Inside the main stilted building at the heart of The Compound, a middle-aged man in his forties sat languidly on a sofa. He was overweight, with a face full of coarse flesh, yet his eyes carried a hint of cunning and ruthlessness. His bulky frame sank deep into the wide leather couch.
His belly protruded prominently, and he exuded a worldly, greasy air.
The thick gold chain around his neck gleamed so brightly it was almost dizzying. A sinister smile hung at the corner of his mouth, his triangular eyes narrowed with calculation and frivolity. One rough, powerful hand was draped casually around a woman’s waist, pulling her firmly to his side, while the other hand held a thick cigar, slowly releasing rings of swirling white smoke. His expression was arrogant and cold.
He was Zaisang, the master of the entire Compound. Not quite a big shot in the region, but he was still a local power player with a name that carried weight.
At this moment, on the coffee table before him lay a quiet assessment report from the Compound’s clinic regarding a new batch of goods.
“Based on the report, this girl called Nie Zhenzhen counts as top-tier merchandise. Her stats are all decent, but… but her chest is a bit small.” Zaisang exhaled a wisp of white smoke, a hint of regret in his tone.
“If she had this much, she’d be perfect.” The man’s tone was lazy and teasing, one large hand stroking the softness of the woman beside him as he joked.
“Boss, don’t worry—we still have Dr. Halin. She’s experienced in this area. Whatever size you want, she can make it happen. I guarantee she’ll satisfy you.” A lackey nearby narrowed his triangular eyes, flashing a mouthful of yellow teeth, his tone laced with a hint of danger as he smiled obsequiously at Zaisang.
“Hmm, not bad. Then get Dr. Halin over there as soon as possible—the sooner the better. This rare top-tier merchandise better not lose its value. If the goods end up stuck in our hands, don’t blame me for being harsh on you.” Zaisang’s tone unconsciously grew heavier, carrying a strong warning.
“Yes, yes, I’ll take care of it right away.” The lackey was about to get up and carry out his boss’s orders when he suddenly paused mid-step, as if something had occurred to him. He turned back, walked up to Zaisang, and bowed, carefully weighing his words.
“But I heard this piece of goods isn’t very cooperative—a disobedient one. A couple of days ago she even tried to escape and almost made it to the outer perimeter of the Compound. Luckily, she ran into Mr. Li’s convoy halfway, and they sent someone to bring her back. Otherwise, our loss would’ve been huge.”
“Hmph, are those guards under me all a bunch of useless bastards eating shit? Can’t even keep an eye on a piece of goods.” A flash of cruelty and danger passed through Zaisang’s eyes as he listened to his lackey’s words.
“If the goods won’t behave, then discipline her properly. Let her taste what we do here.” Zaisang added harshly.
“She got an electric shock treatment as soon as she was brought back. She’s been docile for now, but who knows if she’ll pull any other tricks.” The lackey’s face showed a hint of obscure concern.
“She won’t be able to make waves. Just keep a tight watch on her this time!” Zaisang pinched the slender waist of the woman beside him, his tone carrying a note of certainty, and his expression softened somewhat.
“Also, be careful when you administer punishment. Discipline is discipline, but don’t actually hurt her. If she becomes unsellable stock, you know what the consequences are!” Zaisang added one final reminder.
“Yes, yes, I understand.” The lackey bowed and quickly retreated from the stilted building.
…
Nie Zhenzhen’s past two days had been relatively peaceful—at least she hadn’t suffered any more physical torment.
Every day, someone delivered two meals on schedule: one for brunch and one for dinner. The food wasn’t lavish, but it was decent enough, at least sparing her from the agony of stomach cramps again.
But what the girl found hard to accept was that she only got two chances to use the bathroom each day. The rest of the time, she was forcibly bound to the bed. Two days of lying down in succession had left her whole body limp and weak.
She suddenly thought of Xiang Wan. Since that night when she’d seen her being bullied, she’d never had a chance to see her again. She wondered how she was doing now—was she still in the Compound? A wave of confusion surged through her, so consuming that she didn’t even notice someone had already entered the room.
