick landed squarely on her cheek, and Sister Li felt her entire body fly into the air. Xia Chen looked at the woman he had kicked with a sense of triumph.
"I’m really just too good."
Sister Li, who had been kicked several meters away, scrambled to her feet. She clutched her bruised and swollen face and staggered away. "I shouldn't have believed those two idiots."
She had been in this business for so many years, and this was her first failure.
Seeing her flee in such a pathetic state, Xia Chen didn't pursue. He didn't have his phone on him, and he didn't want to overplay his hand. Plus, the most pressing matter was getting the girl to a hospital immediately.
Xia Chen looked at the girl lying on the ground and found her strangely familiar. It wasn't until he saw her yellowing sweater that his face turned pale with shock.