Сhарtеr 15
Xu Nuo’s mind wаs соmрlеtely foсusеd on saving sоmeonе, соmрlеtеly unаwаrе оf the effеct her bowl of sugаr wаter hаd саusеd.
[Тhe сhаngеs here аrе toо drastic]
If it werеn’t for Хu Nuo’s good mеmorу, she wоuldn’t hаve reсognized this as thе sаmе dоck Gu Nongхuаn hаd brоught her to bеforе.
Weeds grеw wildly, and еverywhеre there wеrе сarеlеssly discardеd housеhоld waste, rоtten boаts sprоuting mushrооms, and thе sour stenсh of deсау filled the air.
[Is Little Gu really herе?]
Хu Nuo voiced hеr dоubts, her line of sight соmpletely blocked by the nearby garbage mountains, unable to see anything.
The System confidently stated: [Although the exact location can’t be detected, the place is definitely correct!]
Xu Nuo took a few steps toward the nearest garbage mountain, her eyes seemingly searching for something. Sure enough, her efforts paid off, and she quickly found what she needed.
A slightly rusted but perfectly usable water pipe for self-defense.
“Let’s go, I think I know where she is.”
Xu Nuo thought of the place where she had encountered Feng Huan Chao before. Nearby, there was a processing center where goods were piled up.
Searching blindly wouldn’t find anyone; it was better to try her luck there.
Her sense of direction had always been good since childhood; she never got lost in places she had visited even once.
As expected, although it looked different from her memory, Xu Nuo still spotted a building-like structure.
Calling it a building was generous—it was just a slightly larger warehouse. Up close, it was severely corroded, with many holes exposed.
But thanks to its dilapidated state, Xu Nuo heard voices coming from inside as soon as she approached.
“That kid is too damn stubborn. Even with his bones broken, he didn’t make a sound.”
“What do you know? It’s just that the heat isn’t enough yet. I’ve seen plenty of fresh-faced guys like him. There was one before who wanted to terminate his contract—stubborn as an ox at first. But as soon as I tore off his clothes and pulled out my phone to film, he started crying and begging.”
“Damn, you’re into that too?”
“Get lost! I was just scaring him. People are just cheap—give them a little kindness and they forget who they are. After finishing this cigarette, you take the phone and film. I’ll tear his clothes off.”
The two let out lewd laughs, their voices alone enough to make any bystander sick to their stomach.
If such a video were filmed, Gu Nongxuan’s life would be ruined.
[System, can you detect how many people are inside?]
Given that this involved the reputation of the plot’s male lead, the System replied cautiously: [Four. Two smoking outside, one inside, and the other should be Gu Nongxuan.]
[Should I call the police, Master?]
Xu Nuo shook her head: [Calling the police would only help afterward. If we call now, Little Gu’s acting career would be ruined.]
Although she didn’t understand the entertainment industry, she knew the power of rumors. The internet wasn’t as widespread as it would be in the future, but the media and marketing accounts were just as skilled, if not more so, at twisting facts for attention.
[Then what should we do? You can’t fight them. From what they said, this isn’t the first time they’ve done something like this.]
Gu Nongxuan probably wanted to switch companies and had requested to terminate her contract. Little did she expect her manager to be this ruthless. Terminating the contract was possible, but aside from an exorbitant penalty fee, violence was also involved.
Xu Nuo circled to the back of the warehouse and, as expected, found a back door.
[Perfect! All those TV dramas where villains kidnap the Female Lead to threaten the male lead weren’t wasted.]
However, the door latch was rusted, and moving it would undoubtedly make a loud noise.”Damn TV dramas, this is exactly what rotted my brain.”
System: “…Are you serious with this double standard?”
Luck was on her side. Amidst the earth-shattering roars coming from inside, Xu Nuo’s sharp eyes spotted a—dog hole—hidden by wildly overgrown weeds nearby.
Without hesitation, she used the cover of the screams from within to crawl inside.
The warehouse was pitch dark, with only the light filtering through the hole above serving as illumination.
Xu Nuo was grateful for the many abandoned goods covered in filthy tarps that had been left here for years. Without these hiding spots, she wouldn’t have known where to conceal herself upon entering.
Quickly taking cover, she peeked out to assess the situation.
Struggling with his hands bound was none other than Gu Nongxuan, whom she had just seen yesterday. Beside him lay a man, clutching his crotch and letting out increasingly agonizing screams.
The roars Xu Nuo had heard earlier were likely from him.
“It seems Little Gu really took my words to heart.”
When they parted last time, Xu Nuo had whispered in his ear: Just in case, stick a blade to the sole of your shoe. If you’re in danger, lift your foot and aim for the other person’s lower body.
No need for surgery fees—just one kick to change genders.
Looking at the faint traces of blood on the ground, Xu Nuo nodded in satisfaction.
System: “…Don’t get too smug. The mission target is about to be beaten to death.”
Seeing their companion injured, the others felt a chill in their own lower bodies. Enraged, one of them yanked Gu Nongxuan up. “You fucking want to die?!”
With that, he aimed a kick straight at Gu Nongxuan’s face.
Xu Nuo’s heart leaped into her throat. Unconsciously tightening her grip on the water pipe in her hand, she braced herself, ready to charge over.
Fortunately, the man was stopped.
“Wait, beating him up is useless! Have you forgotten what I said?”
A bad feeling washed over Xu Nuo.
“What are you doing?!”
Gu Nongxuan let out a cry like a young beast on the brink of death.
The man had actually started tearing at the boy’s clothes. “Fuck, aren’t you tough? Let’s see how arrogant you are after your nude photos get leaked.”
Someone behind him cooperatively raised a phone.
Gu Nongxuan struggled desperately, but to little avail. His entire body ached terribly, and his already injured arm was clearly broken, lying limp against the ground. His left hand was useless, and his thin clothes were quickly ripped apart.
Having been an actor, he was acutely sensitive to cameras. In a daze, he noticed the man holding up the phone, his lewd, ugly face twisted in a sinister grin.
Boom. Gu Nongxuan’s mind went blank, followed by a violent surge of struggle. The man tearing his clothes almost lost his grip.
“Let me go, let me go!!! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!!”
“Don’t film me!! Don’t you dare film me, I’ll kill you, I swear I’ll kill you!!! Aaaaaah!!”
“Don’t film me, please, don’t film me!!”
His desperate cries gradually turned into pleas. Tears streamed from his bloodshot eyes as his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Someone… is there anyone who can save me… Please, anyone…
“Damn, you were right. These celebrities really turn into cowards when they hear about nude photos, hahahaha.”
The man took pleasure in joking with the person behind him, laughing arrogantly.
“Hey, make sure you film it clearly. We’ll keep a copy for ourselves before handing it over to the boss. We can probably extort a lot of money, right?”
He spoke cheerfully but received no response from his companion.After a moment’s thought, he turned back in surprise.
The last image he saw was the pig-faced man raising his weapon high and smashing it down with all his might.