It was the same familiar figures: the middle-aged female doctor, the young female nurse, and two guards. Only this time, the guards were different people, but in her eyes, there was no difference. They were all equally cold, heartless, rough, and rude.
“You… what do you want to do?” This time, Nie Zhenzhen spoke up first, her tone carrying obvious panic and unease.
“You’ll find out in a moment.” The female doctor’s expression was cold. She didn’t bother acknowledging the girl and instead walked over to the long table, beginning to mix the medicine on her own.
Nie Zhenzhen stared at her with eyes full of terror the entire time. The female doctor, skilled and professional, poured the red liquid in the test tube in her left hand into the yellow liquid in her other hand. The moment the two liquids made contact, they continuously spread and merged, finally turning into a striking, bright orange. The female doctor gently shook the test tube in her hand, making that orange glow even more dazzling.
After the orange liquid in the test tube gradually stabilized, the female doctor took out a dropper, drew a small amount from a glass jar filled with blue liquid, and steadily dripped it into the original orange test tube. Before long, the liquid in the test tube completely turned into an unfathomably deep black.
That extreme black was particularly glaring in the white room, as if representing a magical, profound, and evil force, determined to drag Nie Zhenzhen into an inescapable black abyss.
Nie Zhenzhen’s eyes were wide and round from extreme terror. She had no idea what these people in front of her were going to do to her next.
After mixing the potion, the female doctor took out a syringe, drew the black liquid from the test tube, held her hand suspended in mid-air, briskly expelled the excess air from the syringe, and then walked steadily to Nie Zhenzhen’s side.
Without even glancing at the girl, she casually pulled back the bedsheet covering her, and without giving the girl any time to brace herself, firmly stuffed a clean piece of cloth into her mouth.
“It’ll hurt a bit. Bear with it. I don’t like noise.” The female doctor said only a few words before beginning her work.
She extended a hand wearing medical gloves, firmly grasped the soft flesh on the left side of the girl’s chest, carefully disinfected it with an alcohol swab, then, with clear aim, pierced the raised area without hesitation or delay, slowly injecting the medication. After injecting about half the contents of the syringe, she withdrew the needle and pressed a cotton ball on the spot for nearly a minute before letting go.
Intense pain instantly swept through her entire body. Nie Zhenzhen couldn’t control the trembling that wracked her frame, fine cold sweat beading on her forehead, her face pale and drained of all color.
She bit down hard on the cloth in her mouth, her jaw clenched tightly, stifling all cries of pain deep in her throat, but tears spilled from the corners of her eyes as if they had a mind of their own.
Before the girl could recover even slightly from the extreme agony, the female doctor’s hands had already firmly grasped the other side of her chest with the same brisk efficiency.
The same process, the same procedure, the same pain struck the girl once again. This time, the pain was so intense that her breathing was thrown off rhythm, her eyelids weakly rolling upward, revealing large swaths of white.
But the moment the needle was withdrawn, her consciousness remained as clear as ever. At this point, even the luxury of fainting and getting a brief respite was a distant hope.
The female doctor pulled the cloth from the girl’s mouth. As the suffocating sensation receded and fresh air rushed back into her throat, the girl began gasping for breath, even choking to the point of tears streaming from her eyes.
“For the next 2 days, one dose each day. Rest well.” The female doctor gave the instruction in a low voice, then began cleaning up the medical waste around her without saying anything more.
“Why… why are you doing this to me…” Nie Zhenzhen asked with a trembling voice, though she knew the question was meaningless.
“Because you’re still a decent piece of merchandise. With a little refinement, you can fetch a good price.” The female doctor’s tone was flat, as if she were talking about something utterly trivial.
Nie Zhenzhen said nothing more, just lowered her head, clutching her chest with both hands, gritting her teeth to endure the pain.
Soon, the group filed out of the room, leaving only the girl’s pained whimpers and sobs behind.