In the past, the pressures of life were heavy, and people often grumbled, “Love these days is so cheap it can be bought with money.”
Back then, the phrase was just a sarcastic jab at society. But in this day and age, it had become the literal truth. Hard to say if it was fucking progress or a step backward.
The girls under the broker’s control were all brought in from the Unplanned Zone. They weren’t trafficked or kidnapped; they followed her willingly. They had no other motive than wanting a steady bite to eat. These girls didn’t have Residency Rights in the Ninth District and could only survive here legally through marriage or buying the rights themselves. Otherwise, once their time was up, they would be lawfully deported and cleared out.
Qi Lin wandered around the room for over ten minutes before coming out to ask the broker, “Those two girls from our own ethnic background, do they have family?”
“No,” the broker shook her head without hesitation.
“Do you know what I do for a living?” Qi Lin frowned.
The broker froze.
“You can lie to others, but don’t try it with me. Do they have family or not?” Qi Lin pressed.
The broker hesitated for a moment. “Oh, look at my memory. Those two girls do have family, but they’re all out in the Unplanned Zone.”
“Then forget it,” Qi Lin shook his head. “Too much trouble down the line.”
“…Then take a look at the others.”
“What’s the Belarusian girl’s name?” Qi Lin asked after a brief thought.
“Bella.” The broker gave a thumbs up. “You’ve got a good eye, little brother. Look at her—about 1.7 meters tall, pale skin, pretty. She’ll be a thrill to have around the house.”
“Her Chinese is fine?”
“She is from the Unplanned Zone right near the Ninth District. She speaks the local dialect better than I do. Not a problem at all.”
“Then I’ll take her,” Qi Lin nodded. “How much?”
“8,000,” the broker answered briskly.
“Let’s go.” Hearing this, Qi Lin immediately turned on his heel.
Qin Yu and Lao Mao were caught off guard and naturally hurried after him.
“Hey, little brother, why the short temper? Did I say something wrong?” the broker immediately called out. “Come back and let’s talk. I’ll give you a ten percent discount.”
“8,000? Why don’t you just go rob someone?” Qi Lin shouted back. “I can’t afford that.”
“I’ll knock off a thousand.” The broker chased after them, grabbing Qi Lin’s arm. “Brother, they don’t have Residency Rights. It costs me money to bring them in. Don’t cut the price so ruthlessly.”
“3,000.”
“Cut the bullshit. For 3,000, I’ll sell you a leg to play with,” the broker rolled her eyes.
“Then forget it.”
“Why are you always trying to walk away!” The broker grew anxious. “6,800 is the absolute lowest. Can’t do any less. I’ve been feeding them for over two months.”
“We only brought 4,500. If that works, we’ll write up a receipt and take her,” Lao Mao said, glaring. “But one thing: if this woman stays for two days and then secretly runs off… I’ll make sure you can’t run this business anymore.”
“No way. 4,500 absolutely won’t cut it. For 4,500, you can only buy someone like me.” The broker waved her hand. “Leave if you want, but the minimum is 6,800.”
Qi Lin didn’t waste any more breath. He turned and left the courtyard with Qin Yu and Lao Mao.
About two minutes later, the broker chased them down from behind, panting heavily. “Alright, alright. I see you two are fated. 4,500 it is… let’s just make a friend. Come on back, little brother…”
Qi Lin bargained three times in total before finally reaching a deal with the broker. Throughout the entire process, the Belarusian girl, Bella, heard everything loud and clear from inside the room.
…
Around eight or nine that evening, Lao Mao hailed an unlicensed cab, and the four of them finally returned to downtown Songjiang City.
On the street, Qin Yu eyed the dirt-smudged Bella and smiled at Qi Lin. “Not gonna throw a party?”
“Where would I get the money for that?” Qi Lin shook his head. “We’ll just grab a meal with a few friends and call it good.”
“What day?”
“Tomorrow,” Qi Lin decided after a moment. “I’ll let the guys on the team know tomorrow too.”
“Alright, that’s settled.” After a rough day, Lao Mao was exhausted. He turned to the Belarusian girl and spoke plainly. “Even though… you met through money, this brother of mine is a good guy. He won’t mistreat you, so you take good care of him too.”
Bella hadn’t looked up once. Keeping her head bowed, she endlessly twirled the ends of her hair. “I… I understand…”
“Right, we’ll head out first,” Lao Mao called out to Qi Lin.
“Yeah!”
After a few brief goodbyes, Lao Mao and Qin Yu watched the man and woman—who had met through money—walk away together.
Down the weather-beaten street, Qi Lin walked rigidly in the lead, his heart pounding like a drum.
After who knows how long, Bella called out softly, “Could you… could you slow down a bit… my shoes are torn… they’re scraping my feet.”
Qi Lin paused. He looked back at the girl, turning the thought over in his head before offering, “Want me to carry you, then? It’s close. We’re almost there.”
The girl froze. Standing perfectly still, she reached out and grasped the hem of his jacket. “…I… I want to eat.”
“Heh.” Qi Lin smiled. Bending over, he called back, “Hop on. We’ll eat as soon as we get home.”
…
Wherever Lao Mao was off to fool around tonight, he was keeping it to himself. He didn’t ask to crash at Qin Yu’s place like usual, instead making up a quick excuse and slipping away.
By the time Qin Yu got home, it was already past eight. He had planned to boil some water and grab a bite to eat, but then he remembered he’d lent out 1,300 today. With only 200 left in his pocket to cover daily expenses, he settled for a quick wash and got ready for bed.
Just after nine o’clock.
Qin Yu had barely lain down when he heard Lin Nianlei shouting furiously outside. “What are you trying to do?! Keep it up and I’ll call the cops!”
Startled, Qin Yu grabbed his coat, draped it over his shoulders, and walked to the window to look out.
Lin Nianlei stood below the steps, pointing at the entrance and yelling. Three burly men in heavy leather coats swaggered unsteadily into the courtyard.
“Little bitch, you really don’t know your place. We warned you once, and you still have no shame?” The lead thug rubbed his bald head and held out a hand. “Give me the camera.”
“The camera isn’t with me. If you harass me again, I’m calling the Police Department right now.”
“Look at you, completely clueless,” the bald thug sneered, pointing a finger at her. “The Police Department? Yuan Ke from the Police Department is my buddy. Go ahead and call. I’ll wait for him to get here. Heh.”
Lin Nianlei froze at his words.
Inside, Qin Yu—who had just been about to open the door and intervene—stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing Yuan Ke’s name. His brow furrowed deeply.
“Clang!”
Just then, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy charged out from the inner courtyard. Wearing a tattered padded jacket, he roared, “What are you doing?! What’s all this screaming in the middle of the night?”
Author’s Postscript: The story is still being set up. Five chapters tomorrow and eight on Monday: two days of extra updates. Please be patient. The site’s voting system is being redesigned. If your votes have not raised your fan points or badge over the past two days, that is normal; the data has been recorded and will be credited together next week. Thank you for your support, and please vote!