C17 17
No. 12 High School was well known, but not for good reasons. It was infamous for fights and poor academic performance. Naturally, Wang Qi was headed there to gather some help. The school had a notorious poem, penned by a frustrated teacher, that went, "Students lack talent, but parents insist they attend. Blank papers handed in, goose eggs returned." This had become the biggest joke about No. 12 High School. The next day, Wang Qi showed up wearing sunglasses, looking every bit like he was in charge. Liu Chao had rented several vans and gathered 50 tough guys from No. 12. They were all dressed in knockoff designer clothes. "This is our boss," Liu Chao announced, gathering the young men, who stood around with grins and casual postures. "Hey, boss," they greeted Wang Qi, not knowing him but eager for the money. "Once the job's done, everyone gets another 200. Let's move out." Wang Qi, with plenty of cash to throw around, climbed into the front passenger seat of a van, leading the group toward Qu Menghan's home. It was in a village in the East District, yet to be redeveloped. Upon arrival, Wang Qi decided to quietly assess the situation first.
"Fine, fine, I'll bring the money tomorrow," the older man finally conceded. Wang Qi overheard the entire conversation while pretending to be a passerby, and he was furious. How could this kind of human trafficking still exist in this day and age? It was outrageous. Afterward, Qu Menghan's second uncle went inside, and the older man prepared to leave. Wang Qi followed him. As the older man turned down an alley, he suddenly noticed dozens of young people staring at him intently, startling him. The older man wanted to leave, but Wang Qi waved his hand, signaling the young men to surround him. "What do you want?" the older man asked, a bit scared as he realized he was outnumbered by these young men, some with dyed hair, clearly not the type to mess with. "You're involved in human trafficking, which is a crime, you know? You think $10,000 is enough to buy a person? That's my friend you're talking about," Wang Qi said coldly. "Watch yourself and get lost," Wang Qi added, pointing at the older man's nose. He didn't hit him, knowing the man was going to take Qu Menghan away today no matter what. The older man slunk away, and whether he'd come back with the money tomorrow, Wang Qi didn't care. "All right, guys, let's move," Wang Qi said, waving his hand. These guys were just there for backup; he knew he couldn't take Qu Menghan away on his own. "You wait outside. I'm going in," Wang Qi instructed before heading in alone. As soon as he entered, he heard Qu Menghan softly crying. "Crying won't help. Tomorrow, you're leaving with someone else. I can't do anything about it. Your uncle owes $10,000, and if he can't pay it back, he's in deep trouble. So to save him, you have to make this sacrifice," her uncle said, willing to marry Qu Menghan off to the older man to settle his debt under the guise of a dowry. "I hate you," Qu Menghan said, her voice filled with despair. "Hating me won't change anything. Both your parents agreed to this," her uncle said with a shrug, dismissing her feelings. Wang Qi overheard the conversation and stepped in, catching both Qu Menghan and her uncle by surprise. "Wow, some people are just wolves in sheep's clothing. They'll toss morals aside for a bit of money, but to deceive your own family? That's a new low," Wang Qi said, clapping his hands, genuinely taken aback by the situation.
It was unbelievable. In this day and age, there were still people trafficking. It was outrageous. Soon after, Qu Menghan's second uncle came out of the house, the old man preparing to leave, with Wang Qi following behind him. The old man turned into an alley and suddenly noticed dozens of young guys staring straight at him, startling him. He tried to leave, but Wang Qi lifted a hand, and the young men moved in to surround him. "What do you think you're doing?" the old man asked, fear creeping into his voice. They had the numbers, all of them young and brash. A few had dyed hair and looked like trouble. "You're buying and selling people. That's a crime, you know that? What, you think $100,000 is enough to buy someone? Do you even understand? She's mine," Wang Qi said, his voice cold. "Watch yourself. Get lost." Wang Qi jabbed a finger toward the old man's face. He didn't hit him. All that mattered today was taking Qu Menghan away. The old man slunk off in humiliation. Whether he would come back tomorrow with money was none of Wang Qi's concern. Wang Qi turned and waved. "Brothers, move out." They were only there to make a show of force, but Wang Qi knew that if he came alone, there was no way he would be able to take Qu Menghan with him.
